Why is it good to bring dogs out to know the world when they are puppies

There is a premise that many professionals raise when a puppy is in the vaccination period, generally before the age of four months, which is to say precisely “do not take your puppy out on the street”.

That phrase should be transformed into “do not take your puppy out to walk on the sidewalk”, but do it in a dog backpack, in a “monkey”, in a shopping cart, on a puppy, in a car, etc. And do it as a daily habit by exposing it to horns, lights, cars, buses, trains, different environments and people.

Going out into the world and meeting him as a puppy does not necessarily mean stepping on the urban sidewalk that could spread diseases.

The important thing is to achieve, in the sensitive stage of the animal called imprinting, die-cutting or printing, that it gets used to different stimuli that will not generate fears in the adult stage, achieving a safe and balanced animal, with a pleasant coexistence.

Fear, moderately manifested, is a beneficial and positive feeling that allows us to be alert to a threat; but when it becomes a sensation or feeling that governs life, it ceases to have positive effects and becomes what is called an allostatic load of stress that increases our circulating cortisol with all the adverse effects that this entails.

Urban pets are more sensitive to fear than others.

Undoubtedly, the fact that they suffer from an excess of fear is explained by the lack of adequate socialization in time and form, and by a greater perception of the environment that animals have through their senses.

Between sixty days and four months of age, it is essential to socialize the animal by letting it know the environment and offering them a variety of stimuli.

Overprotection and bad advice confine the dog to its home until an age when the sensitive stage has ended and any behavior modification is complex to implement in the future.

It is necessary to balance protection against somatic infectious diseases with cognitive maturation, the latter being a fundamental factor of vital balance.

This attitude of keeping the puppy in isolation threatens its normal emotional and cognitive development.

Tips for dogs to develop emotionally during walks

The dog is a “natural rabble” and when it goes out to explore its immediate environment “it is reading the newspaper” or “knowing the news of the day”. Through olfactory images, he perceives in his outings the activity of his congeners in the neighborhood, who happened and who was there. That information and stimulates their cognitive ability and emotional development.

It is essential to understand that the walk is not only a hygienic walk to prevent canine needs from being deposited at home, but that it is an emotional need that takes time and that must be respected.

In the case of puppies, it is very likely that a professional will advise us not to take them out on the street as they are not protected by a complete vaccination plan. This is true and it is very important, since it is about their protection against physical diseases, but the outings mark their maturation and above all their future relationship with their environment. That's why we can and must take him out on the street, even if he never steps on the sidewalk.

Once he has his full vaccinations and is able to walk by our side, we must take the first walks very calmly and patiently since we must support him emotionally so that he is not afraid of his new reality and can assimilate it. You must learn to walk at our own pace, to socialize with the rest of the dogs, to relieve yourself outdoors.

The animal is not going to learn all this in one day. Until he learns all these things, it is recommended to take the animal out to the street as often as our times allow.

As to how often dogs need to go for a walk, there is no exact figure; but the recommended thing for them to grow up healthy and happy is between two and four times a day with a duration of between twenty minutes and half an hour each of them.

Daily walks are a great opportunity to enjoy quality time together. This time is extremely important for the development of your dog's behavior and will lay the foundation of a relationship of trust.

If they go out to play in the park and there are other dogs and other people, your dog will associate them with something good, which will help make it a more sociable and less aggressive dog. Otherwise the dog will be fearful, cowardly, and perhaps aggresses depending on whether he considers everything a challenge. Playing is also a great way to learn more about your dog. Watch it well when you play together and you can discover many things about it.

*Prof. Dr. Juan Enrique Romero @drromerook is a veterinary physician. Specialist in University Education. Master's Degree in Psychoimmunoneuroendocrinology. Former Director of the Small Animal School Hospital (UNLPAM). University Professor at several Argentine universities. International lecturer.

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