the puppy project: socialization · • your puppy is having a positive experience. • your puppy...
TRANSCRIPT
The Puppy Project: Socialization
Special thanks to behaviorvetsnyc.com
THIS TIME IN YOUR PUP’S DEVELOPMENT IS CRITICAL
Your puppy needs a variety of positive experiences.
Your puppy is creating new pathways in the brain that they will use throughout their life.
Socialization is like emotional/behavioral vaccinations. Create the correct experiences now and reap the benefits of an emotionally confident and secure adult dog.
WHAT IS SOCIALIZATION?Socialization is the process of positively introducing your puppy to Places, People, Animals, Sounds, Objects, and Obstacles.
• Up until 3-4 months of age your puppy's brain is very open and accepting of what he comes across-the so-called critical socialization window. After that, he's genetically preprogrammed to become wary of new things, making it much harder to shape him into an easygoing, friendly adult dog.
• Is the socialization process the same for every puppy? No, unfortunately there's no cookie-cutter socialization process. Each puppy is unique and should be socialized at his own pace.
• Dogs lacking positive, early socialization experiences are ill-equipped to live in our ever-changing world. The bigger their bank of positive experiences, the more resistant they are to developing behavior problems in adulthood.
DOING SOCIALIZATION RIGHT!
Punishment is out. Punishment "training" covers a range of aversive methods like the alpha roll, scruff shakes, pinning, spray bottles, shake cans, leash corrections, ear pinches, the use of shock and choke collars, and anything else that hurts or intimidates a dog.
Don't go there. Punishment won't help you train your puppy to do what you want. It is outdated, unnecessary, and counterproductive.
Positive reinforcement is in. Positive reinforcement training uses things that motivate dogs: food treats, toys, praise, and other stuff they want. Don't like a behavior? Don't reward it or remove a reward or your attention.
Positive training is based on behavioral science and is fast, effective, and fun.
Socialization is time sensitive. The older your puppy gets, the harder preventing behavior problems becomes.
Socialization must be tailored to your puppy. It's critical that you go at your own puppy's pace when socializing him. NEVER force him to interact with something.
Creating positive associations to new experiences is essential. While simple exposure does play a role, it is not enough. Make a habit of linking your puppy's new experiences to food or play.
Empower your puppy by allowing him to choose what he does and does not want to interact with.
Fewer positive experiences are much better than many negative ones.
POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS ARE KEYRule 1: Use great rewards. Pair new experiences with something your puppy loves, like food or play. Figure out what his favorite treats are and reserve them for creating strong positive associations.
(Don't rely on petting or praise to create positive associations. Even for dogs that love being petted or sweet-talked, it's not a strong enough reward to create a positive association with something new and unknown.)
Rule 2: Ace the first encounter. First impressions count. If your puppy's first encounter with something new doesn't go well, it takes a lot of work to change his mind . Always try to make first experiences particularly rewarding.
Rule 3: Timing is everything. You should reward your puppy as soon as something new happens, but it's important your puppy notices the new thing first. For example: 1. You're out with your puppy and you see your neighbor about to press the garage door opener.
2. You wait for her to press the button.
3. As the sound begins and your puppy's ears perk up, you continue to treat him with yummy food bites until the sound stops.
BODY LANGUAGE Your puppy's body language says a lot. Understanding your puppy's body language is critical when determining if: • Your puppy is having a positive
experience.• Your puppy is able to learn
something new.• Your puppy can respond to a
well-known cue.
If you know how your puppy is feeling, you can make adjustments as needed to help him or her grow emotionally in a positive and confident manner.
Body Language- PositiveTHIS IS HOW IT LOOKSYOU WANT
Eager to approach Moves forward toward new things/people
Investigations without coercion Loose body; human does not intervene
Good startle recovery Pauses, then goes back to activity
Active engagement Focuses on pet parent often and easily
Body Language- PositiveTHIS IS HOW IT LOOKSYOU WANT
Calm and relaxed Settles easily
Watches calmly Soft eyes. Easily interrupted.
Greets happily Whole body wags
Active engagement Comes over to you readily
Body Language- Anxiety or StressTHIS IS HOW IT LOOKSYOU DON’T WANT
Hesitant to approach Stays in place; barks; growls
Avoidance Backs up
Investigates uneasily Stiff body. Moves forward and then returns. Runs away or hides.
Poor startle recovery Stops what they are doing. Hides. Does not continue. Tries to escape.
Body Language
SIGNS OF STRESS
(OUT OF CONTEXT BEHAVIORS)
Lip licking (didn’t just eat or drink)
Shake off (is not wet)
Sudden sniffing (nothing new in environment)
Scratching
Yawning (did not just wake up/is not going to sleep)
Panting (not hot; did not exercise
PUPPY FEAR It’s important in the early stages of development to provide a variety of positive experiences.
There will always be things that cause your puppy concern. Some caution is important and necessary in certain situations.
An over abundance of concern should be helped.
FEAR: WHAT TO DO• Work at your puppy’s pace. Let him tell you what he’s ready for.
• Do not force interactions. Do not lure to something new; it’s coercive.
• Focus on building positive associations. Hang out and let your puppy watch the world from safe distances.
• Provide a home base: lap, travel crate allowing him to go in or out; under your chair.
• Seek behavior support from a professional
OBSERVATION:An important piece of the socialization puzzle. Learning to calmly observe their environment should always be the first step for puppies. Forcing social interaction too quickly can overwhelm a puppy and contribute to common problems like fear, aggression, and overexcitement. Begin with observation to prepare your puppy to handle increased social pressure with grace.
