Guide Dogs Puppy Development and Advice Leaflet. No. 8 Social Behaviour

Transcription

1 Guide Dogs Puppy Development and Advice Leaflet No. 8 Social Behaviour 1

2 Table of Contents 3 Teaching social behaviour to your guide dog puppy 3 Leaving a puppy alone 4 Teaching a puppy to use its bed 5 Introducing the puppy to being left alone 6 General social behaviour 7 Home and garden security 8 Attention-seeking behaviour 8 Mounting behaviour 9 Behaviour in external social situations (e.g. cafés, restaurants or other people s homes) 10 Puppy playtime 11 Excitable greeting of visitors and jumping up 12 Stealing 13 Scavenging and begging behaviours 13 Use of furniture 14 Feeding time 15 Barking 2

3 Teaching social behaviour to your guide dog puppy By the end of puppy walking it is expected that our puppies will have learned to behave appropriately in all social situations. By this we mean remaining calm, relaxed and responsive to the handler without scavenging, begging, vocalising or spending. In addition, puppies should be happy and relaxed when left alone and unconfined for periods of up to three hours within a twenty four hour period, during which time they should be clean, quiet and non-destructive. A high standard of social behaviour is essential for all working guide dogs, not only to make things easier for the future guide dog owner in their home and other social environments, but also to ensure that guide dogs continue to be welcome in public places, thereby affording greater mobility to guide dog owners. However, achieving these aims takes a great deal of time, patience and consistency of handling; each puppy has to learn which behaviours are acceptable and which are not. In addition, every puppy goes through a number of developmental changes, both physically and mentally, which may have an effect on the puppy s behaviour. The following information has been put together to help you develop appropriate puppy social behaviour. The information will help you to teach your puppy to be left alone and also covers a number of typical social behaviours you may experience with your puppy, along with possible solutions to improve this behaviour. Leaving a puppy alone Dogs are social animals and consequently rely heavily on social interaction with other animals and people. They enjoy company and it is this that helps to make dogs ideal pets. However, there are times when our dogs will be left alone and we must prepare our puppies for this from an early age by teaching them to feel relaxed in these situations. The following guidelines will help you to establish this behaviour but may need to be adapted, depending on your situation and circumstances, as well as the temperament of your puppy. Please consult your supervisor as required. 3

4 Teaching a puppy to use its bed A puppy derives a strong sense of security from having bedding space that it regards as its own and this can help to prevent a number of inappropriate social behaviours from developing. In addition, using a bed helps a dog to settle into new social environments both as a puppy and as a working guide dog. Introduction of the bed should happen on the day you receive your puppy. Suitable bedding includes standard plastic dog beds or fleeces, although for younger puppies it may be more appropriate to initially use a cardboard box with bedding as puppies grow so quickly in the first few months. Do not use wicker baskets or bean bags, as these can be dangerous if chewed. Introduce the bed as a positive place, not as a punishment; use toys and chews to encourage its use or even take the puppy to bed when it falls asleep. The command to use to encourage a puppy to use a bed is on your bed. It may even be appropriate to have a couple of beds around the house so that access to a bed is available at all times. When your puppy has established a good association with its bed you can say on your bed in a neutral tone when either you can see the puppy is on its way to the bed, or prior to luring the puppy to its bed using a toy, chew or treat etc. When the puppy is in its bed, gentle vocal praise can be given. As the puppy begins to show an understanding of what the command means, the response can be tested by randomly asking the puppy to go on your bed. Praise should be given for correct responses. Non response may indicate a lack of understanding and the previous approach to teaching the cue should be revisited. If you have any problems with teaching this command please contact your supervisor. 4

