Socialisation Deadline Is Looming!

[Cazwah]

Hello Wealth of Knowledge!

My little Chestnut is 13 weeks old today and according to my puppy development calender I have one more week to easily socialise my pup to new people, places and things... I really want to keep doing all the right things for Chestnut, so can I have some advice on what I really need to focus on this week? I'll give you a quick run down of what we've already covered:

People: Chestnut has met 63 strangers (34 women, 23 men and 6 children), most of the adults between 20 and 30 I'd say so no elderly people yet, has met children from 2 to 13. Has seen 1 person with lots of dreads, has seen pony tails, hats and sunglasses.

The people range from very dog savvy, to gentle to a bit rough, to a little weird.

Places: Mechanical workshop where my partner works, the car, the country/bush, the vets (one ok/not so good experience, one fabulous one), around our block, arterial road traffic, puppy school.

Things: Home: all appliances (vaccuum cleaner, dish washer, mashing machine, dryer, shower, extraction fan), lots of loud cooking sounds (unintentional but there you are ), television, radio, loud music, loud movie, inside and outside, the puppy bath tub, phones ringing, leaf blower.

Outside: setting up a tent, 4wding (fairly extreme even red tracks!), cows (one wearing a cow bell), one horse, cars, buses, one motorcylce, couple of loud trucks.

I've heard different surfaces can be a problem, puppy school has helped with that, but he has been on astro turf, pavers, carpet, concrete (footpath), gravel, grass, dirt.. I think that's it. He's not too sure of the slippery surfaces at puppy school so should work on that..

Thanks in advance for the advice, just writing this out has made me remember some things I still want to do, but I still feel like I need advice on what to concentrate on. What are the things you wished you did more of when your dog was a pup?

Thanks people!!

[pipsqueak]

trains, trucks, loud motor bikes.

flapping stuff... kites, umbrellas, washing on line, flapping rain coats

i'd probably drop into the vet again and get the nurses to feed him treats - so that he has a good experience.

[Nekhbet]

socialisation is about how you teach the dog to cope with new things and listen to you then simply running down a list. I've seen some supposedly 'socialised' dogs with no social skills at all.

Put him with other dogs that are cool, calm and know good dog body language. Teach him that if he has confusion, fear etc to simply follow your lead of not making a big deal out of things and praise for good behavior towards new objects.

[Cazwah]

socialisation is about how you teach the dog to cope with new things and listen to you then simply running down a list. I've seen some supposedly 'socialised' dogs with no social skills at all.

Put him with other dogs that are cool, calm and know good dog body language. Teach him that if he has confusion, fear etc to simply follow your lead of not making a big deal out of things and praise for good behavior towards new objects.

Thanks Nekhbet, I know what you mean, as much as exposure to a variety of things is important sometimes I feel I'm ticking off a list for the sake of it and am not sure if I really am teaching him good social skills. So should I be watching his response to things and only rewarding for calm behaviour? Or for being curious? If, say, I take him to outside a construction site nearby, should I just let him sniff around and reward for inquisitive and happy behaviour (as I've been doing) or be asking for his attention and doing a bit of basic obedience? Or should I only do this (ask for attention) if he's looking concerned or uncertain (to teach him to look for my lead if unsure?)

Sorry if these questions are basic, I am a bit confused if there is more to socialisation to just exposure + reward. Thanks in advance!

[Cazwah]

trains, trucks, loud motor bikes.

flapping stuff... kites, umbrellas, washing on line, flapping rain coats

i'd probably drop into the vet again and get the nurses to feed him treats - so that he has a good experience.

Thanks Pip! Will do We have a few kites so must make sure we do that.

[Tassie]

And I know that you know that the 'socialisation deadline' is actually the end of the dog's life. True, the rate at which they meet new things diminishes as they move through puppyhood into adolescence and adulthood - but every now and again, you'll find them reacting to new things (or even just things in a different place) in a way which will switch you back into 'socialisation' mode - and that's fine. They will incorporate those things into their skill set just the same if you do the same sort of things as you did with them as a puppy.

[luvsdogs]

You have done a lot more socialisation than I did to new & different things & ppl. You don't mention him having met any dogs/puppies. If you want him to socialise with dogs I think finding some safe, unflapable dogs would be good. But don't forget that things can be extinguished if they are not seen/heard on a regular basis. You may even have until he's 16 weeks, I used to use that as my bench mark when I got Tilba because I didn't get her til 12 w/o so wasn't a lot of time. Even though she was used to seeing a range of dogs in the last 6 mths or so she taken a dislike to certain dogs that she knew from puppyhood. I have taken her to dog shows & she has been scared of dogs in crates barking at her & tent flaps, flapping suddenly next to her.

[stormie]

socialisation is about how you teach the dog to cope with new things and listen to you then simply running down a list. I've seen some supposedly 'socialised' dogs with no social skills at all.

Put him with other dogs that are cool, calm and know good dog body language. Teach him that if he has confusion, fear etc to simply follow your lead of not making a big deal out of things and praise for good behavior towards new objects.

