Quiz 10. Socialising your puppy.

In the wild, canines need to know their place in the pack, how to cooperate, and how to avoid misunderstandings. A complex body language is essential. The canine puppies learn those signals from the older dogs.
In cities, puppies still need to know those signals to avoid isolation, misunderstandings and trouble. However, they don’t get much of a chance to learn or practise those signals: they’re not in the park for long, they’re often not meeting other dogs, and they’re often on a leash. So, where do they learn those signals?
Fortunately, those signals are innate, but those puppies still need reminders from older dogs. It's our job to make that happen.

What does having ‘a socialised dog’ mean?

If your dog knows how to behave with dogs, people, and unusual noises, both of you will benefit.

It means your dog holds the view that dogs and humans should collectively control the means of production.

It means your dog understands the myriad of ways dogs communicate with one another. As a result it will feel comfortable with other dogs and be well behaved.

A socialised dog means it can cope with unusual noises and sights.

It means you can avoid raising an anxious or aggressive dog.

It means it knows how to act appropriately with family members, other people and other pets.

An adult dog uses body language to say:

A dog says countless things with nearly all parts of its body. Take the time to understand a dog’s language and you can avoid problems.

"Let's play."

"Hello. I'm no threat."

"Hello. I'm cautious of you."

"Hello. Have you the time?"

Is it important to socialise my dog?

Spend the time early and you will both reap the benefits for years to come.

Very. If your dog isn’t socialised well it will have behavioural problems, and you won’t be able to relax and fully enjoy being with your dog.

Yes, but it is even more important to dress up your dog to make it look cute.

When should we begin socialising our puppy?

Begin when it’s weeks old or as soon as you get it. Those first months can shape the behaviour of your dog for the rest of its life.

When it’s three weeks old. But don’t take it from its mother. Ensure the mother feels comfortable with you handling her puppy.

When you’re three weeks old.

As soon as you get it. The first formative months are critically important.

When it begins to display behavioural problems.

When you get around to it.

When the cows come home.

After your puppy gains confidence and coordination, regularly introduce it to:

Do this, and as your puppy grows older, nothing will faze it. Maintain that socialisation for the rest of its life.

hyenas.

people. Allow it to have good experiences with them.

loud sounds such as a blender, vacuum cleaner, clashing saucepans, lawn mower . . . (But not too close. Their ears are more sensitive than yours.)

Regularly examine your puppy to prepare it for vet examinations and procedures.

It’s important that your dog enjoys these examinations, otherwise you will create problems. Plus, your dog will feel loved.

Handle its paws and toes in case one day you need to trim its nails.

Lift its lips and check the inside of its mouth.

Carefully tip the puppy on its back and examine its stomach.

Check its chakras are aligned.

Check the inside of its ears and remove any grit or vegetation. (Never stick something into its ear canal.)

Regularly:

Get your puppy used to you taking its food, bone or toy from it. If your puppy protests, firmly say "Drop it". When it drops the item, reward it with praise and a treat. Then return the item.

remove food from your puppy's plate while it is eating. Maintain this habit throughout its life.

take toys and bones out of its mouth. Do this throughout its life.

dress it in a tuxedo.

use treats to entice your puppy into a travel crate, if you intend to fly it somewhere. You can even let it sleep in the crate.

Brush your dog. That keeps it clean and gets it used to you handling it.

Can an older dog socialise a new puppy?

It takes a village to socialise a puppy.

Yes.

No. A puppy needs to be socialised by a variety of dogs and people. It needs to learn how to approach a dog it doesn’t know.

It’s good to socialise your puppy with lots of dogs.

If your dog is not yet socialised and you encounter a pack of dogs in the park, leave, even if they are all friendly and harmless. One or two dogs at a time is best.

True, provided it is with one or two dogs at a time. More than two dogs can overwhelm your puppy.

True, provided the dogs are pedigree.

True, provided that each dog it meets is calm and well-adjusted. (Of course, you can't always ensure that happens.)

Even though your eight-week old puppy’s vaccinations are not yet complete, it needs to be with well-adjusted dogs that have been fully vaccinated.

There will still be a risk that your puppy could catch something, but the risk is worth it. To get a well-balanced dog you both need to start early.

It’s important to socialise your puppy early so that it can avoid developing bad habits and behavioural problems.

If you find a well-adjusted dog, ask the owner if their dog is fully vaccinated. If it is, try to arrange regular meetings. Offer to walk their dog, if necessary.

Take your puppy to a friend or relative who has a healthy, well-adjusted vaccinated dog.

It’s important that your puppy wears a gas mask.

Your puppy should not visit a dog park until it is fully vaccinated.

Wait until two weeks after your puppy has been fully vaccinated before taking it to a dog park. Even better: check that advice with your vet.

Your puppy should also be protected from fleas, ticks and worms.

True. There can be viruses in the soil of a dog park.

True. It might meet an unvaccinated dog.

True, unless it arrives in a chariot.

A good quality puppy school can help socialise your dog provided:

Observe at least two sessions to ensure your puppy enjoys the experience. Also, make sure it gets plenty of experiences elsewhere.

celebrities run it.

your puppy still gets a wide variety of experiences elsewhere.

your puppy already feels comfortable with multiple dogs. 

When you walk your dog let it socialise with other dogs:

If there are no off-leash parks nearby, having it on a leash is the next best option.
If your dog is bullied, or is not enjoying the encounter, calmly intervene and take it elsewhere.

on-leash, but only if off-leash is not an option.

off-leash. When your puppy can run and play with a friendly dog it can properly learn the dog rules.

off-leash. By being less restricted it will be less anxious when it meets other dogs.

off-leash, so that it can run ahead and scout for danger.

one dog at a time. Two at the most.

On a walk a dog needs to get used to:

Don't let these things scare your dog; that's counter-productive. And avoid all crowds until your dog is thoroughly used to people.

visual things: cars, newspapers, prams, umbrellas, wheelchairs, hats . . .

animals: cats, livestock, dogs, humans . . .

ideas: feminism, Marxism, catechism . . .

sounds: skateboards, car horns, noisy car mufflers, motor bikes, trains . . .

Socialisation occurs incrementally.

Don’t traumatise your dog by ‘throwing it in the deep end’. Begin small and work up. If your dog looks frightened, calmly leave.

Yes! That’s why we don't want our puppy to join a cluster of dogs.

Yes! That’s because it’s no use daunting the dog.

Yes! When the dog can tolerate a skateboard in the distance, it’s learning to tolerate skateboards. By getting closer over time, in increments, the dog can remain comfortable with skateboards.

Yes, because you get faster results.

Yes, incrementally. The bigger your dog gets, the more socialised it becomes.

Another good way to socialise your dog is to:

When you give your dog heaps of love, you benefit as much as it does. One day you will look back and see how important it was for both of you.

let it watch the telly.

give it heaps of love and praise.

My dog is frightened by unexpected loud noises. What can I do?

Eventually your dog will show no concern about the noise. You might need a few refresher lessons coming up to firework season.

Desensitise your dog. Have a low noise that doesn’t disturb your dog and with your dog relaxed give it a treat. Then raise the noise level a little. (Only reward a relaxed dog.) And so on.

At home you can play a CD with sound effects of thunder and fireworks. Have the volume low, and over a few days gradually increase the volume. If at any time your puppy looks stressed, turn the volume down.

Buy it ear muffs.