My new puppy was rejected by his mom. How do I socialize him properly?

Make sure everyone in your household interacts with him to get him used to being touched and handled and used to people. He is too young to be around other dogs yet. But once he has his vaccines completed you can enroll him in doggy day care or a group obedience class to help with social skills

Expose her as much as possible to the different sights and sounds of the home and yard. This will help acclimate her to different environments. You can "puppy proof" and area, but try not to make it too sterile for her. When feeding her, take the bottle away early every now and then and hold her in an uncomfortable position for brief periods of time. This will impart various coping skills and teach her how to deal with frustrations. Ideally, she should be enrolled in puppy socialization classes very soon. The best way for her to learn how to be a dog is to play and tumble around with other dogs. A vaccinated and healthy adult female dog can also be used to teach manners

If he is no longer nursing, then he isn’t getting antibodies from Mom anymore so he will need to start his vaccine series earlier than usual. Also, he may not learn the social cues that Mom teaches during this time. He can, however, learn those by participating in a puppy play group . I would schedule an appointment with your veterinarian soon to start the vaccinations and to ask for a recommendation for a puppy play group. Best of luck and enjoy your cute new puppy!! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Lola is extremely cute! Congratulations! At 4 weeks of age, Lola should still be nursing. Weaning usually begins at four weeks and lasts until about 7 or 8 weeks. Given this, I would recommend bottle/syringe feeding with a puppy Milk Replacement formula until Lola is stronger and can eat regular puppy food. Bottle feeding can be tricky and needs to be done properly. Here is some information on how to feed Lola for the next few weeks: http://www.2ndchance.info/orphanpuppy.htm Finally, I do not recommend introducing Lola to any other dogs until she has received at least her first set of puppy shots at 8 weeks of age.

3. Socializationperiod:threetotwelveweeksofage • A puppy’s sensory systems and learning abilities become more developed during this time. They begin to eat solid food and show more independence. Approximately two months of age is generally the ideal time to begin housetraining, although the earlier owner’s start the better! Some experts say that housetraining can be started as early as six weeks. See the housetraining handout for more tips on maximizing housetraining success. • Puppies are very interested in novel objects and interact with their littermates, mother, and environment at this time. They start to show predictable responses to a variety of stimuli and begin to form relationships with other animals. • At between two to three months of age puppies begin to show signs of fear. This is a critical time for owners to continue safely exposing their puppy to as many new sights, sounds, environments, animals, and activities as possible. These interactions must be made as positive as possible to decrease fear and increase confidence and pleasure in new situations. Please refer to the socialization handout. • The socialization period is also an ideal time to begin basic training to teach puppies good manners and boundaries. Using positive-reinforcement training techniques will make training fun and help form a healthy bond between owner and puppy. • Many veterinarians and dog trainers offer puppy socialization classes that are designed to introduce puppies to new sights, sounds, and smells in a safe and controlled manner. These classes alone will not provide enough socialization but they can be an excellent way for puppies to safely play with other healthy dogs, and for owners to have questions answered about puppy problems they encounter. It is important to make sure that these classes are run by experienced trainers who use lots of rewards and treats. 4. Juvenileperiod:twelveweektosexuallymaturity(6-7monthsofage) • Basic learning abilities are fully developed and the speed of learning decreases. • Puppies continue to explore new environments and objects but may show avoidance behaviors (such as avoiding new situations or people) if not adequately socialized. • As they approach sexual maturity, puppies may begin to show mating behaviors and an increased interest in the opposite sex. At this time owners should consider spaying or neutering their puppy if they have not already done so. 5. Adulthood:aftersexualmaturity • The onset of adulthood varies amongst puppies but is usually around 7 months in males and 6 months in females. At 18 months of age most dogs are considered to have reached sexual and social maturity. It is important to continue training using positive reinforcement techniques for rules and boundaries without developing fear or aggression. Owners can also use these positive reinforcement to teach their dog fun tricks, and can participate in exciting games with their dog, such as flyball, agility, tracking, and rally obedience. Raising a puppy is a fun and rewarding experience. It can also be confusing and frustrating if owners don’t know what to expect or how to handle normal puppy behaviors that are not appropriate in the household. It is important that puppies visit their veterinarian on a regular basis for checkups, necessary vaccines, and alteration. It is also crucial to make training a lifelong activity that the whole family participates in. When choosing a trainer, it is important to research the trainers in the area, sit in on a class, check credentials, and make sure that the trainer uses reward based methods. If you follow the above guidelines, you will be well on your way to raising a well behaved dog who is loved by your whole family.

It is possible you are feeding too large a volume per meal, i recommend feeding smaller meals less often. Early socialization is important but ONLY with regularly vaccinated, healthy dogs. Do not encourage any hand/foot chasing or tug of war games as these can encourage play biting

She is very young, the only things you can do for her at this point is feeding her with a puppy milk replacer every 2-4 hours, keep her in a warm place and give her a lot of love. make sure she is pooping regularly as well.