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Early Puppy Socialization

We know you want a confident and eager-to-learn puppy for your family. That begins here at Sunset Hill. We intentionally lay the foundation to increase your puppy's confidence and learning abilities.

Did you know that we can predict your puppy's personality, learning style, and environmental sensitivities by 2 weeks of age!!??!!

Yes, yes we can! We use a special training program called ESI paired with tracking reactions to very specific scents. We can then predict their learning tendencies, personality, and things in the environment that will either encourage or challenge them. It is such a gift to know these things BEFORE adopting your puppy. This helps you hit the ground running with success!!!

Additionally, we want to build top notch confidence in your puppy before they come home to you. So, at 3 days old, we begin exposing them to new scents, textures, environments, people, other dogs, sounds, and more. At 4 weeks old, we also start potty training them! It is amazing how smart their little brains are!

Aussies and Socialization

Socialization is more than meeting new people. It is being exposed to new sights, sounds, textures, experiences, and more. Helping your puppy become confident while interacting with the world out there.

Aussies, by breed, have a wonderful ability to know when their environment changes. This helps them, if they are a working dog, become alert to change and keep their flock safe. But most aussies are family pets and we don't want them freaking out every time we rearrange the furnature or a new person comes over.

We know you want a confident family dog, so we begin early to help them get use to new things. Once you bring your puppy home, you can keep going with that. Take your new puppy places with you. Bring a long a mat for them to lay on and their favorite treats. Or you can keep them in your lap. Lots of yummy treats, pets, and snuggles help them associate good feelings happen in new places! Start slow, and allow your puppy to take their time. A busy coffee shop could be very overwhelming, but sitting off to the side in a low key, low attendance coffee shop and just "people watching" might be just right for your pup.

If you would like to learn more, check out AKC's site https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/puppy-socialization/