Tips for socialising your new puppy

[Dot]

Puppies are most receptive to socialisation during the ‘sensitive period’ up until 12-18 weeks of age.

This is the period in which they learn what is normal in their world. At this stage of life they are most accepting of external stimulus and will readily catalogue experiences as ‘normal’ (ie not scary), meaning they are comfortable with them in later life.


Socialisation should begin from the minute you bring your puppy home and needs to take place across a range of environments and situations. Ensure your puppy has had its first primary vaccination (at 6 weeks of age) before going out of the house.



Sounding off
Acclimatise your puppy to all sorts of sounds around the home, in the garden and further afield so that they are used to motor vehicles, music, ring tones, vacuum cleaners, sudden loud noises (gun shots, fire works, thunder) and other sounds that are potential phobia triggers in later life.



Animal magnetism
.Once your puppy is vaccinated, make sure he meets any fellow pets as soon as possible. Dogs that grow up with cats are much more likely to live harmoniously with them.

Take care to introduce your puppy to dogs of all shapes and sizes that you know are friendly (healthy, and fully vaccinated) so that their experience of their fellow canines is a happy one.

Puppy pre-school is a great opportunity to introduce your puppy to contemporaries. If you live in the country, it is important to introduce your puppy to livestock (horses, cattle, sheep, chickens) so they are used to them as a normal part of the surrounds.


Out and about
Take your puppy to a range of places, both walking and in the car. Give your puppy the chance to explore a range of environments and their associated sights, sounds, smells and terrains so that these experiences become a normal part of their world. Taking your puppy to populated areas like shopping malls is a great early life experience.



Meeting and greeting
Introduce your puppy to people of different ages and races, and both sexes, men with beards, people with hats….with particular emphasis on introducing them to children who understand and are gentle with pets, so that they become used to coming face to face with all sorts of people when they’re out and about. Remember, for safety's sake, children should be very closely supervised with new puppies.


Socialisation is the single most important investment of time you can make in your puppy. Without it they can develop a range of behavioural issues including fearfulness, separation anxiety, aggression and inflexibility.

[glenda]

Lots of work with our new pup, who is & will be a house dog, I need a RECORD that says wee wee, after a busy day she is zonked out by 6.30 pm, and because she sleeps in a crate she calls out a 5am EVERY MORNING to do wee wee she has a puppy pad in the crate that stays dry, so no matter what I have to be on deck 5am every morning in the dark so as not to confuse her training, which as you say is full on. Then the next record would have to be NO

Getting there slowly
Glenda

[Dot]

Glenda by now she should know how to use a doggie door, get cracking on that one and save some 5am's and remember the praise.

[glenda]

Doggie door sure is the answer. But the pup is only 16 weeks old still needs to be supervised, or is it supervising me
16 years since I last had a puppy to care for forgot how it all goes
but she is a cutie.
Glenda

[Dot]

Doggie door sure is the answer. But the pup is only 16 weeks old still needs to be supervised, or is it supervising me
16 years since I last had a puppy to care for forgot how it all goes
but she is a cutie.
Glenda

He he Glenda you said it She is supervising you. as they all do. All my dobe puppies were all toilet trained with the doggie door when they went to their new homes @ 10 weeks,, easy peasy lots of fun and praise is the key. For a start replace the plastic flap with a light material eg see through chiffon or light fly screen stuff (nylon) you may have to gently shove her through to someone on the other side with a small treat and heaps of praise then gradually increase the material weight till you get back to the original doggie door flapper thing (plastic) How about an updated pic of her??

[glenda]

Photo of Pearl taken to-day it is realy hard to get a photo because she is always on the move, minutes after I took this photo she was a sleep.
Glenda

[shonky]

Hi, all

Glenda - your little dog is GORGEOUS. If she has half the character of our Aussie Terriers ( to whom she is related ) you'll have a lot of fun. Mind you, teaching them to fetch is interesting, one always has to use food as a reward. Steffie is rewarded frequently by Mrs shonky and now weighs about 13 kg. The extra weight does not stop her chasing 'roos,however.

This AM I was coaxing Steffie out the side door of the bus, she makes a point of ensuring there are no guineafowl around after a harrowing experience in Texas,Qld, and while she was doing this I noticed a beautiful grey kitten immediately under the steps. Luckily I can still move quickly ( for about a metre that is) and averted a harrowing experience for the cat. If Monty was still with us that kitten would be history.

[glenda]

She does look like your Steffie, I am glad about that, I don't know how you managed two of these guys
Pearl keeps me on my toes, I am watching her all the time, she does know what NO means but weather I win out with her is another story, being a a terrier says it all

Thank you
Glenda

[Dot]

Glenda just remember YOU are the boss no matter how cute they are. (just the same as the male human species)

[shonky]

Hi, all.

Glenda - One tip I'll pass on is using a high voice for praise and a low voice for when you're serious. When military dogs are being trained in the states they use the same method, accompanied with a short pull on the lead if required. They're rewarded for good behaviour with a Kong or a hard rubber ball. And they love it.