What Kind of Dog Do You Want?
I'm not talking about breed or size. I'm talking about party animal or wall flower. We all want our dogs to be well behaved and greet both people plus other dogs appropriately. Social distancing is actually an unexpected gift when it comes to socializing your new puppy.
Let's look at the party animal. This dog gets overly excited when he sees other dogs and people. He drags you to greet anything that moves. When he's close to his new best friend, he jumps all over them. He has multiple "Squirrel!" moments.
On the other hand, the wall flower hangs back and will only greet others when forced. He sniffs the ground pretending to investigate pee mail all the while furtively scanning the environment. He'd prefer to be left at home in a sunbeam rather than brought to a beer garden.
Which dog do you want? Neither, right? Both of those dogs could be the result of quantity not quality socialization experiences. So how do we properly socialize to advance our dog's ability to be well behaved and unflappable?
We teach our dogs that no matter what is happening, looking at us is always the right answer. This is where social distancing becomes a gift for puppy socialization.
Since March, we have been instructed to physically distance ourselves from others. This means that you can now create a reality show for your dog. You can go to a grocery store parking lot, sit in your car with your pup on your lap, and watch the world go by. Feed your dog for noticing people and carts, then feed your dog for looking at you after watching the shopping channel. Change the channel by doing this same exercise at various parking lots and outdoor spaces. Don't forget to do this in front of your home on trash pickup day. Inside your home, teach your dog to look at you when he hears a knock on the door, the doorbell, and the vacuum cleaner!
Teach your dog that after he notices changes in the environment, he should look at you. No matter where you go, you are your dog's one constant. The right answer should always be to look at you. Whether he's nervous or enjoying his environment, checking in with you always gives him the information he needs to succeed.
This is the kind of dog you want. This is the dog that you would be proud to bring to a BBQ, beer garden, soccer game, and outdoor cafe. Take advantage of social distancing now so that your dog knows what to do when we gather again. No matter what's happening, the right choice is always to look at you. That's the kind of dog I want.
Rewarding my dog for voluntary attention.