Socialisation & Enrichment
Socialisation
A well-socialised puppy is the key to growing a confident, well-behaved and sociable member of your family. Effective socialisation helps your puppy learn what is expected of them and encourages positive associations with the world around them. Without effective socialisation, puppies can develop significant behaviour problems later in life, which may lead to aggression and anxiety. Such behaviours are extremely detrimental to both dogs and their families.
Undesirable behaviour in dogs is among the top 3 most common reasons for euthanasia in dogs. It is also a contributing factor for relinquishment to shelters or rehoming. We need to balance the risk of poor socialisation with the risk of infectious disease such as parvovirus. Compromising puppies’ socialisation will lead to fear-based behaviours that impact normal life, whilst parvovirus is an extremely infectious disease that can result in severe disease and death in unvaccinated puppies.
The sensitive period for puppies’ socialisation is between 2 weeks and 16 weeks of age. This is the most important time when effective socialisation needs to take place. However, puppies will also generally receive their initial vaccination course between 6 weeks and 16 weeks of age, with immunity to parvovirus developing several days after the last vaccination.
Check out our recommendations below or click here to find out more.
Enrichment
In the world of dogs, there is now more awareness than ever of the need to provide enrichment. What exactly is enrichment? The concept is pretty straightforward: learn what your dog’s needs are, and then structure an environment and routine that allows them to engage in behaviors they find enriching. To truly enrich your dog’s life, you should offer them opportunities to engage in natural or instinctual behaviors. Aside from the limitations we have to place on a dog in today’s modern, busy world, the biggest constraint to enriching your dog’s life is your imagination!
To find out more about enrichment and download printable handouts by clicking the image below:
