Some people don’t realize just how critical socialization is until the dog is older and fearful of the world.  It’s more than just playing with your neighbor’s dog and meeting your grandkids.  Way more.  And FYI, it’s way more than just people and dogs.  This big bright wonderful world is full of all sorts of things that are not people and dogs.  There are other animals, sights, sounds, movement, and then how do you interact with various things in various environments?  Socialization is getting used to new experiences.  Proper socialization is reinforcing a puppy for interacting with a huge variety of new things, in new situations, in new environments, to create “new things are not bad things.”

You see, dogs (just like most animals) have an innate cautious response to “the unknown” probably as a survival instinct.  Basically, if you don’t know what it is, you’re naturally cautious, because you’re not sure if it is a good thing or a bad thing.  And if you don’t know if “the unknown” is friend or foe, you’d better go slow with any introduction.  This is where you’d see a puppy creep up and sneak sniff something or someone, in hopes that somehow he remains invisible to the sniffee.

However, what do we humans do?  We lean over the puppy, look directly at him, talk directly to him, reach directly for him… (you can see where this is going).  Or if it’s an inanimate object like some strange yard decoration, I’ve seen well intentioned owners dragging their puppy over to it all the while spouting “Oh, it’s OK! See?” as if the puppy would suddenly under English, or feel better with our blabbing while getting up close and personal to the creepy rainbowed colored snail reading a newspaper on a mushroom.  Why not let the puppy look at it from across the yard, and reward him walking up to it all on his own?

Not only is exposure to new things (with a positive outcome) important, interacting with the real world is just as important.  Does the puppy know how to go over, under, through, between, around, or into something?  Have you ever seen a puppy when you’re first crate training?  Or asking him to get into your car?  Or unwrapping the leash around a tree?  Talk about clueless!  However, we just assume it’s no big deal.  Probably because it’s been so long since we were babies and had to figure things out ourselves.

Sounds are another thing that the real world can dish out.  If a puppy is home all day with nothing but classical music on, something like a smoke detector can seriously startle him.  Professionals know that whenever an animal is intensely startled, there is a greater chance for future fear responses to the same trigger.  So conditioning early that strange sounds can be rewarding can prevent a noise sensitive dog later in life.

Lastly there is handling.  Not all socialization is the puppy interacting with the world.  Sometimes it’s the world interacting with the puppy.  So things like “Gotch” (a collar grab), picking up each paw, or gentle restraint is important to practice.  Usually these things are seldom used if at all, but when they are done to the dog, it’s normally an emergency situation or medical care.  Me personally, I’d much rather have a dog who’s practiced being handled and is stress free (or at least less stressed) during a veterinary exam.  Or if heaven forbid he’s ever lost, a friendly stranger could grab his collar, and it’s no big deal.

So remember, it’s more than just, “but he plays with my neighbor’s dog.”  Go to a puppy class!

1. Pour cold apple juice on the carpet in several places and walk around barefoot in the dark.
2. Wear a sock to work that has had the toes shredded by a blender.
3. Immediately upon waking, stand outside in the rain saying,”Be a good puppy, go potty now – hurry up – come on, lets go!”
4. Cover all your best suits with dog hair.  Dark suits must use white hair, and light suits must use dark hair.  Also float some hair in your first cup of coffee in the morning.
5. Play “catch” with a wet tennis ball.
6. Run out in the snow in your bare feet to close the gate.
7. Tip over a basket of clean laundry, scatter clothing all over the floor.
8. Right before you have company over, leave your underwear on the living room floor after cutting several holes in the crotch area.  (Because that’s where the puppy will leave it when finished chewing on it anyway.)
9. Jump out of your chair shortly before the end of your favorite TV program and run to the door shouting, “No!  No!  Do that OUTSIDE!”  Miss the end of the program.
10. Put chocolate pudding on the carpet in the morning, and don’t try to clean it up until you return from work that evening.
11. Gouge the leg of the dinning room table several times with a screwdriver.  It’s going to get chewed on anyway.
12. Rip out various pages of your new textbook and attack the cover with a hole punch. At least once a week, pour lemonade on the cover of a different textbook or tear out another few pages. Try to study from your damaged book while repeatedly squeaking a toy hotdog. Remind yourself to keep all your stuff out of reach of your puppy.
13. Take a warm and cuddly blanket out of the dryer and immediately wrap it around yourself. This is the feeling you will get when your puppy falls asleep on your lap.

