PUPPY SOCIALISATION

The importance of early socialisation cannot be over stressed. From the moment a puppy is born it should be accustomed to being handled, firstly by the breeder and then gradually by other people - men, women and children of all ages. It should also be exposed to other stimuli such as the T.V., the hoover etc.

A litter of puppies reared in a busy chaotic house will be much less likely to develop fearful behaviour than puppies from a litter that have been reared in a kennel or a quiet room in the house.

The one major drawback to early socialisation is the need for vaccinations. Obviously puppies must not be exposed to any source of infection until their vaccinations are complete. Whilst a puppy still retains immunity from the major infectious diseases from it’s mother, inoculations would be ineffective. That is why we tend to wait until a puppy is 10 - 12 weeks old before we start his vaccination programme. However this does not mean that your puppy must be completely isolated until that time. Always take your vet’s advice as far as your puppy’s well being is concerned but do please talk to him about socialising.

You should accustom your puppy, at an early age, to everything that he is likely to encounter in his life time. Start by inviting lots of different people to your house to meet him, especially young children but don’t let them overwhelm him. If your children are teenagers then it’s quite likely that you may have grandchildren to visit during your dog’s lifetime. This could cause a problem if your dog has not mixed with many children before. Invite a friend with a young baby to your house for a coffee so that your puppy gets used to the sound of a baby crying. Take him in your arms to the gate to meet the postman and the milkman etc...

Take him on short journeys in the car, not sitting on a lap, but where he will have to travel as an adult. Carry him in your arms, maybe with a blanket around him to the street corner to get him used to traffic. Take him into the bank and the pet shop where he can meet lots of strangers. He needs to meet people wearing hats and crash helmets, people with walking sticks, people riding horses, and people that don’t like dogs and will ignore him.

Once his inoculations are complete then this socialisation must continue with him walking on a lead. Whilst meeting other dogs is very important, be careful that the dogs your puppy encounters are well socialised or they may lack communication skills. If your puppy is attacked by another dog then the chances are that he will attack first, next time he meets another dog. The best place to socialise your puppy is at a well organised puppy class where puppies will be able to learn from each other how to read body language and facial expression etc. It is important to remember that if your dog or puppy meets another dog and one or both of them is on a lead, communication between the two dogs is impossible if the owner(s) hold the lead tight and this will invariably lead to a problem. When two dogs meet for the first time they will usually interact much better if their human owners leave them to it.

This socialisation must continue until a puppy is at least 6 or 7 months old. Socialisation and habituation can wear off if a puppy is suddenly isolated for any length of time before that age. That is why a long stay in a kennel environment would not be good for a puppy under 6 months old although an overnight or weekend stay in a boarding kennels would be advantageous if you intend to take an annual holiday without your dog.

Accustom him to being groomed and handled on a daily basis. If your dog is going to be long coated as an adult, a short grooming session each day as a puppy teaching him to stand still or roll over to brush his tummy is a sound investment for the future. Even short coated dogs should be examined all over every day for lumps & bumps, ticks etc. Look in his ears and mouth, pick up his feet and tail. Once he is happy for you to do this then invite visitors to do the same so he will be relaxed at the vets etc.

If your puppy does show fear at anything new that is introduced to him, it is important that you remain calm and unaffected so as to ‘set an example’. If you fuss and reassure his, this will only reinforce his fear. Also do not force him to approach whatever is causing his fear as this will only make matters worse. He needs to be re- introduced to it, staring from a distance and gradually de-sensitising him to it.

Failure to socialise and habituate a dog as a puppy can result in fearful behaviour towards the unknown. A fearful dog will usually choose to flee from the cause of the fear. If however he is unable to get away, he may be on the lead, indoors or in the car, then he will want to make the cause of the fear go away. This he will do by showing aggression. More often than not this behaviour is reinforced, the cause of the fear WILL go away. People will back of, the postman will deliver the letters and leave. The more this show of aggression works, the better the dog will get at it, he may even start to move towards people and other dogs, showing aggression intent on attacking them. Whilst this behaviour can sometimes be cured with the correct approach and a lot of time and patience it is better to prevent it from happening in the first place by bringing up your puppy correctly and letting him grow into a happy and well adjusted adult.

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