Best places to socialize a puppy?

[BornYesterday]

Wondering if anyone had any tips on socializing
a puppy with strangers?

Being socialized with other dogs isnt a big concern
right now as she's great with every animal she
meets but she shys away from new people, shes going on
10 weeks and its just the last week that shes started
shying away from people she hasnt met before,
shes fine after a few mins but cant figure out how
to get her not to run and hide behind me when someone
new comes to the house.

Kids shes fine with even when first meeting a new one
but adults not so good.

Never had to deal with this with a puppy before

I know puppy socialization classes will help but want
something that I can do daily with her.

Thought of taking her into town to do an afternoon walk
so she could meet new people that way
(plus it could double as getting her use to car rides)
But not sure if that is the safest way to go.

Any tips would be great

Shes a Miniature American Eskimo, our 3rd one

[PoodleMommy]

I dont know if you have all of these places by you... but here is a list of places I have found good to socialize my animals.

PetSmart/Petco

Home Depot (not all allow animals anymore I have heard, mine still does)

Outlet Shopping Centers

Downtown Areas (if you have the kind that have lots of little shops and a lot of people roaming about)

Parks (the people kind, not the dog kind)... if they are busy... I found Central Park a great place to socialize Armani but I realize not everyone has a Central park in their backyard.

Street Fairs, Farmers Markets, Festivals (if you have these things near you they tend to draw large crowds and since they are usually outside they are almost always animal friendly.)

Good Luck

[Angela's mom]

What about a school at dismissal time. If you have a friend with school age kids you could go with them to pick up their kiddos. At our school parents show up and congregate in the parking lot about 10-15 minutes before dismissal. Lots of them bring their pets and the dogs get to socialize too. It's regular zoo out there!

If you had a situation similar to that it might work out pretty well.

[chanda]

she looks like a little bear to me... she's very cute... what's her name?

[Durbkat]

I would not go to pet stores till she has had all her shots. I would just bring her to people's house and have them toss her treats and have people come to your house and do the same thing. When she feels comfortable and comes up to them then they can pet her.

[bubbatd]

I blame the breeder for this attitude . From day one my litters had adult and children visitors . That cute fuzz ball will learn !

[BornYesterday]

Originally Posted by chanda

she looks like a little bear to me... she's very cute... what's her name?

Not 100% sure yet its down to Gabby or Mia or ?

Originally Posted by bubbatd

I blame the breeder for this attitude . From day one my litters had adult and children visitors . That cute fuzz ball will learn !

I blame myself as well, but just cant see why shes
starting to shy away this last week.
All the pups from the litter were well socialized from
birth to new people, animals and sounds its just
when her litter mates started going off to their new homes
last week shes starting to act shy.

My nephew took her in for show and share today and
she was great ... well she did pee on the floor
but didnt play shy at all was her normal active playful silly self.

Will see if I can arrange some friends to stop by at
different times during the day so she gets more use to being
the last pup here and new people coming in and out

[Maxy24]

Puppies go through fear periods when they realize the world can be big and scary, so they start acting more fearful of things. it is very important in these times to make sure lots of good things happen with other people, dogs and new situations. I agree, bring her to stores, parks, around schools, if you can bring her to a kids soccer game for a while so she can get used to all that commotion, bring her to any event that allows dogs. check for dog events as well, i know especially in summer a lot of rescues do fundraisers that are basically big fun events in parks where there are games, sometimes agility or Frisbee shows and just a whole lot of fun for you and your dog. Check out some rescues in your area and see if they are doing anything like that.

[Renee750il]

Just be aware, wherever you take her, of how she's feeling. If she gets too tired or hot it's not going to be a good experience for her and you'll end up doing the step forward, two steps back thing

One of the best kinds of places I took Kharma when she was a young puppy was to plant nurseries. They're usually pretty calm, lots of room, people are relaxed and not freaking because you've got a dog that ISN'T in a pocketbook and it's more like being outdoors. To this day, Lowes is one of Kharma's favorite places to go, lol.

[BornYesterday]

Originally Posted by Renee750il

Just be aware, wherever you take her, of how she's feeling. If she gets too tired or hot it's not going to be a good experience for her and you'll end up doing the step forward, two steps back thing

One of the best kinds of places I took Kharma when she was a young puppy was to plant nurseries. They're usually pretty calm, lots of room, people are relaxed and not freaking because you've got a dog that ISN'T in a pocketbook and it's more like being outdoors. To this day, Lowes is one of Kharma's favorite places to go, lol.

Never thought of a nursery, great tip

I've been taking her to the post office right now,
for about 20 mins each time, only place in town I could
think of that wouldnt be packed but still have a fair amount
of different people to meet, She now has a new friend a very
gentle airdale terrier who just loves her

Shes been doing better at home as well still not 100%
but will now run to the door and bark when she hears
anyone pulling into the driveway she then waits to see if
mom likes them and then bounces over to see if they have
a treat for her.
though she seems better when its a few people then when
its just one person.

Shes proving to be a silly little nut