How to Socialize My Dog?

Believe it or not, that is actually a bit of a trick question! This is due to the fact that there is a socialization “window” that closes, and thus the term “socialization” actually only applies to puppies within a certain age range.

This time period is a sensitive, very important opportunity in a puppy’s development that occurs roughly until 12-16 weeks old. Unfortunately, that means if you waited until AFTER 16 weeks of age to do any socialization, depending on your dog’s breed, you may now have a cautious canine facing a bit of an uphill battle.

After that time period is over, the next developmental phase for a puppy is to gear up for adolescence (which starts as early as 17 weeks, but for most breeds, we see 5-6 months of age starting adolescent behaviors).

What will you notice if you missed your socialization window entirely?

The noted behaviors can vary greatly by breed, genetic inheritance and what the dog was/wasn’t exposed to.

Socialization for a puppy can be merely introducing new things, environments, other dogs etc. in a way that is neutral (or positive) and then it is accepted by that puppy. For a dog older than 16 weeks, often times you will be counterconditioning and desensitizing to triggers rather than just sheer exposure.

All hope is not lost, it just means a different approach needs to be taken. Slow, steady and understanding.

This goes for objects, environments, new people and especially other animals.

If you have a dog that remained indoors until vaccines were finished, you may note a dog that struggles with walking outside on the concrete. The ground feels odd beneath their paws, the cars on the road are alarming, people moving their trashcans onto the street can be jarring and being restricted on a leash can induce downright panic. The dog may refuse to walk, flatten like a pancake, try to pull home, jump and bite the leash in frustration.

For the above example, it is important to observe the many things in that scenario that are brand new to that dog and really break things down:

-        Spend time putting equipment on the dog and not going anywhere. Train in the house with treats with the collar (or harness etc.) and leash on. Progress to walking in the backyard or driveway. If the dog is raring to go, then by all means, get out there and walk!

-        Take a quieter route until your dog is more comfortable with all the aspects of neighborhood walking before you walk on the busy street. When you do see cars, mark and reward with a treat to create positive associations with the sound and sight of cars. Do the same for the garbage cans and the man watering his lawn across the street.

-        Don’t allow strangers to approach if you see your dog is shying away, barking, lunging or avoiding. Forcing a trigger onto a nervous dog makes things worse, not better.

Group class can help if your dog is not reactive (barking, lunging) and can take high value food in an unknown environment.

If your dog is struggling with reactivity, you need extra assistance or don’t know where to start, please contact us! We are happy to help!

Chews

Chewing is an innate need for most canines. Puppies need to chew because they are teething and they explore the world with their mouths, much like human infants! Adolescent dogs need to chew as their teeth are setting and molars continue to erupt and set into the gum line. Adult dogs chew as a way of entertainment, to release stress, to clean their teeth and because many of the things we give them to chew are tasty (to them!).

When I have a young puppy or young dog in my home, I can easily go through one chew per day. However, if you get stuck buying the same old large bully stick pack from Costco, your dog may begin leaving bones about the house and acting like chewing isn’t a fun pastime. The key is variety, rotation and knowing your dog.

A small breed dog might do great with greenies, whimzees and tiny twist no-hides but a larger breed will eat a large greenie in a matter of seconds!

My go-to list:

1. No-Hides: these are very popular right now and we have them in 3 different sizes; tiny twists, 4 inch and 7 inch. We have chicken and venison flavor currently. For my 60 lb dog, a 7 inch no-hide can keep him entertained for a whole day (on and off). The twist is only a 10 minute goodie for my 20 lb dog but a much longer chew for a smaller dog or younger puppy with just baby teeth. We love them because they are “no-hide” AKA not rawhide. Instead they are made from digestable plant material.

2. Back strap wrap or tail wrap: these are budget friendly chews that take time as the dogs tend to unwind the dried tendon on the back strap or the tail (of a cow). They are low odor, high value and loved my all. Also, no rawhide, so it’s safe.

3. Water Buffalo ears: these $3 gems landed in our store as an accidental order. Little did I know these ears are about 10x longer lasting than pig ears, and are healthier with no risk of pancreatitis. We have seen many a puppy come back in the NEXT week for puppy class, still working on a single ear!

4. Etta Says MEGA chews: I love these for allergy dogs. They are 100% X meat on the label as in the Elk has no other added protein. Same goes for all their flavors of Bison, Chicken, Venison etc. They are middle ground on the lasting chart. Fantastic for a reward for going into the crate!

5. Vital Essentials RAW bar: These are a variety of animal parts that have been freeze dried to keep in nutrients. I love these for the pups, small dogs or a medium snack chew for a large dog. Our customers also LOVE the price point as most of these items are only $1-$4 each. Many of our puppy friends load up on the freeze dried chicken necks at the end of puppy social for the week, only $1 each!

So stop by, grab a chew. Your dog will thank you and you will be happy for some well earned down time!

Vaccine Policy

At Tailored Dog Training, we adhere by the American Veterinarian Medical Association Guidelines.

We allow puppies that:

1. Have at least 1 vaccine given administered by a liscened veterinarian AFTER 7 weeks of age as sooner will be blocked by mother's antibodies.

2. Are at least a week out from having received the vaccine.

3. Are visibly healthy: bright eyes, alert, no diarrhea or vomiting or coughing.

Direct excerpt below:

"The guidelines state puppies can start socialization classes as early as 7 to 8 weeks of age. In general, they should receive a minimum of one set of vaccines at least seven days prior to the first class as well as a first deworming.

Additionally, puppies should show no signs of illness during the classes and should be kept up-to-date on vaccines throughout the class.

While veterinarians are appropriately concerned about infectious disease in young puppies, the fact is that behavioral issues—not infectious diseases—are the number one cause of death for dogs under 3 years of age, according to the AVSAB. Veterinarians contribute to these behavioral issues when recommending pets be kept away from possible germs until their vaccine series is complete, the AVSAB stated.

"Puppies go through a sensitive period of socialization when they are uniquely prepared to benefit from exposure to social opportunities. From the time the owner adopts the puppy until 3 to 4 months of age, it is critical that the owner get the puppy out to meet other animals and people, and experience many different kinds of environments," said AVSAB president, Dr. E. Kathryn Meyer.

"These (unsocialized) puppies may also fail to develop coping mechanisms and grow up into dogs that are unable to adapt to new situations. This can severely inhibit the dog's quality of life as well as the owner's enjoyment of the pet," Dr. Meyer added."