Socialising your dog

To humans, the term ‘socialising’ generally means to participate in social activities- to mix socially with other humans. This means meeting other people and engaging with them etc. It also means to behave in a way that is acceptable to a particular society. Parents in particular make a point of supervising the socialisation of their children into their community of friends that they mix with and the schools they attend. They prepare them for the real world and set rules at home they must follow to follow this integration.

When these same parents adopt a new puppy, however, they are often very keen to start socialising that puppy with other doggies before they have got to know or have been able to establish a proper personal relationship with that puppy. This relationship is not about love, hugs, kisses, toys or food. You do not have to bribe your child to listen to you. Parents are also very protective over their children and first establish a trust relationship with them. If Dad says his boy can achieve something then the son will likely attempt to do what his father suggested. Similarly a dog must also learn to trust its owner.

Taking a puppy for walks before a trust relationship is established at home, serves only to teach that puppy to pull on the leash. The owners then have to spend a long time at a club to unlearn bad habits. On the walk they may meet another dog and then tell their pup to say “Hi to the doggie.”  When the other dog barks at the puppy then loses all trust in the one who is supposed to protect it. In the wild dogs not only learn how to survive when encountering unfamiliar areas, other packs and stray dogs, but it is usually done by avoiding contact.

Traditional socialising practices often do more harm than good. When difficulties arrive, the advice they are given is to do more socialising and this, in turn, creates more problems leaving the owner feeling incompetent. If you are doing something with your dog that leaves you feeling that you are not good enough, first check that what you are doing is actually correct!

Puppies first learn how to behave in their own litter family and then to survive in unfamiliar places such as our homes. We teach them the rules at home first, where to toilet and where they fit in this new group. Then when we take them to new places we give 100% of our time to make sure they are safe, will remain safe and also teach him how to behave while there.

Taking tiny Memphis for a walk on a long leash one evening when the streets were quiet, he suddenly reacted fearfully as we neared a corner in the road. Council workers had dug a hole in the sidewalk and surrounded it with colourful, protective tape. A strong breeze caused it to make a vibrating sound that he had not heard before. I approached the bunting and gently tugged him closer to show there was nothing to fear. He inspected everything and started to play with a loose strand blowing in the wind. That is how socialising can be tackled. No hugs or kisses are needed to overcome sudden fear. When the naval guns in my town are fired and the puppies are frightened, I fetch a ball or toy to start a game and help them to ignore the noise. When scary things happen during their first year you must not scare them with your own overreaction or reward the fear reaction with hugs and cuddles.

Puppy socialising

Puppy socialising classes although temporary in nature, ensure that puppies are not fearful of people, other dogs, other animals or the new environment. Puppies must be exposed and desensitised to everything they are likely to encounter as adult dogs.

This is important so that they can easily adapt to their human family, neighbours and other animals. Socialisation deals with stimulating the five senses. It is the exposure to sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch. It’s about coping with life’s challenges and not only about meeting other dogs.

I am a firm believer that puppies should be left with their mothers for as long as possible. The mother dog socialises her pups through tactile stimulation, she uses her tongue to massage them and teaches them how to control elimination. Between eight and ten weeks of age is a critical fear impact period that can have a negative influence on future behaviour. That’s why I never take my new puppies away from the mother before 9 weeks old at the earliest. Some of my most successful dogs were dogs that were members of a litter that remained with their mother for an extended period.