How to make your golden retriever sociable
All breeds of dogs behave in a different manner with strangers. Some dogs may just look at them and then ignore them. Other dogs, on the other hand, love to meet, greet and play around with people. Golden Retrievers are generally considered as group-oriented dogs. They love attention and so it is important for them to socialize and interact with different kinds of people.
It is important that your Golden puppy starts meeting and socializing with people when it is between eight weeks and eight months old. It is but normal for your Golden puppy to be shy and awkward at first that is why you have to be patient with him and constantly reassure him. Eventually, he will become at ease and begin to loosen up.
The behavior of Golden Retrievers when dealing with people may vary. Some Goldens are more comfortable with those they are familiar with, while some are choosy with whom to play with. There are also some Goldens that are happy being around with just those of the same sex. Moreover, many Golden Retrievers are fond of children too.
Your Golden puppy’s parents may also be a contributing factor in determining his social skills. If his parents were also good and sociable with people as well as with the other dogs, then there may be a high possibility that the genes could be passed on to the puppy. Meanwhile, if the parents were timid or aggressive, chances are that the puppy may have inherited that trait as well. Puppies normally inherit their parents’ traits; that is why proper breeding is important and that the parents of the puppy were compatible in the first place.
A puppy might not learn many of the social signs that his mother and litter can teach him if he was separated from them before reaching seven weeks old. Golden puppies that are brought into a new home environment before they are seven week of age usually become distant, cold or aggressive to people. They may also be awkward or fearful when with other dogs. This can be attributed to his lack of social skills that they were supposed to learned from their mother and as they lack the social skills needed to be themselves.
A puppy that has been traumatized by an injury or an abuse can affect his social skill as well. He may be fearful or aggressive towards humans or other animals whenever they are injured or frightened. A trauma leaves a huge impact in the mind of a puppy, which makes it hard for him to get over a particular circumstance. Most Golden Retriever puppies that have been traumatized usually have a difficulty moving on. That is why it is important to always make your puppy feel welcome and comfortable especially when you bring him into his new home for the first time. Golden Retrievers that are not properly sheltered or ignored can also affect their social skills.
Make sure that your puppy gets a lot of interaction with other people as well as other of the same breed as his. This is a good way for your puppy to become sociable better. Your Golden pet will carry his social skills as he gets older.