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The truth is out there: So why can’t people find it?
By Gina Spadafori
October 13, 2007
Just back from running some errands. At a patio table outside the grocery store was a woman holding a young puppy. “Fantastic!” I thought to myself, “she’s gently socializing her puppy is a safe environment!”
So I walked up to her and asked if I could pet her dog.
“No! Absolutely not!” she said, most emphatically. “I just got the puppy, we need to bond, and I want her to grow up protective.”
With that, she gripped the puppy tightly against her breast, thereby telegraphing to the little pup that strange people are scary and not to be trusted.
Bad, bad lesson.
“You know,” I offered, “I know a little bit about this stuff. It’s so wonderful that you have the puppy out here to see and smell the world. You might think about having some treats here and asking people to give them to your puppy. And by the way, how old is she?”
“Six weeks, and I’ve had her only a week,” she said. “I don’t want her to be friendly with strangers.”
Ohhhhhhh-kay, so strike two. She got her puppy at five weeks.
While a lot of people you shouldn’t be buying dogs from will start selling them the minute the puppies are weaned, in fact it’s really, really important to a dog’s social development that he or she stay with littermates at least until seven weeks of age. That extra time, that key social interaction, helps puppies to learn the ins and outs of canine body language. Puppies separated from mom and littermates too early often become shy or aggressive.
“You know …” I started, but was cut off. “I’m sure you think you know what you’re doing,” said the woman, her upper lip trembling almost as much as her puppy was now. “But we’ve raised a million dogs and we know what we’re doing.”
I smiled, complimented her again on her cute little one and took my leave.
This kind of thing just makes me crazy. Not her wanting to discuss puppy-raising with a complete stranger — I understand that, and who knows by looking at me if I know what the heck I’m talking about? But we’ve known for decades about the importance of socialization, both with momdog and littermates and with people in safe, controlled situations. (Not where strange dogs may share disease.)
And yet … the message just keeps eluding some people. Why? How? And what can we do to change that?
***
Let me put in a pitch here for a great little kit to help you raise a healthy, happy and well-socialized puppy. The Ultimate Puppy Toolkit includes easy-to-follow booklets, a pocket-sized pamphlet and a nifty poster that explains each stage of puppy development and what you should be doing at that point. Maybe I ought to keep a couple of them in my car, for handing out to people who are heading down the wrong path.
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I’d love to have someone (with common dogsense) make up with my animals. I live alone and my animals always seem to be people shy. This makes some people assume they are mean when the animal just doesn’t trust them.
I put my dogs through obedience training as much for the people contact as for obedience.
Comment by Jeanette — October 13, 2007 @ 1:31 pm
Some folks just don’t want to see what’s in front of them…can you make them open to the possibilities? I don’t know. It would take a heck of a metaphorical carrot to lure them into the light.
Is it legal to sell a puppy at five weeks? The fact that someone would even consider it amazes me.
Comment by Mikken — October 13, 2007 @ 7:51 pm
The stupidity and ignorance of some people absolutely floors me.
Comment by Lynn — October 14, 2007 @ 1:04 am
This same socialization issue applies to kittens too. They need to be at least 12 to 16 weeks old some experts say. That is so they know how to play with other cats, so they know how to defend themselves, and know how to interact with a family dog, and how to interact and play with people. If they don’t get that training, then they often become fearful of strangers and run and hide from guests, don’t do well around dogs, and wind up being alpha or timid cats that don’t interact with other cats well. It’s the breeder’s and pet buyers faults when they get them before they are ready.
Comment by Dennis — October 14, 2007 @ 1:26 am
Look at all the brats being raised today. Why would we think that people would do any better with their pets?
If people would focus on raising their kids (human or animal) to have manners and play nice, the worlk would be a much better place.
Comment by 2CatMom — October 14, 2007 @ 10:43 am
The woman with the puppy sounds like she’s going to the Michael Vick Dog Obedience School.
Comment by perkysmom — October 15, 2007 @ 6:54 am
A great way to socialize your dogs if you live alone is do what the lady in the above post did. . .except INVITE anyone and everyone to visit with and pet your dog; and, as Gina tried to suggest to that lady, bring treats to hand out for people to give to your dog. Socialization is soooo important, mostly because well socialized dogs can go more places with you and have a fuller life.
Comment by Cardimom — October 15, 2007 @ 7:30 am
A great guideline offered by many behaviorists: A puppy should be exposed to 100 new things — sights, smells, sounds, people, etc. — in the first 100 days of life.
YES, you need to be careful about disease until all the vaccines are in. But that can be done by going places like the grocery-story patio where there are more people than dogs. I also like the outdoor patios of coffee houses.
In just a couple of months I’ll be raising a puppy for someone else, and you can BET we’ll be out and about like crazy.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — October 15, 2007 @ 8:03 am
These are the same people who say, “but I’ve been feeding my dog brand X forever and there’s never been a problem.” Some folks just seem to feel safer with their heads in the sand.
Comment by Therese — October 15, 2007 @ 8:29 pm