puppy socialization Training near me Develops your Dog's Hidden Intelligence Click Here 👈 Socialization is a hot topic in...
puppy socialization Training near me
Develops your Dog's Hidden Intelligence Click Here 👈
Socialization is a hot topic in the dog world. Recently it’s been getting a lot more attention from trainers and vets as well. More people are understanding the importance of socialization from a young age for our puppies. But I want to dig into this a little deeper because many people simply assume that socialization means taking your dog to the dog park. In this video, I’m going to give you a lot more info about what socialization is... And what’s it isn’t. And I’m going to tell you why I don’t think that socialization should involve a dog park. At all. Ever! Michele here with HTTADD…. Before we begin if you want to get notified the next time a new video goes live be sure to hit that subscribe button What is Socialization? I think we should take a step further back and look at this in a bigger scope that includes exposure. I like the word exposure better because it implies that the dog is learning about new things, not just new people or other dogs. Exposing your puppy to new things when he's young helps him become confident and secure and able to handle new experiences for his whole life. If you envision taking a little vacation with your dog, and walking down a lovely beach or pedestrian street, exploring a new area and having your dog walking nicely by your side, with good manners and a calm demeanor… well, with the right training this is definitely possible but exposure to new things at a young age is going to play a big part. Socialization and exposure means giving our dog access to new experiences, which include new sights, smells, textures, sounds, and activities. It doesn’t mean meeting everyone. Remember that the dog’s strongest sense is their nose. So taking them to new places where there are new smells - even if you are simply starting in the parking lot while sitting in the car - is a big deal and so beneficial! Who knew that drive-throughs at restaurants were so great for dog exposure! I did and now you do too! It’s great to teach our dogs that they don’t have to interact with everything and everyone they see. Can you imagine strolling down that pedestrian street and your dog has to go up and greet and be engaged with every living thing? That’s not going to be so relaxing… for you or the dog. Teach your dog that it’s ok to be exposed to things but he or she doesn’t have to go any further. That’s going to be a much better experience for both of you in the long run. Why is exposure important… and when? If you want to create lasting positive impressions then exposing your dog during a critical imprint period is important Your dog is most impressionable when they are youngest Their first imprint period starts at about 8 weeks and goes till about 12-16 weeks. This means we have a short window of time to slowly yet positively expose our dogs to all things we want them to feel comfortable with later in life How do you do exposure and socialization right? Exposure and socialization can't be done quickly as our human brains might think. You might think that you're ready to strap on a leash and head out to the nearest pet store, take your dog in and expose him to all kinds of new smells and sights and sounds. While this is a good idea at some point in the future, it should not be done in one session at the beginning. I want you to break this down into multiple sessions, maybe over a few days or probably over a few weeks. Keep in mind we actually don’t recommend taking a pup to the pet store until you have quite a bit of training under your belt I mean think of it like the ultimate test and obstacle course All the smells, dogs, people, treats, toys, and temptations It’s going to seem like Disneyland on steroids in there to your dog, who likely doesn’t have enough focus on you when distractions are greatest or enough manners to stay by your side instead of bolt up to other dogs to say “hi” You’ll start by picking one low-key location with just simply exposing your dog to the new smells of this area from the parking lot for just a few minutes. You would be surprised at how challenging it is to keep up this level of intense processing of information This is tiring for your pup so don’t be tempted to camp out there for an hour - that’s too much, too soon. A few minutes of smelling and then you can be on your way until the next session. After we've done a few sessions of exposing our dogs to the parking lot then it's time to take a little bit closer and maybe get closer to the door. How close depends on your dog. You'll have to understand canine body language in order to really see where it's comfortable and engaging. When your puppy is relaxed and comfortable, he is open to learning new things. If he’s stressed, tired or overstimulated, it's too much information. I usually say that the vault doors have closed and there's no learning taking place. By the way, lunging, barking, and frantically pulling to go say “hi” would mean he tipped over threshold and you likely stayed too long in that location or got to close to very distracting things or other dogs and people The next step after the parking lot smelling and getting a little closer is taking it even closer. We might just be at the doors of the store or maybe just inside. Or maybe we are several feet away from the doors still watching people go in and out. We may hang here for several sessions. Again this will depend on your dog and how comfortable he or she is with this process so far. Every dog is different and we have to train the dog we have in front of us. This process might be achingly slow for you, but think of your pup and put his or her needs and preferences ahead of your own. The next step could be that we will go inside, but maybe we'll head to the back of the store where it's not so busy. Or if you're at a home improvement store maybe you go to the Garden Center where it's a little bit more outside. From here you can progress to walking around a little more in the busier spots of the store or maybe greeting people from time to time. Remember this is only after you’ve practiced all the other steps several times and each time your dog was chill and relaxed. If at any time your pup tips over threshold it’s time to go back a step in the training process. Be sure to have your treat pouch and make it clear to people that you are in training and not everyone gets to pet your cute dog. If people know you are working hard on some training they are often very good at respecting your wishes for engagement. Another benefit of the treat pouch…. Poo bags! Yes, expect some potty accidents even though you might think your dog knows not to go potty inside. The bright lights, the new smells and sounds.. .it’s distracting and stressful and that’ll probably lead to a potty