# Sticky  Socializing puppies and the rule of 7's ...



## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

With all the talk of aggressive Chi's, I remember reading about the rule of 7's for puppies. I found the article and it's a great reminder on socialization and one we could all learn from, even if our puppies are older ....

Following these rules will surely help lead to a well socialized and mentally balanced dog! (From Pat Schaap, a top breeder of Shelties).


_*Just what does "properly socialized" mean when referring to a puppy or an adult? *_I've asked dozens of pet owners and breeders and the answer generally comes down to "getting the puppy out" to a lot of places. Only, you can't safely get very young unprotected puppies "out" to a lot of places and it's important for those critters to have exposure to the new and different parts of the world in order for them to develop into well adjusted adults. So, what to do???

Try these suggestions from a breeder friend with a great long history with puppies and dogs.

*The Rule of 7's *

By the time a puppy is seven weeks old he/she should have: 

Been on 7 different types of surfaces: carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips

Played with 7 different types of objects: big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy toys, squeaky toys, paper of cardboard items, metal items, sticks or hose pieces

Been in 7 different locations: front yard, back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom

Met and played with 7 new people: include children and older adults, someone walking with a cane or stick, someone in a wheelchair or walker

Been exposed to 7 challenges: climb on a box, climb off a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, in and out of a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence

Eaten from 7 different containers; metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan

Eaten in 7 different locations: crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, living room, bathroom

At our house, as soon as puppies are whelped we handle them to be sure they are healthy and happy. We do daily weight checks early on and cuddle them a little so that we are familiar to them when they open their eyes and ears and can finally connect those smells with a person. A breeder I know daily turns each puppy over several times in her hands (head over heels). One noted animal behaviorist finds that this makes animals brighter and quicker learners. After the eyes and ears open, we increase the noise level and add new sounds to get them used to the loud world out there.
Depending on the litter (and some are ready earlier than others) we begin to take individual puppies out of the puppy room away from mom and litter mates for some one-on-one every day after the eyes and ears are open. (My husband does this during the day and in the evening when he watches TV - he gets a new puppy during the commercials). It's very important for each puppy to have time away from "the family" to help them develop as individuals and not be co-dependent.

When the weather permits, our puppies go out in the grass at 4 - 5 weeks of age (a lot depends on the litter as to when they are ready). We sit on the ground with the puppies on our laps and let them leave when ready to explore. We create "problems" for the puppies to solve (climbing over a low box to get out of or into the whelping box - walking into a narrow box to get a toy or treat). If you can, build a "mini agility course" for the puppies - or buy one of the toddler's prefab plastic play gyms (I like the one made by "2-Step" - it has stairs, a slide, a platform and a little house to play in). Walking through the hardware store you can come up with a lot of great "mind and body" teasers. Don't forget to change the toys in the X-pen or kennel often to keep interest up.

Keep the challenges coming and when they have completed their inoculations and are "protected" step up the visits to new places and interactions with people. Trips to the park offer many new experiences (the gym equipment as well as the kids). Watch out for other dogs, though. You don't want all of your work to go down the tubes because one big dog frightened your puppy. 

Remember, Tired Puppies Sleep -- they aren't looking around for things to chew and they don't need to be entertained!

Good Luck! 
Pat Schaap, Shenanigan Shetlands


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## pigeonsheep (Nov 8, 2008)

this would've been helpful months ago -_-;; lol. thanks brody  im starting out late


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## scarlett_chaos (Feb 21, 2009)

AGREED! Ditto all of that. It sounds very helpful and makes socialization seem less complicated. Has this thread been stickied already? I didn't check. Thanks for posting this Brody!


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## BeckyLa (Feb 18, 2009)

Wonderful and helpful information. Yes, it should definitely be stickied for the sake of us newbies and our unsuspecting pups.


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## Harley's Mom (Feb 5, 2009)

This is all really great info. Too bad most people don't have access to this like we do.


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## Chili-mom (Sep 7, 2008)

Good information, thanks for posting it.


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## lilbabyvenus (Feb 8, 2009)

That's a really great post! I tried so hard when we first got Venus... This would have been awesome when we first got her. Of course it didn't help that I had a broken arm the first 2 months we had her lol. That was quite an experience for her when "mommy" came home without a large fiberglass "toy" conveniently wrapped around her arm lol.


