Literally!
While it is critical and fun for a pup to discover new things, how you do it is important. There is a big difference between getting your pup out to experience the world with you and shoving your pup towards every dog, person, and competing motivator you can find.
Many new pup parents hear the word “socialisation” and rush to arrange doggy play dates, dog park outings, and other “social” opportunities. But it could well turn into a nightmare for you if they grow up thinking everything else is way more interesting and fun (and therefore more valuable) than you. Dragging you on the lead to every smell or tree to pee on; barking, lunging, screaming, and spinning on the lead to get to what they want; or running up and getting into the face of unknown dogs, are all things you don’t want your pup to develop.
If you think about it logically, why should they suddenly start listening to you if you’ve spent months shoving them away from you towards other things?
You can balance your pup’s need to experience surfaces, sights, and sounds during their critical development period by making sure that in those encounters they are mostly experiencing them while doing something awesome with you.
Sounds should become background noise, with maybe a cursory glance to see what it is. Dogs and other animals should only produce a neutral, maybe slightly inquisitive, response in your pup. Smelling and peeing are things your pup needs to learn to do in their free time, not every two steps on a walk.
So, how can you be more awesome than another dog, more fun than chasing a rabbit or skateboard, more engaging than a tree or bush, and more interesting than dirt?
Engagement. Hang out with your pup, play games, and train skills. Be fun, not boring. Balance it with downtime away from any stimuli so they learn how to be independent.
Outlets. Give your pup opportunities to do what they were bred for in a structured way so they don’t apply their breed instincts to activities that are going to land them in trouble. Chase, tug, or fetch games with you instead of stalking and catching birds or other small animals. Agility, scent work, slat/treadmill sessions can satisfy working breeds by giving them a job to do.
Rewards and reinforcement. Encourage your pup to hang with you by offering awesome rewards to reinforce the behaviours you want. What does your dog love most? Food, toys, play, affection, all of the above? Test it out. Dogs may not love what you think they should love, especially in different contexts. Mix it up so they try harder to get the reward they love the most.
Manage your pup’s interactions with other dogs. Pick a few nice dogs that belong to family or friends and arrange short sessions or short walks together. It's important to keep it short so your pup doesn’t get so over aroused and over stimulated that they get cranky. Pups (and indeed adult dogs) don’t need a free for all session with dogs they don’t know. In the long run it may lead to the development of reactive or fearful behaviours towards other dogs.
Make sure your pup has plenty of down time. Being overtired can make pups and young dogs cranky and being constantly over stimulated and over excited can lead to poor decisions. Dogs need to be able to switch off, but it doesn’t necessarily come naturally. Crate time, puppy pen time, or being on the lead, can help your pup learn to regulate their emotions and develop an off switch.
Rules and boundaries. Our pups need guidance to develop into good social citizens. Teaching them to listen to us means creating value in us through a balance of fun and rules. Tighter boundaries now mean more freedom down the track. The end goal is to teach dogs how to successfully be at liberty.
Being more interesting than dirt can help your dog develop good social skills.
Image from Pexels.com
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