Noble Newfoundlands

Socialization

A big word that means different things to different people

Throughout our years of breeding, we have developed socialization protocol that we believe coincides with our household dynamics and better suits our puppies.

We prefer an integrative approach rather than a "by-the-book" approach. Because our puppies are raised inside our home, we are able to socialize them constantly throughout the day without creating staged opportunities.

Socialization means so many different things to different people. So, what is "socialization?"

What is "Socialization?"

Through the socialization process, good OR bad behavior can be developed! For example, people that raise puppies that will someday participate in dog fighting socialize their puppies in ways that encourage fear and aggression. People that raise puppies that might become police dogs socialize their puppies to be protective, bold, and to have bite skills. People that raise puppies that might become service dogs socialize their puppies very systematically and with intense positive reinforcement. So, you can see that the process of socialization is very unique to each and every breeding program, and it is important to choose a program that socializes appropriately for your needs.

It is so important for a breeder to have proper knowledge on both the genetic history of her dogs, as well as appropriate socialization techniques. There are some things about different breeds/types of puppies that are genetic and will never change. However, it is up to the breeder to identify and understand these genetics and then place an appropriate socialization plan in place for her puppies so that her puppies can grow to become Good Canine Citizens.

What socialization is Not...

Socialization is NOT posting a few branded badges on your website and claiming to use a particular commercial curriculum (Puppy Culture, AviDog, etc.). Look for PROOF of a breeder using this curriculum. Proof would be weekly videos being posted of puppies immersed in this curriculum. Socialization is NOT "raising puppies inside your home." What kind of home are the puppies being raised in? Are they being exposed to kind and appropriate adults, children, and animals? Being raised "inside a home" means nothing without proof of how puppies are being raised. Remember, animal hoarders, abusers, and backyard breeders raise puppies inside their homes.

Socialization is NOT handling puppies daily, throwing some new toys in here and there, and letting them play with other dogs. Remember, every single experience a puppy has during it's critical first 8 weeks with a breeder shapes its behavior for the rest of its life. So, again, it is not enough to go through the motions. Socialization involves analyzing genetics and individual litter development and creating a constantly evolving and growing plan that will suit each individual litter, all the way down to each individual puppy

In other words, we love our dogs. And we treat them like dogs, not humans. Dogs have very different emotional and physical needs from humans. It is important for us to remember and embrace these differences between species, because not doing so will be detrimental to training and socializing.

We have pulled our socialization protocol from many different brand name programs, as well as research studies, and of course simply from our own learning experiences.

The best way to follow our socialization protocol is to follow us on social media! We post regular photos and videos of our puppies going through their daily routines.

Scroll down to view some of the things that we do in our household, with our puppies, and with our dogs regularly that shape our socialization protocol.

Controlled Human Interaction

Meeting new people is very important for puppy socialization, however, we are very careful when it comes to introducing new people to our puppies. We have family members and close friends that come to our home for these carefully calculated interactions. We do not allow strangers or puppy families to visit our home.

Proven Curriculum

We have drawn socialization techniques and protocol from many different curriculums, but our favorite is AviDog's Savvy Socialization series. This science and experience based curriculum suits our program very well, and has equipped us with the knowledge that we need in order to be confident in our carefully developed protocol

Appropriate Animal Interactions

Our adult dogs are allowed to interact with the puppies during highly controlled sessions. These positive interactions teach puppies how to behave around new dogs.

Daily Routine

We mention "daily routines" here a lot. That is because we think that they are SO important! We set our daily routines based on each litter's developmental stage. Our daily routines evolve and change constantly based on each litter's individual needs. Our family members participate and adhere to these routines so that we can maintain consistency.

The Avidog Protocol