Extra Early Socialization for Puppies Makes a Big Difference

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Extra Early Socialization for Puppies Makes a Big Difference

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Research on a new program for socializing puppies in the nest finds it brings big benefits.

Photo: Sarai da Silva / Shutterstock

A new study by Dr. Helen Vaterlaws-Whiteside and Amandine Hartmann (Guide Dogs National Breeding Centre) (2017) tests an improved program for socializing puppies in the nest from 0 – 6 weeks. The program provides additional socialization in a way that is relatively cheap, easy to implement, and designed to fit with what science tells us about the development of puppies.

In comparison to puppies receiving the regular socialization program, the puppies who got extra socialization got better scores in tests at 6 weeks old. By 8 months of age they were less likely to have separation-related behaviours, general anxiety, be distracted, or have body sensitivity.

In other words, the extra socialization brought important benefits for their behavioural welfare as young adult dogs. These results will be of particular interest to those who breed and train service dogs, but they are important for anyone who cares about dogs – especially those looking to get a puppy.

Dr. Vaterlaws-Whiteside told me in an email,

"The program is designed to provide a highly effective socialisation experience for our puppies that is low cost, quick and easy to complete. The program of specific exercises mirrors puppy physiological and behavioural development and is proven to have a lasting improvement on behaviour. 

"Dogs who do not receive this kind of socialisation as puppies can grow up to be anxious and scared. Therefore, positive early life experiences are critical in helping puppies grow up to be confident, content companions. This program can be used by working dog organisations, pet dog breeders and animal shelters."

The puppies who took part in the study are part of the Guide Dogs for the Blind breeding program. All of the puppies follow a standard program, spending the first 6 weeks in a breeding facility where they experience identical conditions and then having the same socialization program for the first year of their life. Therefore this is the ideal environment in which to test a new, additional, socialization program.

The extra socialization activities took place five days a week during the first 6 weeks. It was designed to include interactions with people and animals as well as visual, auditory and tactile stimulation. In the first week, it took 5 minutes per puppy per day, building up to 15 minutes per puppy per day in weeks 5-6.

Examples of the extra socialization include stroking the puppy gently with the fingers, a towel, and rubber gloves; making a cell phone ring near the puppy; gently examining the puppy’s ears and teeth; and encouraging the puppy to do things like climb over an obstacle or come through a doorway.

All of this was done in a way that was fun for the puppy and the researchers made sure the puppy was comfortable at all times.

The researchers have made a video called play builds confident puppies to explain their findings.

How did they conduct the study on early puppy socialization?

Six litters of puppies took part. Half the puppies in each litter received the extra socialization and half had the standard program. To make sure it wasn’t simply extra time with a person that was causing the results, the puppies in the standard program had someone spend the equivalent time sitting with them and only interacting a little with the puppies that wanted to.

The puppies were either Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, or Labrador-Golden crosses. They were assessed at 6 weeks old, and at 8 months old their handlers completed a survey on their behaviour.

At 8 months, the handlers’ responses showed that puppies who had the extra socialization scored better for separation-related behaviour, distraction, body sensitivity and general anxiety. There was no difference for trainability or energy.

These results suggest they will make better working guide dogs, but more research (and time on the job) is needed to assess this.

The scientists write,

“The additional age-specific stimulation received by puppies given the extra socialization during this study provided increased physical contact, mental challenges and extensive positive interaction with people away from the litter. These stimuli could be considered to be mild stressors and may help explain the reduced anxiety and distraction related behavior observed in the eight-month handler questionnaire.”

The very short periods of time that puppies in the extra-socialization program spent away from the litter and with a person may have helped them to become more resilient to being taken away from the litter, which may in turn have made them more resilient to being left alone. This could account for the differences in scores for separation-related behaviours.

What’s especially remarkable about these results is that the puppies in the standard group were already getting an excellent socialization program that included lots of opportunities to interact with different stimuli. One of the things that is different about the enhanced program is each puppy got to have that kind of interaction away from the other puppies, just in the presence of a person.

What does it mean for dog owners?

This study builds on the existing research on the sensitive period for socialization in puppies and on what we know about puppy development. It has implications for all dog owners because it shows that extra socialization brings additional benefits. If you are getting a puppy, socialization in the home of the breeder makes a difference to the future behaviour of the puppy.

