Socialization and Bite Inhibition
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SOCIALIZATION AND BITE INHIBITION What is the Socialization Period? √ Between the age of 4-14 weeks your puppy is in her most important developmental stage. √ Within this time, your puppy develops the seek-avoidance blueprint she will use for the rest of her life when encountering novelty. √ Your puppy’s personality will not only be determined by her breed characteristics and parentage but almost equally by her socialization period. √ The experiences your puppy has during this important window of development will directly affect her personality as an adult. How Do I Socialize My Puppy? It is your responsibility to introduce your puppy to as many experiences as possible and to make each experience pleasant. Your puppy runs the risk of being frightened or aggressive toward objects or situations that she was not exposed to or had a scary encounter with during her socialization period. Think of the socialization that you do now as “vaccinating your puppy against scary things”. 1. Your puppy’s thought process is pretty simple: food =good. 2. During your puppy’s socialization period never be without a food treat. Carry them in your pockets, purse, car, baby stroller or backpack. 3. Allow your puppy to approach, investigate and observe new experiences at her own speed. 4. Talk confidently to your puppy when she encounters a new object (something as simple as a leaf blowing across the sidewalk can be scary to a puppy!), person or event and give her one of the many treats you have in your pocket. What Should I Do If My Puppy is Fearful of Something? If your puppy becomes fearful during an encounter be careful about what you may be communicating to her when she is afraid. 1. Do not try to comfort her. This will only reward your puppy’s fearful behavior and convince her that it is good to be afraid. 2. Instead, use a confident voice and coax your pup to approach whatever it is that is spooking her. 3. Reward any confident behavior with a treat. 4. A reliable sign that your puppy is very frightened or overwhelmed is if she will not take a tasty treat. o If such a situation occurs get your puppy out of the situation and reduce the level of the scary event and start again. o Ask your puppy to “sit” and reward the behavior. You are substituting a behavior that you can reward for her fearful response. www.caninecampus.com SOCIALIZATION AND BITE INHIBITION Even the gentlest, most mild mannered dog has the potential to bite. Dogs get stepped on, or become fearful and feel they have no other option but to bite. A dog that can inhibit her bite may some day bite, but not leave a mark on the person bitten: this could very well save your dog’s life. TEACHING YOUR PUPPY TO CONTROL HER BITE Puppy biting is a normal, natural and necessary puppy behavior. Puppies rarely bite with the goal of hurting someone. When puppies mouth humans they are trying to play. Because puppies have sharp teeth but little jaw strength, puppy-hood is the ideal time to teach bite control. STEP ONE: HOW TO CONTROL HOW HARD PUPPIES BITE pies learn how to control their bite strength from playing with other puppies and dogs. When a puppy plays and bites too hard, the other puppy yelps. If the puppy bites too hard again, the other puppy ends the play. You are going to mimic this behavior. 1. Allow your puppy to mouth your hands. When she begins to bite to the point it is mildly painful, say “ouch”. The volume on the “ouch” will depend on your puppy. Some puppies only need a quiet tone; more robust pups will need a louder “ouch” to get their attention. 2. Allow your puppy to mouth your hands again. If your puppy bites too hard again, the game ends. Completely ignore your puppy as if she were invisible, stand up and walk away. If at all possible, close yourself in another room for 30-60 seconds. Wait at least 10 minutes before trying the game again. STEP TWO: HUMANS ARE BIG BABIES! e your puppy is mouthing your hands with only gentle pressure – due to practicing Step One on a regular basis – it’s now time to teach her how wimpy humans are. You want your puppy to think that human skin is the most fragile thing in the world and that touching it with her teeth is not rewarding. 1. Allow your puppy to mouth your hands gently. When her teeth barely make contact with your skin, yelp like she’s maimed you! 2. Allow your puppy to mouth your hands again. If her teeth make contact with your skin again, the game ends. Completely ignore your puppy as if she were invisible, stand up and walk away. If at all possible, close yourself in another room for 30-60 seconds. Wait at least 10 minutes before trying the game again. www.caninecampus.com SOCIALIZATION SCAVENGER HUNT Week Week Socialization Experience Socialization Experience 1 2 3 4 5 Environments 1 2 3 4 5 Men (cont.) Go to a park Meet a man smoking a cigarette/cigar Go to a shopping center Meet a man wearing a coat & tie Go to a vet’s office Meet a bald man Go to the downtown mall Meet a man with an accent Go to a an office complex Meet a man with a piercing/tattoo Go to a grocery store Meet a man wearing a heavy coat Go to a gas station Meet a man with red hair and glasses Go to a college campus Children Go to a restaurant Meet baby in Mother's arms Go to a lake Meet a toddler in snow suit Go to a forest Meet a baby in stroller Go to a friend’s house Meet a toddler wearing a hat Go to an industrial park Meet a young boy with baseball cap Go to a farm Meet a young girl pushing baby buggy Go to a puppy socialization class Meet a kid on skateboard Women Meet a kid pulling a wagon Meet hiker wearing backpack Meet a kid chewing gum Meet a woman pushing a shopping cart Meet a young girl wearing sunglasses Meet a woman wearing a baseball hat Meet a kid wearing a rain coat Meet a woman carrying an umbrella Meet a toddler wearing sneakers Meet a woman wearing sunglasses Meet a young boy riding a scooter Meet a woman pushing a stroller Meet a baby in a baby carrier/papoose Meet a woman with a pony tail Meet a kid on bicycle Meet a woman wearing a coat Objects Meet a woman carrying bags A vacuum cleaner Meet a woman on a bicycle A big-screen television Meet a woman wearing a skirt A mirror Meet a woman with boots on A large pasta/stock pot Meet a woman with ponytail A large potted plant Meet a woman in high heels A computer Meet a woman with glasses on A garden sculpture Men An outdoor grill Meet a man with a beard A broom Meet a man with an umbrella A fireplace Meet a man wearing sunglasses A snow shovel Meet a man with a ponytail A bicycle Meet a man with a mustache A ladder/step stool Meet a man wearing sneakers A running washer/dryer Meet a man wearing cowboy boots A green car Meet a man carrying bags Animals Meet a man wearing sunglasses & a hat www.caninecampus.com SOCIALIZATION SCAVENGER HUNT Meet a Poodle Week Socialization Experience 1 2 3 4 5 Animals (cont.) Meet a cat Meet a Jack Russell Terrier Meet a Black Lab Meet a Golden Retriever Meet a Bouvier Des Flanders Meet a horse Meet a cow Meet a Great Dane Meet a black & tan multigree Meet a Cocker Spaniel Meet a Boxer Meet a Pug Meet a Husky Meet A German Shepherd Potpourri www.caninecampus.com.