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## roughhouse (Mar 1, 2009)

This is great! I am going to follow this when I bring my new pup home in a few months.


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## *Princess* (Feb 7, 2009)

great piece of info!! thankk you


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## Pinkchi (Nov 21, 2008)

great info! is being sent to the printer as i type this! altho i dont quite think tht when i get a puppy it will be 7 weeks old......still useful for slightly older puppies though? x


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

You should be able to do these techniques with all puppies, not just ones 7 weeks old. I think the article meant that they wanted to incorporate all these things by the time the puppy was 7 weeks old. But I would do it all the way through puppyhood.


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## * Bailey & Kahlua's Mom * (Nov 10, 2008)

Well, we got most of them down... but I don't understand why they have to eat out of a frying pan? lol

I think we did well, Bailey LOVES people and kids and will happily be held by anyone that will give him the time.


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## katsrevenge (Nov 24, 2008)

The frying pan is so they will not think twice about eating from something that is not their regular bowl.


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## * Bailey & Kahlua's Mom * (Nov 10, 2008)

Well heck, he has always done that.... LMFAO!!!!! He doesn't care what the "food" is in, if it will fit in his mouth, it goes down his throat!


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## katsrevenge (Nov 24, 2008)

Not all critters will do that. I had a shelter Siamese who wouldn't eat anything but dry cat food and that had to be in a bowl on the floor.


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## Sophie. (Mar 16, 2009)

Wish i had known this when i got Kenadie! Would have saved lots of trouble  Thanks for posting!


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## iheartchanel (Mar 22, 2009)

My girl isn't exactly a puppy, but I think it will be useful in working with her. Thanks for posting it.


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## cheryl (May 10, 2009)

Wow--this is terrific info! It makes so much sense. I wish I had heard it years ago, but better late than never. I guess I'll just have to get another puppy to put it all into practice!


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## Deme (Aug 18, 2009)

See how new to this I am, I thought you couldn't let puppies onto grass untill they have had their vacinations.


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## rachellauren (Oct 15, 2008)

this is great, i'm gonna have to print this out, thanks!


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## whiterose (Dec 23, 2009)

This site is fantastic for getting information like this! Will be getting my new pup around 14th jan 2010 by then she will be 8 weeks old. This will hopefully help me loads. Thankyou!


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## Cambrea (Feb 21, 2010)

I am curious how everyone does the obstacle course type things with their chis. Pepper isn't aware that she can't jump four feet to her death and would love to take a flying leap off of _anything_ she is set on. This includes my lap, the porch, the steps, and any furniture large or small. She trys to jump up the stairs and then rolls back down them if I don't catch her. Is there an easy way to get them used to steps and/or jumping up onto things without the danger of a fall?


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## DiegosMama (Feb 24, 2010)

this is great info, thanks! Will def. put it to good use.

Cambrea, sounds like my lil Diego. He tried to jump off everything and did manage to slip out of my arms at about 3 ft high!! the horror! I think he's learned his lesson the hard way. How about putting treat on each step to get him to go up one at a time? For me, it helped keeping my little one on a lease so I could control his movements better...he was/is so fast! Hope it helps


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## LiMarChis (Mar 29, 2010)

Wonderful information that all breeders should be following. Carrying through with these types of things at the new home is great as well. This is all part of the socialization and early training that we all talk about.

To the question about grass...breeders should have a controlled environment that they allow the puppies to use when introducing grass and outside experiences. They know who and what has been there so they limit the puppy's exposure to any diseases or parasites. It's not the same thing as allowing an unvaccinated or undervaccinated puppy access to public places. HTH

Lisa


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## IheartZelda (Apr 8, 2010)

Awesome!!!
I should have come across this when I brought home both of my babies!! My little Zelda is a social butterfly (slightly unusual for a tiny chi)
but her big brother, Titus....That's a different story all together... We've worked out a 'system' for introducing new people to him, and it seems to be working! lol
Surprisingly enough, it's turned out that he likes men, more than women... 
so I guess both of my babies are slightly freaky...
;-)


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## Paintgirl (Apr 16, 2010)

I haven't read all the in between posts...but according to my breeder and my vet...with chihuahuas being so small...this 7 weeks can easily be extended out to 7 months...

