Socialising your puppy is a very important development stage in providing your dog with the life skills needed to thrive in our human-focused environment. Many assume that socialising your puppy is simply introducing them to new people and dogs and allowing contact to help the puppy adjust.
While socialising your puppy has an element of this, socialisation is more than this. It is about creating positive experiences with new objects, places, sounds, people and dogs. However, to socialise your puppy and set them up for success, there are some basic steps to follow.
Ideal Socialisation
Socialisation should ideally begin before you meet your puppy. The puppy should be positively exposed to gentle handling and environmental stimuli throughout puppyhood. These early positive experiences will enable them to better deal with life and new experiences as more confident adult dogs. This is why getting a puppy from a reputable breeder is essential.
Gentle handling should begin around weeks 1 and 2 (and continue throughout) for a minute a few times a day (without causing the dam undue stress). Subtle temperature changes also help nurture the puppy’s ability to cope later in life.
From weeks 2-4, introducing various noises (variable volume – different voices) and new sights, toys, and various floor surfaces will help prepare the puppy.
From week 3, it is also recommended to start checking the puppy’s ears, eyes, skin, anus, and genitals – gently massage the body, checking for muscle mass changes or swelling/heat around the joints (vet check if found), brush the fur, clip nails, and brush teeth; this gets the puppy used to grooming and handling.
Weeks 4-14 of your puppy’s life is a crucial development stage for socialisation learning – this means having positive experiences with a range of humans (children through to elderly, both male and female), people in hats, glasses, walking sticks, and wheelchairs if possible.
Meeting other well-mannered gentle dogs (various breeds) will also help the pup learn polite etiquette and how to interact and communicate with other dogs.
The more variety the puppy can have positive experiences with during this stage, the better equipped it will be to cope with life when it’s older. However, it is essential not to overwhelm your puppy and allow it to go at its own pace.
Go At Your Puppy’s Pace
Allow your puppy time to feel confident about investigating something new. Rushing your puppy can inadvertently cause anxiety and create a negative emotion towards the new stimulus.
Early experiences colour your dog’s view of the world. So try to make each new experience as positive as possible for your pup.
If your puppy isn’t sure about approaching something or someone new, allow it time and, if necessary, let your puppy move away from the new stimulus. Everything is new to your puppy, and it can sometimes feel overwhelming.
By giving your puppy a chance to move away, you are building trust with your puppy, and by allowing slow investigation, your puppy will view the new stimuli more positively. Rewarding your puppy when it does move closer will reinforce a positive experience and encourage your puppy to investigate further.
Lots of praise and rewards will help your puppy feel more confident and successful in its efforts.
Puppy Classes
A good puppy class will be structured and under control. This is an excellent opportunity for your puppy to meet other dogs around the same age and in a controlled environment. It is also a fantastic way to learn how to communicate with your puppy and learn the skills to guide it to your acceptable behaviours. A positive reinforcement puppy class is ideal.
Socialisation Is Continuous
Beginning socialisation – a good rule of thumb is to start in quiet locations and gradually build up distractions and noise (people, traffic, livestock). The aim is to make each experience a positive one for the puppy.
Take the puppy to many new places, allowing them to meet different people (all ages, male and female). Only allow them to be gently and appropriately handled if they seem comfortable. Be a voice for the puppy, observe its body language to ensure it doesn’t become overwhelmed or stressed. It’s ok to tell someone your puppy isn’t feeling sociable today.
Take the puppy in the car often (start by putting the puppy in the location it will always be in, for example, the boot of the car); this gets the puppy used to car journeys and can prevent car sickness.
Read Your Puppy’s Body Language
If the puppy is stressed or scared of something, don’t force it to confront the stressor. Instead, slowly desensitise the puppy to the stressor from a distance. Notice the puppy’s body language to judge how far from the stressor it’s comfortable. You want to keep your puppy calm and relaxed at all times.
Then, over time, allow the puppy to move closer and closer to the stressor. Make sure that your puppy is calm and relaxed at each stage. Each time the puppy doesn’t react, reward, and if the puppy does react – wait until it has calmed down, then reward.
Socialisation teaches your puppy the skills and behaviours to navigate our human world daily. Building positive experiences in the early days builds your puppy’s confidence and helps it grow into a happy, well-adjusted dog.
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