Raising Puppies

All socialization is not good socialization. Bad experiences at an early age can make negative impressions for years to come. Sometimes, certain situations are just too much for your puppy. If she is having a good time, she will look the part. Her ears will be up, her eyes will be bright, and she may wag her tail or whole body and actively seek interaction.

If your puppy is not enjoying herself, learn to recognize her signs of stress to avoid causing emotional harm:

cowering or clinging
ears down and back
lip licking
sleeping (all young puppies take frequent naps, but if you find your puppy sleeping a lot when you have her out or at a busy event, she may actually be shutting down)
tail tucking
turning the head or body away from people who approach
yawning

For example, let's say you take your puppy to your child's soccer game. You see that she's flinching at the loudspeaker and getting a bit clingy. She starts to whine. Your child's team rushes around her to pet her. She licks her lips, turns her head away, and yawns. She tries to crawl in your lap or under the bleachers. These signs of stress mean that your puppy is not having a good socialization experience. You may actually be teaching her that children, large groups of people, or playing fields are cause for worry. Forcing her to remain there or hoping she'll get used to it might only make things worse. If you see signs of stress in your puppy, immediately remove her from the situation until she relaxes.

Take it much slower with your puppy, and gradually get her used to this level of stimulation.