It was late February 2020 and I brought home my first puppy in 20 years fully expecting my young grandsons to help me socialize her and without warning a couple of weeks later we went into Covid quarantine. It was now me and puppy staring at each other in the house together 24/7 for weeks on end right through her precious socialization window which lasts up to about 16 weeks of age.
This socialization period from 6 weeks to about 16 weeks is when all puppies explore and learn about the world without fear but rather a charming sense of whimsey about what they find in the world. A blade of grass is fascinating. That is when we typically start their puppy obedience training, exposure to other dogs while on walks or at puppy play dates and meeting new people at home and out and about. They learn to trust and they learn what works and what doesn’t when they approach a new doggy friend. What they see and hear during this time frame shapes them for the future. Things like a girl on a bike, a lawnmower next door, a man with a hat on, umbrellas that pop open, lots of feet to maneuver through, music at an outdoor concert. Everything is accepted with a wagging tail of curiosity.
This period of openness to new things is hard-wired into dogs from ancient times. They need to learn about the world while they are still being protected by the pack however, by four months they are joining the pack and are developing a healthy sense of fear of the unknown for survival’s sake. So, we take advantage of this genetic period of open learning.
What about vaccines? We’ve been told to limit interactions until they’ve had their shots. Let them meet dogs that you know have been vaccinated or puppy classes of same age pups at the same place in their vaccination series. There are plenty of things you can do that won’t risk puppy’s health including going for car rides, through drive thru’s at fast food, banks or the pharmacy.
I wasn’t able to expose her to all the sights and sounds of the outside world, other dogs and other people. I called her my Covid puppy. As soon as quarantine opened up and I had the opportunity I signed her up for doggy daycare to get her exposed to other dogs. She started out somewhat awkward, with her standard greeting of barging into the group and then immediately realizing her mistake laying on her back until they accepted her as the “goofy pup”. Everyone wears a mask, including my grand boys who come over and help her learn to settle down or run fast around the yard until she’s tuckered out! How I wish they were there when she was four months old! We’ve had to work extra hard to catch up exposing her to all the things she missed and we are always ready with cheerful optimism and patience.
Socialization is too important to wait. If you have a “Covid puppy” and noticing signs of shyness or doesn’t adapt well in new situations consider your first step is to help your dog develop a sense of confidence by engaging with obedience training with positive reinforcement and developing a positive plan for socialization exposure in a strategic and purposeful way to help your pup learn how to live in this new world. Remember, Happy Dog, Happy Life!
Comments