Sadly, many puppies come from places where they do not get good (or any) socialization. This is thought to be one of several reasons why puppies from pet stores are more likely to have behaviour problems such as aggression, fear of dogs, separation-related behaviours, sensitivity to touch and house-soiling.

So do not buy a puppy from a pet store, or from the internet where the puppy will be brought to you. You need to see the puppy interacting with the mom. And you should ask the breeder what they are doing to socialize the puppy. This should include lots of short, positive experiences with a wide range of different stimuli.

"positive early life experiences are critical in helping puppies grow up to be confident, content companions. This program can be used by working dog organisations, pet dog breeders and animal shelters."

Animal shelters and rescues also sometimes have puppies, and you should ask the same questions about socialization.

Of course, you still need to continue to socialize your puppy after you bring it home. The sensitive period for socialization ends at around 12-14 weeks, although it may be earlier in some breeds.  Remember that socialization means positive experiences, so never force your puppy into an interaction and always give them a choice.

Summary of the puppy socialization study

This study shows that additional puppy socialization from 0-6 weeks, on top of an already excellent socialization program, can make a big difference in terms of the dog’s behaviour at 8 months of age.

The paper contains details of the extra socialization program including a table showing what happened and when. This makes it easy for anyone else who wants to follow the program. Breeders of pet dogs, working dog programs and animal shelters in particular may wish to take a look. The paper can be downloaded for free until 15th December via this link.

You can follow The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (UK) on twitter and Facebook.

You can learn more about the classic research into the socialization period in my post, Why you need to socialize your puppy. And if you’d like to know why we call it a sensitive period or how kittens compare to puppies, you might like to read the sensitive period for socialization in puppies and kittens.

For more stories like this, subscribe to Companion Animal Psychology.


Reference
Vaterlaws-Whiteside, H., & Hartmann, A. (2017). Improving puppy behavior using a new standardized socialization program. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 197, 55-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2017.08.003

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Make Your Dog Happy: Puppy Class!

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Make Your Dog Happy: Puppy Class!

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Going to puppy class could be the best investment you make in your dog. 

Puppy classes provide important socialization opportunities and early learning experiences for puppies up to 5 months old. Puppy class is not just about training, it’s also (even mostly) about socialization.

Socialization matters because dogs go through a developmental stage when happy, positive experiences with new people, dogs and things are important, and help to set them up to be happy, calm adult dogs. We know this because studies that kept puppies in isolation (e.g. Freedman, King and Elliot 1961) found they became very fearful.

Many dog trainers have socialization checklists, like this one from the late Dr. Sophia Yin that includes unfamiliar people and dogs, body handling, surfaces and sounds to which puppies should be socialized. We don’t know exactly when the sensitive period for socialization ends, and it may be different for different breeds (Morrow et al 2015), so we want to try and do as much socialization as possible before about 12 weeks.  

At puppy class, your pup gets to meet new people (including the other people at the class, the trainer and the assistant(s)). That’s a few people checked off your socialization list already! 

In addition, they meet the other puppies and get to play with them. As well as meeting unknown dogs, the play opportunities allow them to practise their doggy social skills and learn bite inhibition.

The important thing about socialization is that experiences should be positive ones. Sometimes people force their puppy into greetings even if they are shy and don’t want to meet; or complete strangers want to pet the cute puppy, and may not notice if the pup is scared. 

If there’s one rule about puppies, it’s that you should never terrify them. 

If your puppy is shy, that’s fine. Don’t force them into interactions they’re not comfortable with. 

A good puppy class will ensure that all the puppies are having a good time, by keeping shy puppies away from more boisterous ones, and letting puppies hide by their owners if they want to. As the weeks go by, your puppy will get more confident. 

"Puppy class is the single most important thing you'll do in your puppy's lifetime and is loads of fun for all,” says Jody Karow, founder of DogSense Online. “You'll want lots of off leash play opportunity during class with other young compatible puppies. We want everything about puppy class to be fun! Socialization is the top priority for your puppy’s first class. 

“Look for a class that focuses on puppies learning many new experiences are safe and fun. There will be plenty of time to teach proper manners and obedience behaviors. Puppy class is your opportunity to have a controlled environment for many first and early experiences. This allows us to ensure your puppy enjoys many things life in our modern world offers. 