5 Introducing the puppy to being left alone The process of educating your puppy to be left alone should begin over the first few days after receiving your puppy. At this stage, being left does not necessarily mean being in the house on its own it may refer to being left in another room. To ensure your puppy feels relaxed, confident and settled when you leave it, it is important that the initial experience is a positive one. There are a number of ways to achieve this; most will depend on timing and preparation prior to leaving your puppy. Initially you may wish to leave your puppy when it is asleep or nodding off. Leaving it when asleep on its bed will be a positive introduction. Alternatively you may wish to leave your puppy occupied with toys or chews. The amount of time you leave your puppy for is also important, and this should be built up gradually. When preparing to leave your puppy it will be beneficial to ensure that the puppy has: received feeding as part of its usual routine had a period of exercise, stimulation or play has had an opportunity to relieve itself has had a period of limited interaction with people prior to being left (up to 30 minutes) When leaving the puppy, ensure that: you do not give a command such as wait or stay, as you will not be available to reinforce it the puppy has access to a warm, safe bed the puppy has access to appropriate toys, bones or chews the puppy is left in a safe area of the house or indoor kennel the puppy has access to water the puppy is wearing a standard collar and ID tag (not half-check) or no collar if in an indoor kennel When leaving, adopt a quiet, relaxed and confident attitude, and increase the length of time you leave the puppy. Items such as radios, ticking clocks and hot water bottles (the stone type) can also be useful to comfort and relax your puppy when left alone. When you return to your puppy it is essential that you do so in a positive and relaxed manner. Avoid over-stimulating the puppy as this can lead to over-excitement and other social problems. Calmly greet the puppy and give it an opportunity to relieve itself in the designated area. Most importantly, never retrospectively tell your puppy off for any damage or spending which occurred while you were away. This will help to ensure that your puppy does not become anxious about your return and also helps to prevent increased levels of stress when left because your puppy will not understand why it is being reprimanded upon your return. The reason for this is because the closer we present our consequence to the desired behaviour, the more likely the puppy is to understand which aspect of its behaviour the consequence is linked to. Research suggests that a delay of more than 0.5 seconds will slow learning considerably. If any element of your puppy s behaviour concerns you when it has been, or is being left alone, please contact your supervisor for advice. 5

6 General social behaviour Good social behaviour is learned during a puppy s development and consequently requires a consistent approach by all handlers to prevent inappropriate, yet natural, behaviours from becoming established. Below are some of the behaviours which can be shown by puppies and adult dogs in social situations. For each behaviour, there is a basic description and some solutions which you can apply to try to modify or reduce these inappropriate behaviours. Although your supervisor will be assessing your puppy s social behaviour during visits, please remember to contact your supervisor for advice if problems persist. Mouthing Mouthing is a natural behaviour, especially for dogs that are bred to retrieve. Dogs like to hold or carry objects, especially when expressing excitement or pleasure, and can try to hold, nibble or carry people s hands or clothing. Although this behaviour is rarely based on aggression, it is not acceptable as it can be misinterpreted as aggressive behaviour and can cause injury. It is essential that as puppies mature they learn to discriminate between articles that they may and may not mouth. Measures to reduce mouthing can include the following: ignoring the puppy, standing up straight, folding the arms and turning or walking away from the puppy, so as not to reward or encourage the behaviour removing the item being mouthed and replacing it with an item the puppy can have, e.g. toys, bones or chews using the command No or Ouch if the puppy mouths in order to punish the behaviour, followed by praise when the behaviour stops moving the puppy elsewhere for a time out ; for example moving the puppy into another room behind a baby gate, if it remains excited and continues the behaviour Use of the garden When your puppy has established an appropriate spending routine in the designated area, you might decide that you will allow your puppy to relax or play in the garden. Typical unacceptable behaviours in this environment include: digging eating plants chasing wildlife and domestic pets barking at neighbouring pets, people or animals passing by entering fish ponds 6

7 There are a number of generic solutions to these problems which will improve your ability to control your puppy s behaviour including: not allowing the puppy into the garden unsupervised using a baby-gate to restrict access (this may be useful in the summer months if the back door is usually open) ensuring inappropriate behaviours are interrupted using the No command using toys or play to distract the puppy away from specific behaviours such as digging or eating plants; playing with you may prevent mischief keep the puppy on a long lead to aid learning by reducing temptation or incidents of inappropriate behaviour Home and garden security Puppies are very good at finding and getting through small spaces and for this reason we ask you to ensure that your home and garden are safe and secure. Always: Ensure that fences and walls are secure, that there are no holes or damaged panels which may allow your puppy to escape, that the gaps between slats of a fence are small enough so that the puppy cannot squeeze through or get its head stuck, and that the puppy is prevented from entering ponds or streams. Ensure gates to the garden are closed before you allow your puppy into the garden. Ensure they are high enough to prevent the puppy jumping over and low enough to prevent the puppy squeezing underneath. Return springs on gates are a good idea. Attach locks to rarely used gates to avoid gates being left open. Ensure that the ground is undamaged and any hazardous objects are removed. Ensure that your puppy is secured before you open any external doors. Remember that puppies can become very excited, especially when they meet someone new in your house or garden. Make sure that your puppy is kept under control when you have visitors and also have somewhere it can go to be alone. 7

