SOCIALIZING

from Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine, March/April 2021

by Homes Illustrated/LV Pet Scene

HOW DOGS

SOCIALIZING your young dog during the pandemic!

Article and Photography By Veronica Selco

If you missed the opportunity to socialize your puppy or young dog due to the shut downs during the pandemic, health concerns about being around other people as things started to open up or you just weren’t able to make it to puppy classes, don’t despair! It’s not too late to get started building good experiences with the world for your dog.

The key to building a confident, happy and well mannered pup, is making sure you establish a good system of communication and trust. Dogs who may have limited experiences early on, may show signs of fear or anxiety around unfamiliar things, so it is critical to work within the dog’s comfort level and to secure professional assistance, if needed.

First, be sure to learn about canine body language so that you can assess how best to structure your training sessions, scaling back as needed and increasing challenges as appropriate. The goal is to build on small successes avoiding stress, overexcitement or barking.

Some obvious signs of a dog’s discomfort include, low tail carriage or tucked tail, lowered body, lip licking, spinning, shaking, pacing, shaking off and there are many other signals before the dog growls, barks or bites.

Adding a variety of good experiences with novel things will take some planning, but will be enjoyable for both you and your pup. When planning activities consider exercising your dogs senses; consider sights, sounds and sniffs. DESIGN YOUR HOME SCHOOLING PLAN TO INCLUDE:

u Teach your dog FUNdamental behaviors u Attention & Eye Contact u Coming when called u Leash Walking u Polite Greetings

*Sign up for online class; look for a certified professional dog trainer committed to force free training. Use food, fun and play to build good behavior.

FIELD TRIPS:

u Park u Restaurant Patio u Hardware Stores u Drive-Thru – Banks, Coffee Shop, Fast Food u Variety of Animals – Farm Animals

*Observe people and kids in play yard, park, strollers, skateboards, bicycles, joggers; offer treats as reinforcement when your dog demonstrates good behavior.

*Car rides where you can pull up into a parking lot to let your dog study human behavior is priceless! Humans are curious beings. Grab a cup of coffee, open your hatch and hang out with your dog.

WALKS:

u Neighborhood walks u Hike – Enjoy a nature walk with your friend u Sniffari – Put your dog on a harness and long leash and find an empty field, away from other people, dogs and cars. Let your dog lead the way.

*Dogs experience their world through olfaction; let them read the pee-mail and collect information about other dogs and people while they’re out on their walks.

u Daycare u Dog Walker u Play Dates with friends who have dogs

*Schedule a playdate with a friend’s dog, or schedule occasional play sessions at a daycare. Careful with dog parks with unfamiliar and untrained dogs.

COOPERATIVE HANDLING:

u Grooming u Massage & Petting u Equipment – Putting on a shirt, harness, collar

*Give your dog a treat for allowing gentle touching, brushing. Teach her to be participate in her care by asking her to put head in through harness, collar, offer paw for grooming.

SENSORY EXERCISES:

u Surfaces – Walking on wet grass, rocks, rubber flooring, slick floor, bubble wrap, pool noodles u Sounds – Vacuums, motorcycles, doorbells, blow dryers, crying babies, kids playing u Wheels & things that move – Skateboard, bicycles, strollers, wind & rain

*Pair novel experiences with treats and play. Be careful not to lure them into spooky situations.

You can build POSITIVE experiences for your dog, regardless of age.

Have FUN and enjoy the journey.

Veronica Selco is a Certified Dog Trainer at imPETus Animal Training, a training studio in Las Vegas dedicated to using positive reinforcement to train people and their dogs. Veronica has a Master’s Degree in Social Work and has been helping people achieve behavioral wellness for 20 + years. She is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, (KPACTP), Certified Behavior Adjustment Training (CBATI) Instructor and a Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI).

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