Clarewood Labradoodles

Many new puppy owners do not really understand what socialisation means, and often miss vital steps in their pups journey. A puppy’s peak learning time for socialisation is between 3-14 weeks, so how do you juggle a pup that has not had all it’s vaccinations yet, with giving him or her a well rounded education? Read on………………..

Lets look at the definition of socialisation so we can understand what it really means.

The Oxford dictionary offers these definitions:

1. the activity of mixing socially with others.

“socialization with students has helped her communication skills”

     2. the process of learning to behave in a way that is acceptable to society.

“pre-school starts the process of socialization”

1. The activity of mixing socially with others.

Most families understand this first part and will enroll their puppy in a Vet Clinic run Puppy School, they may have family members who have a safe older dog for their puppy to have play time with, often our families will set up ‘puppy play dates’ with litter mates who live close by. All these things are great, and are super important to the puppy.

Important things to remember

Be very vigilant when introducing puppies to older dogs, ensure that the older dog is accepting of the puppy and not to rough. Do not leave them unsupervised. A bad experience at this age can be as detrimental as all the great experiences can be good.

Having said that remember that no human can teach a baby like one of its own species can. Dog’s speak ‘dog’ and often an older dog will growl or reprimand a younger dog and this is okay. Watching the older dog’s body language is the key. Baring teeth is a sign that the pup needs to be removed from the presence of the older dog.

Ensure that you only socialise your puppy with dogs that are up to date with all of their vaccinations. Puppies are very susceptible to virus’ and diseases at this age. Make sure these play dates take place in someones back yard and not a local park where there is a much higher chance of diseases lying in the grass waiting to be picked up by an unvaccinated dog.

2. The process of learning to behave in a way that is acceptable to society.

I think this part of socialisation is what is missed by most new pawrents. Even those with the best of intentions. Many people think that socialising there pups means letting it meet other dogs, that really is only a small part of the story.

Important socialisation skills for pups.

As mentioned above the most important time for learning socialisation for your puppy is the first 3-14 weeks. If you have bought your puppy from a reputable breeder, the first 5 weeks of that (3-8 weeks) have been well and truly taken care of. Our pups are socialised with the older dogs (other than their Mum) and also experience a range of other novel items which prepare them for going to their new homes. We have balance beams, ball pits, slides, cat tunnels for playing with. But they also are exposed to; washing machines, lawn mowers, loud noises, cats, hairdryers and anything else that we can think of to expose them to whilst they are with us. We make sure that we are always introducing new items at a time when the puppy is ready to learn something new and not be overwhelmed by the introduction.

How can I tell if my pup or dog is overwhelmed?

You can tell when a puppy is overwhelmed by watching it’s body language. It may stay close to you and not want to explore the new item, it may whimper and cry, not want to eat, play or may hide in his or her bed. Forcing a new experience on a pup when it is fearful is never going to achieve what you want. You need to keep the experience under the pups fear threshold, so that it does not develop anxiety about new situations. This applies to older pups and dogs as well. Watch and learn your dogs body language, they are usually very eloquent in telling you, you just need to be consciously aware. There is a great article written by a few vets and a behaviouralist that you may find interesting, I will post the link at the end of the article.

Meeting people – all the people

After the first week of settling in, it is great for your puppy to meet people. Labradoodles will tell you they NEED to meet ALL THE PEOPLE. It is great for pups to meet people with; beards, long hair, bald, deep voices, soft voices, high pitched voices, a different ethnicity to yourself, large hands, small hands, hats, umbrella’s, walking sticks, wheelchairs, prams etc etc etc. I am sure you are getting the picture. By meeting a wide range of different people in a setting that does not overwhelm the puppy, your puppy is learning what is ‘normal’ and acceptable in the human world, and lets face it, is there even a ‘normal’?

But how do I take my puppy to meet all these people when my puppy hasn’t been vaccinated yet?

As we have discussed the most important socialisation period for a puppy is the first 3-14 weeks of life, and it is important to find a balance between keeping your puppy safe, but also fulfilling this vital need for socialisation that will set your pup up for life. There a number of ways to do this. One way is to get an old pram available at most op shops for around $10, and a small harness (the pup MUST be securely fastened when in the pram!) and take your pups out for walks down the shops, along the beach, on your daily run or to your local cafe…. especially anything that you intend to do on a regular basis when your pup is older. Keeping the puppy in the pram fulfills a number of functions for your puppy. It keeps it safe whilst keeping it off the ground, the pup feels more secure, because the large humans aren’t walking close to it, but it also gives your puppy an experience of the outside world and all it’s marvels. Cars driving by, people stopping to say hello and give your puppy a pat, (make sure you advocate for your puppy and that they do so in a way that is not scary for your pup), they can smell all the smells and they learn to be patient if sitting at the cafe for a coffee every Sunday is something that you regularly do. This then becomes part of the routine for them. By letting them have a pup-a-chino after being patient, you can rest assured it is something they will look forward to!

