Myth: Pushing puppies to engage with scary things will speed up the process of growing up
confident and out-growing their fear.

Truth: Forcing unpleasant or unwanted experiences, including fearful ones, will increase their fear
not only in the moment but also in the future.

As puppies grow up, they are faced with so many new experiences and stimuli. Socialisation, as
discussed in a previous blog post, is the safe introduction of these experiences. And that includes, at
a pace the puppy is happy with.

For puppies to grow up emotionally balanced and with an optimistic outlook to life, choice and
consent are critical. This means that whenever they face a situation, they are given the opportunity
to express their emotions which are listened to, and appropriate support is provided. This is not
about letting the puppy do whatever they want. It is about recognising their emotions and offering
support so they can learn to make great choices – choices which will end up fitting into human’s
expectations for dogs.

Let’s take an example. Many puppies are nervous when exposed to a hoover for the first time. They
are loud. They move. They are often bigger than the puppy. Forcing a puppy to engage with a hoover
will escalate their feelings from nervousness to fear to terror, perhaps to compliance. However, even
when compliant, fear is surging in their body and they may begin to develop learned helplessness.
This is when a dog believes they have no choice in that situation, significantly impacting their mood
and emotional well-being.

An alternative way to introduce the hoover is to leave it off and allow the puppy to explore it. Rather
than sprinkling food around it to encourage engagement, be patient and allow the puppy to choose
when they engage and then reward the behaviour you want. This approach then helps the pup have
a positive experience around the item, without bribery which may lead to the puppy going faster
than they really want to. It also creates a strong sense of safety as they learn you are there to
support them. This builds trust and strengthens your relationship.

Sometimes, owners mistakenly laugh when they get the reaction of a puppy barking, chasing,
snapping at or interacting with the hoover in an unusual way. It can look cute or funny but actually,
this behaviour is driven by stress or fear. This is the moment to provide more support either by
following the advice above or by removing the puppy from the item.

Therefore, to help your puppy grow up calm and confident, take time to listen to them, observe
their body language and provide support when they show they are afraid.