I almost can’t talk to a dog owner without hearing the word “socialisation” at least once. Whether it’s a new puppy owner trying to make sure their puppy meets enough people (because if it doesn’t meet 100 people in 100 days…heaven help it), lamenting the fact that their dog wasn’t socialised due to the pandemic, saying that their fearful 3 year old rescue dog just needs to be socialised—whatever the case may be, it’s safe to say we all know it’s important.
And it is. It’s vitally important, and the importance of it is widely recognised. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) put out a position statement addressing the importance of socialisation, even with the risks of disease. However, there are still a lot of misconceptions about what socialisation actually is, and what the purpose of it is. There are also a lot of things that people do in the name of socialisation which can actually backfire.
Don’t let that scare you, though! To the contrary, I hope that this post will help relieve some of the pressure. The process of socialising your puppy should not be overwhelming or daunting. You are helping a very intelligent little being learn about her world and how to navigate it. You have the privilege and responsibility to facilitate her discoveries regarding what everything means, what will work out for her and what won’t, what is safe and what isn’t. And through her eyes, you gain appreciation for some of the wonder-filled things in our world that we take for granted.
There are things I did with Delia that I would do quite differently with my next puppy, and there are things I think worked very well.
I initially intended that this post would be a super deep dive on the topic of puppy socialisation, but I haven’t felt like doing super-well-thought-out deep dives lately. Besides, there are already a bajillion sources on the subject that you can go dive into; you definitely don’t need me for that. So instead, I will just offer some musings and things to think about.
First, What Is Socialisation (And What Isn’t)
There is a lot of discourse over what the socialisation window really is, when it closes, how it closes, and all the nuances thereof. This is a weedy topic, and a very fascinating one, but it’s not super important for our purposes here.
What the average pet owner needs to know is that there is a critical period for socialisation, and it begins around 3 weeks of age (when the puppies become mobile and start exploring their world) and ends somewhere around week 12-16.
The purpose of this window is to lay the groundwork of what their world looks like. It gives them a reference point. It sort of sets the parameters of what a social member is. The default includes other dogs, of course, because they have their mom and their littermates. But this is also a great time to introduce the idea of cats as social members (and not prey.) Livestock animals can also be introduced as social members at this age. And of course, the reason we love dogs so much is that they will accept us as part of their social group, even the primary part.
Just because a dog was not introduced to another species during this window doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t live harmoniously, but it might not be quite the same. If your dog is not introduced to cats until he is an adult, you may successfully teach him not to chase the cat, but you aren’t as likely to get him to accept the cat as a social member in the same way you would if you introduced him to a cat during his socialisation window.
During the socialisation window, they also learn a lot of very critical social skills. How to read the signals of other dogs. How to inhibit their bites. How to regulate their emotions. All kinds of good, important stuff.
Again, this happens roughly between weeks 3 and 16. Which means that, while you can do a lot to make a fearful adolescent or adult more comfortable with different things, you are not “socialising” them anymore. That ship has sailed. The window is shut. Whatever you’re doing now is something else. It’s no longer socialisation.
Now, Some Perspective
So one day when I was thinking about socialising puppies and how I took baby Delia all over the place, feeding her treats almost non-stop, I thought about street dogs. And I had a small epiphany.
Street dogs are basically the least “reactive” dogs on the planet. Their resilience is really amazing to behold. Their fears are healthy fears. They aren’t at all afraid if a person approaches them with friendly intent, but they show avoidance if the person shoos them away or brandishes an umbrella. They sleep right on the edge of busy roads and don’t flinch at the sounds of honking traffic or motorcycles roaring past. Yet, they would never dream of darting out into that traffic; with every bit of the skill of the human pedestrians, they wait until it is clear to cross each lane. They have arrived at just the right balance of confidence and caution to survive and thrive on the busy streets of Yangon, which is where I became acquainted with them. And from what I have read, this is the case in every city where there are populations of street/village/pariah dogs.
