You may have your house ready for your new puppy, and your family may be bubbling over with excitement, but there are still several things you need to remember before letting life fall into its new pattern.

One of the most important thing that families overlook when adding a furbaby to the family is proper socialization. It’s not as simple as you may think. Introducing your puppy to your family and expecting things to fall in place isn’t enough. A puppy grows into a dog - and when he misses that prime socialization of puppyhood, he can become fearful and have aggression towards other pets and people outside of his family.

What it Means to 'Socialize' Your Dog

While dog experts recommend taking your pooch to a professional dog training class where they help young dogs learn important social skills in a controlled environment, these classes aren’t every day for months at a time. You will need to add in additional social time to encourage your furbaby to make pup-friends (and human friends)! Research shows that the first 3-4 months of a dog's life are when they are easiest to teach and are learning what it means to be a dog. This is the ideal time to start socializing your puppy, as they can start learning as early as just a few weeks old.

“Socialization is the act of exposing your dog to as many new environments, animals, people and other stimuli as possible without overdoing it. Overwhelming a young dog with a bunch of new experiences can result in a fearful, withdrawn behavior, so you will need to have an idea of how much is enough.” You will need to be 100% present during these socialization times. Put your phone away and have your eyes and ears on your pup.

Socializing your dog means helping them become adjusted to the world, both inside and outside of your home. According to ParticularPaws, socialization includes: 

• Handle your puppy from an early age, teaching them to accept different areas of their body being touched. This means nails, ears, teeth, tail, belly, nose etc.
• Expose your dog to new situations, places, pets and people in a safe, controlled environment. 
• Encourage your pup to explore the world around him, while safely supervising. 
• Introduce your puppy to new stimuli, games and toys. 
• Bring your pup on car rides to give them the opportunity to experience new places.

According to PawCastle, a well-socialized dog is:

• Easier to groom
• Getting more exercise
• Less fearful and anxious
• Less likely to run away

Even if your dog is the friendliest and happiest of pups, remember that other dogs might not be. Never let your guard down when out and about together. This is when your dog’s training comes in. He needs to respond to your command words in any and every situation.