To Fear or Not to Fear, that is the Question

info2439292
Feb 28, 2024
2 min read

Hey guys, Wenzdi here from Yes Boy! with a little blog - this time we are talking about socialisation.

Some might think that socialisation is dogs meeting dogs, but that can't be further from the truth. Although this is an element of socialization, it is not entirely the case. Socialization includes all environmental aspects of your dog's life.

We look to socialize puppies from an early age to expose them to all sorts of environmental stresses. This could include the vacuum cleaner, fireworks, cars (and other vehicles on the road), bins, sliding doors, children, disabled people and everything in between. A well socialized dog isn't fearful of practically anything.

Dogs go through a number of stages in their lives where they seem to be fearful of random things. In the dog training world we call this the hazard avoidance phase. The first instance of the hazard avoidance phase could be as early as approximately 3 weeks of age, when puppies, eyes and ears have begun to develop. It is at this stage a good breeder will expose puppies to household items that could potentially cause fear in later life.

Fear stages like this happen almost suddenly and last for approximately 2 to 3 weeks. It's incredibly important to ensure that exposure to fearful stimulus during the stage is done very carefully. These phases crop up throughout the puppies early life and throughout Adolescence. It is very normal to have an adolescent dog that suddenly becomes very unconfident. Working through this stage with a ethical, reward based trainer is vital to ensure your dog becomes confident again.

The dictionary states socialisation is "the process by which we learn to become members of society, both by internalizing the norms and values", and this is no less true for our dogs.

So, how do we do it?

1. Find a good breeder who begins this process during the puppie's development.

2. Begin slow exposure to stimulus with lots of treats and play.

3. Enroll in an ethical training class or book a training session to guide you.

4. Never force your dog into fearful situations, however silly they may seem. This is what's known as flooding and can cause your dog to shut down.

5. Never allow your dog to participate in a class that says dogs/puppies will be let off lead to socialise. This ends up being a free for all where the confident puppies scare the nervous puppies!

6. Say no! If you feel like it's a bad idea, it probably is. If someone asks to let your dog play with theirs and their dog doesn't match your dog's energy say no. Again, book a trailer for help with this.

Remember to advocate for your dog and work together to improve fear. Throwing your fearful dog into the deep end will surely not offer a positive result.