Puppy

I talk a lot about socialization on this blog. Talos is over a year now and I'm still socializing him. You've heard the mantra: the critical period for socialization is up to age 20 weeks. Here's the important part: socialization never stops!

This morning was filled with errands. I took Talos with me, of course, and he learned a lot today. Our first stop was a networking meeting at 7:00a. He doesn't normally get out of bed until 9:00a, so he was quite the sleepy-head (which means he was quiet and well-behaved). 

As the morning wore on, the activity ramped up: Walmart, the bank, and Costco, he livened up a bit as his brain got used to being awake.

We were in Walmart when a loud, wobbly cart came through the aisle. It was one of those huge carts – the big plastic ones where the kid sits inside like it's a train car (or something like that). Talos noticed the noise before I did and peeked out into the main aisle to investigate. I know his body language – this wasn't an "I wanna go see that," it was more of "What the heck is that noise? And will it hurt me?"

Ah, perfect teaching moment for a dog. I quietly reassured him (put my hand on his back) and allowed him enough leash so he could get a good view of the source of the noise. He backed up a few paces as it got closer to us, but as it passed he stretched his neck to see if he could get any more information from it's scent. He didn't try to bolt, he didn't growl or bark, he just wanted to gather more information.

From my perspective, that's a really good thing. Talos is with a puppy raiser to learn all about the world. The scary noises, the funny looking carts, the weird smells in the parking lots, and the list goes on.

I could have demanded that he ignore the noise. I could have insisted that he pay attention to me. I could have assumed he was blowing me off or blocking me out. But that not only would have been wrong, it would have also been stupid. Instead of focusing on me, I focused on Talos – what's the best thing for him? Certainly giving him more information so he could determine the situation was safe was the right answer — for both of us.

The same goes for you, too, if you're socializing your puppy (or continuing to socialize your dog). If your dog isn't paying attention to you or following your requests, it's your job to find out why. Is the situation overwhelming? Are the noises too loud? Is your dog surrounded by too many kids? Are too many hands reaching in to pet him? Are five different people talking to him? Does he need time to investigate and gather more information?

Your job, whether you're a puppy raiser for service dogs or you're raising your own pet dog, is to give your dog the tools and information he needs. Your job is to educate. Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to give your dog more information. You'll have a well-adjusted, easy-going dog as a result. And here's the bonus: you'll be much better at noticing and and reading your dog's signals, too!

After teaching class last night, I loaded three dogs in the Element and headed for Virginia. Today, Talos and I spent all day in Charlottesville working with the good folks at Service Dogs of Virginia.  We worked on typical balance dog skills:

• loose leash walking
• settling quietly on a mat in public
• eye contact
• pivoting left and right
• backing up
• attention/eye contact

We started out in the training center, where distractions are minimal and can be easily controlled.Talos showed off his skills (and the areas that still need more work!) and learned some new ones, too. Then it was off the the Charlottesville mall, filled with holiday shoppers, twinkling lights, larger-than-life window displays, and lots (and lots) of kids.

There were three Great Danes – two in training (Talos and his brother, Gryphon), and a two-year old working Great Dane named Arrow with his person, Valerie.We got the chance to take the dogs into Santa's Circle and the big man himself actually took time to talk to the dogs. Talos was not fazed by the jolly man in red (he was a real Santa – beard and all!).

Three giant dogs make quite a spectacle no matter where they are, but put them in the center of a food court and it gets a little chaotic very quickly!Everyone has a question, everyone wants to pet the dogs. It was a great socialization experience for the dogs. With repeated experiences like this, the dogs quickly learn to settle down and ignore all the hullabaloo. It's really something to see a Dane sleeping soundly in the middle of the mall while a small crowd gathers with cameras, children, and questions.

In the end, though, that's exactly what the dogs need to do. They need to become so accustomed to that scenario that it almost becomes boring to them. Their partner, the person who needs the dog, relies on the Dane for balance and support. The Danes need to focus on their person, the pace, and the requests of their person. The dogs can't do their jobs if they are distracted by squealing children, gasps of passersby, twinkling lights, loud music, or roaming groups of teens.

Tomorrow, Talos has the day off and it's Nemo's turn to work.Despite the forecasted drenching rain/snow and temperatures in the 30's, Nemo and I are headed to a tracking workshop in Richmond, VA. This could get tricky – Nemo's not a fan of the cold. To be fair, he's single-coated. Unlike the Labs, who are triple-coated, Nemo gets cold very quickly. It's like us going out into the weather without a coat – we can't take it very long.

In a pinch, I'll take Tango with me.I'll assess the weather tomorrow morning and make a "game time decision." Tango would very happily trudge through the rain and wouldn't even notice the temperatures. But Nemo's got a nose on him that just won't quit. I think he'd be great at tracking and I really want to give it a go with Nemo.

In any event, the day will be spent learning alongside a dog. It's the coolest way to spend the day.