I've been gradually expanding Listo's horizons..he is 4 1/2 months now and I did wait to take him out of our house until he had his last set of puppy vaccinations. 

It helps that he LOVES people (strangers too) and is happy to socialize with anyone. 

I've worked hard to treat him like a DOG and we have another larger dog here that has taken kindly to him as well. (this takes some of the pressure off me to entertain Listo!)

Anyway...don't stop the process if/when your dog is beyond 7 weeks...you can socialize at any age...it just takes longer/more patience.


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## FLyMuSLiMa (Jun 20, 2010)

Thank you for posting this; it's all great info!


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## MsGramma (Jul 23, 2010)

This is GREAT!!
Thanks for posting.
My Baby is 8 weeks old and this answers alot of questions.
Thanks,


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## kellsandpup (Nov 21, 2010)

how does this apply when i dont get my pup till 8 weeks?
the breeder should do all this right?
i will do what i can once i have him though


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## rabayda (Dec 15, 2010)

Wow, thanks for this great info!


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## TheJewelKitten (Nov 20, 2010)

is that 7 weeks or 7 months..? Weeks is a bit early..


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## Boss (Feb 26, 2011)

Brodysmom said:


> With all the talk of aggressive Chi's, I remember reading about the rule of 7's for puppies. I found the article and it's a great reminder on socialization and one we could all learn from, even if our puppies are older ....
> 
> Following these rules will surely help lead to a well socialized and mentally balanced dog! (From Pat Schaap, a top breeder of Shelties).
> 
> ...


This was very useful information thanks I will make sure to put Boss through all of the steps to ensure a well balanced puppy


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## Sirhubi (Feb 27, 2011)

I think it is a fantastic post! I really like it as it gives you set of goals your pup needs to achieve, making some aspects of socialising a pup more straightforward!


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## baby blue chi (Apr 15, 2011)

I wish I had got My lil guy @ 7-8 weeks..he was already 3 months when I bought him..but I will still try these things out..better late then never..thx for the info


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## coccomummy (May 3, 2011)

great info thanks


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## CHITheresa (Apr 30, 2011)

That is good info, but taking out on grass so young before shots I don't agree with. I have to go to PT today im taking Amberleah with me and then to park with treats and have lots of different people talk to her and give her treats.


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## Miinerva (Jun 10, 2011)

This is really great information. I wonder if you can use this for older dogs (5 months) who haven't been properly socilized, like my Locco. I dont think he has anyway from what info i have about him. This is worth a try for sure to set a goal for 7 weeks and do all of the above and see if he becomes calmer in new suroundings or meeting new people...he goes haywhire if a man comes in to my flat or anywhere else inside, sometimes outside as well. The same with big dogs...small dogs just became ok teh other week so that is good


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## Foster (Jul 20, 2011)

GREAT POST !!!!! its never too late i think ... by the way what is dexter saying ?


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## Dixie Belle (Apr 9, 2011)

If this fits in the category of socializing, I've done this with Dixie as I didn't want her to snap at a child like my boxer did. No damage was done thank goodness. But as soon as I got Dixie at 5 weeks I played with her food while she ate, got my face close to her plate, took it from her and gave it right back to train her not to be aggressive around my grandkids if they got near her while she was eating or if they were eating around her.


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## PocoAngelo (Aug 9, 2011)

Looove this! SO important to have the pups WELL socialised!!  Can I use this info on our Norwegian forum??


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## tinycody (Sep 8, 2011)

good informaton!


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## tysoncallmetyty (Nov 21, 2011)

My lil tyty is just 7 weeks old... but, he's climbing up and down steps, eating hard food, drinking water... playing roughhouse with his older brother and has a ferocious growl when he wants to play mean. I'm so glad its a long weekend, so i can really observe and interact with him. He does need to sleep though, a lot since he's a puppy. Puppy shots start next week. Until then, quarantine in the house. Thanks for the very informative post! I didn't know that either. It's been so long since I haven't had a puppy or dog from a pound or rescue.....


