Q & A: Puppy socialisation
Please remember that the advice given here is of a general nature, and if you have any concerns about your pet’s health you should contact your vet immediately.
Q: I have heard that puppy socialisation is important, why is it important and what does it involve?
A: This is common question, and I cannot stress enough the importance of early socialisation. I have asked our pet behaviourist Kris Glover of Pets in Practise to give her advice on this matter (For more information about pet behaviour please visit her website www.petsinpractise.co.uk) Kris writes:
“Socialisation is a process by which a young puppy (up to the age of 12 weeks) approaches new experiences with curiosity rather than fear. Fear inhibits learning so if a puppy, still protected by its mother, is not afraid of novel experiences, it allows this puppy to learn much more quickly about its surrounds. As the puppy matures, the absence of its mother means it needs to be more cautious of anything new and therefore is more likely to be fearful when approaching novel stimuli. The more a young puppy (between 3 and 12 weeks) comes into contact with all variations of human (adult, child, male, female etc) other puppies / dogs and other animals, the more accepting a puppy will be of human, dog and other animal contact as it matures. A young puppy whose socialisation has been compromised due to inadequate or inappropriate experiences is often nervous of new encounters as it matures past the age of 12 weeks. Therefore socialisation, which is literally exposing your young puppy to as many new experiences and enjoyable encounters as possible, is crucial in the development of a well adjusted adult dog, who is not unduly fearful and is typically accepting of new things. Dogs that lack appropriate early socialisation can mature to be shy, fearful and sometimes aggressive and are normally referred to Pet Behaviourists for anxiety, fear or aggression disorders. As the saying goes “prevention is better than cure” and certainly in the instance of treating a fearful dog, whose behaviour has been caused by inadequate socialisation, the cure is much harder than the original effort needed for good socialisation.”
I must thank Kris for her answer. While prevention is definitely better than cure, should you have concerns about your pet’s current behaviour I would recommend that you contact your vet who will be able to recommend a competent and accredited pet behaviourist. Working in conjunction, the vet and behaviourist are often able to change unwanted behaviour, with or without the use of appropriate medications.