How do these dogs become habituated and comfortable in their environment? Certainly not by someone shoving treats down their throat and forcing them to meet other people and dogs. No, they learn from observing their mother. They follow her and pick up on what she seeks out as an opportunity, what she avoids as a danger, and what she ignores as completely irrelevant. And in a city that is a constant sensory overload of loudspeakers and traffic and chanting and smells and smoke and lights, the vast majority of it, they learn, is irrelevant. It must not be scary, because mom is ignoring it. And it isn’t rewarding either (they’re certainly not getting treats for looking at things or ignoring things or looking at mom in the presence of things.) It’s just neutral.
And all of this, again, is conveyed through mom’s social signalling and modelling.
Most of these dogs would not do well if you “rescued” them from the streets and stuck them in an average family home in America. But in their element? In the environment they were born and raised and socialised into? They’re phenomenally successful. They seldom come into conflict with other dogs or with humans. Sure, they suffer disease and the realities of being an animal in nature. But they are well-suited to their environment, and they are some of the most stable dogs you will ever see—mentally, emotionally, and behaviourally sound.
Now, before we get too far down this path and draw a one-to-one comparison between street dogs and our pet dogs, let me point out one very important, glaring difference between the street dogs in Yangon and your dog at home: the street dogs in Yangon are breeding themselves and being shaped by their environment. Dogs who can’t cope with the conditions in one way or another will not survive, and thus will not breed. So the population is always adapting to the changes in the environment, and the dogs who are successful are well-suited to the environment, which means that their puppies, for the most part, are too.
The situation is quite different with our pet dogs. In developed nations like the United States, we spay and neuter the majority of dogs and intentionally choose which genetics will be passed on. This human interference brings mixed results. In the best case scenario, there are some outstanding breeders (shoutout to Delia’s) who are doing an amazing job of breeding for temperament and producing consistently sound dogs. Other breeders prioritise different things at the expense of this, and still others are putting very little thought into prioritising anything at all besides simply churning out pups. Even in cases where humans did not have a direct hand (“oops” litters) it just is not the same phenomenon of the environment shaping which dogs are successful on a large scale. This means we may be working with puppies who are already predisposed to a level of anxiety or fear, which the street dogs may not have.
In addition to controlling their own gene pool, street dogs have freedom and autonomy to learn for themselves and at their own pace. They don’t have a human handler’s emotions to complicate things—and oh, don’t worry: we’ll get to how we complicate things!
So comparing our pet dogs to street dogs is not apples to apples. But I do think there are some very important takeaways:
- The value of social learning and natural consequences over arbitrary rewards or punishments when it comes to socialisation
- The fact that the majority of things in the environment should be neither scary nor opportunities for reinforcement, but completely neutral.
- The idea that a dog should be socialised for the life it will actually be expected to live.
Okay. Now with that perspective in mind, let’s get into some misconceptions about socialisation. And first, I’ll put myself on blast for how I socialised Delia.
What I Did Wrong
Okay, I’m being a bit dramatic. While I would do it differently in the future, I’m so happy with how Delia turned out. To her own credit (and her breeder’s) she was a solid pup from day one, and while she did like to take a moment and suss something out before diving in, she didn’t show any real anxiety or apprehension.
Furthermore, she was saved by the pandemic really. I had listened to all the podcasts, read all the things, and watched all the videos before bringing her home (okay, not all, but a lot!) I had a checklist printed out of all the things she needed to be exposed to, and I had fully bought into the “100 people in 100 days” message. But during the pandemic, I wasn’t having people over. I didn’t take her to a puppy class. I was trying to avoid unnecessary shopping trips. I did set up some opportunities for her to meet people outdoors, and I took her on lots of walks around traffic and people and dogs. But the checklists were not being checked!!
I also used far too many treats, I think. When I strapped her in her carrier and walked along busy streets, I was feeding her the whole time. Often just part of her daily kibble ration, with some soft smelly treats mixed in. I wish I had used less treats and just let her take it all in, pick up on the cues I was sending, and decide for herself that all these things were fine. I think constantly distracting the dog with food or toys can easily backfire.
