Training Tip of the week

Janice from Hurunui District

As we approach the puppy season I thought some of you may wish to read this article on socialising your puppy.
SOCIALISATION

Follow your dog's lead. Walk away if he is uncomfortable.
Pet parents are bombarded with:
“You’re a terrible owner if you don’t allow your dog to greet other dogs.”
“The socialisation window closes before 16 weeks so hurry and meet as many dogs as possible”
“Dogs must meet 100 new dogs before a certain age.”
These statements are valid, but it’s important to add limitations and boundaries first. Follow these dog socialising tops and be their voice.
WHAT IS SOCIALISATION?
Socialisation means puppies and dogs learn how to interact within their worlds.
Socialisation is vital. Each interaction must be tailored to your dog’s personality with the purpose of teaching him how to interact within his world with confidence.
GREETING: ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE
Greeting means a dog walks directly over to another dog with the purpose of engagement. During socialisation, puppies and dogs are learning how to politely meet (engage) and end (disengage) greetings. Not all dogs are polite greeters. They can be downright rude by invading space, staring or being too rough. This is where disengaging becomes tricky. It’s kind of hard to move away from a rude greeter while on leash so some dogs will resort to threatening behaviours to make the rude dog go away. Now, your confused disengager learns threats work and is the normal way to disengage.

LIVING WITH A GREGARIOUS GREETER
Note soft eyes, open mouth and slight panting movement forward.
Not all dogs are comfortable meeting a gregarious greeter. Always stop 5 metres away and ask first. It’s the polite thing to do. If the other dog looks uncomfortable or scared, walk away quickly. Sticking around will make it much worse.

Think of it from a human perspective. Do you shake hands with everyone shopping at the grocery store?
“Hi I see you’re buying grapefruit today. My name is Janice”
“Oh I buy that type of toilet paper too! My name is Janice”
Could you imagine?! You would think I’m nuts, right? But what if I followed you down an aisle saying “But I want to meet you. My name is Janice!!” Creepy, especially for people not comfortable meeting strangers!!
Instead, while shopping at the grocery store, we make eye contact with a stranger, smile, nod and continue walking past him. When walking past, provide plenty of room by turning sideways, walking down a different aisle or politiely allowing a stranger to walk past you because it’s human etiquette. This works in the dog world too!!
MY DOG IS A WALLFLOWER
“'Stay away please!"
He’s not sure. Hence the backwards lean (away from you), mouth closed (no panting), still body and wide eyes.
If your dog finds greeting other dogs stressful, it’s okay. All dogs are individuals. Some are introverts while others are extroverts just like people. An introverted person (withdrawn from strangers) finds attending parties with lots of people tortuous. Remember, people are able to control their outcomes. Dogs can’t unless their pet parents notice their uncomfortable behaviour around strange dogs or people.
When a dog is forced to meet another dog, scuffles or fights often break out because one dog is not comfortable meeting another dog and tries to disengage using threats. Note, it only takes one scary incident for a dog to become terrified of other dogs. The vicious cycle begins. Well-meaning pet owners forcibly socialise their newly terrified dogs to fix the aggressive issue, which only makes it worse. Pet owners say “My dog was really good with other dogs before. He must need more socialisation, right?” This will only make the situation worse.
Never introduce a known aggressive dog to another dog, as this is a recipe for disaster. Socialising known “dog aggressive” dogs will not make our dog better, It will make him much worse. He’s practicing this behaviour and we all know practice makes perfect. Plus, there’s a really good chance the other dog, now having had a terrible experience, is afraid of other dogs too.
Instead, enrol newly terrified and dog aggressive dogs with a professional dog trainer or animal behaviourist. By partnering with a professional, your dog will learn confidence around other dogs while developing skills to engage and disengage greetings without resorting to threats. All dogs benefit from learning these skills.
SOCIALISATION WITH BOUNDARIES.

“Can we leave? I’m not comfortable.”. Note leaning away from you holding one foot up, ears pulled down and back and worried eyes.
Tip One: Follow your puppy’s or dog’s lead. If he’s not comfortable meeting another dog, walk away (before they greet). You’re teaching polite disengaging behaviour by saying “Hi” from, a distance and politely walking away (remember the nods at the grocery store).
Tip Two: After his first vaccination series, enrol your puppy in a Positive Puppy Manners class, with a professional dog trainer. If your puppy chooses not to play with other puppies, it’s okay. He probably enjoys human contact more than puppy play!!
Allow your dog to choose his friends.
Sometimes, dogs and puppies love to play with certain dogs like your neighbours or sister’s dog. but he’s not comfortable playing with other dogs. That’s okay too. Personally I have a tiny group of friends while my sister has unlimited friends, and we came from the same litter.
Tip Three: When accidentally meeting another dog on leash, allow them to briefly greet for two seconds, then walk away. You’re interrupting the greeting to keep it positive and teaching polite disengaging behaviours. By keeping greetings short with strange dogs, it prevents rude behaviour from sneaking up.
Tip Four: If a person and his dog are making a beeline towards you dog, say “We’re training, sorry,” and step away, turn around or cross the street. Trust me, you’re not being rude by moving away from the approaching pair, you’re speaking up for your dog and he thanks you. As for the beelining dog and person, they’re learning that not all dogs should meet, which is a good thing!
I know this is a controversial topic and you can never go wrong by following your dog’s lead. Always socialise, but put a few boundaries in place first.