Socialisation, or socialising?

Have you got a lock-down puppy? Lucky you! They are just pure JOY!!! And you are on an amazing journey together. I’m sure one of the first things you’ll have heard about as a new pet-parent is the need for ‘socialisation’. When we hear that, us humans tend to hear the word ‘socialise’ and think of hanging out with friends and having fun. But for our puppies socialisation means much more than just meeting other dogs. There is a big difference between ‘socialise’ and ‘socialisation’. We’re talking about the latter. And yes it does encompass the former, but that’s only a small part of it.

Socialise means your puppy hanging out with other dogs they get along with BUT to make it socialisation you need to be sure they are meeting different breeds, shapes, sizes and energy levels. This is important to make sure they know how to behave around a variety of other dogs, including those who don’t want to play. Socialisation does not mean letting them off to run frantically around the park for 30mins with whomever they chose, and then taking them home again.

Socialisation is about our puppy’s being comfortable, and by that we usually mean ignoring, an infinite list of things. Are they happy walking over unusual surfaces? What about a bridge with little holes so they can see the ground beneath them? Our puppy’s needs to calmly ignore traffic, people in funny hats, sunglasses, children screaming or running, banners flapping in the wind, a carrier bag blowing along the street.

And yes, other dogs too. That’s right. A well socialised dog is one who can ignore other dogs. Practise walking your puppy past other dogs and not saying hello. This is a really important lesson. Start young and your life will be a LOT easier in the long run.

Another big area for training is around noises, does your puppy bark at the doorbell? What about at people passing the window? Or if they hear dogs barking outside? Do they run and hide when the vacuum cleaner comes out? A calm response to all these things can be taught much more easily when our pup is young and first encounters them.

And while we’re considering all of this, we want to be sure the experiences are all positive for our puppy. Just exposing them to something new and hoping they cope is risky. If we spot any signs that our puppy is uncomfortable we should withdraw and make a plan to introduce them more slowly and with lots of positive reinforcement like yummy treats. We definitely don’t want to scare them. A good trainer or behaviourist can help you with this, and the sooner you seek help the better.

How much socialisation are you doing with your puppy? If your walks largely involve walking to the park and looking for other dogs and puppies to play with, I strongly suggest you start including some of the other things on this list as part of your daily routine.

If you need help with socialising your pup or have any other training questions please do get in touch. I am always happy to talk about puppies.