Let me tell you the story of Mack. We rescued Mack from a farm where he’d been shut in a barn for all his life to that point. He snuggled into me when I picked him up and that was it – I brought him home.
But he was terrified of everything. He refused to go out for walks or get into the car, he was petrified of anything new and he would react by snapping and biting any time he was frightened of something, right from the start.
Mack’s fear aggression was partly his poor genetics, but in large part also because of his lack of early socialisation. The breeder has a huge responsibility to provide a wide range of socialisation experiences. The key puppy socialisation period is between 3 weeks and around 16 weeks of age, but socialisation needs to be continued for at least the first year. So, the breeder is responsible for at least half of the new experiences a puppy has to have to become a well-balanced and happy family pet.
I worked really hard with Mack. We finally got him to tolerate going out for walks and travelling in the car, but we always had to be very careful with handling him and I never let anyone else get too close, as he couldn’t cope with new people or other dogs. He bit me badly several times and also bit four of my family members, but I learnt a huge amount before he finally left us.
Mack was the main reason I became The Doggy Doctor.
It’s also why I am so passionate about puppies getting thorough, positive socialisation experiences. Which is why we have set up our Puppy Socialisation Practice course.
Here’s what one owner said:
‘We have an awareness now of what socialisation means (ie not just people) and the importance of introducing our puppy to many new important experiences. We also feel more confident in caring for him. We have successfully tackled his fear of lawnmowers and some noises outside and the ‘be a tree’ advice has been a godsend with our young children! The knowledge and passion from Carol mean we are in safe hands if we follow her advice. We got reassurance that the biting is normal, and great tips on feeding and walking. I would absolutely recommend this service to others. Having support at the end of an email is so valuable. We are really looking forward to puppy training next month!”
Preventing problems is so much easier than trying to deal with them once they’ve started. I’d hate to see any other dog feel so overwhelmed by ordinary life, nor do I want other owners ever to feel as helpless as we did. Mack suffered due to his poor genetics but mainly from his complete lack of early socialisation.
Keep training and keep safe,
Carol