Here’s How:
• Let your puppy observe busy environments from a distance until he becomes comfortable, then slowly decrease the distance. This step could take days or weeks for some puppies, and a few minutes or hours for others.
• When observation from a distance is not possible (for example, your first hour of puppy class), give your puppy a safe home base he can retreat to if overwhelmed. His safety spot could be a travel crate, under your chair, or behind a see-through barrier like an exercise pen.
• Teach your puppy to offer polite behavior (attention, sit, down) after seeing something exciting or fear-inducing from a distance.
WHAT IF YOUR PUP GETS FRIGHTENED?
• Comforting is fine. Don’t coddle. Stay calm.
• Give your pup an opportunity to back away and then allow your pup to watch. Reward frequently.
• One second after the scary thing appears, begin treating (with good stuff or even play!). When it’s gone, stop, or better yet call him away to keep it short. Trigger appearing = good things happen.
• If your pup keeps turning away or won’t take treats, he is too close. Add distance from the scary thing.
• Be realistic. Don’t expect to overcome a fearful response in one training session. Take baby steps.
WHAT IF FEAR IS PERSISTENT?All puppies become fearful of things or sounds from time to time. Your puppy may be particularly sensitive if:
• He or she is globally fearful (afraid of many things)
• Does not relax enough to sniff and investigate; prefers being still or hiding.
• Has difficulty coping with change
• Has poor startle recovery
This type of puppy can benefit from professional help
SOCIALIZATION IDEAS • Pull out some pie tins, trays, metal utensils and pots. They can also be placed in a kiddie pool, large plastic bin or the bathtub. Toss treats around and let your puppy navigate through the world of some clangy noise.
• Never force, push or coerce.
• Encourage and support. Give your pup time to explore and make choices.
SOCIALIZATION IDEAS• Ride bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, up and down the driveway.
• Bounce around on an exercise ball.
• Use (or pretend to use) shovels, rakes, lawnmower, weed whacker.
• Use the vacuum and a broom*
• Create obstacles that your pup can climb on and over.
*If your pup is afraid of moving things, make it safe in steps, progressing at your puppy’s pace.1. Take the object out. 2. Move it around. 3. Add the sound if applicable. 4. Add motion to the sound.
SOCIALIZATION IDEAS• Play dress up and get your puppy used to unusual silhouettes. Rotate costumes.
• Open an umbrella slowly.
• Wear a hat.
• Provide objects to learn balance and accept new surfaces.
• Change the environment- move furniture!
• We want to see interest and curiosity, not nervousness.
MORE SOCIALIZATION • Friends have farm animals? Expose your pup to differentanimals. Or play videos with farm sounds.
• Can you go somewhere that your pup can hear trains or water flowing (ocean)?
• Allow your pup to walk on different surfaces- grass, mulch, dirt, rocks, pavement, slippery floors, puddles.
• Allow him to climb on objects such as a fallen tree log.
• Take him in the car to different places. Stop and let him observe through the window.
• Take him on a ‘Sniffari’ and allow him to experience different scents.
• Gently handle all your pup’s body parts one at a time and pair with food (touch then treat).
PUPPY PLAY• Find a playmate of a similar play style and consider size differences.
• Look for play bows (front end is lower) and bouncy movements.
• Calmly separate them if one puppy begins to bite and hold on; body slam; if the play becomes too vertical; or if the pitch of vocalizations changes.
• Interrupt the pups every minute or so and ask for attention and calm behavior. When both pups can do this, allow play to resume. If your puppy is not able to pay attention to you, increase the distance from the other puppy and consider a higher value food reward.
• If one puppy is pinning the other, gently remove the top puppy (A) and watch the response of the bottom pup (B). If pup B goes back to play you will know that he was enjoying it. If he moves away, take a break.
• The best play is reciprocal as they take turns chasing or being on top.
• Take frequent breaks to settle the pups down so play does not become too arousing.
• Remain calm and help your puppy to have a positive experience. Short play session are more appropriate. If one pup is looking to move away or get away, halt play and help them to separate.
SOCIALIZE FROM A DISTANCE
• See or hear something new like a loud truck, landscape or construction. Praise calmly and give them a treat. When able, visit playgrounds, schools, sports events.
• Let your pup watch other dogs and people at a distance. Do this from your front porch or near the grocery store without interacting.
• Now is the time to get focus on you around distractions.
On-leash dog-dog introductions can trap your puppy in situations that may not go well. Instead, teach your puppy to ignore other dogs you pass by shifting his attention to you for a treat. This also prevents pulling and barking and reduces future frustration.
KEEP A LOG AND SCORE YOUR PUP’S REACTIONS
Score your puppy’s reactions to different things.
1 = Hates it (tries to hide/get away; tucks tail; barking that’s hard to stop; growls; hair on back raises; won’t approach)
2 = It’s just OK/Needs Work(barking that’s easily stopped; interacts for a short time and doesn’t return; not exploring or hesitant; moving slowly or acting sleepy when they should not be tired.)
3 = Likes/Loves it (relaxed; moves toward/explores; returns to investigate; bouncy body; leans into; playful; food-focused or calm even without food.)
Request the Socialization Scavenger Hunt Scoring Log
Date & List: Place; People; Sounds; Objects; Animals; Obstacles
Score: 1, 2 or 3
Response. Describe your puppy’s behavior
Scoring:1= Hates it2= Just OK/Needs Work3= Likes/Loves it
Request the Socialization Scavenger Hunt list of things you should make your puppycomfortable with.
