Puppies and Rona Part 2

Socialization and Coronavirus

Here are some more suggestions for you and your puppy and a reminder of what we went over last week.

Puppy Socialization is a vaccination against future behavior problems – From birth to the age of 16 weeks is a critical time for socialization and learning.

Socialization teaches your puppy to be comfortable around a variety of people and safely introduces them to novel, fun, and positive experiences in preparation for life with you as an adult dog.

Coronavirus has changed everything, including our rules for engaging with other people. Although dogs don’t get ill from this version of the virus, there is concern over the possibility that they can carry it on their coats and transfer it between people. 

So now what do we do?
If we meet people in our neighborhood or on the street, we are told to stay at least six feet away from them and not let our puppy interact with them. That being said, socialization and development is still important, so here are some ideas for how you can continue to socialize your puppy during the age of Coronavirus.

#1 Health & Handling

• To avoid the potential for future separation anxiety issues when things change and you won’t be around all day, encourage your puppy to spend some alone time in his crate even though you are home. Establish a schedule that you will be able to maintain.
• Get your puppy ready for his next routine visit to the vet. Put your puppy on a table or counter. Do a ‘physical exam,’ teaching him to tolerate handling and manipulation. Practice touching various parts of his body. Spend some time grooming your puppy.
• Feed your puppy on different surfaces, or, for fun, wrap food in a towel or hide it in an empty box.

See this video for Handling practice for vet visit

Next time we will talk about getting your puppy used to moving objects and novel toys.

Our hope is that these ideas will help get you through this challenging time, but most importantly we hope that you keep yourselves and your puppies safe.

#2 Moving Objects & Novel Toys

Once things get back to normal and we’re able to get out and about again with our puppy, we don’t want her to be afraid of things that she has not been exposed to during her time at home.  You can get creative and have fun introducing your puppy to things that you probably have in your basement, yard, or garage.

• Walk a bike past your puppy and, if it’s safe to do so, ride it past her as well.  If she seems afraid then stop for today and next time start with the bike farther away.  Do the same with skateboards, scooters, strollers, and other moving objects.
• Sit out in your front yard with your puppy in an x-pen or on a leash while you watch what the neighbors are doing. Maybe there will be somebody cutting the grass or kids shouting and running. Reward your puppy for calm behavior and paying attention to you.
• Take your puppy to explore in your garage, shed, yard, boat, or camper. Move things around each time so that it’s a little bit different and hide treats in safe areas for her to find.  Let her explore at her own pace and don’t force her towards anything that she is uncomfortable with.

Next time we will talk about getting your puppy used to obstacles and different sounds.

Our hope is that these ideas will help get you through this challenging time. Most importantly though, we hope that you keep yourselves and your puppies safe.

If you have a question about any of these suggestions, then please contact us at Karen@sauteedogtrainer.com