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