Tips for
Puppy Socialisation
During COVID-19 Restrictions – Dr Fiona Patterson BVSc MARS Pet Care Australia If you’ve welcomed a new puppy into your family, positive socialisation practices are critical in the development of your dog’s future character. That’s because the experiences encountered during puppyhood, negative or positive, can have profound effects on the behaviour of a dog later in life.
Positive socialisation practices are critical for your puppy Dogs that are under socialised may become shy, fearful and sometimes even aggressive. They may not develop the appropriate canine body language necessary to interact well with other dogs or know how to behave appropriately around people. In contrast, puppies that have been well socialised generally grow into happy, confident dogs. The socialisation period Puppies go through various developmental stages on their way to adulthood. The ‘socialisation period’ lasts from around 3 to 12 weeks of age, and during this time, puppies are more sensitive to socialisation. While the socialisation period is a critical developmental stage for your puppy, socialisation should also continue throughout your dog’s life. Positive socialisation Socialising your puppy involves introducing them to a whole range of new experiences including meeting different types of people, dogs, other animals, places, smells and noises. It’s important that these interactions are a positive experience for your puppy. Introduce them to new situations
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gently and reward them for calm behaviour. But what about restrictions associated with COVID-19? During this unprecedented time, it’s important that you stay home, keep safe and follow national and state guidelines. But you have a new puppy, so how do you socialise them at this crucial time in their development? Here are some tips, but remember not to overload your puppy as short, positive sessions are the best. Basic training You can’t enrol in a local Puppy Pre-School class at the moment, so try some of these basic training techniques: • Teach your puppy to walk on a leash. Try different areas inside the house and out in the yard. • Teach ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ commands. • Teach ‘drop’ – try it on different surfaces and in different areas in the house and yard. • Crate train your puppy which is a great way of getting them used to spending time alone. Put them in their crate and give a treat when they are quiet and calm. Try short periods of time in the crate, gradually extending the time. • Provided your puppy has completed their puppy vaccinations, take them for a walk around the neighbourhood (social distancing of course). • Teach your puppy to ride in the car. You don’t even need to drive the car, just turn on the engine. • Practice handling your puppy in a different area of their body each day, for example:
