“Our puppy hasn’t walked with anyone but us.”
Spooky’s parents reached out to me for my dog walking services with one concern. He was 5 months old at the time, already house-broken, knew basic commands and extra tricks –I could tell his parents must have spent a lot of time training him at home. For someone who really cared about raising their puppy the way they did, I thought their concern was wise and legitimate.
Puppy Socialization during COVID Quarantine
With the newly adopted lifestyle working from home during the pandemic, I have noticed more and more people deciding that now is the time to welcome a puppy that they have wanted into the family. While I can totally see how you may look at it as an ideal time to do so, there are some unique challenges to be aware of in raising a puppy during quarantine. Like Spooky, I suspect that the majority of the puppies adopted in 2020 are the same way. I am writing this article in the hope to raise awareness of the importance of early puppy socialization, so that when you are finally ready to go back to the commuter work style, your puppy will be well prepared.
What Puppies Really Learn from Socialization
The importance of early puppy socialization is now more widely known thanks to Dr. Ian Dunbar –a veterinarian, animal behaviorist, dog trainer. It is said that 3 weeks to 4 months of age is the prime time and the most sensitive period for socialization in a dog’s life. Through positive experiences provided during this period, your puppy will learn that new people, new dogs, new environments, new experiences are safe and fun. It is important to expose your puppy to as many different people and pet animals as possible, ensuring that the experiences are positive. In other words, with lack of positive early socialization, they may grow up to be fearful of unfamiliar things. Fear in dogs can manifest as aggression, anxiety, barking or other unwanted behaviors that are harder to correct later in life than preventing them from developing with adequate early socialization. Believe it or not, the vets have reported that fear in dogs is most commonly a product of inadequate socialization whereas people often mistakenly think such dogs must have been abused. We all know that living in fear is no fun. You want your puppy to grow up to be happy, confident, and to freely enjoy new experiences of the world. That is why it is essential that you start socializing your puppy as early as possible.
Puppies learn through early socialization not only to not be fearful of new things, they also learn how to interact with others and learn the consequences of their actions. They learn social cues such as growling or raising lip, which may mean “Back off.”—a request for personal space. With lack of early socialization, they may fail to read those social cues and unintentionally fail to respect appropriate boundaries that things could escalate into a dog fight. You don’t want your dog to learn the lessons in the hard way. Socialization is much needed experiences for your puppy to develop skills to behave in ways s/he can thrive in harmony with others.
Pro Tips: Ways to Socialize Your Puppy during Quarantine and avoid “Quarantine Puppy Syndrome”
1. Help your puppy enjoy exploring as many different streets and greeting as many dogs as possible with positive reinforcement (praise, attention, treats, fun time).
2. Social distance dog walks with friends
3. NYC Dog Parks are now open!
4. Practice leaving your puppy home alone or in a separate room for a short period of time then longer, to help him/her get comfortable spending some time apart from you.
5. Get your puppy started on pet care services.
How Spooky is doing
Although Spooky is naturally a happy, social puppy, he displayed separation anxiety at first, anxious to leave his parents behind to go out for a walk with me. He froze up and couldn’t walk like he would normally walk with his parents. I had to carry him in my arms on our first walk together. It took us several walks, lots of positive reinforcements to help Spooky understand that it is safe and fun for him to go out for a walk with me and his new walk buddy Charlie as much as with his parents. It’s been 2 months since Spooky has joined my pack. He is well-adjusted to his new routine now that he greets me and Charlie ready and excited for his walk time. He is the life of the party at the dog park, making friends with everyone he meets. I’m hopeful that this preparation will help him build the foundation from which he will explore the world, while knowing that new people and dogs are safe and fun and that things are okay even when his parents aren’t around.
If you are a puppy owner who is likely going back to the commuter work style sooner or later and eventually will need pet care services whether it is a dog walker or doggy daycare, I would suggest to get your puppy started on that service just like Spooky’s parents did, even if your current work style doesn’t require you to. Even several days a week of tryouts can help your puppy gain some confidence with experiences and ease into her/his routine full time later on.
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