Ontario Veterinary College professors Jason Coe and Lee Niel and post-doc Janet Cutler found that one-third of pet owners failed to expose their puppies to enough social stimuli, including people and animals, during the first few months of the dogs’ lives.

“This is concerning because it means a significant proportion of pet owners are missing the small window between two and 14 weeks where socialization is such a crucial piece in the behavioural development of dogs,” says Coe.

“It’s a limited opportunity where pet owners can have such an influence on a puppy’s life and increase the likelihood of preventing the behaviours that can result in these animals being returned to shelters.”

As well, 51 per cent of pet owners failed to attend puppy classes. The researchers found significant differences in puppy behaviour and owners’ disciplinary techniques between those who attended classes and those who didn’t.

Puppies that didn’t attend classes were more likely to be fearful of noise, such as vacuum cleaners and thunder, and to react fearfully to crate training.

Pet owners who didn’t attend classes were more likely to use punishment-based discipline such as yelling or holding their puppy on its back, the study says.

“This speaks to how puppy classes aren’t just about obedience,” says Coe. “They are about exposing your pet to other people and animals as well as educating pet owners.”

Properly socialized puppies are less likely to be hyperactive or fearful, engage in unwanted chewing or show aggression toward people or other pets, Cutler adds.

“These problem behaviours in dogs are the leading cause of breakdown in the human-dog relationship and are associated with relinquishment,” she says.

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Hugs aren’t necessarily off limits. The key is respecting your dog’s boundaries and personal space. Niel says each dog is different in terms of what they like and don’t like, so it’s important to watch your dog’s behaviour for clues.

“If they are showing signs of fear — things like lowered ears, lowered body posture and trying to pull away — those are obvious signs they are not enjoying a particular type of inter- action,” says Niel. “But if they are leaning in and soliciting more attention, you know you are on the right track as to the kind of things they enjoy.”

The type and amount of affection a dog enjoys isn’t about the dog’s breed. Niel says it’s about previous experien- ces and the individual personality of

the dog. This shouldn’t come as a surprise — it’s true of people, too. “The way we all interact with the world is based on our previous experiences of what is safe and what isn’t,” she says.

And just like us, if your dog is focused on an activity such as eating dinner or feels anxious for some reason, it might not be the best time to solicit affection from them.

“When your dog is stressed and focused on dealing with that stress, they might not want to be cuddled and touched because that might be distracting to them,” says Niel.

This is also true if they are sleeping. Like you, your dog may not want to be woken up for a hug.

Niel says the best approach for a happy dog is to make yourself avail- able and let them come to you.

Dogs can also adjust to our behav- iour. “You probably already know some ways your pet likes to interact with you,” says Niel. For example, most dogs like to be scratched on the shoulders.

Get to know what your dog likes and you will enjoy a trusting relation- ship with all the benefits of the human-animal bond. – KAREN MANTEL

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