This has gone around the internet for a while, and the author still remains unknown.  It is funny and realistic, while shedding light on the day to day messes a puppy can create.  Planning and practice by fostering a dog, or pet sitting a friend’s dog will help prepare you for success.  Enrolling in a good puppy class can also help with socialization and house training.  When a dog lives for 10+ years, training for a few months is a drop in the bucket.

Here is a list of things to socialize your puppy around.  Remember, socialization is expo­sure with pleas­ant con­se­quences to teach accep­tance of new experiences. Common sense goes a long way when socializing a puppy.  If your puppy seems hesitant, go slower, let the puppy approach the person (not vice-versa), use rewards like food, praise and petting when the puppy does investigate something he was unsure of, and never force a puppy (this only creates fear issues later).

• Ten different healthy, happy small dogs
• Ten different healthy, happy big dogs
• Ten different calm, well behaved, gentle children
• Ten different calm, well behaved, gentle teenagers
• Thirty different calm, well behaved, gentle adults
• Ten tall people
• Ten average height people
• Ten short people
• Ten people wearing glasses
• Ten people wearing hats or hoods
• Fifty different sounds
• Five things red
• Five things blue
• Five things orange
• Five things green
• Five things purple
• Five things yellow
• One body of water, river, stream, or pool
• Ten different vehicles
• Ten things that are not in your house
• Fifteen things you can only find outside
• Twenty different ring tones
• Five different surfaces (sand, grass, concrete, etc)
• Five shiny things
• Twenty different dog toys
• One fence
• Five street signs
• One crate or dog bed
• Touch each paw twice a day for one week
• Twenty other people to touch or pet the puppy
• Twenty other people to give the puppy a treat
• See, be near, or interact with supervision, three other animals (cat, horse, etc)
• Sniff on a walk at least five times, for at least ten walks
• Respond to at least one easy cue (sit, target, paw, etc) in ten different situations (you’re sitting, standing, laying in bed, mowing the grass, carrying in the groceries, etc), in at least three different environments (outside, at your friend’s house, etc)
• Eat a treat in twenty different environments (your house, outside, the vet’s, a friend’s house, on a walk, in the car, etc)

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Related Posts:

http://sitstayandplay.com/dogblog/socialization-skills

http://www.petexpertise.com/puppy-socialization-by-jules-nye.html?utm_source=streamsend&utm_medium=email&utm_content=6704741&utm_campaign=Stop%20Door%20Barking%2C%20Help%20a%20Dog%20Recover%2C%20Contest%20%26%20More%20-%20Pet%20Expertise%20October%20Article%20Newsletter

First, the basics:

