Dog behaviourist shares her tips on socialisation

Hello everyone, my name is Lisa! I am the leading canine behaviourist at Rosie To The Rescue!

One of the most common behaviour issues I get called in to help with is socialisation! If you have a young puppy, you have the opportunity to socialise them in a way that they do not become fearful and anxious in the future.

When people hear the word socialisation, they often think about their puppy learning to be social with other puppies at a puppy class. This is only a small part of socialisation!

Socialisation is about giving your puppy new experiences with people, other animals, places,

sensations, and situations. Although socialising your puppy with these things may look different, the key is to make them positive experiences!

When socialising your puppy with other dogs, try to let them meet as many different dogs as

possible. It is best to let them meet dogs of different breeds as well as different ages. If you never allow your puppy to meet a dog of a certain breed, they could become fearful of that breed when they meet them for the first time when they are a bit older. Although it is important to allow your puppy to meet many different dogs, please keep in mind you also need to teach them they can’t meet every dog they see. It’s all about a fine balance!

Let’s talk about socialising your puppy with people! Try to give your puppy positive experiences with people of all ages, nationalities, and genders. Some people will often laugh when a dog barks at someone who is of a certain nationality because they think the dog is being ‘racist’. The truth is the dog is not being racist, and it is likely the dog has not met someone of that nationality before, and may momentarily be a little fearful.

Last but not least, let’s look at socialisation in relation to different places. Try to take your puppy to as many different places as possible. The beach, the park, a forest walk, a walk around your neighbourhood, maybe even for a cuppa in a café! Allow your puppy to take in the experience of different areas, different terrains and hear different noises. South Shields has many nice little places to take your puppy while you are on a day out, lucky for us our seafront is very doggy-friendly.

Not only is it important to allow your puppy to feel different terrains outside, but allow your puppy to feel what it is like to walk on different flooring within the home. There are many dogs who have grown up in a house with carpet all throughout, and later become fearful of walking on a new wood floor!

In a nutshell, allow your puppy to have positive experiences with just about everything you can think of. Not only are new experiences fun, but they also help them develop into happy, confident dogs!

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