Socialising Dogs 

Socialising dogs is, quite simply, essential.

There will be no greater influence on a dogs’ personality, character and behaviour than the degree and success of his socialisation.

The process of socialising dogs should start from day one, and should continue with vigour until he is about one year old.  From that point on, the skills and behaviours he has learnt should be encouraged and reinforced for the rest of his life. This will give him a great chance of developing into a well behaved, happy and confident dog.

Dogs who receive little or no socialisation on the other hand, will be unlikely to learn the crucial body language skills that will allow them to interact successfully with other dogs.

They may develop characteristics of fearfulness, anxiety, and even aggression. Dogs who learn to try and control situations by showing aggression are likely to repeat this behaviour if they find it works for them.  This can lead to them developing into unhappy, isolated, unpopular and even dangerous animals.

Click Here for 'Secrets to Dog Training'

The successful rehabilitation of a dog who has been poorly socialised will be dependent upon the specific characteristics of the individual dog, and will certainly require the advice of an expert. In this case you should speak to a dog behavioural specialist. Your local veterinary clinic may be able to recommend one to you.

For this reason, the tips on ’Socialising Dogs’ in this article relate specifically to the socialisation of puppies.

During their first few weeks of life, puppies fear virtually nothing, and approach everything with an enthusiastic inquisitiveness. When socialising dogs, we should take advantage of this period, and expose them to as many new experiences, situations, places, people, noises, smells, dogs and other animals as we can. We are aiming to make all of these experiences positive ones for the puppy, so that he does not grow up to fear them in later life. Whether it is meeting new people, meeting new dogs, or going into unfamiliar situations, we want the dog to remain calm and attentive to us, and we should reward him when this happens, to encourage a similar behaviour the next time.

When introducing your puppy into new situations, try to set them up in such a way that you can be sure of how the situation will start, develop, and end. This will give you the best chance of ensuring it is a positive experience for him. 

For example, if you are getting him used to traffic, start by walking along quieter roads where there is little traffic, and where there is no possibility of a large truck coming thundering by to startle him!

When introducing him to new dogs, make sure both dogs are leashed, and that you have control of your puppy. Check the other dogs’ body language to ensure that he is not showing signs of being in a dominant or aggressive state of mind. Allow your dog to approach from the side, briefly sniff the other dog, then retreat and reward him for this acceptable behaviour.

Click Here for 'Secrets to Dog Training'

Successfully socialising dogs involves them meeting lots of different types of people of all ages, sizes etc, as this helps them to accept a more diverse range of people as they develop. Again, ensure that these interactions are all positive for your puppy – you may want to get your family and friends to give food treats to your dog as a reward for calm behaviour, for example. Always ensure that any play between your puppy and children is supervised by an adult.

Another great way of socialising dogs is to set up some positive interactions between your puppy and the postman, or some delivery men, at your house. This will encourage your dog to be more accepting of visitors as it gets older, and as its territorial instincts develop.

As a young puppy, a happy an enjoyable trip (with plenty of rewards) to the veterinary clinic can help build a positive association in their mind around ‘visits to the vet’. This should help to avoid anxious behaviours when they visit the vets as they get older.

Showing your new dog that you are in control in all of these new situations will increase their confidence in you as their pack leader.

Until your puppy is fully vaccinated, try and avoid taking him to areas that have been fouled by other dogs, and also to avoid him playing with dogs whose vaccination status you are unsure of.

 Your puppy may initially feel frightened or insecure in his new environment. If you notice his body language showing signs of fear or anxiety - reassure him and, if necessary, remove him from the situation until later. Reintroduce him slowly, to allow his confidence to gradually build.

Finally, enrolling your new puppy into a reputable puppy training school is an essential part of socialising dogs. Dogs will typically be accepted into puppy training schools from around 12 weeks, and up to 20 weeks old. Your local veterinary clinic may be able to recommend one to you. Doing this will ensure that your puppy gets to regularly repeat the positive new behaviours it is learning, whilst getting to spend more time around new dogs and people. 

If you take the whole family along to the classes, you’ll all get to learn what’s being taught, and you’ll be socialising dogs who attend the puppy school at the same time!

Are you struggling to control your dogs behaviour ?

If the answer to the above question is 'Yes', then I strongly recommend that you check out     Daniel Stevens 'Secrets to Dog Training'.        

This comprehensive training programme can bring an end to your dogs behavioural problems IMMEDIATELY using proven techniques.        Click here to check it out now !