Holidays

[sallyjkeinarth]

We have had a rescue puppy for 2 weeks. Family coming for Christmas Day; 20 new friends! Suggestions on helping pup interact?

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi sallyjkeinarth,

How old is your puppy? And how is he/she temperament-wise so far towards people? Shy, outgoing, fearful, hyper? Just checking as my response will be based to a great extent on whether the pup is in the prime socialization stage or past it and his/her individual personality.

Edited December 24, 2018 by Adrienne Farricelli

[Adrienne Farricelli]

I haven't heard from you, so I am guessing that you are in middle of big Christmas preparations and therefore thought to post a quick reply just in case you happen to stop by before the big event.

 

If this is a new puppy that is under 16 weeks, your pup is in the prime socialization stage. During this critical window of opportunity, you want to expose your puppy to as many people, sights, sounds, smells, as possible, as these experiences will help shape the dog of your future. During the socialization window, puppies are less fearful to encounter unfamiliar stimuli and situations. The puppy is more likely to approach humans and objects and interact with them especially if he had a good head start while in the litter in the breeder's care.

 

It has been found that lack of appropriate early socialization can result in problematic behaviors such as excess fearfulness and even aggression.

 

A Christmas party therefore can provide the means for the puppy to encounter many different types of people who look, smell, or move in a way that's different from their breeders and new owners; however, it's important to pay attention to the puppy's body language and prevent exposing the pup to overwhelming situations that may induce stress or fear.

 

Since a puppy under 16 weeks hasn't yet finished vaccinations, for safety, make sure that shoes remain outside as an extra safety precaution and that your guests wash their hands before handling the puppy.

 

Now, a puppy should not be exposed to a potentially overstimulating party cold turkey. Exposing the puppy to a large crowd can be an overwhelming experience that may cause the puppy to feel stress or fear. Rather than being desensitized, there are risks the puppy may become sensitized, which is the opposite of what one wants to accomplish. This is why I asked how your puppy's temperament is as some pups may not be ready for such big happenings involving many people. This post therefore tackles a pup who is rather confident and easy going and has already met several strangers and faired well with them.

 

Ideally, before exposing a puppy to a big crowd the pup should have been allowed some time to adjust to his new home and new few family members. Afterwards, friendly strangers should be incorporated starting with one stranger, then two, and so on and then a small group of people.

 

So perhaps, you can introduce your puppy to a few guests as they arrive or a few guests once the majority have left if you want to take advantage of your Christmas party and turn it into a little "puppy socialization party".

 

The goal is for your puppy to form positive experiences, but even well-meaning children or people may at times interact in certain ways that may be overwhelming and even frightening to a young puppy. Your pup therefore must be exposed to a variety of people who take time to follow clear instructions and who will hand feed, handle, and train your puppy in a positive way. Just as puppies readily absorb pleasant encounters, it is also easy for stressful situation to have a negative impact and shape fear.

 

Generally, you should follow though these important considerations and rules:

 

-Keep treats handy and ask for anyone interested in interacting with the puppy (who isn't?) to hand feed treats as the puppy is pet and given attention by the guests one at a time. In lieu of treats, if you are concerned about excess calories or tummy upset, guests may offer the pup his kibble if it's just around feeding time or a favorite toy as they give the puppy attention. With children, you will have to provide clear instructions on how to interact. Place your body between your puppy and child until the child clearly understands what to do. Remember: you are your pup's ambassador and you must monitor all interactions and ensure they go well and remain safe (for both people and your dog).

 

-It's all about creating positive associations with as many different people and characters. You will therefore need to always keep an eye on your puppy's response to these people. In an ideal situation, your pup should look happy, confident and curious to meet each character. If you notice at any time any fearful body language or signs of stress, keep tabs on it and try the identify the reason (is the person tall, wearing sunglasses or a hat? was the person looming over the puppy?) Then, think about what you can do to ameliorate the situation in the future (e.g. feed treats every time your puppy sees people wearing sunglasses).

 

You may want to jolt down any things that appear to cause tension or frightens your pup so that you can set up a counterconditioning and desensitization program (visit the article archive area for more info on these terms) with that particular stimulus or situations in the future before the socialization window closes. If your puppy shows any signs of fear or aggression, stop the interaction and consult with a behavior professional for in-person help.

 

-Although this is a party, it's important not to promote puppy overexcitability (excessive jumping up, whining/barking and nipping). It's important to promote instead the puppy's ability to relax and focus despite the distraction of many people.

 

So while it's great to create positive associations with a variety of people, it's also important doing so without promoting high energy inappropriate activity and excessive emotional arousal. Puppies can be encouraged to remain focused through simple, reinforced exercises. Easy exercises that can help promote relaxation and focus incluse ‘look at me’, ‘sit’, round-robin recalls (people sit in a circle and take turns calling the pup and rewarding the pup for coming) or hand-targeting which are all covered in the course. You can take turns asking these behaviors and having your guests ask them as well.

 

Tip: Products that have a calming effect such as DAP (dog appeasing pheromone) diffusers such as Adaptil, installed a couple hours prior to the party may help the pup feel more at ease.

 

-After several pleasant, yet controlled interactions, the puppy may start growing tired. It's always best to stop the interactions on a positive note with the pup wanting more, rather than the puppy tiring and requesting a break through withdrawal or avoidance behavior. It's therefore a good idea, at some point, to call it quits and give the puppy a break. When overstimulated, young puppies tire easily, get cranky and need a nice nap (which by the way, helps solidify the experience).

 

Provide your puppy with a quiet spot away from the hustle and bustle, but still within hearing reach, where he can sit back, perhaps chew on a safe, age-appropriate toy before taking a little nap. It's good for the puppy to learn to relax to the point of sleeping while hearing people in the background. If your puppy though seems to have a hard time relaxing by all means provide him more distance.

 

If this is a puppy over 16, that is confident and hasn't showed fear in the past weeks, structured introductions with a few guests willing to follow your instructions can prove beneficial as well. It has been shown that puppies past 16 weeks still benefit from structured socialization, and after all, this is something that should be continued for the rest of a dog's life.

 

If your puppy has shown signs of stress, fear of people, noises sights or excess arousal, overexcitability etc in the past weeks, then the party may be too overwhelming to allow him to participate for now. Pups like this may need more remedial socialization and controlled settings than anything else and can be easily flooded and over threshold when exposed to intense experiences. He may be better off for now staying safely crated in the most distant room away from the hustle and bustle with a TV or radio on to buffer sounds and perhaps a blanket over the crate to encourage him to nap or relax. Providing him with exercise and mental stimulation prior can help him relax prior to the guest's arrivals. Remember to check on him every now and then to see how he's doing and take him out for potty breaks as needed.

 

I hope this helps,

Best wishes for a Happy Christmas,

Adrienne

Edited December 25, 2018 by Adrienne Farricelli