Socialization for your new puppy is essential to having a well balanced pet.  There are critical periods of K9 mental development, and these are generally before the animal reaches four to six months of age.  Socialization will help your pet become accustomed to everything from meeting new people and new furry friends, to desensitizing him or her to strange situations and noises.  Research shows dogs undergo a "fear period" during these developmental stages (similar to a "shy" period seen in human children) around eight to ten weeks, where extreme caution should be used when attempting to socialize your new family member.  We can help you identify this delicate time, and advise you on strategies that will help you and your pet avoid developing bad habits and behaviors.

Socialization for the older dog is also important.  Sometimes it is just to keep your pet mentally balanced.  Lets face it - we all need to meet new friends for we are social creatures, and our pets are no exception.  Here we can help you and your dog develop proper etiquette for meeting new friends, and how to correct poor behaviors.  Sometimes dogs are aggressive towards fellow animals or people, and it has been our experience that almost all of these "aggression cases" can be turned around.  However, dealing with aggressive dogs is be dangerous (especially for an untrained owner who has merely seen a few episodes of a television show on how to deal with aggressive dogs!) and should include the help of an experienced professional.  Years of reading K9 body language, coupled with years of experience working with dogs, should be the bare minimum of handling aggressive animal behavors in hopes of turning the pet around.