Puppy Socialisation - without the unintended consequences
Puppies go through a ‘critical socialisation period’ between approximately 3-14 weeks of age. A puppy’s experiences during this period of learning and development has a significant influence on their behaviour well into adulthood. The majority of puppy owners know the importance of providing plenty of opportunities for socialisation during this period to ensure their puppy grows into a well-adjusted adult who can cope with most things they are likely to encounter in their daily lives.
However, from speaking to puppy owners and trainers, there appears to be a growing focus on throwing our puppies into any situation without ensuring that the puppy feels comfortable. Even if intentions are good, putting our puppies into situations that frighten or make them feel uncomfortable can potentially backfire and create overly shy or reactive dogs.
What appears to be forgotten by many well-meaning puppy owners is that socialisation is not just about playing with other dogs and meeting lots of people. Being sociable is being able to politely walk past other dogs and people. A puppy who is allowed to play with every dog and interact with every person they meet will likely expect to do so as an adult too. The unintended consequence can be an adult dog who pulls to greet every dog or person they see during a walk, while the owner is desperately trying to restrain them. As the dog’s desire to greet the other dog or person is thwarted, he/she can become highly aroused and frustrated. This emotional state can easily turn into aggression, with the dog then being labelled as “lead reactive”.
If we think outside the box, we can find ways to adequately and safely socialise our puppies without accidentally instilling in them that every person is a new best friend and every dog is a playmate. We could take our puppy out in our arms or in the car and find somewhere to sit and watch the world go by as the puppy eats treats. We could wear different hats, sunglasses, and odd clothing around the house so that our puppy can practice interacting with a “stranger”. Additionally, we could set up play dates with another well-mannered older dog who can teach our puppy how to interact politely.
It is important to remember that socialisation is about enabling your puppy to experience different settings, situations, and encounters that they are likely to come across throughout their life without anything scary happening. They do not need to be in the thick of it to do so, and many puppies feel more comfortable watching from the sidelines. Allowing your puppy to experience new things from a safe distance while eating chicken is more likely to result in a happy, confident, and well-rounded dog than if you push them into having many scary and/or overly arousing encounters.
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