Socialization

Socialization and other training tips

Text Box: Definition: Socialization – For an animal, this means being introduced to lots of people, other dogs/animals, different environments (grass, stairs, gravel paths, etc.), situations and noises. Socializing a new puppy is one of the most important things you can do to create a wonderful dog. Many behavior problems in older dogs stem from the simple fact that the dog was not socialized as a puppy. It's easy, it's fun, and it's important!

Dogs have a natural period between 3-12 weeks of age when they are open to learning about their environment. This is an adaptive process that allows puppies to habituate to all the things they will normally encounter in their world. After this period is over they will often avoid novel things. Using their natural flight or fight response, they will try to increase the distance between themselves and anything they were not socialized to.

It is extremely important to introduce the puppy to as many different things (people, animals, sights, sounds, textures, etc.) as possible during this socialization period. Because dogs do not generalize well, you should socialize your pup to as many things as possible.

People: women, men, teenagers, children, toddlers, babies, all races, peculiar gaits, uniforms, bearded men, people with hats, people acting weird, in wheel chairs, on crutches, etc..

All the experiences with these people should be positive, using play or treats. A good suggestion is to have a "stranger treat bag" that you carry. Every time you meet someone new, ask that person to give your puppy a treat.

The puppy should also be exposed to being petted and handled by as many different people as possible. But it is important not to ‘force’ the puppy to accept the petting. If the puppy is very uncomfortable with a new person, just have them offer treats at first. You don’t want to create a fear in the puppy by forcing a situation.

Situations/environment: crowds, kids on bikes, traffic, car rides, soccer games, different sounds, different floor textures, etc. Again, make positive associations with all of these situations using food treats or play.

Other animals: especially other dogs, but also cats, squirrels, livestock, etc.

Exposing puppies to tons of different people, situations, and things in their environment will enable them to cope better with new experiences later in life.

Puppy classes are very helpful for socialization, but it's not enough to just go to class once a week for 5 - 7 weeks, you need to do something new with the puppy every day. An active approach of exposing the puppy to many, many things and making a positive association with them will reduce the risk of fearfulness and aggression in adulthood.

Play with other dogs

It is important to allow puppies to play with other puppies and non-aggressive adult dogs. This is the only way they learn proper canine social skills. Dogs that do not learn "dog language" are tense and antisocial and cannot read other dogs well. They are consequently, at higher risk for dog-dog aggression or fearful reactions to other dogs. Plus, if you don’t know how your dog will react to other dogs, you will get tense in these situations and the puppy will feed off your fear making his behavior worse.

Bite Inhibition

Adult dogs have very powerful jaws and sharp teeth. In order for them to live in social groups they have to learn to control the strength of their jaw to prevent injury to their social partners during interactions. Puppies, therefore, are genetically programmed to learn what we call 'bite inhibition'. They learn this best through feedback provided by their social partners. Because we take puppies out of their canine social groups at a very young age, usually at 8 weeks, we need to continue the lessons started by mom and siblings. It is up to us to not only expose the puppy to other puppies or dogs that will give them this information, but to provide it to them ourselves.

All puppies bite, it is normal puppy behavior. We need to teach the puppy that teeth are NOT allowed on our skin. As soon as you feel teeth on your skin, even if it doesn’t hurt, screech "OUCH!" or “OW” as though it hurt way more than it did. Stay still, don’t pull your hand away or you may get scratched as well as inadvertently encourage the puppy to continue biting/playing. AS SOON as he backs away from your hand, PRAISE him for backing away. Then continue what you were doing to give him a chance to interact with you without teeth. Be prepared to use “OUCH” again if necessary. Consistency is key!

The “OUCH” simulates the feedback the puppy would get from his littermates - "When you bite too hard, I scream, and stop playing". Praising him for backing off tells the puppy what he did ‘right’ and then you may start playing again. If the puppy continues to play too rough, you need to follow the ‘3 Strikes’ rule. After three “OUCH’s” be prepared for the next ‘bite’, if he keeps playing too rough you need to walk away or give him a short time out. This gives the puppy time to calm down and to realize that if he wants your attention, he needs to be more gentle.

Instilling bite inhibition in your puppy will insure a "soft mouth". This means that if your dog is provoked or forced to bite as an adult he will not cause as much injury because he will have learned to control the strength of his jaw.