Alternatively, you can drive somewhere that has exciting things to look at, like the beach. If you have a hatch back type car you could sit in the back with your puppy or on a park bench and watch the world go by. This also gives your pup the chance to get used to the car. (more on car travel below)

The whole point of exposing your pup to the everyday sights and sounds he or she will encounter as they grow, is to be creative about how you will get your pup out and about. Many people do trips to Bunnings for example. Now that you know what you are wanting to achieve I know you’ve got this!

Socialisation needs to happen around the home too!

As much as I try to introduce many new things into your puppies life before it leaves here, there is only so much I can do within the short period of time (keeping in mind their fear thresholds) i have and I can’t possible know what you have at your house that the puppy ‘needs’ to be desensitized to. What I have done is set the pup up to be robust at meeting new objects and noises, but you need to be aware, that your vacuum cleaner may sound and smell very different than mine.

It is really important that you don’t start the vacuum up being really worried that you may scare your puppy! Your puppy will pick up that you are worried about something and the vacuum is new, so that must be what you are worried about!! All you need to do is be aware of your puppies body language, if it is worried turn off the vacuum, straight away and let it have a sniff and maybe a treat from you standing next to the vacuum. Ask a family member to sit with the puppy on the other side of the room or in an adjacent room and play with the puppy or give it some treats while it hears the noise in the other room. Over time they may walk in and out with the puppy dispensing treats as they go. If the puppy is interested in what you are doing bend down and give the puppy a treat while the vacuum is still running. If you keep below the pups fear threshold, it won’t take long and you’ll be able to vacuum to your hearts content with a happy dog by your side.

This process can be used to introduce your puppy to any new object or noise that it finds worry some.

Don’t worry: Be Happy!

In relation to thunder storms etc, if you are not worried, trust me your puppy won’t be either. If you are worried your puppy is worried, you are telling your puppy there is something to be worried about. Just as you are confident sitting having a cuppa at a cafe, a thunder storm or anything else you are teaching your pup should be approached with the same attitude from you. You are the ‘adult’ in your pups life and he or she will take her cues from you.

Car travel and travel sickness

Many puppies develop travel sickness. It is quite strange because I have never had a puppy become sick leaving my house to their new owners home, however it does come on fairly soon afterwards. I have also had this happen with my own puppies.
This one takes a little bit of working on, but it really isn’t very hard and sessions can be as short as 10 mins.

If you have someone to help you this is what I would do.

• Place the pup in the car, and harness it in. Stay sitting next to it, and pat it and give it some treats. If he or she has a favourite Teddy take it in the car with you. Give it 5 mins or so, and that is your session finished. You can do this a couple of times before moving onto the next step or if you think your pup aced it move forward.
• With your helper sitting next to the harnessed in puppy get them to calmly stroke the puppy and talk to it, while you back down the drive way, and drive back up. Stop the car and praise the pup and give it a treat. Repeat this process then get out, and play a game with the puppy.
• When your pup is ready build this up to a drive around the block. Two blocks etc until your puppy can manage 15-20 minutes in the car. Get your helper to look out for signs of distress in the puppy and return home earlier than pushing to get the time up. Go back a step in need be and stay within the comfort zone of the puppy.
• If your puppy is not making any progress and has been crate trained, you may find that they are much happier traveling in their crate.
• It takes a little time now but having a pooch that loves to come on car trips with you is really a joy.

Signs that your puppy is feeling discomfort and or nausea are;

• Whining
• Drooling
• Licking their lips
• Vomiting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My final point but a very important one!!

Your puppy needs to learn how to ‘dog’!

Often families are so intent on spending every minute with their new pup and never leaving it alone, they actually create a puppy that has no ability to be on it’s own without becoming incredibly anxious. Some pups are never left out in the yard by themselves and when the time inevitably comes that the family needs to go out for a few hours, the dog will howl or cry, which will eventually draw complaints from the neighbours. Alternatively, the puppy is left inside where in his or her anxiety the house is damaged with destructive behaviour.

It is vital that puppies and young dogs are slowly taught to spend time on their own, calmly and happily. Given the opportunity dogs actually love spending time outside sunning themselves, or exploring a back yard. It is important to remember that even a small back yard will look like a vast expanse to a puppy. Start off out there with your puppy, letting it explore the different features of your yard. But when it comes to leaving the puppy out on its own over the first few months, start with sectioning off a smaller area, at least partially out of the weather, so that the puppy feels safe and not overwhelmed. In this area include a comfortable bed, and some exciting safe toys to keep the puppy occupied. A puppy safe chew is almost always a favourite too. Chewing and licking is very soothing to dogs, you are essentially teaching your pup to self soothe. ProTip: Keep toys especially for this time, so they are new and exciting and will keep the puppies attention for longer

This can gradually be increased as the pup becomes older. Start with small segments of time. For example, 5 minutes while the puppy eats it’s breakfast, slowly increasing the time in small increments. If your puppy is getting ready for a sleep, set it up outside in its safe area while you are doing activities in the house. The pup will go off to sleep and find you are right there when it wakes up. This sets the pup up, to know even if you ‘disappear’ for a short time, you always come back.

Having a dog that is confident in their own company is easily achievable and definitely the goal.

Below is the referenced link

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/puppy-behavior-and-training—socialization-and-fear-prevention