Exactly. Well said, Nekhbet and so so true. No point exposing to your pup to all those things if you yourself haven't remained cool and calm. Not saying that you have done this at all, Cazwah, just that I have seen people who whilst they 'socialised', did so fussing over the dog and creating more anxiety and in turn, had an anxious, worried dog!!

[Cazwah]

Mmm, I know what you mean. I know it's important to remain calm and not coddle him in a new situation- which is very hard to do! I've been trying to let him sniff and look as he pleases, and jolly him up with clapping and a silly voice if he looks concerned. Is that right?

As for dog-dog socialisation, we take Chestnut to puppy school every week, got one more week to go, but after that they run a puppy 2 course, which I think carries on with junior obedience, so we'll enrol in that too to keep Cestnut socialising with other puppies and dogs.

[Dogsfevr]

Personally i have found since all these new "things" have appeared that dog ownership has lost the common sense approach.

People have now become paranoid about meeting the phase stages instead of working with each dog & there ability & often over do it & create the opposite.

I have also found that people misunderstand the difference between ticking the list & the dog actually succeeding.

Dont panic & dont pressure the dog or yourself to meet deadlines that quite frankly dont have to be meet.,enjoy your pup & spend more time learning your dogs body language & quirks so you are prepared to read your dog for the future.

Success early can often lead to people believing they have done right for life.

All things should be done moderation & with success.

I have never regretted anything i did,i did everything with a common sense approach & at the dogs level of learning,appreciating & enjoying.

I live in an area that isnt the burbs & have no issues with my guys in the real world or at shows in public places because above all its me as the handler that makes or breaks my dogs

[Cazwah]

Personally i have found since all these new "things" have appeared that dog ownership has lost the common sense approach.

People have now become paranoid about meeting the phase stages instead of working with each dog & there ability & often over do it & create the opposite.

I have also found that people misunderstand the difference between ticking the list & the dog actually succeeding.

Dont panic & dont pressure the dog or yourself to meet deadlines that quite frankly dont have to be meet.,enjoy your pup & spend more time learning your dogs body language & quirks so you are prepared to read your dog for the future.

Success early can often lead to people believing they have done right for life.

All things should be done moderation & with success.

I have never regretted anything i did,i did everything with a common sense approach & at the dogs level of learning,appreciating & enjoying.

I live in an area that isnt the burbs & have no issues with my guys in the real world or at shows in public places because above all its me as the handler that makes or breaks my dogs

Ok, I can kind of see where you're coming from, but remember that this is all new to me. What is 'common sense' to me is to do a lot of research and to take advice from people who have a proven method. From the reading I've done in books and online websites, articles etc. the critical socialisation period is stressed as life defining for the dog. Don't get me wrong, I'm not paranoid or stressed or anything like that, but I'd be silly not to listen to this advice when it has been so thoroughly researched.

Also Luvsdogs thank you for your advice on the flapping stuff and dogs in crates. We might visit a dog show the next time there's one on at durak

[Nekhbet]

The easiest thing is to get away from all the books and advice your head will explode

you sound like you're on the right track. He's a puppy, and just like a child needs to explore, experience and learn. Let him be inquisitive (as long as inquisitive doesnt mean acting like a lunatic) you're there to teach him the world, hardcore obedience can come later. As long as you have control over the dog and reward good behavior then you'll be fine

My Malinois was a shocker ... never saw the outside world until 10 weeks (baaaaaad way to raise a working line Mal). Well we went everywhere ALL the time and we sat there until she got over her nerves and started to just relax. We played tug near truck routes, took trips on the train, went to the city etc and she took it all in and became (eventually ) a stable dog. Horses for courses. But remember pups are resilient and willing to learn.

[Dogsfevr]

Ok, I can kind of see where you're coming from, but remember that this is all new to me. What is 'common sense' to me is to do a lot of research and to take advice from people who have a proven method. From the reading I've done in books and online websites, articles etc. the critical socialisation period is stressed as life defining for the dog. Don't get me wrong, I'm not paranoid or stressed or anything like that, but I'd be silly not to listen to this advice when it has been so thoroughly researched.

Also Luvsdogs thank you for your advice on the flapping stuff and dogs in crates. We might visit a dog show the next time there's one on at durak

I agree books are good but they dont all contain "common sense" which everyone uses daily.

I guess the main question i would ask what is your idea of socialisation??

In our daily business we find a small few who have confused socialising & exposure

They have read so many books that in the end they become overwhelmed .

From all the activities done so far what do you hope you have achieved ??

I dont mean this to sound rude ,i have just found that people read so much that they sometimes lose sight of the basics/common sense side of things & make something simple something very hard.

Given you have a dachie that can be wilful,stubborn,selective hearing & easily distracted by smells & suffer big dog syndrome i would ensure you tick the boxes that are also breed specific.

