Training & Handling - Socialising

Properly socialising your dog or puppy is the key to a well behaved, easy to handle dog. Early socialisation cannot be stressed enough, and the results of improper socialisation are very negative and can potentially affect your relationship with your pet. Dogs that are socialised both early in their life as well as throughout their life have many desirable characteristics that are lacking in non-socialised dogs. Dogs and puppies that are socialised have an easier time adjusting to new environments, tend to be less timid or aggressive, are less fearful of new people and new animals, and are overall better behaved and calmer.

Socialisation in dogs starts quiet literally from birth. They learn through interactions with their mother and littermates how to communicate with other animals. If you observe a mother dog with her puppies she will nose them, whine, and even nip or bark at them if they do something wrong. Far from being mean or cruel, this is the mother's way of teaching the puppy the order of the pack, as well as how to get along with others. You may notice the mother dog gives a high pitched yelp, as do the other puppies when one puppy plays to rough or bites too hard. This is the dog's way of saying "Stop, that hurts". Puppies also learn how to share, play and interact as well as how to understand the idea of dominance and order within the group. The mother will also lick them and make physical contact with them for security and comfort as well as affection.

This learning occurs all through the puppy's first few weeks, and this is why reputable breeders and owners don't allow puppies to be removed from the litter until at least eight weeks. Many breeders, vets and animal behaviouralists now recommend leaving puppies with the mother and litter for ten to twelve weeks. Some of the larger breeds that mature more slowly will need longer time with their litter and mother.

Puppies that are removed from the litter and from contact with the mother too soon will grow up to be very timid dogs or may also become very aggressive and dominant animals. They have no understanding of how to interact and how their actions have an impact on other animals. The good news is that owners can enhance this socialisation process as well as continue to allow the dog to have new and positive interactions with animals and people throughout their life.

Once your puppy is home and away from littermates their socialisation takes on a new aspect. Puppies must learn to be independent, without becoming dominant or aggressive. Owners can help accomplish this by arranging activities that will keep the puppy experiencing new things and constantly meeting new people, animals and environments. Often when puppies first come home they are isolated with their new human families. This is to be expected and is actually best for the puppy until they have their complete set of puppy boosters and vaccinations. Once they have completed the series of vaccinations at about twelve weeks the puppy should be taken out of the house and garden and taken to the park, out for regular walks, and ideally to a puppy obedience class. You may be very capable of teaching the puppy most of the basic commands at home but you are unlikely to be able to provide the wonderful socialisation opportunity the class will provide. The puppy will be encouraged to interact with a large group of puppies that are also vaccinated. The instructor will provide help with interactions and will work with the owners on how to socialise the puppy with new dogs in a positive fashion. For breeds that are normally aggressive or timid this is a wonderful experience that cannot be easily duplicated anywhere else. By allowing aggressive or timid dogs to experience controlled socialisation the natural tendencies for these behaviours are often minimized.

One of the biggest mistakes that owners make is to not socialise a timid or aggressive puppy. Often people mistakenly believe that if the puppy or dog is simply kept away from other animals they will naturally change their fearfulness or aggression. The truth is that the exact opposite will happen. Aggressive puppies that are put in another room when company arrives never learn that the company are "safe" to be in the house with, so they build up even more fear and aggression. They soon associate the ringing of the doorbell with isolation and fear, which causes them to behave even more aggressively.

The same thing happens with timid dogs, which tend to run to their owners when they are afraid. Owners often pick them up and hold them, which encourages the dogs to use fear as a way to get attention. While this may seem to be harmless behaviour, as the puppy gets older the fear will increase rather than decrease. Pretty soon you will find that the dog needs to be constantly carried or with the owner or he or she is a nervous wreck. Early socialisation and teaching the puppy that he or she can interact with other dogs will really assist with this issue.

If you cannot attend a puppy obedience class, you can also ensure that your puppy has lots of "play dates" and interactions with other dogs and puppies. Walking your dog in a park or allowing them to run in the dog's only area of a park is a good idea, but be aware that not all dogs and puppies in these areas will be vaccinated as puppies in the obedience classes must be. In addition you will need to actively supervise your puppy in these unstructured areas, as there will be more chance that the puppy may possibly find himself or herself with an unfriendly dog.

