Socialisation - Deep Dive
Our world can be pretty challenging for us, so imagine what it’s like for our dogs. People, vehicles, household appliances, other animals, weather, furniture (I could go on and on!) come in all shapes and sizes, make different sounds, have different smells, feel different, move differently.
When we bring our pets home, no matter what age they are, they have a vast amount to learn and get used to. You won’t know exactly what experiences your dog had before they came to you, so, at least to start with, assume that everything is new to your dog.
Dogs are individuals – they all have their own personality and traits – some will be laidback, some will be social butterflies, some will be timid and easily stressed. All can benefit from receiving gentle exposure to new experiences and (re)wiring the brain to see the world as basically an OK place (rather than a weird, scary place); this is essentially what “socialisation” is.
So what does that mean for what you do with your dog?
It’s natural to be excited when a dog comes home – you probably want to have a party so everyone can meet your new family member! But that could be pretty overwhelming for your dog and would probably be stressful for them.
Let your dog get to know their new home first – to explore quietly, with lots of rests. Then think about how you can help your dog become comfortable and confident with People, Things, Places, Other Animals.
People
Most animals feel happier when they can choose to interact with new people. People who are unfamiliar to your dog shouldn’t come straight up to your dog and begin touching them. If the dog is a puppy or a small dog, some people are tempted to pick them up – most dogs would find this extremely stressful. (Check out the Greeting Dogs Guide available at Cattle Dog Publishing https://cattledogpublishing.com/blog/free-downloads-posters-handouts-and-more/) Let your dog come over to the person when (if) they feel ready and, if they move away, ask the person to let them go and not hold onto them. Gentle touch on the dog’s back or chest is better than touching the face. If your dog shies away as a person reaches toward them, ask the person to just ignore your dog. By turning away or moving away, your dog is saying they need space or a break – when (if) they’re ready for more attention, they’ll go back to the person.Things
Let your dog learn about different things gradually. Let’s take a vacuum cleaner as an example – most dogs are going to live with vacuum cleaners. A vacuum cleaner could sound like a horrible monster to your dog!Importantly, don’t just straight away start vacuuming around them. You could give your dog an awful fright. Some dogs might always then be freaked out by the vacuum cleaner, meaning that they always bark/try to escape/hide (or all of the above!) every time the vacuum comes out.
Instead, you could let your dog hear the noise of the vacuum running in a part of the house far away from them; then they might see it running for a brief period at a distance away (maybe at the other end of the hall) and at the same time your dog could get a yummy treat from your hand. Then they might get to check it out when the vacuum is just lying on the floor turned off. Then, while eating more yummy treats, they might see the vacuum running a bit closer to them. You want your dog to think ‘Yay! Weird things mean good things - like food! – happen’. You get the idea: make learning about things easy and rewarding, even fun.
Importantly, you don’t want to simply take your dog to an off-lead park with multiple other dogs unknown to your dog, and say ‘off you go and make friends’. Your dog might have the time of her life, or she might have an experience that gives her long-lasting anxiety. Instead, set your dog up for social success: for some dogs standing (at a distance) and watching other dogs might be enough for them for a start; for others, you can go ahead and set-up some play dates with calm, stable, friendly dogs. You will know other people (friends, family, neighbours, work colleagues, etc.) who have dogs that you can invite for an on-lead walk with you and your dog: one or two other dog-walking-buddies at a time is enough while your dog is building their confidence. (Meet on ‘neutral ground’ like a park, rather than someone’s home, to avoid any stress related to ‘territory’.) If the canines are compatible (stay alert for positive/tense body language signals), they might come off lead for a play after their walk. Your dog will be getting exercise, making people-friends and dog-friends, and becoming familiar with other dogs’ social and play cues. You will be getting to know how your dog likes to interact with other dogs.
Places
Your dog will need to visit the Vet, and there are lots of other places she will go as well – your friends’ houses, groomers, pet sitters, etc. Your dog might go almost everywhere with you! Taking them to the places they will go, for just short visits initially will help them to be comfortable and confident in that environment.Let’s take the Vet Clinic as an example.
Visit the Vet Clinic as many times as you can before your dog needs to be examined for an injury or illness. In that way they can become accustomed to the Clinic surroundings, the sights, sounds and smells, they can meet the friendly staff, practice being weighed on the scales, and eat some yummy treats in the waiting room. When your dog has to go to the Clinic due to a medical problem (or even just a vaccination), that trip will be cushioned by all those other relaxed experiences.
Other Animals
Our pet dogs are the pets most likely to be in situations where they spend time with unfamiliar members of their species.Importantly, you don’t want to simply take your dog to an off-lead park with multiple other dogs unknown to your dog, and say ‘off you go and make friends’. Your dog might have the time of her life, or she might have an experience that gives her long-lasting anxiety. Instead, set your dog up for social success: for some dogs standing (at a distance) and watching other dogs might be enough for them for a start; for others, you can go ahead and set-up some play dates with calm, stable, friendly dogs. You will know other people (friends, family, neighbours, work colleagues, etc.) who have dogs that you can invite for an on-lead walk with you and your dog: one or two other dog-walking-buddies at a time is enough while your dog is building their confidence. (Meet on ‘neutral ground’ like a park, rather than someone’s home, to avoid any stress related to ‘territory’.) If the canines are compatible (stay alert for positive/tense body language signals), they might come off lead for a play after their walk. Your dog will be getting exercise, making people-friends and dog-friends, and becoming familiar with other dogs’ social and play cues. You will be getting to know how your dog likes to interact with other dogs.
So how do you know that your dog is having a positive experience?
First, learn about how your type of dog communicates they’re tired, relaxed, stressed, happy, anxious. In other words, learn how to read their Body Language.
Once you’ve learnt the basic signs, you can become expert at reading your dog’s individual signals just by spending time with them.
Observe your dog’s body language as he experiences something new.
- When your dog is starting to show minor stress (or even just that they are getting over-tired or over-stimulated), end the interaction or the experience. It’s always better to stop while everyone is still pretty happy.
- If your dog shows more than minor stress, that’s a sign that your dog needs more gentle exposure to the new experience. For example, he might need to be further away to begin with, coming closer gradually, over time.
- A dog who is in a new environment/situation and snatches wildly at the treat you offer, or stops eating the yummy treats you offer altogether, is usually very stressed. If your dog does become very stressed it is best to go home and/or let your dog rest and relax. Try again another time.
Summing up socialisation . . .
Socialisation is all about helping your pet to be confident and resilient. Stress and fear can be very debilitating for an animal and can show up in fear-aggression. Your pet’s wellbeing and your relationship with your pet will both benefit from your investing time and care into ensuring your pet has positive experiences. Negative experiences inevitably happen (e.g. your smoke alarm goes off because you burn the toast and your dog gets a fright) When ‘bad things’ happen, all your dog’s positive experiences will have built their resilience, and they will be able to bounce back to their normal, relaxed self readily.Amanda Jenkins