PUPPY SOCIALISATION AND HABITUATION
The photo above is of a previous puppy I raised to become an Assistance Dog – here she is on a farm having plenty of socialisation – made possible by her puppy pram! She is now a fully qualified working Canine Partners Assistance Dog – this means she has the same public access rights as a Guide Dog.
Without a huge amount of correct socialisation and training
these amazing assistance dogs cannot be prepared for their future working life.
Whilst a pet dog owner will not need the pram, it is still
important that you carry your pre-vaccinated puppy (or use a puppy sling) to
take your puppy outside to socialise and habituate to the sights and sounds of
everyday life. Please ensure you have a
securely fitted collar and/or harness on plus ID tag and hold your puppy comfortably
and securely.
Please note that legally you need the ID tag on as well as
the microchip.
Unvaccinated puppies should not be allowed to walk in public
areas or have contact with unknown dogs until your vet has advised you it is
safe to do so.
Please remember socialisation must be lots of positive
experiences so your puppy must be 100% happy and confident about any
socialisation/habituation, whether using the pram or not.
Include training and good manners within socialisation
As part of socialising, I also consider it is extremely
important to include your own puppy’s behaviour and how to include training
into the socialisation experience – see below for more tips on this.
As above, be aware that socialisation experiences should
be positive
- Just
to be clear, you do not need to use a pram but if you do want to for any
reason then please read this section:
- Introduce
your puppy gradually to the pram, gently holding for short periods whilst
stationary.
- Associate
it with treats and toys and cuddles – but nothing to over-excite.
- Please
do NOT just put your puppy in the pram and start pushing or they will
remain scared of prams for life – this must be a positive experience for
them.
- Ensure
they are comfortable and safely secured in the pram and, of
course, only allow a responsible adult to take charge of the pram.
- Once
100% relaxed in a stationary pram then push just a few steps and build up
from there.
- There
are lots of prams available on Amazon and I prefer the type, as above,
where the puppy is securely strapped in but the top is wide open so they
can see everything clearly. Or, for smaller puppies, you can use a sling.
www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=puppy+prams&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=puppy+carry+sling&ref=nb_sb_noss_
Check with your breeder what socialisation they will do,
or have already done
This is important so if you have not already bought your
puppy then please ask the potential breeder what socialisation they are to do,
or have already done, with your puppy. If they are vague or seem uncaring
then please walk away and find another more responsible breeder.
I still see many puppies who have so obviously been bought
from commercial and uncaring breeders who have had no health checks, are in bad
health and are very nervous.
Some puppies may be very nervous due to:
- The bad
conditions some puppies are kept in and related negative experiences.
- Imprinted
behaviour from a nervous mother.
- A
lack of correct socialisation by breeders.
- A
lack of habituation (positive associations with a variety inanimate
objects (hoover, traffic, etc).
I have not had very positive experiences when viewing these and have also had owners tell me their own negative experiences. These ‘parties’ may simply be designed to entice you into their stores and the ones I have seen are rarely well supervised. If you have attended a good, well run event then please feel free to add your comments to this post and apologies to any pet store who does run these events ina responsible manner.
Puppies which attend a ‘party’ which is not well supervised may
learn all the wrong things, such as:
- Ignore
my owners whenever I see other dogs.
- Be a
bully and play roughly with other dogs.
- Learn
to be fearful of other dogs which are allowed to jump on, chase and
intimidate me.
- Learn
to use aggression to protect myself when other dogs are too rough.
What your puppy learns when he or she is young will have
ever-lasting effects on his or her behaviour and so bad habits will be
engrained in your puppy’s future behaviour.
Puppies learn very quickly; it is the amazing science of
learning in order to achieve survival, and that is why early experiences are
never forgotten. At best, you may be able to improve upon some
early-learned behaviours but remember that you can never erase an experience
and its related emotions.
Unless you have been to watch the ‘party’ without your dog and are happy that they are well supervised by knowledgeable and caring dog professionals, then it is best to avoid them. The best socialisation experiences can be done more naturally and effectively by choosing suitable exercise areas and visitors to your home and garden, along with advice, supervision and training from a professional.
It is also a good idea to include in part of your socialisation plan some doggy visitors which you know are vaccinated, good natured and calm.
When puppies are allowed out...
When walking in areas with other dogs please try to ensure
that:
- Your
puppy is learning to socialise nicely (no bullying and no being bullied).