• Prevent the dog from going potty in the house.  Manage the environment to a small section of the house so you can always supervise your dog.  Crate your dog when you can’t supervise him.  Put your dog on a food and water schedule.  Reward your dog outside as soon as he is done going potty.
• If you acquired your dog from a breeder, or a rescue group that has foster parents, hopefully these people have been promoting proper potty habits.  If you acquired your dog from a shelter with kennels, or a pet store, please remember the only place for the dog to eliminate was in his kennel/cage and he may take longer to potty train.
• Puppies under six months of age are still learning how to control their muscles.  The rule of thumb for puppies is that they can “hold it” for a time equal to their age.  Example: A two month old puppy can hold themselves for two hours.  A three month old puppy can hold themselves for three hours.  Now this “equation” is not set in stone and the time can vary either up or down depending on the dog.
• Puppies need to relieve themselves: after sleeping; before, during and after play; before and after eating or drinking; and before allowing the puppy to roam about your home.
• Accidents can and will happen.  The more supervision with the dog, the less accidents will happen.  Make sure to clean up accidents as soon as possible with an enzymatic cleaner.
• Punishment does NOT work with any kind of potty training!  It does not matter if you catch your dog in the act.  The only thing a dog learns when humans get angry and yell is that the act of elimination is not to be seen by humans.  Dogs think “I’m making a piddle, and my human is yelling.  I’m sorry, I didn’t know that would make you very angry.  I’ll go out of your site the next time I have to use the facilities and hide it.”  Now punishing a dog for elimination in the house “after-the-fact” is just plain confusing for the dog.  Remember, whatever the dog was doing last is what the dog will think the correction is for.  May be the dog was chewing on his toy and not the TV remote control, or may be the dog was coming to you at the front door.  Do not rub the dog’s face in the mess unless you want to encourage eating poop.
• Having a dog on both a food and water schedule helps tremendously.  If you know when it goes in, you will have a very good idea when it’s coming out.
• Rewarding the dog for proper potty habits will encourage proper potty habits.  If a dog thinks they are the next best thing to sliced bread for using the restroom outside, they will want to repeat that behavior.  Remember, in training a dog for any behavior, timing and consistency are critical.  This means, every time the dog eliminates outside we reward the dog on the spot.  If the reward is too late (like waiting until the dog has entered the house) the dog could very well associate another behavior for the reward, like entering the house, or sitting for the treat.  If the reward in not consistent enough, the dog will be confused and potty training will take much longer.
• Most dogs like a clean living area.  Crates, a small room, and baby gates are some tools used to help a dog learn to hold themselves.
• Most dogs like to relieve themselves on soft surfaces.  This is why most dogs prefer grass to concrete.  In the house: carpet, the sofa, the bed (dog’s or human’s,) and soft blankets in a crate are usually the spots dogs use to eliminate.  During potty training (especially with puppies) it is strongly recommended to NOT put any kind of soft material in the crate.

Some common potty training problems:

I let my dog outside and all he does is play.  I’ve even been outside for an hour hoping the dog will use the facilities and nothing happens. – 1. The dog may not want to mess up his “play area.” A specific part of the yard needs to be used, or a walk around the block.  2. The dog has learned it doesn’t need to eliminate to reward himself outside with play.  The dog needs five minutes maximum outside to relieve himself, and if nothing happens the dog goes back into the crate for three to five more minutes.  Repeat the process until the dog eliminates outside, and reward as soon as the dog’s finished.  (Remember the dog is the next best thing to sliced bread for eliminating outside.)

I let my dog outside for a reasonable amount of time and as soon as I let him inside he pees on the floor.  – 1. The dog may think he is supposed to go inside.  This happens when there is not enough supervision and the dog goes at will inside, and the human(s) just don’t notice the messes; and/or there is a lack of communication to the dog, meaning an error in timing of the reward and consistency of rewarding the dog.  More supervision is needed and the dog needs to be crated or leashed to a human when left inside the house.  The dog needs five minutes maximum outside to relieve himself, and if nothing happens the dog goes back into the crate for three to five more minutes.  Repeat the process until the dog eliminates outside, and reward as soon as the dog’s finished.  2. The dog may not want to mess up his “play area.”  A specific part of the yard needs to be used as a potty area, or a walk around the block.

My dog is great in the house except for one room. -  1. The dog doesn’t understand the entire house is his home too, (and there are probably other messes that have gone undetected.)  Crate training was probably moved along too fast.  The dog should be back in the crate and moved along at a much slower rate as the “house expands.”  Meaning, the dog has the crate.  Then the dog has the crate and the kitchen.  Then the dog has the crate, the kitchen, and the hallway, etc.  2. The dog smells the last time he eliminated in the same spot.  Clean the area with an enzymatic cleaner.  Do NOT use anything ammonia based, since ammonia is one of the main ingredients in urine.  3. The dog may be marking his territory.  Start the “Nothing In Life Is Free” program.  Supervise the dog at all times so accidents don’t occur.  Spay or neuter the dog.

