Puppy Socialisation

Once your new puppy has had it’s vaccines the next step is socialisation. This involves introducing your puppy to all the everyday occurrences that it will encounter as an adult. This is how your puppy will learn what is an appropriate way to behave in a variety of situations. A well socialised puppy is less likely to suffer problems related to fear of strange places, people and animals including other dogs.
Puppies have a short period of opportunity, called the socialisation window, between the ages of 6-14wks where they are open to new experiences. The positive encounters they have at this stage are likely to stay with them all their life. Likewise care must be taken to make sure there are few negative experiences as these can also be remembered and shape your puppy’s behaviour as an adult.

The key to good socialisation is to try and view the World from your puppy’s eyes. Do not overwhelm them all at once but start with short encounters and slowly build up until they are experiencing more and more. Ensure that they enjoy the new experiences, play with them and reward them so that they know there is nothing to worry about. Puppies’ natural instincts to explore will mean they will seek out new situations and, provided you protect them from being afraid, they will become more and more confident.

The list of things that your puppy should experience is a long one, but by including them in all aspects of your life should mean that they grow up to be relaxed and happy around everyday situations.

One of the best ways to socialise your puppy is at organised puppy training. This usually consists of a short course of weekly classes where your puppy is taught basic obedience and gets to make friends with lots of dogs their own age. Living in this area means we are spoilt for choice as there are a number of excellent puppy classes nearby. Most can be found with a quick search on the internet or pop into one of our branches for some more information.

Another useful exercise to do with your puppy is get them used to visiting the vets. Many dogs only come to the vets when they are poorly and are then prodded, poked and injected. It is not a surprise when they are nervous at subsequent visits. Please bring your puppy to the vets at every opportunity. Not for an appointment, but just to sit on the scales, relax in the waiting room, have a few treats at reception and so learn that the vets isn’t a place to fear, but a place where they get lots of fuss and attention.

The 6 to 12 month period of a puppy’s life is the time which corresponds to our adolescence. In a perfect world their toilet training would be coming together and there’d be no more accidents on the best carpet, they would walk perfectly to heel, never bark at ponies in the forest and not jump up when they get excited. However, we all know that this is often not the case and in my opinion if you’re managing two or three out of the above list you are doing well.

Just like teenagers, young dogs don’t always do what they are told and as their confidence grows they will often push the boundaries of what they are allowed to do (or get away with). This can happen both in the home and outside on walks. In fact many behavioural and obedience problems start in adolescence and if left unchecked can be harder to modify as the dog gets older.

It is very important to continue training your puppy, both as they grow and throughout their life. Many people have the best intentions, but once they’ve completed puppy classes neglect their puppy’s training through the important adolescent time. Most puppy classes run follow on training programs, often multiple classes, for beginners, intermediate and advanced. These are an excellent way to continue your puppy’s training and are a source of advice for helping to deal with any problems as soon as they develop. Not only that, they are a great way to strengthen your bond with your pet.If you do feel that you are having problems with your puppy’s behaviour or you just want general behavioural advice please do contact our surgeries. A good opportunity is at the free adolescent check that we offer, with the nurse, to all our puppies when they reach 6 months old. We have nurses at both Lyndhurst and Totton with a keen interest in dog behaviour and they will be able to offer advice.

While the nurses and vets have a good knowledge of dog behaviour it may be necessary to refer some problems to a qualified animal behaviourist. These people have the benefit of being able to come to your house and spend time with you and your dog. This allows them to understand the root cause of any problems and the best way to work towards making them better. At Midforest we work closely with a number of local behaviourists and can help you make an appointment with them.