Windrunner Vizslas

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Socializing Your Puppy (return to Home or Useful Article page)

By Pam Williams

This informal article is one of many given to my puppy owners.  From my experiences with rescue I felt these basics would help so many dogs.  Hopefully, rescue is never needed.  Unfortunately, that just isn't the case.  Please take the time to think ahead for your dog’s welfare.

Just as those of you with children have raised them to be able to one day go off and be on their own, raising your dog should have the same, though certainly modified, goal.  The goal of socializing and training your dog is to make it a dog that is acceptable in human society.  An important side bar of this well spent time is to prepare your dog in the event that it cannot live out the rest of its life in your care.  Some of this is going to be a bit depressing but read it anyway :-). 

Not keeping a dog could happen for any number of reasons - divorce, major change in lifestyle, death, or just tired of having a dog (hopefully not!).  Fortunately those of you getting a puppy from a reputable and responsible breeder, where your dog goes first is not something you have to think or worry about.  He or she goes back to the breeder.  In the event that you are unable to make decisions and it lies with your family to do so, make sure you have detailed notes in your important papers of how to contact your breeder. 

There are a few important things you need to teach your dog so it can make any transfers in ownership easily.  On a less negative note, these exposures will make any time spent away from you less stressful as well.

 

Like your crate - Even if your dog is perfectly well behaved when left alone.  Use the crate occasionally just for the fun of it.  Use it sometimes at night.  Use it sometimes in the car.  Use it sometimes when you have visitors.  Most importantly, use it sometimes when you are visiting someone else.

 

Be housebroken - No one likes a dog that marks in the house.  The myth that an intact dog should be expected to mark is just that .... a myth.   There may be times when going into someone else home that a dog may want to mark territory.  Be alert especially the first few times you make visits.  Catch the dog when this happens.  Correct it and take it outside.  Reward for the correct behavior.

 

Like kids - This may be a hard one if you don’t have any but even if you do, make the effort to expose your dog to different age groups.  While it is very important to do this when they are young it is important to continue to do it as the dog ages.  It is also important to expose the dog to children of different age groups, especially the toddler and pre-teen ages.  These are threatening ages for dogs.

 

Allow people to be near and take your food bowl - Easy to correct if you have a problem.  Easier still to avoid the problem.  If you haven't so far, make yourself a part of the feeding program.  Don’t just put the bowl down, take it back up occasionally and put something good in it.  There are detailed steps to go thru if you have a problem.  Let me know if you need them.

 

Eat what you are given at set times (vs self feeding) - Don't make your dog a fussy eater.  I am guilty of this with Lucie.  Decide what you want to feed the dog and give it to him/her.  If it isn't gone in 15 minutes, pick it up until the next feeding time.  Soon your dog will like whatever you put down.  This is definitely one of those do as I say not as I do items.  Any of you that have seen me feed Lucie knows that she has the upper hand on feeding.

 

Get off when told - Being on furniture should not be a right but a privilege.  Make your dog get off the bed or couch "just because".  You own the furniture the dog doesn't (unless you haven't been telling me about the special skills your dog has and it now has a paying job).  You allow the dog on it or not.

 

Be comfortable staying with someone else - do doggie daycare once in a while.  Leave your dog at a good boarding kennel overnight.  Let a friend take care of your dog for a weekend once in a while.

 

Finally, the basic obedience tricks that make all dogs well received....

Sit, down, stay, and come.  Walking on a loose leash would be a good one to add here too.  Keep your dog reminded of these tricks.  They will forget them if out of practice.  Enroll in a basic obedience class for the fun of it.

 

So that is about it though I’m sure you can think of some more.  Basically, the more variety the better.  It will make your dog a flexible companion that is able and happy to make changes.

 

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