Socialising your dog is very important; it allows your dog to learn the necessary skills to navigate our human-focused world comfortably daily. The ideal socialisation stage for a dog is the first four months of its life – however, socialisation should continue throughout the dog’s life.
Socialising your dog means allowing it to become comfortable with the sights, sounds, smells and objects it encounters daily. If done correctly, your dog will grow into a well-rounded adult who can cope with life and unexpected occurrences with little to no stress.
Why Would You Not Go Outside To Socialise Your Dog?
However, there may be instances where you cannot take your dog outside during the socialisation stage:
- If you are unwell or injured
- The puppy is too young and isn’t fully vaccinated yet
- Your area is experiencing extreme weather, and it’s unsafe to go outside with your puppy (it’s too hot or too cold for your puppy)
- During Lockdown in a pandemic
If you can access a private outside area, such as a patio, yard or garden, your puppy can still experience the sights, sounds and smells outside. Allowing your puppy to observe the world going by is a good way to introduce the sights and sounds of the outside world slowly.
If you have a driveway, you can put your puppy on a light longline and let them watch the world go by.
Ways To Socialise Your Dog Inside
Socialising your dog is about creating positive experiences with things that your dog encounters. Each new experience should happen at your dog’s pace and leave your dog feeling good about it. Rushing your dog through socialisation can cause it to become anxious and reactive throughout its life—the opposite of what you hope to achieve with socialisation.
Much like socialisation outside, you should supervise your puppy during the sessions. If you notice your puppy beginning to look anxious, allow it to move away and retry again when your puppy is calmer. Use treats to encourage your puppy and reward success, no matter how small an achievement is.
Indoor Obstacle Course
Use safe objects for your puppy to navigate around and investigate. You can use things like an open umbrella, a bag, a case, a lamp, a plant pot. If your puppy is especially timid, place one object at a time to allow them to investigate.
The aim is to let your puppy get accustomed to objects it will encounter when it’s going about its daily life. Placing treats around the objects is a good way to get them moving around the course and provide a rewarding experience for them.
You can also get your puppy used to different textures underfoot by placing things on the floor for walking on. Cardboard, plastic bag, a tray, a yoga mat, to name a few options. You can encourage them to walk on the different surfaces by placing treats along the middle of the surfaces, with the additional bonus of making it positive for them.
Noise/Object Box
This aims to get your puppy used to different noises and the sounds of things moving around. To make it more appealing and rewarding to your dog, scatter some treats or kibble in the box with the objects.
Get a small box, put in some scrunched paper, leaves, or empty toilet roll/kitchen roll tubes, and let your dog rummage in the box, moving around the objects to find the treats.
You can change up the items and the size of the box when your dog is comfortable exploring, and the different noises don’t overwhelm it.
This exercise can also be used as enrichment for your dog.
Play Dress Up
This may seem odd. However, dogs don’t know where we end, and our clothes and accessories begin. It’s not unheard of for a dog to get anxious when they see someone in a hat, wearing glasses, holding an umbrella, or with a beard.
Let your dog see you putting on the item and allow them to get used to it. You can go about your business as usual so that your dog knows it’s you and nothing to worry about. Speak and act normally and reward their calmness with some treats.
In The Car
Cars are not a normal mode of getting around for a dog, and it can cause them distress. Start by just putting them into the car where they will travel (e.g. The boot), allowing them to smell it and get used to the textures. When they are comfortable, start the car; it will enable them to get used to the noise. You don’t have to go anywhere the first couple of times.
When they are confident in the car with the engine going, you can attempt a short journey, increasing the distance gradually.
It’s a good idea to put puppy pads in your dog’s travel space, it makes cleaning up of accidents or travel sickness easier.
Appliances and Tools
Household appliances and tools that are noisy and moving around can worry dogs. The vacuum, washing machine and hairdryers are often upsetting for dogs. The best way is to build up the intensity before regular use. For example, let the dog sniff and explore the item, then switch it on for a few seconds.
Build up the time gradually, praise and reward your dog each time you switch on the appliance.
Handling Your Dog
It’s essential to get your dog used to being handled. This includes wearing a collar, harness and lead – none of which your puppy will find natural. Your puppy must learn how to deal with having a collar, harness and lead put on. You should also practice touching the collar – you don’t have to pull on it; get your puppy used to you touching it.
The handling ranges are affection, emergency and formal.
Affection – stroking, rubbing and scratching your puppy. Most dogs love affection. However, it’s a good idea to slowly introduce this to your puppy before letting strangers do it. It can be overwhelming for a puppy or dog to have strangers reach out to touch them. You can make it less stressful for your dog by:
- calling your dog over rather than invading its space
- allow your dog to move away if it doesn’t want to be stroked
- don’t disturb your dog if it’s sleeping
- stroke a neutral area such as the chest or shoulder
- avoid the head area, as this can be intimidating for some dogs
A good rule is to pet for a few seconds, and if the dog doesn’t move away, then pet for another couple of seconds. Only allow one person at a time to pet the dog.
Emergency – it’s not ideal. However, there may be an occasion when you must grab your dog’s collar. Start very slowly by reaching out and touching your dog’s collar, praise and reward. Then gently hook one finger under the collar, again praise and reward. There is no need to be rough or pull your dog’s collar. It’s enough that your dog will stay calm if you reach out and hold its collar.
Formal – get your dog used to having its ears, eyes, teeth, paws and other areas that a vet or groomer would do. The best way to do this is to get your dog comfortable being handled this way. Keep the atmosphere relaxed and calm; use lots of praise and rewards when checking each area individually. For example, gently stroke its face and lift the lips to look at the teeth, praise and reward with a treat.
Always take socialisation at your dog’s pace. Allow your puppy to experience new things in its own time. If your puppy gets anxious, allow it to move away, or stop and retry another day. Keep the sessions short and enjoyable; practice daily or a few times a day if you can.
Use lots of praise and rewards, and keep each new experience as positive as possible. Control your dog’s environment and set it up for success. Success breeds confidence!
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