“Think Kindergarten, it's all about the fun!"

In some places there’s a trend for puppy party, a one-off session at which your puppy plays with other puppies and meets the other people in the class. This sounds like a good alternative, but one study (Kutsumi et al 2013) found it does not offer the same benefits. Dogs who had attended a six-week puppy class not only performed better in response to commands, but were also friendlier to strangers compared to those who did not attend or who only attended a puppy party.

Because dog training is not licensed, choose your puppy class carefully. Remember the rule about not frightening puppies, and avoid anyone who uses aversives like leash corrections, choke or prong collars. See my article on how to choose a good dog trainer.

A good puppy class does not guarantee that your dog will never be fearful (e.g. genetics and early experiences before you bring them home also play a role) but it will go a long way to helping you meet your puppy’s socialization needs. 

What do you most enjoy about puppy class?

References

Freedman, D., King, J., & Elliot, O. (1961). Critical Period in the Social Development of Dogs Science, 133 (3457), 1016-1017 DOI: 10.1126/science.133.3457.1016 
KUTSUMI, A., NAGASAWA, M., OHTA, M., & OHTANI, N. (2013). Importance of Puppy Training for Future Behavior of the Dog Journal of Veterinary Medical Science, 75 (2), 141-149 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.12-0008 
Morrow, M., Ottobre, J., Ottobre, A., Neville, P., St-Pierre, N., Dreschel, N., & Pate, J. (2015). Breed-dependent differences in the onset of fear-related avoidance behavior in puppies Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 10 (4), 286-294 DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2015.03.002
Photo: Rita Kochmarjova (top) and Eric Isselee (Shutterstock.com)
 

You might also like:
The right to walk away
De-stressing with a puppy for parents of children with autism
On puppies, pet stores and behaviour problems

Companion Animal Psychology is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Dog Parks & Daycares.

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Dog Parks & Daycares.

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You have to be careful what you put online, so I've battled whether I should post my thoughts on these two popular places where anyone can see it. However the truth is that my feelings on these places can impact a dog's behavior in a lot of ways and so I feel it necessary to let all dog people know about these places and why I don't think anyone should go to them--ever.

It's funny what time and experience will teach you. However I must chalk up a lot of my great knowledge to my mentor trainer, Lee Mannix of The Lee Mannix Center for Canine Behavior located in south Austin (read this front page article on him from the Austin American Statesmen). I still travel there often to get advice, tips and learn what I can. Working with and learning about dogs is a continual process, that's what makes them so fascinating. He taught me so much about dog behavior and what it takes to truly bond with and teach a dog the right way that I can't even thank him enough!

In my early days of dog training (I started in 1999) I was a true green dog, or novice. I could teach a dog a few things and I knew some about the science of dogs after the 4 month internship I had at the Animal Behavior Center of New York in Queens, NY the summer of 1999. However, I look back now and realize how little I did know.

I frequented the dog parks every weekend with my Great Dane. He's a remarkable dog, laid back, gets along with everyone and every dog. He is probably too nice if I think about it. He allows obnoxious puppies to grab his jowls and hang off of him, attempt to jump on his back and sniff is underside like he was a cow with an udder hanging down. He mostly stuck by me at the park and didn't care much about anyone else. I, of course, was one of those who thought I was doing a good job of "socializing" my dog by frequenting the park.

I continued to go to dog parks each month even after getting my second dog, Trevor, my Jack Russell. He too only cared mostly about me and would play ball all day and completely ignore all the other dogs. I liked that he could run off leash in a secure area and play for as long as he wanted. (Now I can do that at any park since I taught him a really good recall!)

After studying with Lee (his specialty is dog aggression, some of which is some nasty stuff!) I learned that dog parks and doggie daycare centers are good places to teach your dog to be dog aggressive and/or pick up really bad habits. . . . among other things. As Lee says, "You should be your dog's best friend, not dogs . . ." Which is true. This doesn't mean you shouldn't have other dogs or have your dogs around other dogs but there is a skill to doing it so that all dogs are doing things right!

First let's talk about socialization . . . you have to know that socialization is over after about 16 weeks of age. If you haven't "socialized" your dog by then you are just catching up after that.

