24/08/2022
🤩Quick socialisation Tips:
🐾True socialisation is the period before 16 weeks of age in a puppy's life. Between 3 – 16 weeks are the most critical stages of learning and development for a puppy. This time period is where the foundation for learning is vital to their wellbeing, health, and overall cognitive development.
🤔After 16 weeks you are not able to socialise your puppy anymore in the way you think. This is because their brains soak up everything they experience like little sponges until the 16-week mark. Thereafter the brain begins to not be ”so open-minded” to new things and experiences. This from an evolutionary perspective makes sense because as you get older and wiser, you may need to defend and protect yourself from something new. So, if you haven’t been exposed to it, learnt from it, and it’s not a part of your everyday life then it may cause you harm.
Technically you would use systematic desensitisation and counter-conditioning with a pup after 16 weeks of age to help introduce novel experiences and ‘things’. Dogs, like all animals, are hard-wired to survive and protect themselves.
🐶So, to help prevent future problematic behaviours, here are some quick tips:
🚗Socialise your puppy in different locations -
Short car rides to different places. The beach, McDonald’s drive-through, parks, pet store, cafes, veterinarian clinic, and grooming parlour.
💥⛈Sounds and different noises -
Gradually desensitise your puppy to different sounds and loud noises in a gentle way. Sounds of rain, thunder, fireworks, construction sounds, doorbell, children playing, etc... You can find these sounds with a simple google search. Start playing it at a low volume, then gradually increase the volume over a couple of sessions. Play it in the background while you play with your pup so it's a positive experience.
🏡⛱🧹Household appliances -
Umbrellas, brooms, rakes, vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers, etc... When using these items you can randomly throw kibble at a distance away from where you are sweeping or vacuuming etc... This will help create a positive association for the pup. For example: 'I like it when the vacuum cleaner comes out, It rains down treats!'.
🚴♂️🦽🚲Things that move on wheels-
Let them see anything that moves on wheels like bicycles, skateboards, scooters, prams, cars, etc... Always be at a distance that the pup is comfortable in. As the puppy looks at the object, phrase your puppy and give them a treat.
👶👫Different types of people-
Slowly meeting different people of different ages, sizes, men, women & children. Always let the puppy approach someone on his / her own terms. Do not force interaction.
🐾Whenever a puppy is exposed to something that's foreign to them it needs to be done at a slow pace on the puppy’s terms. Do not overwhelm them with the stimulus. Always try and make it a positive association by using a happy gentle voice, phrasing, and encouraging your pup in a happy gentle voice as well as using delicious food/ treats to make the experience really fun and rewarding.
