What is socialisation

  • Puppies get use to interacting with people, dogs, animals
  • Habituation, ignore non threatening stimuli in the environment; objects, noises, sounds, smells
  • Why – descended from wolves
    • Wolf cubs have a period of time where they’re open to new experiences so that they can get to know their family and the world around them
    • Followed by fear period so that they learn that some things are dangerous and should be avoided
  • 3-12/14 week old to be socialised with humans (0-3 weeks for wolves)
  • Most of the socialisation period is with the breeder – what have the puppies experienced? Enrichment, meeting new people, sensory information
  • What to look for
    • Family dog, brought up in breeder family environment

How to socialise

  • Breeder
    • 0-3 weeks – expose to different scents
    • 3 week – expose to different sounds, positive exposure to people, handling
  • Owner
    • First few days, learning lots of things
    • Owner is safe person
    • People – children, babies, teenagers, men, women, different outlines, fluorescent jackets
    • Variety of other dogs, different sizes and shapes, entire males
    • Habituate to sounds
    • Habituate to objects
    • Habituate to textures
    • Habituate tio car
    • Habituate to smells
    • What do you want your future dog to be able to do?

Socialisation & Habituation

  • At puppy’s pace
  • Be able to move away, don’t force
  • Look out for stress signals
  • Do not have to greet every person, every dog
  • Don’t let children crowd
  • Short, successful bursts
  • Sleep in between to simulate the info
  • Pre vaccination
    • Into garden, carrying to different places
    • Take to vets
    • Dog friendly laces like pet shops
    • Friends and family
  • Desensitise to thunder and fireworks

Mistakes

  • Not socialised enough
  • Something effects socialisation
  • Too much socialisation with sensitive puppy
  • Not well managed
  • Use checklist loosely
  • No good bond with owner
  • Owner too protective
  • Bad experiences – one trial learning, repeated bad experiences
  • Need big bank of good experiences
  • Owners with other dogs this the pup doesn’t need socialisation – well socialised within family, but not outside

Good puppy party/class

  • Positive, reward based, scientific, force free
  • Limit on puppy play
  • Limit on number of puppies – 6 is good
  • Appropriate venue
  • Is puppy enjoying?
  • Instructor – approachable, knowledgeable

Anxious puppies

  • Jumpy, nervous of new situations
  • Fear period – few weeks long, don’t over expose
  • Don’t force to face fear
  • Don’t flood
  • Give distance
  • Don’t overreact
  • Counter condition

Adolescence

  • 6/9 months – 18/24 months depending on size of dog and breed
  • Hormones – effects impulse control, frustration control, frustration tolerance – moody teenager
  • Second fear period for few weeks
  • Get socialisation right before 6 months
  • Testosterone – more competitive with other dogs
  • 2/2.5 years old – socially mature, physically mature earlier