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## AppleandAllie (Mar 14, 2012)

I wish I knew about this one month ago.  Guess I better get to work if it's not too late.


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## Suzn (Feb 8, 2012)

I have used this list to make sure Paco is being appropriately socialized. He is doing so well. Today was a new experience. He found a place in the lane that is filled with leaves and I wondered what he would think of the crunchy surface... he did great. He has such a good temperament. He is willing to try anything as long as he can look at me from time to time to be sure it is ok! LOL
I am so enjoying this journey!


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## tysoncallmetyty (Nov 21, 2011)

Suzn, our chis are close to the same age. Tyson (Tyty) just turned 5 months on the 9th. When I come home from work, he just calmly sits on my lap and it feels so good to have him there. My little rat terrier was locked in a cage at the pound for most of his socializing period, so he is so needy, can't get close enough to me, really in my face poor guy. But, Tyson is so calming and just so adoring, but in a not needy way. He is extremely protective though and can put up a fierce growl when he doesn't want the other puppies getting near me....lol... I tell him no, but I can tell that's not going to change. He's always gonna wanna be numero uno! lol.


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## Chi fan75 (Mar 17, 2012)

Thx for the info! My litter is 9 days old and it's the first for my female. When do you actually handle the pups w/o gloves? I may be over pre cautious, but I'm learning as I go


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## garymaglipay (Mar 17, 2012)

*Me too!*



roughhouse said:


> This is great! I am going to follow this when I bring my new pup home in a few months.


If my friend give me one of the litters. 
Actually, I have tried this one with my beagle before. It's a very good one.. SWEAR!


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## togfather (May 16, 2012)

Excellent advice and tips. Thank you.

Tog


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## Mommy2Odin (Jun 13, 2012)

Thanks! Ive covered most of this-with the exception of the eating out of drink containers thing. No frying pan for Odin.lol


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## aaronagopian (Jul 5, 2012)

Thanks for posting this. I have some friends that use the rule of 5's but I like 7's more.
Aaron Agopian


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## Leeanne (Oct 25, 2012)

This is so helpful or when I get my puppy, I will deffinantly be doing all of the list and actually think its also a great way to bond with your puppy


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## KFox (Apr 17, 2013)

I've been doing a lot of that from trial and error from my last chi... My advice would be loud noises, like the vacuum, other animals, kids, and barking~nip that now or it will be tough later! Awesome post some I wouldn't have thought of.. Thank-you!!


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## loupey (Oct 1, 2013)

Thanks again for this! We went to the pet shop yesterday and the pup approached way over 7 people that were crouching down looking at the shelves loool. They were so surprised to see a little nosey pup staring up at them!


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## Lilykit (Dec 25, 2013)

Great information to know thank you!


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## AngelicMisfit13 (Apr 20, 2015)

I have some catching up to do, I don't know how many people she has met since I've had her (March 16, 2015 @ 3 months old) but she loves people and adores children. She's only barked at one person, one of my neighbors (older male) but seems to love to see my next door neighbors. Even though she has heard many different loud noises, its always been from the safety of our apartment...she freaks out when its actually in her vicinity (in the apartment or when she is outside with the noise). I'm hoping I can de-sensitize her from the scariness of the loud noises before it becomes a something permanent fear.


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## Suzie Johnson (May 25, 2016)

There's a lot great info in here! 
I'll add a blog post I recently came across about puppy training.
https://www.dogids.com/blog/puppy-training-tips-and-advice/

Hopefully it reinforces what some of you have already posted and helps everyone out!

Cheers~ <3


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## K8emcgee (Oct 25, 2015)

I don't understand how to roll her head over heels in my hand... she's 6 weeks old


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## bertistelzer65 (3 mo ago)

This is a very relevant topic for all puppy owners. I noticed that chihuahuas are quite shy dogs and many of them have problems with socialization. I also faced the same problem. Fortunately, my wife's father is an experienced dog handler and he helped us. Unfortunately, I was uneducated in this area, so I felt guilty about Jesse (that's my dog's name), but now I can help my friends who have puppies. It's nice to know that you can help little puppies feel comfortable surrounded by other dogs or people. Thank you for sharing!


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