Quality Over Quantity
Let me emphasise first: my goal with this post is not to pretend I know better than any of the well-respected experts who have been in the dog world longer than I’ve been alive and had their hands on more puppies than I probably ever will. I think the message of socialisation is important, and at the time when some of these socialisation checklists and messages came out, it was crucial that people realise the importance, and having goals and checklists was clearly hugely instrumental to socialisation becoming the household buzzword that it is today. However, eventually the pendulum swings too far, and there are smarter people than me who are advising caution when it comes to socialising puppies. For instance, a few weeks ago I listened to this really good episode from Hannah Branigan’s podcast Drinking from the Toilet, and was so pleased to have some of my musings validated. I’ve also talked about this with Delia’s breeder, who is an incredible resource when it comes to all things corgi. So I’m not completely going off the rails here, I don’t think.
But the reason I say that Delia was saved by the pandemic is that if I had truly done all the socialisation I had planned to do, in the way I planned to do it…honestly, she’s Delia, so she may have been fine. But I also stood the chance of completely overwhelming her little puppy brain.
While the puppy is growing up, there are these periods of time which may be referred to as fear periods or sensitive periods or probably other terms I’m blanking on. During these periods, the puppy’s brain is especially impressionable and receptive to learning. It is more likely to get lasting learning from just a single event or a couple of events. Rightly so, people are often worried about the puppy having a negative event during this time, as a fear developed from a traumatic event during a sensitive period is likely to be extremely resistant to change. But it cuts both ways. Positive events during this time will also make a lasting impression on your puppy’s brain. So if you can just set up a few really good quality experiences, your puppy will hang onto those. It doesn’t have to be a hundred people, it doesn’t have to be every conceivable sight and sound and stimulus they may possibly encounter. On the other hand, if you go for quantity over quality, the chances are much higher that you will unwittingly traumatise your puppy.
Thanks to the pandemic, I invited friends and family members to come and meet Delia outside. She had a huge amount of space. She was very friendly and wanted to be near people, but if she had been shy or felt nervous, she had plenty of space to retreat. The atmosphere was relaxed, just hanging out in the backyard. I think it would have been ideal to have some guests actually enter the home had that been possible, but she has no issues with visitors coming in now, so that worked out fine.
Her opportunities to meet other dogs were also limited, and after leaving her littermates, she didn’t play with another puppy until I think around 5 months of age. Instead, she learned a lot of very good lessons from my old guy, Trigger. I’m going to do an entire post on that topic soon, so stay tuned.
So while the socialisation opportunities Delia had were limited, I think they were just right. Especially because having a scary traumatic experience isn’t the only thing to worry about.
Socialisation…Or Sensitisation?
You made sure your puppy met just about every person you could chase down. You handed each person a treat and coaxed her to take it from them. She never had a traumatic experience meeting a human. But now, she barks and lunges when strangers approach, and wants nothing to do with them! What happened?
There is not a clear answer as to why some puppies desensitise when exposed to things in the environment, and other puppies sensitise. (Sensitisation is basically when an animal becomes more sensitive to a stimulus and has an even stronger response than before.) But one thing that seems to be true is that it has little to do with how you set the situation up, and much more to do with the personality of the dog. You could have two different dogs and use the same socialisation methods with both, and still find that one desensitises while the other sensitises.
I am taking some courses from Trish King’s Academy of Dog Behavior right now, and she pointed out that those of us who are introverts would not enjoy the prospect of meeting 100 people. So while an extroverted puppy can handle that kind of intensive socialisation just fine, it is actually counterproductive in an introverted puppy. I think that is profound! If the puppy finds the very fact of receiving attention from a stranger to be unpleasant, then it won’t matter if you pair these meetings with treats. What she is learning is that when strangers approach, you are going to force her to greet them, even though she’s uncomfortable. Depending on the dog, she may just shut down and learn to accept this, while being unhappy about it. Or—and in a corgi personality I would say this is more likely—she will start to react defensively to prevent an interaction when someone starts to approach.
