Imagine being picked up by a stranger and transported to a whole new world where everything is new to you. Everything you see, hear, touch, and smell is scary. That’s what happens when you bring a new puppy home. Your world is foreign and maybe even a little scary for her. Here’s why puppy playtime is important: to get along with your dog! Transparent puppy development, your dog is learning what the world is, full of interesting things or scary things. You can do everything you can to integrate your dog with the many people, dogs, and anything else they may encounter in life so that they see the world as a great place to be and can relax in. my house.
What is puppy playtime?
Puppy Playtime is really a training session where you and your dog are interacting with other dogs, people and things. Dr Carley Faughn, a certified applied animal behaviorist with a PhD in Cognitive Science, with a focus on animal behavior and cognition, explains: Animal Society’s best friends.
During that time, it is essential that your dog is exposed to as many things as possible. However, it’s important to make those exposures positive, says Amanda Cornell, a certified professional dog trainer of assessed knowledge and owner of the dog. Complete Canines.
Both the fulfillment agency and Best Friends Animals Society offer strong puppy playtime programs to help socialize with young dogs and get them started in the right direction in life. At Best Friends, peers are put in a room that has been disinfected every day. During their playtime, volunteers come to play the role of friendly strangers. Some have sunglasses. Some have hats. Some high, some low. Puppies are also introduced to things they may encounter in their daily lives, such as vacuum cleaners, umbrellas, bicycles, etc.
It’s important to make these interactions positive, so that your puppy learns to enjoy meeting new people or can sleep through the vacuum. To do this, pair something the puppy enjoys with these new experiences. Faughn says, enjoy puppy food when they walk toward strangers or check the vacuum cleaner (which was off at first) or hear the microwave door open and close. Some puppies may also enjoy being petted as a reward. Others may need a higher reward, like chopped sausage or cheese, if they are more anxious or stressed, she added.
Positive association with handling is another key to puppy playtime. Faughn says to introduce your puppy to collars, leashes, and harnesses, as well as being touched everywhere and picked up. For some puppies, these are no big deal. For others, you will have to go slow and offer high rewards. For example, you may have to reward your dog for just looking at the collar at first, trying to get him to feel comfortable with it wrapped around his neck.
We do a lot of weird things with our dogs that we hope they’ll be happy with – from car rides and dressing up to vet visits and lounging on the couch to a kit. noisy movie. Amanda says that a dog’s playtime is important to creating the comfortable, well-adjusted dog that everyone wants.
Steps to socializing your dog with puppy playtime
All this puppy socialization may seem overwhelming to you. But really, you just need to spend a few minutes a day exposing your dog to something new. Here are some steps to socializing your dog with puppy playtime:
- Have puppy play time every day.
- Make sure all interactions are positive for your puppy. Reward her and pay attention to her body language so you know if you need to change the situation if she’s stressed or anxious.
- Faughn suggests: Have a checklist so you can keep track of what and with whom you’ve been exposed to your puppy. This is also a good place to take notes if you need to recall what your pup was going through so you know how to do it more.
- Don’t stop socializing at 16 weeks, when the critical period has passed. This training will continue into adulthood and longer for some dogs.
- Don’t overwhelm your puppy. Faughn says, things like “puppy parties,” where you invite people over to meet your new dog, can really overwhelm them. It’s better to just have a short visit with one or two people, or a friendly dog.
- Keep playtime short. Puppies have short attention spans and work best with short, active sessions.
- Focus only on a few things at once. Instead of trying to expose your puppy to everything at once, choose two or three things a day to do.
Why is it important to socialize with dogs?
Finally, don’t forget that your puppy also needs to be socialized with other dogs. Usually, puppies receive socialization from their mothers and littermates during the first eight weeks of life, Dr. Faughn explains. But that doesn’t mean they don’t need to continue to interact with other dogs.
Amanda explains: “Communicating with other dogs teaches them social skills, such as how to navigate different dogs’ personalities and play styles. These are important lessons so your dog can become a good canine citizen around other dogs. When dogs interact, adults correct the puppies, teaching them the lessons they need to socialize properly throughout life.
Whether you’re socializing your dog with people, things, or other dogs, it’s important to learn your dog’s body language. (see dog body language posters you can buy) so you can know when your dog is stressed or anxious at any time. If so, distance her from whatever is causing her anxiety and/or increase the reward so you can help her overcome the fear. Otherwise, those fears will stay with your dog for the rest of his life and may even get worse.
When can puppies start socializing with other dogs?
Since the critical socialization period ends between 12 and 16 weeks, start socializing the puppy with other dogs right away, says Amanda.
But what about vaccines? Recent findings from the veterinary field suggest that puppies are usually fully vaccinated at 16 weeks, when they get their last shot, Dr. Faughn said. She adds that it’s best to talk to your vet about any concerns you may have.
So, what do you have to do until 16 weeks so you can still socialize your puppy with other dogs? The best thing to do, says Dr. Faughn, if they can’t interact with their littermates, is to find puppies with the same vaccination schedule – or close to – or fully vaccinated, adult dogs. dog-friendly.
Set up your dog’s playground
Puppy toys for dog socialization must be made in a safe manner. This means making sure all dogs are vaccinated and any dog you are introducing to your dog is known to be dog-friendly. If you’re not sure if dogs are good with puppies, put your puppy in a X-pen (a notebook included) at first, suggested Amanda. This way, both dogs can stay off the leash, but still have a fence to protect your puppy until you’re sure the other dog is behaving well with the puppy.
Is a dog park good for socializing with puppies?
Dog socialization is hard work. You don’t want your puppy to be attacked or scared. Meeting one friendly dog at a time is best. This is one of the reasons why a dog park is not a good idea for puppies. They can quickly become overwhelmed if an adult dog rushes in. Faughn also points out that dog parks are filled with diseases and germs that your puppy hasn’t been vaccinated against. Pet parents often don’t watch their dogs very closely at dog parks, which can lead to trouble if the dog decides to play rough or aggressive with your puppy.
Is puppy playtime important?
Puppy playtime is a necessary and important part of puppy parenting. All pet parents need to make sure they’re doing everything they can to help their puppy grow into a well-behaved adult dog. Of course, you can do all the right things and still have a case where a dog worries about certain things or becomes reactive. This is because their genetics, including temperament and instincts, play a role in their personality, as does anything they go through before coming to your house, Dr. Faughn explains. The best thing you can do if you encounter something you are unsure of is to keep yourself calm – if you are worried, your puppy will be even more stressed – and contact a trained dog trainer. certified use of positive reinforcement techniques. To find a certified trainer in your area, see Certification Board for Professional Dog Trainers.