Myth: Socializing a puppy means simply exposing him/her to many different things.
Fact: Exposure to a variety of experiences is important, but simply giving the puppy random and/or uncontrolled experiences may not teach the puppy what you want him to learn.

Myth: I should start socializing my puppy after he reaches 4-6 months old, after he's fully vaccinated.
Fact: Puppies go through their critical socialization period between the ages of 5 and 16 weeks. At about 16 weeks of age, a window closes in the puppy’s brain and many of his ideas about the world are set for life.

Myth: I can stop socializing my puppy after 12 weeks of age since the critical socialization period has ended.
Fact: Although the critical window has closed, puppies will continue to solidify their impressions at least until they are adults (at about 2 years of age) and -- to a certain extent -- throughout their lives.

Tips for Properly Socializing your Puppy
1) Introduce your puppy to as many people as possible, as long as those people are good influences and/or as long as you have influence over your puppy’s experience. For example, you do not want your puppy to learn to chase and nip at children (or become afraid of them), so do not leave him alone with children that will allow or encourage him to practice that behavior.

2) Introduce your puppy to other dogs that are good role models, and monitor your puppy’s interaction with other dogs. Puppies are highly impressionable, and they are very likely to imitate the behavior of the other dogs they meet. Always consider prospective play-mates and ask yourself if you want your puppy to end up behaving like that dog.

3) Introduce your puppy mostly to adult dogs. Leaving two puppies to play with one another and calling it good socialization is like leaving two 3 year olds together and calling it school. Puppies teach each other very little, except for how to behave in a wild and un-controlled manner and how to bully one another. Adults are the role models you want, if they are good dogs and you wish for your dog to pick up their behaviors.

4) Spend more time with your puppy than your puppy spends with other dogs. It’s very easy for puppies to relate to other dogs, of course, since they speak the same ‘language’. Human beings are the foreigners in a puppy’s life. If you want your puppy to develop a strong bond with you (and have training become much easier), you will have to make it clear that you are the friend, playmate, and source of resources, and those other dogs are just occasional visitors in his life.

5) Expose your puppy to a variety of noises, places, and experiences. If your puppy becomes frightened, do not console him! If your puppy is behaving in a frightened manner and you are talking to him, holding him, petting him, etc., he will perceive this as an affirmation that he is supposed to be scared and that he is behaving appropriately. This is how well-intentioned people create neurotic dogs.

6) Do not force your puppy to do something that is scaring him. Simply expose him to the situation, and do not make a big deal out of it. Examples: If your puppy is scared of having his nails trimmed, do not trim his nails for awhile. Instead, put match sticks beneath his feet and trim those instead. Give him a treat each time a match stick is trimmed. If your puppy is scared to swim, do not force him…simply go swimming yourself, or let him watch other dogs swimming. He is very likely to follow.

7) Try to expose your puppy to positive things, however, puppies will possibly act afraid of unknown, new things. Just allow the puppy to explore as long as it is safe without talking to the puppy or telling him it’s ‘okay’. If your puppy is frightened of something that is not harmful to him, expose him to that thing multiple times, until he is no longer frightened. Try to make each exposure as pleasant or as uneventful as possible. (Example: If your puppy is scared of a loud noise, expose him to that noise multiple times. Do not respond when he reacts; just go on as if nothing had happened. Remember, for dogs your reaction is often reinforcement.)

8) Take it slow. Don’t wait until your puppy is 5 months old but don’t dunk your puppy in things too much in the beginning. It is safe to take your puppy to as many places as possible for no more than 20-30 minutes at a time. Anything longer for a puppy under 4 months of age is very exhausting and could cause the puppy stress and then the whole situation will backfire. We usually recommend 3-4 times a week at 20 minutes each outing until the puppy is around 5 months and then you can increase it to 5 times a week for 30-45 minutes. After 6-7 months of age you can be the judge of your dog’s exposure, still maintaining that the experiences are positive and not over-exhausting. (Example: A 2-hour soccer game may be a great place to expose your puppy to kids but it can be overwhelming, work up to the soccer game!)

So what if my dog isn't a puppy any longer? Well then you need to start training and all other dogs are off limits! If you have a dog that is reactive to other dogs or has gotten into a scuffle of any caliber with another dog you have to stop letting your dog get around other dogs, period. This is where most of my clients have the difficulty. They can't do it or won't because it's difficult or they just don't understand why not.