Bear in mind, this doesn’t just apply to meeting new people. Sensitisation can also happen when it comes to loud noises, different surfaces, grooming/husbandry routines, pretty much anything you want your dog to get used to.
In order to make sure your pup is being truly desensitised and having a good experience, you need to know your pup. And you need to read your pup.
Work With The Dog You Have
I truly think Delia is an introvert, believe it or not. She is bubbling and sociable and she likes meeting people and other dogs, but she can only keep that up for so long before she wants quiet time to recharge. As much as she enjoys playing with other dogs, I find myself wondering often whether she would actually mind if she didn’t have the opportunity anymore, and I don’t know the answer to that question. I just know that while Delia is far more socially skilled, has a much more dazzling smile, and has more charm in her little nub of a tail than two of me put together, our actual bandwidth when it comes to socialising is about the same, and we’re both ready for a nap afterwards.
So, even though you may have a Pembroke, and they do tend to be quite outgoing dogs, it’s important to be honest about who your dog is. Some dogs are introverts. It’s okay if your dog doesn’t want to meet every stranger you pass on the sidewalk. We certainly don’t expect humans to do that, so why do we ask that of dogs? They’re likely never going to see that person again. Just keep walking.
A lot of people expect their dog to be able to go everywhere dogs are allowed, and to be okay with it. And some dogs like this. Delia loves going to Homegoods and looking at things and touching the dog beds and the blankets like a weirdo. (She also insists on sniffing every candle that I sniff. She’s not a dog.) She behaves herself and makes people smile. Just today she put her front paws up on the counter and peeked over at the cashier with a big smile—absolutely made the lady’s day. So I like to take her there. But I decided not to take her to hardware stores anymore, because while she does behave herself, If I watch her closely, I can see she’s a bit tense—I think from all the noises. And she doesn’t really investigate or seem interested in anything the way she does at Homegoods. So, while she doesn’t make a scene, what’s the point of bringing her if she doesn’t like it? I personally don’t see one.
Just something to keep in mind. Accept your dog for who he/she is, and find activities you can truly enjoy together. Getting out in nature is something pretty much any dog will benefit from, and it’s good for us too. I say this as someone who hated any kind of outdoor activity and is now addicted to taking walks and hikes thanks to dogs. It’s one of the many gifts they give us.
So when it comes to socialising your puppy, don’t push them to be someone they’re not. It will only backfire. Appreciate the dog that you have. For the shy pup, perhaps the most crucial part of socialisation is learning to trust that her human has her back and will advocate for her, not push her into situations where she feels unsafe. This way she won’t feel the need to take matters into her own hands, and can instead act in a way that is socially acceptable, i.e., not barking and lunging at the end of the leash. A dog who is polite but doesn’t want to meet everyone is perfectly okay.
On the other hand, if you have a little social butterfly who does want to meet every stranger, it’s probably important to make sure that isn’t his expectation, and that he can cope with not being able to greet every human and dog. Which brings us to…
What Do You Want The Rest of the Dog’s Life to Look Like?
Here’s the thing: unless your dog is going to meet and greet every person and dog you happen to pass for the rest of his life, there is no reason for him to meet every person and dog in the name of socialisation. I repeat: there is no reason for him to meet every person and dog in the name of socialisation!
Remember what we discussed with the street dogs? The vast majority of things in the environment are simply neutral. Many people are so focused on not wanting their dog to be fearful that they go the other way, creating a dog that obnoxiously expects to greet anyone and everyone. This is seldom a good thing. Even if you want your dog to be a therapy dog, for instance, they need to learn that there is a time and a place, and that they will not meet every person and should not expect to.
As for meeting other dogs, I don’t do on-leash greetings at all, period. You could drop the leashes to let the dogs meet, but ask yourself why that is even necessary. I wish I could remember who was saying this, but it was a great point: best case scenario the dogs get along and really like each other, and then after a few minutes the humans want to continue walking their separate ways, and they don’t see each other again. So what’s the point?