accident. Don’t worry, these stores have seen it all before. Just pick it up and clean up after yourself and you’ll be fine! What are common mistakes dog owners make during socialization and exposure training? Mistake #1: Going too fast or for too long Doing exposure training with our dogs should be done in very short, but frequent, intervals. Smelling all these new smells and taking in all that info… it’s exhausting. This is like a human going into a perfume store and being asked to interpret all of the different perfumes, except it’s 40 times stronger for your dog! It's very tiring for your pup, so less is more when it comes to dog exposure. Start with just a few minutes in a new area and build up from there. Mistake #2: Engaging with everyone We don’t want all exposure to new things to involve interaction, which could potentially be overwhelming and scary to a young pup. We also don’t want to teach our puppies that every single dog or human they meet should be greeted. Can you imagine how exhausting that would be if you greeted and talked to every single person you came in contact within a day? We want to teach our pups that it’s ok to see people or other dogs at a distance and just keep ongoing. Mistake #3: Not paying attention to your dog’s comfort level Understanding canine communication during this process is going to be so important. You don’t want to push her too far or too fast. She doesn’t have any other way of communicating to you about when she’s overwhelmed or overstimulated, so be sure to watch for the signs. We have some great lessons on canine communication in my online course 30 Days to Puppy Perfection. Mistake #4: Only working on this when the dog is young This is not a “one and done” type of training. All throughout your dog’s life you want to seek out new experiences. Just like humans like novelty, it’s good for our dogs too. You’ll want to focus on it more during those young formidable weeks, but even as your dog is older, keep in mind his exposure to new things and build it in if you haven’t focused on it in a while. Mistake #5: Starting too late If your vet tells you that your puppy is not allowed to go outside until they are fully vaccinated, I highly recommend looking for a new vet. Proper and positive socialization and exposure has lasting impacts on the rest of your dog’s life. The consequences of under socializing your puppy far outweigh the risks of safely getting out and about before they are fully vaccinated. Mistake #6: Thinking too narrowly about socialization - thinking it’s only about other dogs or maybe humans. This is a common mistake but now you know better! Be sure you don’t get stuck in the mindset that puppy socialization is just going to group class for training where you think your dog is getting the right kind of socialization I think you get the idea from the previously talked about concepts in this video that’s not the best idea just yet Mistake #7: Dog parks Nope, nope and nopety nope. Unfortunately, too many dog owners bring inappropriate dogs to the dog park. These dogs tend to start fights, whether they mean to or not. Many people don't follow rules about leaving food, toys or kids under 10 out of the park. The dogs then fight over these resources and kids get scratched or knocked down. Or dogs get injured and have a bad experience that has lasting effects Many people don't know how to read canine body language and misinterpret the signals that dogs are giving off. They brush off these signals which put their dog, as well as others, in danger. Too many people bring sick dogs with kennel cough or contagious warts to the dog park. People bring their high-energy revved-up dog that's been in a crate all day to the dog park, which can lead to an altercation. Instead of going to the dog park, I would suggest you find a friend with a dog that's about the same size and temperament to have a good first playdate experience with. There have been far too many cases of dogs being negatively affected for life because of an experience at the dog park. Mistake #8: I hate to rain on your parade but I don’t love most doggie daycares either. It isn’t necessarily an age issue but more of a safety issue with the daycare. Definitely, while pup is potty training and you are getting him on a schedule you want to avoid them. But even once they are older and established, you really have to evaluate if the daycare you are considering is the right fit. Is it a similar energy level as your dog's natural level? Will the schedule allow your pup to rest at his normal times? Will there be dogs who are much different in size and temperament as your pup that could accidentally cause an injury? And of course, you want to evaluate safety and cleanliness, as well as if they use the same approach to training as you do. More info on doggie daycare can be found in this great video. What about classes? Puppy socialization classes, when done right, can be a good option. you'll want to ask questions ahead of time to make sure it’s a good fit for your puppy. Ideally, the class size will be small (5 puppies at the max), the time they will be together is limited to 15-30 minutes, with very frequent rest breaks to avoid overstimulation, and the puppies should be matched in terms of temperament and size/roughness of play to ensure there will not be accidental injuries. Definitely ask about how they manage puppies at different stages of vaccinations as well. Not all classes will be perfect but you want to do your research ahead of time to try and get the best fit. Just remember, puppy socialization classes only expose your dog to other dogs. As you have learned from this video, there’s so much more than that! Where are the best places to expose your puppy to? Stores Other animals (farms) from a distance - the smells will be amazing! Restaurants - meaning the parking lots or drive-throughs will be great Schools Transportation centers like bus stations, train stations, airports, etc New textures like astroturf, tile, carpet, grass, cement One thing we love to do is set up what we call victory visits to places our dog may frequent and especially those places they will visits often throughout their life These would be places like the vet's office and the groomers These victory visits are just you and your pup going there for the sole purpose of saying hi, creating a quick positive association, and then leaving without anything bad or scary happening Whether you start with sitting in the parking lot and eventually walking around their parking lot or popping in to allow the staff to give your pup a cookie Just be sure you set up a victory visits with your pup so they don’t always make negative associations with those places. In the comments below, tell me some good areas in your community that you plan to take your pup! ...
Develops your Dog's Hidden Intelligence Click Here 👈
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