We live in a diverse world where no two people look alike; walking down the street, you may encounter people with blue, pink, or purple hair. Or someone with tattoos from head to toe.
While adults may not bat an eyelid, puppies who haven’t been in the world for very long may feel frightened, which is why Guide Dogs U.K. is currently socializing 8-week-old puppies with those who don’t look like your average Joe.
The charity’s head of puppy raising, Haley Andrews told Newsweek: “Ensuring your puppy is comfortable with people and environments from a young age helps them be confident in any situation.”
On Saturday, March 16, Guide Dog U.K. shared photos to Facebook showcasing how they acclimatize the Labrador puppies to a varied world. The pups can be seen playing with a man who is completely covered in tattoos, another with a huge beard, and an inked woman.
Fabio De Paola/PA Wire.
According to their research conducted by One Poll last month, one in five dog owners said their dogs have shown signs of fear or confusion when encountering unfamiliar physical attributes such as beards, facial piercings, tattoos and unconventional hairstyles.
Andrews told Newsweek: “Ensuring our puppies build confidence with novel sights, sounds and a variety of people is not new. We just wanted to highlight all the different experiences it is important to introduce your puppy to, to help build a calm and confident dog.”
Fabio De Paola/PA Wire.
The study also found that dogs didn’t just fear distinctive characteristics, but floor cleaning tools like vacuums and mops, bicycles, and buggies. These are all things pups should be exposed to from a young age.
“Ensuring your puppy is comfortable with people and environments from a young age helps them be confident in any situation,” added Andrews. “You never know who your puppy will be approached by or what may occur in your surroundings.
“This is especially important with guide dogs as they are working with their guide dog owner to safely navigate a variety of environments and situations. If they are fearful or something within the environment this will impact their ability to focus on work tasks.”
Three Tips To Socialize Your Dog
Andrews explained that the earlier you socialize your dog, the better. She has provided the following tips help you introduce your pup to the world around them.
- Avoiding showing more than one thing at once.
- Take your time.
- Always look at your puppy’s body language to assess how they are feeling.
She told Newsweek: “Puppies never stop learning, but there are critical socialization times within their growth and development that are essential times to help build a confident adult dog.”
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Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.