Good way to socialize or to much?
 

My husband and I are going to the Pet Expo May 18th in Charlotte NC... I can't wait. We were thinking of taking Louie, since your allowed to bring your pets. He loves other animals and people but I was still wondering if that might be to much for a puppy? Of course I would be carrying him all day since I wouldn't want him to get stepped on or possibly bit by someones larger dog.
All pets have to show proof of vaccinations so that wouldn't be a problem either.
Genea

I would exercise caution. Not all dogs are well behaved and not all humans have common sense to handle their dogs correctly.

I don't know much about dog shows/expos and the like but I believe socialization also needs to happen on a daily basis in real life. We take Princess Sophie as many places as we can. She goes to the bank, to Wal-mart, to the DQ drive up, and she gets to interact with the people that are in those places. I am also taking her to a Yorkie meet-up later this month so she will be able to meet other yorkies and play with them. That's just what I feel socialization is really all about. Meeting new people and animals and learning that it can all be done safely (in your arms).

I can imagine a dog show/expo and the like could be considered socialization because she will be in a different situation with lots of other people and dogs around but I would caution if this is the only socialization she gets. I hope you have a great time at the show and your pup enjoys the excitement of the event. Please take picts and let us know how it goes. :2puppy: Have fun!!

Thanks ladies. If we take him, we will definitely be very careful. I've only had Louie 3 weeks, but we've taken him for short rides and to my Dads house. He loves the neighbors dogs and my other dogs and my next door neighbor, who plays with him every time he sees us outside. My brother has been to my house to meet him. Thats about all the socialization he's had so far..
Genea

When Blazer was really little but had all of his shots I took him with me to the Minnesota Rennaissance Festival. He did GREAT! Strange sights, smells, and sounds, thousands of people, hundreds of other dogs, horses, elephants, camels, sheep, fires, music... I was so proud of him!

We went to the Pet Expo in St. Louis last year and took Macy.
Be prepared for a lot of big dogs on leashes in a relatively small space. I only saw a few smaller dogs at this one. I had Macy in her stroller and glad I did. She had a good time once we got outside and watched Dock Dogs and had plenty of room to ourselves. Most of the dogs were well trained but I saw some that shouldn't have been on a leash among people. I even saw a big dog jump on a woman that the dog didn't know. Also be on guard for small children that want to pet your dog and will reach out to the dog without much warning. The vendors at this show were pretty good and Shorty Rossi was there signing autographs with Hercules (sp). Have a good time but be on guard at all times.

I take mine and we use a stroller and tummy sling for carrying. Even 4 pound Abba gets heavy after a while. Plus the basket on the stroller is great for carrying stuff venders give you and a cool bottle of water.

I agree with Diane. Socialization for a dog you've only had 3 weeks really needs to be more incremental as she learns to trust you can keep her safe. If something happens to really scare her at this event, it could give her a hard time for a long time. I'd rather take it more slowly and make each episode extremely successful and short-lived. Socialization isn't just about taking them lots of places where dogs and people are, it's about making their exposure to these things extremely positive for them and keeping them short. I always take treats and a squeaky toy along when socializing so I can distract the dog with something positive if anything goes wrong, such as a display fall over and land with a loud bang. And still that may not be enough if the pup is a nervous dog. But should something like that happen during socialization, remove the dog from the scene to somewhere he feels secure and immediately begin playing ball, laughing and having big fun with them to distract them and flood their brain with nothing but fun times in a place where the dog feels safe. I personally wouldn't take a still-new dog, one that doesn't even know me that well, to any big event with a number of big dogs and people who don't often control them well.

Remember, even in a stroller or in a carrier, a dog can get scared when odd, loud or scary things happen.

I would never want to do anything to traumatize Louie or get him hurt. He's my baby and I love him. I just thought it would be fun. Maybe i'll just leave him with my Dad and we can take him next year. I appreciate everyone's advice. :)
Oh and Shorty is going to be at this expo too. I'm looking forward to meeting him and Hercules

Genea

Does he have all of his shots?

Yes he does :)
Genea

I started Callie going to pet expos and she loves them. I do put her in a stroller so she cannot get stepped on and it holds all our goodies. I think starting them young as long as they have all there shots is great. It is good to know the body language of other dogs so you can stay away from ones that aren't putting off good vibes. Now my moms rescue Sammy had never been to one and we took him and he hates it and its just to much for him but he was 6 when he went to his first one. At every expo I have seen they have awesome slings and carriers where they can sit in or sleep in and be at your chest/ stomach level they are safe and close but your hands are free.

It could be fun if he's a settled, calm dog that knows and trusts you and has an inner self-confidence. If he's a still kind of new dog who's still getting to know you and his surroundings, learning about life in general, he's still young or he's a nervous dog, a Pet Expo can be overwhelming and a long time to be exposed to all those new smells, sounds, big dogs and crying kids, people everywhere. It can intimidate and scare a nervous or new pup and show up as a problem immediately with problems housebreaking, behavior, signs of nervousness/fear, even aggression or can take a while to manifest in some dogs the next time they smell a smell or hear a sound or see a dog - that reminds them of something that frightened them. Other dogs do fine. Since I can't know your dog, his personality, his age, etc., I'm erring on the side of caution for the dog's sake with anything I pass along. I'm a take-it-slow kind of dog-trainer/owner, especially with young dogs, but you do what they think is best for you and your dog. :)

I really appreciate your advice and help. Louie is young. He's 15 weeks old. He'll be 17 weeks by the time we go to the Expo. He's a happy, playful, loving, energetic puppy. He loves everyone he meets and has never acted scared. His breeder did a wonderful job socializing him. But he's never been around that many people and other animals at once.
Genea