My dog was completely potty trained and just now started to piddle a small amount everywhere around the house. – 1. The dog may be marking his territory.  Start a NILIF program.  Use a crate and reward outside potty habits more.  Train the dog to hit a bell to go outside.  Supervise the dog at all times so accidents don’t occur.  Spay or neuter the dog.  2. The dog may have a medical condition.  See your veterinarian.

My dog eliminates in the crate.  – 1. The dog is not properly crate trained or could be under stress.  2. The dog is in the crate too long.  Dogs usually don’t want to potty in a crate, this doesn’t mean they won’t potty in a crate if left in one too long. Put the dog on a food, water, and walk schedule.  Give the dog more opportunities outside to eliminate.  3. There is something soft in the crate that can absorb the pee.  Take out anything soft and fluffy from the bottom of the crate.  (Remember dogs like to eliminate on soft things.)

My puppy pees on the way to the door (or at the door) when I let him out of the crate or when I am going to let him outside.  – 1. The puppy doesn’t have complete muscle control yet.  Movement usually stimulates a puppy to eliminate.  (This is why they must potty before and during and after playtime.)  Carry the puppy outside to use the bathroom.  Give the puppy more frequent potty breaks.  Distract with food or a toy to get the puppy outside.

My dog goes outside and then fakes going to the bathroom.  – 1. BE HAPPY!!! (Especially if this is a puppy faking it.)  If your dog fakes using the facilities outside, your dog is telling you that he knows what is expected of him. He is trying to make his human happy, and he understands potty habits outside gets him rewards.  2. The dog is not faking it, but straining to eliminate.  This can be a medical emergency and should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

• Timing. Reward the dog as soon as the dog has finished eliminating outside.  Don’t wait.
• Consistency. Reward the dog every time he eliminates outside.
• Supervise. If the dog is consistently under supervision, (especially puppies) the dog will have a lot less room for error and will mess in the house less frequently.
• Asking to go out. Train the dog to hit a bell or bark to go outside.
• Crate Train. Most dogs are den clean, meaning that they don’t want to mess up their home.  This makes it easier for a dog to want to “hold it.”
• Schedule. A food and water schedule ensures a time frame for eliminating instead of guessing when the dog has to potty.  Also have several scheduled times per day for the dog to go outside and relieve himself.
• Patience. Potty Training is sometimes a slow process.  Understand some dogs can take up to six months to completely potty train.
• Reward. Anything the dog wants.  For most dogs this is food, play, praise, and petting.
• Log everything. This is especially helpful if you have an entire family who is “helping” with the potty training.  View an example of a potty training log HERE

Socialization is the act of exposing your puppy to new, pleasant experiences – with the goal to create a confident dog.  That’s right, I said confident.  The polar opposite of confident in the dog world is anxious.  And not socializing a puppy will create a dog who is fearful, hesitant, nervous, anxious, or aggressive when introduced to a new environment or stimulus.  You know, those dogs who are scared to live in their own skin.

Also notice socialization isn’t just exposure.  It’s exposure with pleasant consequences. Just taking your puppy around new people, places, animals, and things DOES NOT socialize.  It’s the interaction with those things. Keep in mind that a negative experience can come from uncertainty (fear of the unknown), or a bad experience,  and it can come from you or the environment.  I had a wonderful Sheltie breeder in Ohio call me about a puppy she placed in my area.  This puppy left her just like every other puppy with no problems.  Within two months he was so fearful of people he wouldn’t even let the owner touch him.  After speaking with her and getting some back ground information it was obvious the problem was due to improper socializing.  You see, this Sheltie puppy was placed with a trainer’s assistant who had all the best intentions.  She wanted to socialize her new puppy and had access to hundreds of people and dogs.  Sadly, she didn’t realize passing her puppy from person to person with a goal of “the puppy must be handled by 100 strangers” back fired.  Let’s pretend you’re the puppy, and I’m your owner.  Now let’s pretend you’re not sure what to make of strangers, a little uncomfortable, but nothing serious.  Now let’s pretend I force 100 random strangers to hug you.  So that’s one hundred times something you are uneasy about comes into your space and just starts touching you (petting). Which actually had the side effect of “touch is bad.”

