Thoughts on puppy socialization during Covid-19. What you can do, and why you don’t need to panic
… 🤔 🦠
As a dog trainer with a dog who is not the friendliest around strangers, it cannot be stressed enough just how important it is to properly socialize your puppy so that they can grow up to be friendly canine citizens. 🐕
This means that when you get your puppy at 8+ weeks, they should be having TONS of positive experiences around other people, animals and environments, as they have already entered a critical developmental period. So how can we accomplish this while we are socially isolating?
While dogs are social beings like us, believe it or not, I actually believe that there are some advantages to social distancing for puppies, or any dog for that matter.
1️⃣ People can no longer ambush your puppy on the street.
Yes, good experiences with people are important, but the key word is GOOD. I see way too many puppies on a regular basis that get man-handled like crazy without any consent, and the puppy learns to be stand-off-ish, frozen, skittish, or hyperactive around strangers (fight, flight, freeze, fool around).
2️⃣ Other Dogs should no longer be ambushing your dog on the street.
Same reasons as above.
Dogs, like people, have bubbles, and if those bubbles are not respected, we become socially awkward or get into conflicts.
Remember how I said that experiences need to be good? This means that the puppy gets to experience something that they love like play, food, or affection. Your puppy decides what is good. The brain is designed to remember scary things better than the good things, so the good needs to HEAVILY outweigh the bad. My point is, that good experiences do not have to involve direct contact with strangers every time you see one. You can help your puppy create positive associations AND follow the rules of social distancing.
Here is an example:
You are out for a walk in your neighbourhood with pup and see another dog/person 10+ feet away, so what can you do?
Give pup yummy treats 🍪
Play a game of tug 🎾
Throw pup a stick 🦴
Give pup butt scritches and tell them they are the best puppy 💗
Now, do this EVERY time pup sees a dog, person, cat, bird, truck, bicycle, garbage bin, Batman, whatever. Do. It. Every. Time.
Guess what puppy will start doing whenever they see something new? Looking at you and walking nicely beside you like the good puppy that they are!! New things now have positive associations, and you did that. Congrats, you now have a confident and social puppy. 🐶
Now, what if puppy is pulling on lead, shouting at everything, and creating an overall scene? Puppy might be experiencing fear, stress, and anxiety and you might be asking too much of them too soon. Take a step back in your training, you will get there in time.
In all honesty, this is how walks with dogs should be handled with or without a global pandemic. That being said, your puppy will still need to learn how to approach and behave around strangers.
This is where you can get really creative. Many adult dogs struggle with visitors coming to the door, along with strangers who wear hats, sunglasses, big coats, or carry an umbrella. 🎩 🌂 🧔
This is a great opportunity to play dress-up with your puppy, pairing the experience with their favourite treat or game. Practice door manners as well, knocking on the door, rewarding calm behaviour, and eventually greeting the “stranger” who is wearing an odd outfit. Of course, if pup appears nervous, take things a step back and lower the “creepiness factor” for pup until they are confident enough for the next step!
Lastly, help your puppy build confidence around strange objects, surfaces, and sounds, like vacuums, brooms, hardwood floors, doorbells, and by playing thunder noises on your phone. Start with low levels of stimulation and always pair with something your pup loves, ALWAYS giving them the choice to approach or escape when needed. 🧹 🛎 🎆
Most importantly, PLAY with your puppy EVERY DAY! Build an indestructible bond. You and your puppy are going to be fine. 💕
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