Why Socialisation is NOT just about puppy school.
Socialisation is not just about going to puppy school and playing with other puppies. Whilst a good puppy school provides a safe place for learning and play, in our world today where we are experiencing a Pandemic, many people are forgetting that the word social encompasses a huge range of life experiences. Your puppy is learning every minute of the day it is awake. It is being home schooled by you their owner. What they learn they will retain for life.
Positive experiences and training in short segments will be critical with slow exposure of the world they live in, to assist them to grow into confident adult dogs. Just like children starting kindergarten, your puppy has a lot to learn and patience persistence and perseverance will be important to provide a sound grounding for them.
Some of the social exposure required for your puppy includes:
Getting them used to the car and literally driving in and out of your driveway first, then slowly increasing it to around the block to teach your puppy how to be comfortable in a vehicle. This will ensure you can travel long trips in the future without any issues.
Starting at a distance so as not to scare them and rolling the vacuum around the floor without switching it on, rewarding for calm quiet behaviour and then switching it on and off.
Using YouTube and incrementing the sound slowly from soft to loud to mimic fireworks, dogs barking, the postman and other sounds to desensitize them to these noises is crucial to their upbringing.
Carrying your puppy out the front and watching the cars go past at different times of the day then building this up to a small shopping area where you can just either sit in the car with the window down or walk down a quiet street with them in your arms.
Getting them used to toileting on slightly wet grass using a hose then increasing the dampness so they are comfortable to toilet when the weather is not fine.
Never rush your training and remember puppy school is one small part of socialisation, not the only experience they need in their lives. Your trainer is training you to train your puppy and your dedication will determine their success.