Ooh, you have a bouncing bundle of poodle joy!  Congratulations!

Now it’s your job to raise this little poodle puppy as best as you can. And while that job includes everything from good nutrition to lots of exercise to training and more, there’s something else you need to do… starting immediately. Namely, you need to socialize your little pup.

With luck, the person who spent the first 8 or so weeks with your poodle puppy started the socialization process.  But you need to continue it.  And while it’s extremely important than you begin socialization immediately, it’s also a good idea to keep socializing your poodle as he or she gets older.

Ok, back the truck up – what the heck is socialization?  Are you picturing your poodle puppy all dolled up, nails painted, perfectly coiffed … attending parties?

Well, that’s not exactly it.  Instead, puppy socialization refers to introducing your new poodle to as many people, places, and things as possible.

You see, your puppy is going to grow up to be a perfect little family member.  She’s going to be 100% comfortable in your home, with your family.  But she needs to get exposed to the world. That way, the world won’t scare the bediddles out of her as she grows up.

And that means you can take your poodle puppy (and your poodle dog) to visit new places without problem.  She can meet new people. She can hear strange sounds and sights. And none of this will bother her if you’ve worked on socializing her as a puppy.

Socialized puppies and dogs are happily invited to other people’s houses. Socialized poodles are welcome at hotels, parks and other public places.  Socialized poodle puppies grow to be confident dogs who don’t cower in fear, shy away from new situations, or fear bite.

It’s pretty clear that socializing your puppy offers both you and your little poodle puppy a lot of benefits.  Now hang tight – next time I’ll tell you HOW to socialize that pup!