As we all start thinking about (safely!) beginning to go back to doing familiar things, we will serve our dogs well by preparing them for likely changes.
One of the most immediate differences, for dogs, will be the change in how people LOOK to them.
The masks that many people are wearing (and there’s a wide variety of mask designs available!) change such a significant portion of what they perceive as “person”, some of our dogs may need help making the connection.
Yep, I’m talking about a little remedial…
socialization
Socialization is usually something we think about in relation to puppies. Not wrong! The first 12-14 weeks of a dog’s life are, indeed, the ideal time to expose them to all sorts of novel environments, people, textures, surroundings.
Young puppies are biologically, developmentally, primed to receive all this input without drama, without becoming afraid or aggressive about it. It is a necessary part of “growing up”.
Unless you regularly wear face coverings, though, it’s unlikely part of your dog’s early socialization process included people wearing face masks.
And almost certainly not people all around them wearing face masks.
The good news is, it’s never too late to add something new to their repertoire, you just have to do it the right way.
Watch the video below to find out more about WHY dogs may have a problem on the “new” streets, and HOW to help your dog not lose their mind around people in face masks.