Puppy Training - How to Socialize Your Dog

Welcome to the Eukanuba, Puppy Training Series Episode #8, Socializing Your Puppy Jim Piddock: Welcome back and thank you for joining us for more of Planet Puppies, Puppy Training Series. I am Jim Piddock. While I have been known to play a dog expert on the big screen, the fact of the matter is, well, I am not. That's why I have invited dog expert, Martin Deeley, to give us tips on how to properly socialize your puppy. Hey Martin, thank you so much for being here. Martin Deeley: Oh, glad to be here Jim. This little fellow here, his name is Rodio, puppy hug for him is just a perfect time to begin socializing; familiarize, as I sometimes call it. Jim Piddock: So Martin, what's the first step in properly socializing your puppy? Martin Deeley: You know Jim, it all starts from the moment you meet them. You are going to meet a little puppy, and if you don't watch out, you overpower it. You can overload it, and we don't want to overload its senses, so we try and stay calm. We try and stay cool with the dog, let's put it that way. Jim Piddock: Then when you get home, what then? Martin Deeley: Well, again, I don't like to be overwhelm them. I like it to be kind of one new face at a time, one new experience at a time, get him familiar. Jim Piddock: So how long do I have to wait before I take him to the next big family reunion? Martin Deeley: Well, it depends on the puppy. I think this one, we could almost do it straight away, but I would say that if you could introduce them gradually into the family, within a few weeks he will be ready to meet the world. You will be able to read your dog. You will be able to tell what your dog will accept. You can take it then from there. When it's ready to meet the world, you will know. Jim Piddock: How do you mean by that? Martin Deeley: Expose your dog to different people, different uniforms. It's surprising how certain things affect the dog, concerns him a little bit. These first three months of little Rodio's life or any dog's life is considered like a socialization period, and if you get it wrong, it can affect him for the rest of his life. Jim Piddock: Okay. Let's talk a little bit more about the fundamentals of socializing with other dogs. What's the proper way to do that? Now, actually before you answer that, there is someone else that needs to hear this, one moment. I would like you to meet little Foxie here, isn't she gorgeous? Martin Deeley: Hello Foxie, she is a darling, she really is. In fact, I see you have got a leash on, that's great, just a little light leash. When two dogs meet, I like them to be on leashes, and I like them to have room to move about. I like them to be in a different area. In other words, an area they don't know, so they are not going to protect anything. I like them to be able to sniff and to check each other out, because they use scent as a form of communication. Jim Piddock: There you go. Martin Deeley: So a relaxed easy atmosphere. Jim Piddock: Yeah. They seem to be getting along okay so far. Now, tell me, I have a question that I am sure everyone has thought of, the bum sniffing. What's that about? Why do they do that? I mean, these two actually didn't go through that routine, but normally -- Martin Deeley: Not yet. Jim Piddock: What does that mean? Martin Deeley: It's like a fingerprint I think. Jim Piddock: I don't have fingerprints on my bum, I hope I don't have fingerprints. Martin Deeley: I think the dog can read a particular identity. I think a dog can read a personality, if you like, a character of another dog. It's telling them what they are like. Jim Piddock: What if they don't happen to get along, what do we do then? Martin Deeley: Well, one of the things that you have got to always look at is the dog's body action. I am looking at this little fellow. He has very relaxed jaws. This one is saying, I think I might like that stick. Now, what we have got to be always careful of -- its his stick, and another stick, then we are not quite sure what's going to happen. Jim Piddock: She is sort of playing hard to get, isn't she? She says, I am more interested in the stick than you. Martin Deeley: That's correct. So stay calm and always if you like, you can always move your dog away and give it another position. Let's just say sit. Jim Piddock: Now Rodio is playing hard to get. Martin Deeley: And Rodio there. So the idea is, read their body language, see what's going to happen, redirect into a position where you are happy. Jim Piddock: Right. If my dog happens to be the aggressor, which is I don't think terribly likely in Foxie's case, but what would you do in that case? Martin Deeley: I would probably not be friends with your anymore. It's the way to break friends sometimes of course. Dogs always want to make friends with each other perhaps, or you want your dogs to make friends. It happens in fact, some dogs are a little bit more aggressive than others. These two aren't worried at all as I say. So they are a bit more aggressive. So watch for signs in their body. Look for body language. Look for when they are stiffening a bit. Look for ears that come up. Look for that kind of posturing that makes you think, I am not too sure. What I would say is I would probably go, uh, a, and then redirect again; like I am going to do with this fellow here, because I am in charge, okay? They can be friends, but they don't actually fight with each other, don't get aggressive with each other, they don't need to. Jim Piddock: Right. So when you say threw it off my plate, I go uh, a. Martin Deeley: Correct. Jim Piddock: Okay, next time I will remember that. If you are lucky enough to have one near you, what about dog parks; do you think they are good for socializing dogs? Martin Deeley: I think dog parks are a great idea, providing that dogs within it are all socialized as well, let's put it that way. Jim Piddock: Good luck. Okay. Martin Deeley: I like a variety of situations, and a dog park will give you that. So introduce them slowly. Take them around the outside, well away. Let them smell, hear, sense their whole environment. Do it on a leash. Take them closer, until you take them into the park, but again on a leash as well. Once they seem comfortable; watch your little dog, don't get overexcited, don't get nervousness. I have to remain calm and confident as well because I can put tension down the leash so easily. Jim Piddock: Well, that's about it. So now let's do a Eukanuba recap, the five stars on puppy socialization. One, introduce your puppy to others immediately during the first three months. Of course, start slowly until he seems to be totally comfortable. Two, bring your puppy around a variety of different people. The more you expose them to, the merrier they will be. Three, if your puppy misbehaves with other dogs, don't make a scene. The trick is to remove the little guy from the situation and give him lots of love and attention. Four, be patient with your puppy if he is shy. He is going to be timid around new people at first, but that doesn't mean he won't be comfortable at the end of the encounter. Five, dog parks should be fun social experiences. Just keep on the lookout for other dogs who might pose a problem. Well, all this talk of socializing is making me want to go for a walk, yes Foxie, with you. Okay. See you next time on the Puppy Training Series, here on Eukanuba TV, dedicated to making a good dog, great.