Page 30 - Oundle Life July 2021

DOG
TRIALS
Puppy Socialisation
Many dog training books and articles promote the importance of socialising your puppy. I’d certainly agree that socialisation
is very important, however my work with owners and dogs illustrates that many owners unwittingly build problems for themselves and their dogs.
Pulling towards and barking at passing dogs, jumping up at people and poor recall around other dogs are common issues often caused by owners not managing the socialising process with caution. Additionally some develop a fear or dislike of other dogs through over-exposure to dogs that are very boisterous or aggressive.
It is important that they learn to walk past unfamiliar dogs and people without always greeting them, pulling, or getting excited.
When you want
your puppy to greet
a person or dog, get
the puppy calm and
on a loose lead, before inviting them to ‘say
So, what are we trying to achieve when socialising our puppy? Essentially we
are trying to accustom them to the sights, sounds, people and animals that
it is likely to come across in its life. We want our dog to react as sensibly and calmly as possible and to remain under the control of its owner.
it’s not so great to have a dog that drags you across a busy road to try and play with a passing dog
hello’, rather than allow the puppy to pull you to them.
Beware of the well meaning, dog loving, passer-by. They often cause future problems by encouraging your puppy to jump up at them for example, or allowing their dog to frighten yours.
Adapt your approach to the temperament of the puppy. If you have a bold, confident, outgoing puppy then spend much more time teaching them to walk calmly past people and dogs.
Whilst it’s great to have a friendly
dog, it’s not so great to have a dog that
drags you across a busy road to try and
play with a passing dog! If your dog
becomes obsessed with playing with
every dog it meets, you will soon have to keep it on a lead to prevent it racing off every time it sees a dog in the distance.
Nervous puppies will require more effort to bring on their confidence. Owners of nervous puppies often make them worse by trying to push them too hard with unfamiliar situations.
Some puppies take everything in their stride including negative experiences. Other puppies are easily upset by something that is unfamiliar or scares them. This can be influenced by the breed, however I have experienced quite a
Do let your puppy see lots of different sights and sounds; traffic, cyclists, horse riders, livestock, household appliances.
Don’t feel that your puppy has to play with, or greet every dog or person and don’t be pressurised by other dog owners to do so.
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