The APDT Chronicle of the Dog Summer 2020 | Page 52

ASK THE TRAINER SOLUTIONS FOR CLASSROOM CHALLENGES Voices from the Training Community By Jamie McKay, CPDT KSA Ask 10 trainers a question and you’ll get 10 different answers! If you have a suggestion for a topic to be covered in this series, please email [email protected]. This challenge was suggested by Jamie McKay, CPDT KSA: This challenge is one that those of us who work with puppies are facing at the time this column was being written. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic I taught a variety of group classes, including one for puppies under five months of age. A puppy’s early months are a critical informative time during which the puppy forms impressions about different people, dogs and environments that the world has to offer. As trainers, we’ve been advising owners on how crucial early socialization is to the development of their puppies into friendly and confident adults. Puppy classes offer owners a safe place to introduce their puppies to new experiences. Due to the current restrictions on businesses/group gatherings, etc., many trainers who recently taught group classes have switched to offering online classes. Even when no such restrictions are in place you may occasionally run into a client whose veterinarian advises against taking the puppy away from home until the puppy is fully vaccinated. It’s important to offer guidance and alternative suggestions to owners when opportunities for socialization are limited. I hope you find these suggestions helpful. Socialization should be about creating good experiences for puppies without overwhelming them. Think quality over quantity. Keeping your puppy feeling safe helps them learn to build trust. Go slow, at your puppy’s speed. Learn to recognize body language (i.e., backing away, stretching out low to the ground to check something out, tucked tail, lip licking, etc.) that indicates your puppy is concerned about something. If they start to worry give them a few seconds and see if they decide to check out the scary thing. If not give them more space or take a break. Forcing them to interact with something or someone they have concerns won’t help, and in fact it may make it worse. Do not use food to lure them closer to a scary thing. Meeting and interacting with a variety of people is important to the social development of young puppies. However, social distancing mandates that if we encounter people, we are supposed to stay at least six feet away from them and not let our puppy interact with them due to the concerns that the virus can be carried on their coats, risking transmission between people. If you have the opportunity to take your puppy on a neighborhood walk, then carry treats. See a person, get a treat. If not feeding raw (canned, home cooked, etc.) carry a portion of their kibble. As parks and other areas open up so will opportunities to let your pup observe different people from a safe distance. If your pup can’t meet folks who look different, then play dress up! Wear different hats, wigs, sunglasses and change your hair style. Let your children play along by wearing their Halloween costumes. Let your puppy get used to seeing someone wearing a face mask. I don’t recommend using a full-face Halloween mask to start with as that might prove overwhelming. If you don’t have a mask, then use a bandanna, a scarf or simply tie some fabric around your face. Chances are that in the near future all veterinary staff and groomers, etc., will be masking when they interact with your dog at least for the time being. During this time period it’s important to acclimate your pup to gentle handling and grooming and while “not socialization per say,” it’s important for their future experiences with veterinary staff, groomers, etc. Wear some perfume. Walk using a broom stick like a cane. Carry an umbrella (open and closed). Walk by wheeling a suitcase. Show your puppy someone riding a bicycle or a skateboard. Think Ministry of Silly Walks from Monty Python (editor’s note: It’s worth the time to Google that)! Remember these experiences should be fun and positive for the puppies. New things mean play and cookies of course. Take a car ride, park and sit with your pup and watch the world go by. If your pup experiences car sickness this is a perfect time to take things slowly. Start out by just sitting in your car in the driveway and not going anywhere. Work to change your pup’s perception of the car and car rides. 50 Building Better Trainers Through Education