The most wide-spread advice
to a novice Staffy owner is to not go to public places until
his dog is vaccinated. But the other point of view has
recently appeared among dog behaviourists. Early puppy
socialisation is more important than danger to its health.
Socialising is Important for Puppies and Adult Dogs
Practice shows that socialisation of puppies literally saves their lives, as the main reasons why Staffies, Pitbulls, and Bull Terriers are put down, left at dog shelters are dog behaviour problems. These issues can be avoided if the stage of socialisation was passed correctly.You should remember that socialisation
is important not only for puppies, but for older dogs, too.
Even if you got badly socialised Staffy, you still have a chance
to correct the situation.
Click the image to see the product
Your dog must keep calm when its ears, eyes, paws are checked, nails are clipped, teeth are brushed, hair is brushed, when it is groomed, taken to arms, collared, put on the table, etc.
Your Staffy mustn’t feel nervous and behave strangely when it hears vacuum cleaner, hair drier, fireworks, thunder, music, scream, etc.
Teach your dog to react normally to an umbrella opening, passing by cars and bicycles, etc.
Your Staffordshire Bull Terrier mustn’t feel nervous and behave aggressive towards people of any age, sex, skin colour; people in colourful clothes, sunglasses, with a beard.
Accustom your pet to behave calmly while a vet, groomer visiting, on public transport, in a park, in a car, etc.
A well-mannered dog mustn’t show aggression towards other dogs, cats, horses, etc.
Give your furry pal various toys for Staffies that it can
chew, roll, tug, etc.
Click the image to see the product
Firstly, use a classic motivation system: every new circumstance should be connected with something delicious and pleasant. The vacuum cleaner is switched on, the treats appear. It is switched off, the delicacy disappears. One person brushes dog’s hair, the other offers it food. The procedure is ended, the treats are taken away. The better your Staffy stands new circumstances, the less motivation is needed.
The next stage is inculcation of
conditioned reflexes. Praise good behaviour when it meets any
new object or event that you want it to get used to. Watch the
stress level. If your Staffy is hungry, but it doesn’t want to
eat, maybe you should put aside the object to make it visible
for the dog, but not scary. As soon as it get used to it and
starts behaving calmly with the object at this distance, try to
shorten it.
You can also find puppy training
classes near you to get professional advice about dog
socialising.
And remember, every time you succeed in accustoming your Staffy to new and strange for it, you make it a calmer, more confident, and more reliable member of your family.