Your Chow Chow pup’s socialization process begins when he is still in the litter.
When he is seven to eight weeks old, he gains in independence and is adventurous about his environment. Now’s the best time to bring your Chow Chow pup home.
In the next fortnight, he will begin to be easily frightened and will cling to you for support and reassurance. Don’t make loud noises or surprises at this time and have new experiences that don’t shock him or threaten his peace of mind.
At 10 weeks, he is well over this phase and will now enter the juvenile phase. Watch him nose around and be more exploratory— phase that will go on till he’s an adult. Now, introduce him to more new things He will be more inquisitive and wider ranging in his explorations. But watch him closely now as he may enter a second phase of fear in the fourth or fifth month.
While you socialize your pup, take his health needs into consideration. Vaccinate him completely or he will catch the deadly disease Parvovirus. Don’t take him out in public if his shots are still incomplete.
1. Obedience training for your pup: Even at age seven weeks, when you begin socializing your pup, you can make the whole process fun for him by injecting some gentle play. Use motivational methods and reward-based behaviors by offering treats, toys and food, apart from praise so that he wants to obey you.
Try to set up situations where he cannot go wrong. And don’t use physical punishment while he’s still a pup as this may harm him both mentally and physically. As with all the very young of all species, pups too have very short attention spans. This means that you repeat exercises several times a day. All you need to do is to spend a few minutes a day and watch the difference in his attitude. For best results, start the process a few days after he comes home to you.
Trick training: Here are some commonly taught tricks for all dogs:
Sit:
1. Take a piece of food or a toy and from in front of him, move it to over his head and simultaneously say “Sit”.
2. He will raise his head and follow the direction of the food or toy, and without knowing it, lower his rear end to the process, lower his rear end to the floor in a sitting position.
3. Help him into this position by tucking his bottom under with your free hand.
4. Now, praise him lavishly and give him the toy or treat as a reward.
Down:
1. Try to tease him by showing him a piece of food or toy.
2. Now, say “Down” and lower the toy to the floor.
3. If he needs help, lower his rear body with a slight pressure on his shoulders.
4. When he lies down, as per your commands, give him the toy, even if only for a second and reward him profusely.
5. Now, increase the time period for him to stay on the floor before you give him the toy.
Stand:
1. While your pup is still in the Down position, say “Stand” and raise a treat or toy high above his head. Help him get into position if he needs it.
2. Let him remain in this position for a couple of seconds, then release, reward and praise him generously.
Wait:
1. Get your pup into sitting position.
2. Say “Wait” and move back from him, by a couple of steps. Praise him for staying.
3. To reward him while he’s still waiting so that he makes the association between his action and your reward. If he gets up too soon, repeat the exercise and slowly increase the time he waits.
Strut (Heel):
1. Dangle a tasty treat at his head level on your left-hand side.
2. Say “Strut” or “Heel” and walk forward briskly.
3. Allow him to much a bit as you walk.
4. First, just take a few steps, then increase the range. Now, release the pup and praise him. As he gets better at this, raise the level of the treat higher, but don’t reward him for jumping.
By training your pup, you will develop a close bond of love and loyalty Now, reward him, praise him and then release. Remember with him, besides also being a whole lot of fun. As you know, an untrained dog can be a nuisance, and a danger to the family and the neighborhood. But a well-trained dog is a friend for life and an asset to your family.
Please note: This article is part of a collection of dog-related content that we purchased the rights to. Opinions expressed may or may not agree with those espoused by Master Dog Trainer Adam G. Katz. When in doubt, please refer to the advice given in Adam’s dog training book. This article is provided for your enjoyment, only. It’s relevance to real world working dog training may be limited.