Be sure to introduce your puppy to new people and environments starting when they settle into your home. When visitors come over allow the puppy to spend time with them, and encourage the guests to pet and play with the puppy. As the owner you should monitor the puppies behaviour and ensure that they are not jumping up, biting, barking or engaging in other inappropriate behaviours. Guests can also assist in giving the dog commands to ensure that the puppy will respond to others.

Many dog owners prefer to have more than one puppy or dog in the house to act as companions for each other. As discussed in the article on getting a male or female, it is very important to keep in mind the difficulty involved in having two intact dogs or bitches in the house together. In addition an intact male and an intact female will have to be separated whenever the female comes into heat, plus there will always be issues with aggression between the two as they strive for dominance.

Generally if you wish to have companion dogs consider getting a male and a female that are approximately the same age and that will grow to be about the same size when mature. The size issue is not as important if you are choosing two breeds that are very social dogs that are known to have few problems with getting along with other dogs. As a very broad generalisation gundogs, hounds, most of the pastoral dogs and many of the utility dogs do very well as companion animals. Usually the toy group, terrier group and working group tend to do well if socialised with the companion dog as a puppy, but less well when they are the adult dog being socialised with a puppy of any group. It is never advisable to get two dogs or puppies of aggressive or dominant breeds unless you purchase them both as puppies and work very consistently on socialisation. Neutering and spaying both of the dogs is also highly recommended in this situation.

Generally a very large breed and a very small breed are not effective companions because they simply cannot play or interact. Larger dogs, especially if they are the puppies, may be too rambunctious and energetic for the smaller breed and may even unintentionally hurt the smaller dog in play. Often the smaller breeds, especially some of the terriers, may be highly aggressive for their size and may not be effective companions as they will try to dominate even the very large breeds, with no regards for size.

Always monitor and carefully watch the interactions between a mature dog and a puppy, especially if the mature dog is male. Neutered males are typically less aggressive that intact males, but both will be less tolerant of puppies than spayed or intact females, although this is a very broad generalisation. It is important to remember that your mature dog may be somewhat jealous of a new puppy or dog in the house, so be prepared to spend time with your current dog so that they know that they are not being replaced.

Always feed the new dog or puppy away from the existing dog's food and sleeping area until the relationship has been established. Remember that your dog, even if well socialised, will be somewhat territorial of his or her space in the house or garden, and keep the puppy out of this area until the relationship has been established. A great way to get the dog used to the puppy and vice versa is to have a small towel that has been kept in each dog or puppies bedding area moved to the other dog's space. This helps both dogs become familiarised with the scent of each other.

Always limit play time between the new puppy and the older dog, as usually the puppy will want to play considerably more than the older dog. Once the older dog has reached his or her limits they will try to move away from the puppy or may growl or snap. Puppies usually don't recognize these signs and the result is the dog will become more aggressive to try to ward off the puppy. This can result in aggression between the dog and puppy and damage the relationship.

To ensure a successful relationship be sure that the adult dog is well socialised and is a breed that will accept other dogs and animals in the house. Introduce the dog and puppy slowly, limiting interactions and carefully monitoring both dogs for any signs of aggression. Remember that there will normally be some growling and dominance displays such as sniffing at each other, strutting and territoriality until the pack order is established. By limiting interactions and avoiding any fighting or any possible injuries to either dog the relationship is well on its way to becoming a lifelong friendship.

A re-homed dog from a shelter or breed rescue can make an excellent companion dog to your existing pet. A re-homed dog is an adolescent or adult dog that has been given up by their current owner or has been found lost or abandoned. Often re-homed dogs are very well trained, however some may have been given up because they were hard to train, had a difficult personality or couldn't get along with people, dogs or other pets.

Most breed rescues will provide information on how the various dogs in the shelter interact with other dogs and pets. Some breed rescues and shelters also allow their dogs to live with foster families that allow rescue staff to effectively evaluate how the dogs up for re-homing will react in various types of homes. In addition be sure to be looking for a breed that is known to be social and accepting of other dogs and pets. Some breeds are less friendly and accepting of new homes and situations than others, so research the breed that you are interested in to make sure the match between your current breed and the new dog will be effective. Some breeds are not known to be good companion dogs even to other dogs of the same breed, and most rescues will not release these breeds to homes that already have dogs.

