Socialization during puppyhood includes introduction and
desensitization to a lot of new things. Most people think of socialization as
meeting new people and dogs. It does mean this, but socialization also needs to
include getting used to being gently handled (grooming, petting, etc),
experiencing many different types of flooring, riding in cars, seeing other
animals, and a whole host of other experiences that can help make a puppy
confident in his or her environment.
Body handling issues happen when a dog has not been handled
enough as a puppy, dislikes being handled in certain areas or has had a bad
experience that causes fear of being handled. It can be interesting to
speculate why a dog might not like being handled in certain ways, but no matter
what the reason, we can help them become more comfortable with being handled.
This series of articles about Body Handling issues will
alternate with the Fear Based Behaviors articles during 2012.
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