I’m sure the answer to this is yes but do you know how to get a happy, confident dog?
Socialisation begins before they even leave their mother and breeder. Small things, such as introducing noises all build a dog’s confidence.
To continue building your dog’s confidence it is important you introduce them to lots of different experiences as early on as possible. These experiences must all be positive, if your dog has a negative experience it can cause major behavioural issues.
In my 1-2-1 puppy course I have a section that is purely focused on confidence building and this includes hiding food in piles of boxes. By doing this your dog will get used to the noise and the movement the boxes make as they fall. You can increase the pile, add other materials and vary the surface. Aslong as everything you use is clean and safe it will help.
Others things you can do include playing noises a various volumes, introducing diiferent smells (not strong smells as a dogs primary sense is it’s nose), wear different face coverings e.g hats, scarves, cycle helmets, walk your dog in different placs e.g fields, parks, beaches, industrial estates, past schools etc.
If you click the link below it will take you to a YouTube channel that has lots of different noises you can play. Try and play them as often as possible and gradually increase the volume. With Fireworks night coming up it is incredibly important to start work now. Ideally you should be doing this daily.
Confidence building isn’t just for puppies, I currently have a number of adult dogs that I’m working with that need help.
It is never too late to have a happy, confident dog!
If you need help with any of this or you require information regarding any of my services feel free to email info@theipswichdogtrainer.