Socialization is teaching a puppy about the world around him.  It’s teaching the acceptance of new places, things, sounds, etc.  A much better plan would have been to do something that made the Sheltie puppy want to approach strangers.  Maybe letting the dog come to them and getting a good sniff.  Or how about giving the dog a small tasty treat (we call that “strangers have the best candy” in the training world.)  If you try and force “close” all they want to do is get farther away.  If you give them plenty of space to get close at their own pace, then they want to explore the option of being close.  Why?  Because it’s non-threatening.

So if you or someone you know is socializing a puppy, tell them to use motivation.  Tell them: Socialization is exposure with pleasant consequences to teach acceptance of new experiences.

A hearing for Senate Bill 505 is scheduled for February 18, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. before the Senate Finance Committee. Find a list of committee members and address for the hearing here. F ind contact information by clicking on their names here. And find out who is your rep here.

This bill is proposed to start October 1, 2010.

A RETAIL PET STORE IN THE STATE MAY NOT DISPLAY, SELL, DELIVER, OFFER FOR SALE OR ADOPTION, BARTER, AUCTION, GIVE AWAY, OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER OR DISPOSE OF A DOG LESS THAN 9 MONTHS OF AGE.

Pet stores who violate this would be subject to a $500 fine for a first offense, and $1000 fine for each subsequent offense.

For more animal legal information visit this web site.

Chewing on a favorite stuffed squeaker toy

Chewing is a natural dog thing to do.  It’s an all around favorite pastime for just about every dog I have ever met.  Cassie is no exception.  She gets herself into this memorized methodical chewing rhythm and closes her eyes.  (I’m sure it’s doggie bliss.)  And she can do this with any toy, she’s not picky.  Typically she is not offered stuffed toys.  This is simply because she surgically de-squeaks them and the inner fluff guts are shared throughout my parent’s entire home.  Don’t get me wrong, she has plenty of other toys to play with at her home and is in no way toy deprived.  Fluff toys that squeak however, are a delicacy when she visits my house.

Some dogs are simply not OK with stuffed, fluff toys.  Instead of leaving a giant stuffing mess, they prefer to eat it.  Which means a possible blockage and possible surgery in your dog’s horoscope.  Thankfully there are a zillion toys out there right now you can choose from for your dog’s chewing pleasure.  Some are safer than others, however there is no such thing as a 100% “safe toy! I can not stress that enough.  Especially when you’re talking about puppies chewing.  Those wonderful little monsters will chew anything and everything to try and pacify painful teething, explore the world, and get energy out.

My favorite are interactive toys like the Buster Cube, the Kibble Nibble, or the Kong.  But that’s just because I am a behavior dork and like toys that require some brain power.  My personal opinion is the Buster Cube is the toughest, while the Kibble Nibble is the easiest to clean.  And if you don’t know what a Kong is, you need to buy one right now.  The Kong is one of the best toys out there.  There are “Kong stuffing recipes,” but you can use your imagination.  Just use common sense too.  Don’t fill it with chocolate covered raisins, or anything else “doggie toxic.”  My dog’s favorite is to put the leftover mac-n-cheese in his Kong and throw it in a bag in the freezer.  The other thing I love about the Kong toy (and no, I’m not getting paid for this blog post from Kong), is you can throw them into the dishwasher!  Presto!  Cleano!  However, I do still give my dog credit for the pre-wash, because he’ll work on it until it’s empty.

Regardless of what toy you want your dog to play with, remember that the dog’s opinion counts too.  Just because the toy is $20 at the fancy hoity-toity store doesn’t mean the dog will like that over your empty bottled water bottle.  Just make sure he doesn’t eat the shiny new empty plastic bottled water bottle.

One more trick I will leave you with is to rotate toys.  Usually people keep 1/3 on the ground, and 2/3 hidden away.  Each week just rotate them.  It’s funny how toys seem new, fun, and exciting this way.