Your dog doesn’t need to meet strange dogs. And your puppy certainly shouldn’t. (Nor should your puppy set foot in a dog park during the socialisation period, in my opinion). Set up playdates with appropriate dog friends. And set the expectation from day one that we don’t greet or play with other dogs we see in public.
Establish a Relationship From Day One
This is so easy to do with a baby puppy. They’re hard-wired to bond with you. So just make engaging with you rewarding. Play with your puppy. Teach easy, low-pressure tricks like hand targets, picking up toys, spins, giving paw, etc. Make yourself someone worth listening to, and be someone who listens. Take notice when the puppy is telling you she’s uncomfortable or needs something. Be consistent and dependable, someone your puppy can hang her hat on and draw her confidence from. This is critical to proper socialisation. Your puppy needs to trust you:
- To keep her safe
- To provide good information about the world
- To help her learn which behaviours will work out for her benefit and which won’t
- To be in control of the environment and provide access to good things.
As I said, establishing a strong bond with a baby puppy happens pretty quickly, which is good, because it is the prerequisite for the following to work.
Just Be Chill
The most important thing you can do when socialising your corgi is not to micromanage or obsess over any of it. Just be like the street dog moms: go about your business and let the pup follow and take notes. Convey with your body language and emotional state that everything is fine.
Think about what associations you really want your puppy to be forming. Do you want your adult dog to get excited and look for treats in the presence of this stimulus, or do you want him to just kind of chill out and accept it? Not everything in the environment needs to have a strong positive association, nor should it. We want our dogs to learn that most things are simply not relevant. There may be things in the environment that you want to teach your puppy to avoid. And there are also some things that you do want the puppy to find fun and exciting. But just always be mindful of two questions:
- What should the puppy be learning from this experience?
- In this environment or in the presence of this stimulus, what emotional state would it be best for my dog to have?
Again, if I were to go back and do things differently with Delia, I would be more judicious in when I used food and when I didn’t. Using food gets the dog in a state where they are excited and trying to work out how to get more of that (especially if they’re a frighteningly clever little corgi), which is what we want in some circumstances, such as when we’re training tricks. It’s not what we want if we’re trying to just relax outside a coffee shop with our dog at our feet. In that case, we want calm relaxation, not anticipation or offering behaviours in hopes of getting more reinforcement. So just be mindful of the emotional state you are creating, and whether it will serve the dog well or not.
What I Think Socialisation Really Is
At its heart, I think socialisation is really about the dog learning to read and respond to her social members, including you. When you socialise your puppy in this way, prioritising building that relationship and being a stable source of calmness and confidence that your dog can draw from, it becomes less important which specific things you expose the dog to.
When I took Delia to the corgi races, she had never been to a place with that many people and dogs. She had never heard the thundering of hooves on a race track. But she was completely fine, even lay in my arms like a baby and took a nap! When I took her to fast CAT, she was surrounded by super hyped-up dogs, people running back and forth and shouting to one another, all that whirring of the lure—it was a lot. But she was calm and happy. She looked around at everything with curiosity, and when I pulled out a book, she curled up and took a nap.
That’s what I think socialisation is really about. There is no way you can expose your dog to everything in that short window, and I think it would be detrimental or at least futile to try. But when you facilitate the learning of good coping skills and prove to your dog that you are someone who can be relied on, your dog will be prepared for whatever life throws her way.
This is getting a bit long, so I think I’ll end here. Again, this wasn’t a thorough how-to on socialising your corgi puppy, but more just some observations and things you may wish to think about. Or not! I don’t know everything, I just have a lot of opinions. Take them or leave them.
If you enjoyed this post, that truly means the world to me! You might like the rest of my blog—I often share rambly musings no one really asked for. If you don’t want to miss out on future posts, you can go ahead and put your email in the little box at the bottom of the page, or you can follow us on Facebook (also bottom of the page—there’s a link) where I post links to every post along with cute pictures of Delia, and thoughts even less coherent than what makes it onto this blog. It’s…a great time. Really. I’m making it sound horrible, but it’s fine, actually.
And that’s it. Have a lovely day!