Remember early socialising also means adapting that mould for your breed

I now you say your not paranoid or stressed but if you didnt have the puppy phase calendar would you be worrying about what you have achieved in relation to his age?? & having one week left

The easiest thing is to get away from all the books and advice laugh.gif your head will explode

I do have to agree Nekhbet

[LuvMyCav]

Lol, this reminds me of when Charlie was little. I read that he should have met a certain number of people, particularly men. Anyway, hubby was going to a busy bee at the kids' school and I told him that he had to bring as many of the men back as he could muster - there was only 1 week to go and Charlie was not even remotely close to the recommended amount.

Have to say though - he does like men.

[Cazwah]

I now you say your not paranoid or stressed but if you didnt have the puppy phase calendar would you be worrying about what you have achieved in relation to his age?? & having one week left

Fair enough! It's true, I wouldn't be worrying about what I haven't achieved yet if I didn't have the calender stuck to my door I guess I hope that so far with the things we've shown him eg. camping, that he's associated camping to good times, and that by setting up the tent in front of him the pegging and poles and canvas flapping, and rewarding him for just sitting and looking will have made it a 'no big deal' thing. Basically I hope that I'm preventing nervous behaviour in the future that might occur if he, say, met a harley davidson for the first time as an adolescent. Thanks also for the reminder to concentrate on breed specific areas, I will look into that.

Nekhbet, thanks for your explanations, it's very reassuring. I will keep rewarding for calm inquisitive behaviour and be careful not to reward craziness. I will also work on gaining his attention in distracting situations.

Lol, this reminds me of when Charlie was little. I read that he should have met a certain number of people, particularly men. Anyway, hubby was going to a busy bee at the kids' school and I told him that he had to bring as many of the men back as he could muster - there was only 1 week to go and Charlie was not even remotely close to the recommended amount. rofl1.gif

Have to say though - he does like men. laugh.gif

Yep, I've got my tally on the fridge too ;) I'm glad it worked out well for you!

[Dogsfevr]

Fair enough! It's true, I wouldn't be worrying about what I haven't achieved yet if I didn't have the calender stuck to my door I guess I hope that so far with the things we've shown him eg. camping, that he's associated camping to good times, and that by setting up the tent in front of him the pegging and poles and canvas flapping, and rewarding him for just sitting and looking will have made it a 'no big deal' thing. Basically I hope that I'm preventing nervous behaviour in the future that might occur if he, say, met a harley davidson for the first time as an adolescent. Thanks also for the reminder to concentrate on breed specific areas, I will look into that.

Nekhbet, thanks for your explanations, it's very reassuring. I will keep rewarding for calm inquisitive behaviour and be careful not to reward craziness. I will also work on gaining his attention in distracting situations.

This sounds like a good common sense approach,

Dogs now when you are trying to hard & they feel your pressure.

No fuss, no issue & the dogs feed off you.

Cool,calm & relaxed & the dogs just go with the flow.

[Nekhbet]

asically I hope that I'm preventing nervous behaviour in the future that might occur if he, say, met a harley davidson for the first time as an adolescent.

You're not socialising to prevent nervous behavior

you're socialising to give him tools on how to cope when he DOES have nervous or unsure feelings about something.

That is what it's about

[newfsie]

I don't have a list.........We just take our dogs wherever we are allowed to go with dogs.

My now 6month old newfie is a very confident happy girl, because she has come along to lots of social doggy event at our kennel Club. And in this way she has met a lot of other dogs and people. Not rushed and calmly. This has also exposed her to a lot of different noises. We have taken her swimming and had fun and lots of visits to the vet, with out any reason, except to stand or sit on the scales...........we did two different puppy classes so she could be in touch with more dogs of the same age. And she goes to obedience and does short parts of the beginners class. I am lucky, because my pup has two very obedient and confident mature dogs at home.

I personally do not believe in a cutoff time..........keep taking your dog everywhere and most of all make it fun, Good luck

Edited February 5, 2010 by newfsie

[Cazwah]

I don't have a list.........We just take our dogs wherever we are allowed to go with dogs.

My now 6month old newfie is a very confident happy girl, because she has come along to lots of social doggy event at our kennel Club. And in this way she has met a lot of other dogs and people. Not rushed and calmly. This has also exposed her to a lot of different noises. We have taken her swimming and had fun and lots of visits to the vet, with out any reason, except to stand or sit on the scales...........we did two different puppy classes so she could be in touch with more dogs of the same age. And she goes to obedience and does short parts of the beginners class. I am lucky, because my pup has two very obedient and confident mature dogs at home.

I personally do not believe in a cutoff time..........keep taking your dog everywhere and most of all make it fun, Good luck

Wow, that's so great!! That's so awesome, two puppy classes and beginner obedience? I think we will do an obedience class or something regularly after puppy 2, I guess we'll see how we go. More trips to the vets is a good idea I've heard mentioned a couple of times so we'll have to do that. He met a lot of people at the local market today, he did really well with giving us attention when we asked for it too, and doing a few basic things with distraction. Thanks for your post!

[♪♫LMBC♫♪]

I have had one dog who freaks out when you open an umbrella, which I never would have thought to worry about...