Alone time

Dogs are social animals and genetically are not very well prepared to be alone. It is therefore very important to get your puppy used to being alone. Leave him alone for brief periods of time, over and over. Put him in his crate and leave the room, at first for a short amount of time, and then for longer and longer periods. Give him a chew toy to focus on while he is alone. When you leave, do not say "goodbye" or anything else to the puppy - just leave. When you come back, do not say "hello", just come back in the room. If the puppy starts to cry or bark when you leave the room - DO NOT go back in. This will reinforce that behavior and he will learn that crying brings you back. Wait for a lull in the crying or barking and then go back.

Physical handling

It is important to handle your puppy as much as possible. The puppy should be handled every day, preferably by many people. They should gently stroke the entire body, look inside the ears and mouth, pick up the feet, etc.

In addition to normal handling it is essential to prepare the puppy to be handled in ways that they might find frightening or painful. Most people (and all children) act inappropriately around dogs because they do not understand the things that upset them. Owners need to take the time to teach their puppy that human proximity and actions are not threats. Gently and gradually accustom the puppy to accept inappropriate human actions (a few examples include: patting on top of the head, reaching towards the face, and hugging). If done properly, the puppy will quickly come to enjoy these exercises and look forward to being suddenly grabbed, restrained, and stared at.

Proximity - have many people approach the puppy and hand him a food treat.

Eye Contact - start by holding a food treat by your eye and when the puppy looks up, give the treat. Slowly increase the time he must look into your eyes before he gets the treat. Then have visitors and strangers practice the exercise.

Reaching towards - repeatedly offer a food treat with one hand and slowly reach down with the other. After a few trials, make contact, first one scratch behind the ear, then two, then several, before each treat. As the above exercise proceeds, gradually increase the speed with which you reach for him. Similarly, increase the vigor of the petting, patting, and scratching with each trial. The aim is for the puppy to associate a rapidly approaching hand with profuse praise and wonderful treats.

Hugging - Many children will go up to a strange dog and give it a hug. This is often considered unwanted restraint to the dog so we must teach puppies that being hugged is not a threat. Hug the puppy and then give a treat. Practice it many times before letting a child do it.

Feeding time

Some dogs aggressively guard their food, a behavior that is unacceptable and dangerous in the human household. You must teach your puppy that humans and food go together. Hang around with him when he is eating. Sit on the floor next to him and pet him. Hand feed him part of his meal so that he makes an association between your hand and receiving food, not having it taken away. Occasionally take the bowl away while he is eating and add a special treat. Walk up to the puppy while he is eating and drop in a special treat. Walk by the puppy while he is eating and "accidentally" bump into him. This work is very important to teach your puppy that he doesn't have to guard his food. *** It is very important to gauge your puppy’s reactions. If he is growling and snapping when you get near his bowl, DO NOT try to take it away from him!! You will need to consult with a trainer for help ASAP.

Other items

Dogs often guard other things like toys, bones, or tissues. Your puppy must be taught that you can take anything away from him. First, don’t chase him around or scold him if he has something he shouldn’t. Chances are the item was left within his reach, so it was fair game. Scolding or otherwise punishing the dog will only teach him that it’s not safe to chew on things when you are nearby. He will either learn to hide and chew, to run off with the item for a fun ‘chase’ game with you, to swallow the item, or to growl/snap when you come near thus causing more guarding issues.

There are several ways to teach the dog to give.

1) Swap the item he has out for something better, a treat or another toy. Make what you have more attractive than the item the pup has.

2) Teach him to ‘give’ or ‘drop it’.

Training

It is NEVER too early to start training a puppy. Puppies learn very quickly. Using positive reinforcement, start teaching him to sit, down, and come. It is not true that puppies can't learn these things until they are 6 months old.

"Say Please" or NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free)

Once your puppy is sitting on command, ask for a sit before he gets anything - food, going out, attention, play, etc. Every member of the family should participate by requesting the puppy to sit before he gets anything. This simple exercise teaches the puppy that you control all the resources and that he must do something for you before he gets them. It is essentially teaching your puppy to say "please".

We have to ‘earn’ a living, so does your dog, by ‘behaving’ in an appropriate manner. By asking him to sit and rewarding that behavior with whatever it was that he wanted, you create a calmer, well-behaved dog who knows which actions will get him what he wants.

Punishment

NEVER physically punish your puppy. The only thing this teaches the puppy is to be afraid of you. In addition, you should NEVER even verbally punish the puppy unless you catch him in the act of doing the inappropriate behavior. Unless punishment comes at the same time the behavior is happening, the dog has no idea why he is being yelled at.

The key to a good dog is to praise the good things and ignore the bad. Don't let the times he misbehaves be the only time he gets your attention. Teach your puppy what you want through positive reinforcement, doing this will help to create a great dog and a wonderful bond.