Here is why: your dog doens't know how to act around other dogs so until you can work through that then you have to keep your dog away from other dogs and eliminate the possibility of your dog doing something it shouldn't or hurting another dog! Training has to start and keep going. If your dog only scuffles with a few other dogs and it's not all the time you still have to stop allowing your dog to be around other dogs. It's not logical. It's only setting your dog up to fail and causing your dog to become very good at being a punk (or really aggressive) toward other dogs.

Daycares are too many dogs in too tight of quarters where no one is proficient in body language or behavior so that they can run a daycare the way it should be run. A good daycare would have about 5 different play areas and only allow about 5 dogs tops in each area at a time, depending on the sizes and tempraments of the dogs. We have domesticated animals, they don't roam in packs. We don't own wolves. They don't need to be around a pack of dogs, it usually causes fights and tension.

Now that I know what I know I get deeply saddened when I walk by the horrid window at Petsmart and look at those dogs in there. You can pick out about 3 dogs that look like if they could talk they would say, "Gosh why am I here? I just want to be home!" The other dogs are bullying the other dogs around, rough-housing and prepping for aggression later. I can peg a dog that will most likely be aggressive in a matter of months if it hasn't shown some signs already. its' quite sad.

The worst part is that people don't want to listen. They think their dog has to "play" with other dogs. They think that their dog would rather be in daycare than at home all day. What you don't realize is that people assume that dogs want a companion, need a companion, want to be around other dogs, need to be around other dogs. This is not so. I can assure you that if my Jack Russell never saw another dog again and I was the only being in his life he'd be happy, happy, happy.

So what about those with dogs that do like other dogs? The dog owners with dogs that get along with everyone and play often with other dogs without any issues? Well can you put your dog in a group of other dogs and call him to you and he comes to you without yelling, "Fluffy! Treat! Fluffy! Come here, want to get in the car? . . . " If your dog can come to you in a crowd of other dogs then great you may just have some good dog buddies for your dog. But does your dog like you or dogs better? If your dog likes dogs better then your relationship and training isn't where it should be. Or if you're ok with that and have no issues with your dog then fine. But remember that when you are trying to call your dog in distractions or if your dog tugs at the leash to go "say hi" to another dog or won't do anything when around other dogs.

Also it only takes one incident to cause major damage to your dog. If your dog has anything happen to him in the park or daycare caused by another dog you could be looking at months of training to get your dog past it. Often dogs that get humped will panic and can view other dogs from then on as bad and react aggressively toward them. If one dog nips your dog in the face then you could have a dog that reacts if a dog gets too close. It only takes one incident.

Take my Border/Aussie, Noah. I had him at a class of mine when he was around 2 years old (he's now almost 5) and I tied him to a park bench while I showed the class some things. This was incredibly stupid of me. A lady walking by (not in our class) had her dog on a Flexi leash (I won't get started on those!) and for whatever reason the dog walked right up to Noah and snapped at his face. Noah has ever since become quite nasty if a dog is in his face or too close. He is easily put on gaurd and often what I call paranoid. If he "thinks" a dog is going to harm him he will immediately act aggressivly toward him. The dog may not be doing anything but posturing in a way that Noah perceives as threatening. He's having flashbacks, and so he reacts.

So does this mean one can't have more than one dog? Absolutely not. I have four dogs. None of them have ever even scuffled once. They all get along fine. They hang out without wrestling (never ever do they do this) or any rough play . . . which by the way is not healthy dog play. People see dogs rough house, use their mouths with each other in what seems to be play but it's sparring and one wrong step and your dog could easily become aggressive to other dogs.

It is imperative that you build a relationship with each of your dogs before allowing them to choose dogs over you. So much can go wrong if you don't.

Dog parks and dog daycare centers are places where dogs learn bad habits, sometimes horrible habits and also learn that dogs are more fun than humans. Humans use these places to satisfy their own needs, not their dog's. Your dog would love if you played with your dog once a week for 20 minutes at the park instead of tossing him to a group of unruly, drooly, humping dogs!

Join a fun class like agility or flyball and get heavily involved in your dog's training. There is so much you can do with your dog that builds your relationship that it's not a good excuse to go to a dog park or send your dog to daycare!