Re-homed dogs, when introduced properly to your existing dog will make excellent companion dogs in most situations. To give this relationship the best possible start make sure that introductions are completed correctly.

Start by introducing the dogs on neutral territory, such as a park or grassy area away from the house or flat. Have both dogs on leads and have someone that is comfortable with dogs leading the new dog, with you controlling your dog. If the dogs are both well socialised after a bit of sniffing and some slight "getting to know each other" they will be willing to interact. Take the dogs on a walk together, keeping both on the lead. About half way through the walk switch handlers and dogs, continuing on the walk. It is important to not transport both dogs in a vehicle together unless you have them restrained or in crates. If they are neither restrained or in crates there is always the possibility that they may become aggressive while you are trying to drive. Even with more than one person in the vehicle this can be a potentially dangerous event, so try to either walk the dog's home or transport separately, at least for the first introduction.

Be sure to have separate bowls and bedding for the re-homed dog, and don't expect your existing dog to share his food, sleeping area or toys. Monitor the two just as described with puppies. Be very careful to not spend too much time with the new dog, try to split your time evenly and encourage all the other family members to do the same. The new dog may have habits that they have developed in other homes, so be prepared to do some retraining. If you are re-homing a dog you may wish to take them to an adult dog obedience class to help establish the correct behaviour.

Sometimes, despite all the prior research and best efforts of the owners the dogs simply don't seem to get along. Often the most effective way to deal with this issue is to make sure that both of the dogs are spayed or neutered, especially if you have one intact and one neutered dog or two intact dogs or bitches. As discussed earlier intact males and females will have more hormonally driven aggression that will disappear when they are spayed or neutered.

Once both of the dogs have been spayed or neutered if the aggression and fighting still continues it may be a continuation of the urge to be dominant, because both dogs believe that they are head of the house or family. Taking both dogs to an adult obedience class is a good way to establish with both dogs that you are the head of the house. Once dogs understand that you are dominant they will be less likely to fight with each other to try to prove their dominance. It is not important for you personally to take each dog. You may wish to consider having another family member take one of the dogs while you take the other. Be sure to switch working dogs regularly during the training so that you and the other person have the same experience working with each dog.

Adult dogs that do not get along together should be kept separate at all times when there is no direct supervision. This means that dogs will have to be kept crated or in separate rooms or areas when the family is not at home. It may also be helpful to have one dog as an outside dog and one dog as a housedog, although this is often not practical depending on where you live and the breeds of dogs.

Both dogs should be treated as similarly as possible. This means that one dog should not be allowed to sleep in the bedroom while the other one has to sleep elsewhere. You may want to consider having, both dogs sleep out of the bedroom or both dogs sleep inside the bedroom. Try to keep things as uniform as possible, and this is more easily done if both dogs are about the same size and have the same overall requirements.

A professional trainer can be very helpful in working with dogs that are not getting along. Many trainers will come to your house and work with the dogs right in the home to make the training applicable in your own home. If you are very committed to keeping both dogs this may be the best possible option.

There may be issues that prevent both dogs from being in the same house. If this is the situation, or it is becoming potentially dangerous for one dog to be around the other, it is time to make the difficult choice to possibly re-home one of the dogs. When making this decision there are several key factors to keep in mind. Remember that it is generally easier for a younger dog than an older dog to be re-homed. The dog that you have just brought into the home is not as bonded or acclimatized to your home, and will have less adjustment problems to a new home.

If you do decide that you have to re-home the new dog you should also understand that it might be in the best interest of everyone to stay with only one dog. You may also wish to work with the original dog in obedience training and other socialisation activities if you wish to get another dog at any time.

Re-homing a dog can be completed through the breeder if you buy a purebred puppy, through one of the many breed rescue centres, or through a private arrangement. It is your responsibility as the owner to ensure that the dog finds a safe and loving home so be sure to research all options to make the transition to a new home as easy as possible for your dog or puppy.