Correct socialisation?

The big misunderstanding when it comes to socialisation

Socialising a puppy the right way needs to be more about the environment, the weather, traffic, different types of people, pushchairs, trolleys, noises, smells, sights, different surfaces – the human world and all it entails. There is a big misconception that puppy must meet every dog it comes across – this isn’t the case and will not help you in future as puppy grows. 

Its crucial that your pup learns to walk past other dogs calmly, to not be worried about other dogs of all breeds but playing lots with other dogs is not the way to do this. 

Ideally we want your puppy to meet ‘boring’ older role model dogs. And a range of breeds including short muzzled breeds, breeds with upright and droopy ears, small and large, fluffy and short coat, short or no tail as well as curly tail dogs and straight tail dogs. Also black dogs. The range of what a dog is and looks like and behaves is vast to ensuring your pup can read all of these types and not be worried by them is important – but not learning they are  more fun than you! 

Most importantly socialisation is about getting them used to and confident around everything they will be expected to cope with throughout their life. 

To play or not to play that is the question  

Humans playing with dogs with toys and food? Yes, yes, yes!! Don’t forget it’s so important that we bond with our dogs more than they bond with each other.

Letting them play with each other?? Hmm, not a great idea on the whole.

Do my dogs play with each other? Yes

Do they play all the time? No

Do they play every day? No

Do they play with other dogs outside of the household? Very rarely and only with dogs I and they know well. 

If you let your pup play with dogs continually it can and in most cases will cause an issue.  You will end up with a dog who runs off to see other dogs all the time on walks, who prefers another dogs company to you and who will likely get bitten at some point by a dog who does not appreciate it and your dog may end up being fearful or aggressive toward other dogs as a result.  

From a health and development perspective play can cause real damage to your puppy’s growing form. An injury is so easy at a young age as their skeleton is so soft, almost like jelly. Differences in size and weight between puppy and adult dog needs to be a real factor for consideration here.

One of the biggest problems I see is a puppy who has played lots with dogs when younger then as t grows start to get frustrated and wants to get to other dogs all the time. Often pulling and lunging on lead. They don’t understand why they can’t ‘go and say hi’ to every dog it sees now it’s bigger when it was allowed to before. 

Meeting up with your friends and their older role model dogs will reduce the risk of your pup becoming a ‘frustrated greeter’, alongside teaching them to ignore the presence of other dogs unless you say otherwise.

More importance should be put on passing dogs on walks calmly. The pup does not get to meet every dog it sees, and it gets a reward for coming past dogs or seeing dogs at a distance and not pulling toward them. A reward can be a fuss, treat or a play session in this instance, depending on what’s appropriate/easiest for you at the time. Try not to only rely on a stroke or fuss as a reward for this as will not be enough ‘wages/payment’ to pup in some instances and will lead to them eventually becoming the frustrated greeter. For example – the dog at a distance, puppy responds to you calling its name easily = fuss/good dog.  Dog a little closer, pup responds to you or ignores dog completely = treat or play. Dogs are all about distance…the closer something is, the harder it is to ignore…so pay your pup accordingly. 

Also, it’s worth remembering that there will be instances your pup cannot possibly listen or respond to you….this is usually because the other dog is simply too close and too interesting. In these instances, stay calm and relaxed and simply move pup further away to a distance where it can respond to you and be rewarded. Try not to keep calling pup’s name, talking or shouting at it when it is in the frenzied state of wanting to get to the other dog, your energy is being fed to pup and it will react in a negative way to this (i.e. I would definitely rather be with my own kind right now than with this unstable, frustrated, angry human). Not only that but the more times you call pup’s name, and it ignores you the more it learns that ignoring you is an option and it can be repeated next time. Just move away with the puppy, staying quiet and reward when the pup is more relaxed and can respond.