There is a misconception that socializing your puppy means that it has to play with every dog, meet every person, and visit every location. But in reality, good socialization means your dog feels safe. In our Puppies on the Town class at Home Depot this week, my students practiced basic obedience and good manners with the distractions of everyday shoppers milling about. They also learned to focus on their handlers, look at (but not worry about) strange equipment, and explore their new surroundings with very little pressure.
Coping with Distractions
Much like in traditional puppy classes, Puppies on the Town classes operate with distractions. Instead of being in a room filled with other excitable puppies, though, our classes come complete with diversions present in real life. Distractions at Home Depot start in the parking lot, with shopping carts being pushed towards cars, motorized equipment carrying flats of inventory, children trotting after their parents, and a stray food wrapper or two.
Typically, distractions would prevent pups from being able to focus on the other end of the leash – the YOU end. But with a variety of training activities, such as the Up-Down-Pattern Game, we were able to remind pups that we were present and that paying attention to their handlers is FUN. One of the pups in class is very social, wanting to play with the other pup and visit with passersby. The other is more sensitive, needing reassurance from mom that she was safe in these foreign surroundings. By increasing distance from triggers and using the nooks and crannies in the store, we were able to make both dogs feel safe and limit distractions for them both.
Basic Obedience Training
It’s best to start basic obedience training at home, where it’s easy to focus on you instead of on their surroundings. Puppy classes, regardless of their location, tend to be very distracting. Once your pup has practiced some of the basics at home, it’s fun to test them in new locations. Because this was our third class in the series, pups had some experience with attention and obedience games. They also had a really strong history of getting treats for focusing on their handlers and for trying hard to perform basic tasks.
We worked on building duration on Sit and Down, along with using a strong Release cue so the pup knows when he or she can get up. Valuable treats are crucial in this type of environment. While some dogs will work for a portion of their daily kibble rations in public, others require something a little more motivating, such as cheese or bits of cooked chicken.
If you are like most active households, it’s really helpful to have a “Go to Mat” behavior for your dog. This means that if you put an old towel, bathmat or carpet square on the floor, the dog will automatically go relax on it. Imagine it! The dog knows where to go when you are making dinner, watching your child’s sporting event, or having a picnic. Some dogs catch on so quickly – and it’s a true joy to watch them learn that interacting with the mat means they will be rewarded. It also gave us another opportunity to work on a strong Release cue, reminding the pup that she was free to move and take a break.
We could easily have an entire series of classes in Home Depot! Pups can safely be exposed to people of all sizes, ethnicities and ages. It’s a great place to learn that people in uniforms are nothing to worry about and that strange sounds, textures, and equipment are not as rewarding as their handler.
