Socialization

Socialization - a three way street

Darlene Taylor - Edmonton Alberta
k9behave@interbaun.com

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We all hear that puppies MUST be socialized at a young age - but what does that really mean?

There are three areas of "socialization":

new puppy to environment
new puppy to people
new puppy to other pets and members of it's own species - dogs

Oh, by the way, the socialization - is never ending. We all continue to experience new sights, sounds and experiences, as does our pet -- there is no "done".

Environment this is the most overlooked and yet can be the easiest and possibly the most important one. The puppy must experience as many different types of environments and textures as possible. This includes sound! Emergency vehicles, traffic, wind, lightening, bicycle bells, door slams, backfire or gunfire, pops, electronic games, computers, cooking noises, car noises, doors slamming, music, radios, vacumns, hair dryers, heaters, microwave, and an endless amount of other sounds. Textures - we walk on concrete, wood, gravel, grass and glass! Elevators, escalators and a variety of other surfaces. We are surrounded by a multitude of environmental textures but "we are already socialized" and don't even notice them. All are strange to a new puppy and the more sensory items we can input the better.

Take your pup to as many environments as possible, parking lots, "downtown", near fire stations, everything - and - just sit. Let the dog take in all the sights and sounds around it - this is as easy as parking at a metre for about a half hour. (Do not let the dog get stressed it is up to you to decide how receptive your puppy is and introduce these things slowly. These things are ongoing - not all in one day or week, of course, but if you're going downtown to pick up a parcel think about taking the puppy - anything where the pup will be left in the car for only a few minutes is great. Yes, picking the kids up from their practice is a perfect example as you are in the vehicle with the pup and they observe the sights and sounds associated with children (or spouse).

Socializing with People
It is extremely tempting to take the puppy everywhere and introduce it to everyone - which is a good thing if you remember a few simple rules:

Hold your dog - either hold the dog in your arms or have it by the collar as people come to pet him. This is primarily to protect the dog. If people have pets of their own you may want to have them wipe their hands if your dog has not had it's second set of shots or vet clearance. See below

Watch for signs of stress in your dog and act accordingly. The idea of exposing the pet to people is for them to feel comfortable and receptive. If they are stressed then you need to go a bit slower.

Allow the pup to interact with new objects or events and especially people at their own speed. Don't be in a rush!

Tell children to pet the dog on the chest first. It is often beneficial for you to take the hand of the stranger in yours and guide it to the chest of your puppy. Avoid letting people pat the dog on the head as much as possible.

If the dog is on the ground have them sit when being approached. This is an excellent habit for pups to get into when someone (or something) approaches. If a pup is sitting they will not lunge, run away or pull on lead. If they happen to not be on a leash and they sit automatically rather than going to the person it will give you an opportunity to kneel next to your dog before or as the person approaches so you can supervise the meeting.

Attempt to have one person at a time pet the puppy rather than overwhelming the dog with several hands groping at him.

Expose your dog to a variety of people - different sizes, ages, and especially dress. This can even be done at home by playing with the puppy and letting them see you add a floppy hat, umbrella, backpack to yourself or family member.

Don't forget to let the puppy see wheelchairs, canes, and other items used by people.

Take the dog different places - the same people in a different environment can be a scarey thing. Pet stores, entry ways of grocery stores, downtown streets, hospital entrances, post offices, seniors homes, schools (of all levels), police stations, fire stations, public transit and any other entrance or place you can take your puppy will provide plenty of exposure for the puppy to people (and environmental socialization). Instill the sit as a reaction to being pet. Give receptive persons a treat to give to your puppy so they equate people with tasty treats. Restrain your pup from lunging or jumping up to get the attention of people. Once the dog realizes people are good things the tendancy is to become too excited about greeting people and you must insist on calm behaviour before receiving the treat or petting of a stranger. If the person is unable to bend down or reach the puppy then pick the dog up, you may want to move the dog sideways or backwards to the person rather than a straight on front approach which could lead to the dog jumping forward out of your hands onto the person - if to the side or back then the dog would jump on you or to the side.

Remember you are an ambassador for all dogs. Although, some people may seem initially receptive or say they like dogs make the encounter as calm as possible for all involved. I've seen children "say" they love dogs and then run away screaming when the puppy stood up and wagged it's tail.

Socializing with other animals, especially other dogs is important for the development of any puppy. BUT make sure you have your vet's okay to do so.Careful! Make sure you get vet clearance before introducing your dog to other pets. This is life or death. There are many animals not vaccinated against parvo or distemper. Both are transmitted by a casual sniff of another dog or feces on the ground. There is no time limit! I personally know of at two puppies that passed away, one from distempter another from parvo. In one case a littermate had contracted parvo virus and after a very large vet bill did survive. If possible, do not take the puppy from it's littermates until 8 or even 12 weeks of age. Leaving the pup with littermates will develop it's dog-to-dog socialization skills and teach the puppy "bite inhibition" as well as other required skills. Once you have the pup arrange for it's shots immediately and follow the vet advice on when to introduce your pup to other animals.

To introduce your pup to animals, especially while he is small, hold him in your hands and allow the animal to sniff the puppy - the puppy should be facing away from the animals face/nose. Remember dogs will circle or pass each other to sniff the rear - offer the puppy you hold the same way by offering it's side or tail. The larger animal will likely sniff the puppy up and down. Not only will this help the other animal learn about the puppy but also the puppy will not be frightened by a huge face suddenly appearing in front of it. If the dog is on the ground have them next to your leg or even between your feet. This is an excellent habit for pups to get into when someone (or something) approaches. If they happen to not be on a leash and they stand next to you or between your feet automatically it will give you an opportunity to kneel next to your dog before the approach so you can supervise the meeting. Some reactions to your puppy that you can expect are:

play - some animals will want to play with the puppy immediately

play - after the initial sniffing and maybe even a play bow they will want to play together

disinterest - a couple quick sniffs and the dog (or animal) will wander away

domination - in some cases, especially with younger dogs, they may attempt to paw, jump on (hump) or harrass your puppy (I wouldn't recommend allowing this for a young pup that may get hurt or upset)

prey - some animals including dogs may view your puppy as lunch. There is often little or no warning when this type of animal grabs your puppy.

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