- Your
puppy is learning to focus mainly on you (I like to use lots of toys,
games, some treats, and lots of fun with your puppy) – see my other blog
on article on suitable puppy toys.
- You
are not allowing your dog to learn that when he goes on a walk and is
off-lead he can ignore you for the entire time you are out!
- Remember
that what a puppy learns as a young dog will be engrained into his
education for the future so ensure he starts on the right track, with a
good balance with some doggy play but lots of play with you.
What you should be doing to raise a well-balanced and
happy puppy
- As
in the photo above, the best thing you can do is ensure your puppy has
lots of positive experiences as soon as you get your puppy.
- Remember
that it is better to take things very slowly than to rush and ruin your
puppy’s confidence. This is particularly important if you already
have a nervous puppy.
- If
you have bought from a knowledgeable and caring breeder they should
already have started a good socialisation process and this is something
you need to have asked them.
- This
means very gradually introducing him to a whole range of people and other
animals (socialisation) and other inanimate stimuli (habituation), such as
outlined above.
- As
above, use daily walks for socialisation and play-training.
Experiences must be gradual and never over-face your
puppy with too much at a time.
For example:
- Carry
to a very quiet road at first and stand a distance away from traffic so
your puppy does not become scared by very loud, rattling or speeding
vehicles.
- Introduce
to people one at a time, particularly children, so he learns to
associative positive experiences with everyone. Include, men, women,
children, people with hats, beards, glasses, yellow vests, quiet, young,
old.
- Your
puppy can meet other dogs so long you are sure they are fully vaccinated
and that the dogs are good natured and will give the puppy a positive
experience. Note that some dogs will warn a puppy when it becomes
too much and that is not a bad thing so long as it is only a verbal
warning and nothing more and so long as the experience is more positive
than negative.
- Buy
a sounds CD (I used ‘Sounds Scary’) and start at the very lowest volume
(remember your puppy’s hearing is way more sensitive than yours) and turn
up a notch at a time to accustom your puppy to lots of indoor and outdoor
noises – only increase the volume when your puppy is 100% relaxed at the
previous level. You can also link this with play and meals or treats
to further help your puppy. These
noise CDs can also be used with older dogs in the same way.
- You
can also find sound recordings on the internet although I like the professional
structured CDs.
- You
should take your puppy to a different place each day to ensure they become
accustomed to a variety of different experiences – again, make sure the
experience is positive so they are relaxed and not over-faced with too much
at a time.
How your puppy should be brought up to behave
As your puppy is allowed to go out walking make sure that
good experiences continue but also that he or she is learning how he/she should
behave. This means:
- Polite
greetings with people – do not allow to jump up but ask people to crouch
down to greet your puppy. You can also very gently put a
finger in your pup’s collar or harness to prevent jumping up or, even better, teach a
good ‘sit’ or ‘wait’ to greet people.
The most difficult part of this training is encouraging people to
remain quiet and calm when they make a fuss of your cute puppy so don’t be
afraid to ask them nicely to do this!
- Polite
and happy interactions with other dogs – your pup should be allowed to
play with other dogs but you also need to have taught your puppy to play
correctly with you so that you can call away from doggy games back to you
for fun. This is really important if you want your dog to come when
called.
- Make
sure your dog is happy interacting with other dogs – he should not be a
bully or be playing too rough and frightening other dogs. I see too
many dogs who have been a well-balanced puppy until another dog has acted
very aggressively towards them. A verbal warning from another dog is
acceptable and normal dog behaviour but jumping aggressively on another
dog or chasing a frightened dog is not helpful for other owners and their
dogs.
- Ensure
your puppy learns to focus on you and never to chase joggers, cyclists,
cars, etc. This is particularly important if you have a breed which
naturally likes to chase or herd (German Shepherds and Border Collies are
the breeds I see most often with this trait). I use a lot of play-training to teach
you how to keep your dog’s focus on you even when there are lots of other
temping distrations.
Hard work pays off …
Yes, it is a lot of work to correctly raise a puppy, but very worthwhile when the result is a happy, confident and well mannered puppy who will develop into a dog which is a pleasure to have in your home and to take out in public - that is also always the aim of my training.
It is also very rewarding when people comment on how well behaved
your dog is! And when you need a dog-sitter you will be able to find
friends and family who will happily look after your precious boy or girl.
Sally Bartlett
www.co-operativecanines.co.uk
07752 427804
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