Socialise, socialise, socialise!
This seems to be the new thing that every puppy owner is being told.
“You must socialise your dog!”
The thing is, what does socialise actually mean?
If you are a first time puppy owner you may be a bit lost and not be very sure what is expected of you and your puppy to successfully “socialise” them.
From my 10+ years of dog training experience, what I have seen is that most people think that socialising means that their puppy must meet as many other dogs as physically possible whilst they are young.
Although well meaning, this actually ends up with these dogs attending my online Teenage Tearaways class because they can’t cope with being in a village hall with 5 other dogs because they are exceptionally frustrated! They are barking, pulling and lunging on the lead when physically restrained from greeting other dogs, and that physical restraint may only be their normal collar and lead.
What is causing this frustration? Their expectation when they see another dog has become that they must go over and interact with that other dog. It is just what they do! They see a dog they get to play. They do not know otherwise! While they get away with this when they are cute and little, when they are a 20kg bouncing Labrador suddenly people aren’t so keen to let your dog come over! So when we put them on a lead and do not let them interact with others, this expectation is not met and frustration rears its ugly head!
The other end of the spectrum are the dogs I meet who had a bad interaction with another dog while they were young. So keen were their owners to socialise them, that they have taken their tiny Jack Russell puppy to out of control group events with large numbers of dogs of all shapes, sizes and ages and it has been too much for their pup. They’ve been bopped one too many times by a much bigger dog’s giant paw, been cornered, or even pinned and injured by another dog and have since become fearful.
Neither of these scenarios is great and really neither of them is how you should be socialising your pup.
If your puppy is unsure let them watch at a distance with you
Interactions with other dogs are just one tiny part of socialisation. It really is much larger than just letting your dog run riot with other puppies.
The critical period for socialisation is said to be between 8-12weeks of age. At that time your puppies’ brain is like a sponge. The things that they encounter they soak up, they remember, they learn about! Things they do not encounter during that time period, or things that they have bad encounters with, can be the things they become fearful or anxious of when they get older. This can be why puppies who are born in the middle of the year struggle with fireworks come November or Christmas time. They did not hear them during that critical period, so they have no understanding of what on earth these loud, sudden bangs are!
Just a quick note here, please don’t panic if you got your dog at an age older than this, all is not lost! Rescue dogs and older puppies can certainly still learn it is just that this very early stage is a particularly formative period in their life.
It is really important to not purely focus your socialisation on being around other dogs. How to interact appropriately with other dogs is certainly a key skill for all dogs to learn, but there is so much more to life than just dogs.
Actually would life not be easier if your dog was less interested in other dogs, and more interested in you?
Dachshund puppy exploring a ball pit
Different textures under their paws, different sounds, different smells. They all play a role in socialisation. The more you can exposure your dog to in a safe steady way, the better!
The great thing about this is that you do not have to wait until your dog has had all their vaccinations to start socialising them. You can start in the home by playing recordings of day to day sounds that they will encounter in their life. Dogs Trust have some wonderful resources and step by steps guides on how to do this. Fireworks, gun shots, thunder, children screaming and playing (my least favourite!) are all things your dog is going to encounter at some time in their life so starting young and pairing these sounds with tasty treats will help them to cope with these sounds later on as adult dogs.
You can start building their confidence around different textures and objects by introducing Free Work to them. Climbing and exploring is something we often tell dogs off for, but actually it is helping them to understand how their body moves and to have a better understanding of proprioception. Confident dogs are more emotionally resilient, they cope better with things in life and are even less likely to develop separation anxiety, so whilst a dog obstacle course may seem daft it really is a useful activity!
Introduce your pup in a slow and steady way to things like the vacuum, the hairdryer, the dishwasher! All those household items that we forget make some really quite bizarre noises. When Rico came over from Portugal he was 9 months old, having lived on the streets I guess it was unlikely he had come across a dishwasher. The first time I used ours he sat staring at what looked like a cupboard for the full 2 hour cycle doing the cutest head tilts to the gurgling of the water. His little mind was blown by it.
The key to good socialisation is to go at your own individual puppy’s pace. Never force them to interact with things, if they do not feel ready to then sit back and give them time. If they show signs of body language that they are scared (whites of their eyes showing, tail tucked, ears back, cowering) then encourage them to move away from the scary thing. Give them a break and let them have some treats and creep forward again when they are ready.
Fear is an emotion. You cannot make a dog “more scared” by supporting them and talking to them when they are worried by things. I am scared of cockroaches (really!) and when my other half gave me a hug and took me away from the cockroach in our hotel room in Cuba, I did not become more scared of them! I actually probably fell in love with him and trusted him a little bit more. The same thing will happen with your puppy, they will trust you and your bond will become stronger.
Cockapoo puppy asking for support from their human at a puppy event
So, what do you do about introducing them to other dogs? Less exposure but good quality exposure is far better than just opening the flood gates and letting your dog interact with every dog they meet.
Well firstly, you need to ensure your vaccinations are up to date. Young puppies are fragile and diseases and viruses can make them really sick so ensure your vet has given you the green light before you start mixing with other dogs.
The dogs you pick to let your dog meet should be dogs known to be of good, calm temperament. A dog with behavioural issues who has been known to snarl and even bite other dogs is not a good choice! Your dog does not “need to learn” and get told off. They need to experience safe interactions with dogs of different breed types.
Consider going to a well organised, structured puppy party or puppy socialisation event. At good events the numbers of puppies will be limited (10 max and several staff on hand!). Dogs will need to be of a certain age (usually less than 20 weeks old) or be split by size (small, medium and large breeds). Play should always be matched. Puppies will instinctively mimic one another. If one play bows, the other (if they want to play) will likely do it back. If one runs and chases, this will often swap and change roles. If play is one sided and one dog is getting carried away, then play needs to be split up by the humans.
If your dog is particularly shy, they can still learn by watching others. Pick them up, pop them on your knee and let them watch the other dogs playing. If they feel confident enough to try to play, pop them down on the floor for a little bit but always focus on your puppy. Watch your own dog and do not get too engrossed in all the cute bundles of fluff running around!
Socialisation is an exciting but delicate time and going slow and steady really is the best way to do it successfully!
If you need help with ensuring you have a confident, happy puppy then do get in touch by emailing info@nosetotrail.co.uk.