01/08/2025
🐾 Socialisation and Generalisation 🐾
Often when we think about socialising a dog as a puppy we focus on other dogs. If this is overdone, the risk is that a puppy becomes too happy to see other dogs and barks to see them, and hasn't had adequate socialisation of other sights and sounds. Ideally, socialisation means that a dog is happy and confident around new sights, sounds, people and animals but doesn't have a burning desire to approach. Generalisation is relevant because it's something dogs aren't great at - how many times have you said that he listens at home but at xyz he goes deaf? Practising skills in different environments means your dog can cope when something new crops up. So here's Minnow, on her first trip to the zoo, totally uninterested in zebras, rhinos and giraffes. Her training in different environments before now means she can cope with a novel and challenging environment when it crops up. Clever girl!