8 Attention-seeking behaviour Attention-seeking behaviour is natural for most social animals. However, as a puppy develops and matures, the need to demand attention for survival is no longer a requirement, yet the behaviour can be pleasurable for the individual and so can become habit-forming. This can result in a range of inappropriate behaviours which can have an effect on the puppy s social behaviour and ultimately its ability to work as a guide dog. The behaviours typically seen when a puppy is trying to get your attention include: bringing toys and presenting them for you to play with initiating chase me games pawing barking and whining mouthing jumping up stealing using furniture These behaviours could be stimulated for a number of reasons, however if the cause can be identified, the following may help: walk away to another room and ignore the inappropriate behaviour avoid eye contact or other subtle interactions; do not react to prompting by the puppy ensure that you initiate events in the house, especially play and attention praise and give attention to your puppy when it is not seeking attention give a toy and encourage use of its bed to help your puppy to settle Mounting behaviour Mounting is normal animal behaviour, but is not appropriate in some situations, especially when it involves people. Normal physical and mental development will result in this behaviour, so be assured it is not behaviour to be concerned about. To ensure it does not become inappropriate or excessive, it is suggested that the behaviour is discouraged when involving people or other animals. Where possible, try to use vocal commands or distractions, using a toy or chew to stop the behaviour. 8

9 Behaviour in external social situations (e.g. cafés, restaurants or other people s homes) It is in these situations that the social behaviour of our dogs usually earns the praise and respect of the public. People see the behaviour of a guide dog in these situations and marvel at the relaxed, calm and appropriate way it behaves. Much of this behaviour is a direct result of the work carried out at walk. By being consistent in working towards our social behaviour aims, an appropriate standard can be achieved. When in these environments and situations it is important that our puppies are encouraged and expected to be: quiet patient responsive to the handler well-mannered non-scavenging or begging non-attention-seeking In addition, when the opportunity arises in a café or restaurant, the puppy should be happy to lie down underneath the dining table. This standard of behaviour will take some time to achieve, depending not only on the frequency you can practice but also the temperament and developmental stage of your puppy. Select an appropriate environment which suits your puppy s standard of social behaviour to begin with. seek permission to enter the premises before entry; producing your ID card may help practice at home or a friend s home before attempting it in public; this may help your puppy s understanding and boost your confidence praise appropriate or good behaviour take a toy, chew or blanket with you to encourage the puppy to settle; these can be rotated to maintain your puppy s interest stay in social environments for short periods initially and gradually build up the time you stay; this will prevent boredom and negativity being associated with the situation ensure that the puppy has received sufficient exercise prior to being put in the situation this will encourage them to settle ensure a relief opportunity has been given to prevent any accidents check under the table and remove food before settling your puppy down ensure nobody feeds titbits or treats to your puppy never tie your puppy to furniture this can be dangerous If, even with all this preparation, your puppy will still not settle and behave, then please discuss the matter with your supervisor so that they may give you further advice and support. 9

10 Puppy playtime Play is an important part of any puppy s development. Play is used not only to develop relationships and a bond with individuals, but also to practice natural behaviours. When playing with your puppy it is important not to inadvertently encourage inappropriate behaviour, such as biting and other physical behaviours. It is also important not to use any items during play which may have an effect on working behaviour, so we would ask that the following advice be adhered to. The toys a puppy prefers may depend on its breed, temperament and also its age as its preferences are likely to change as it matures and develops. The following toys, bones and chews are suitable for guide dog puppies to use: Kongs on or off a rope raggers dog-safe cuddly toys rubber rings Nyla bones, sterilized bones smoked bones hide chews Guide dog puppies should not be given these things to play with or chew: balls sticks raw or home-cooked bones When playing games with your puppy it is important to ensure it is controlled. The aim is that playtime with you is a positive experience in which you and your puppy can interact in a pleasurable yet relaxed way. You can maintain control of these sessions by initiating and finishing the games when you decide and by including some general obedience commands, e.g. sit or wait. It is important not to play any games where the puppy is chased or which allows the puppy to become possessive of objects. We would generally advise that games are restricted to: hide-and-seek (people or objects) retrieving games (as long as the chase element can be controlled) tug-of-war (as long as it is controlled and that the handler can gain possession of the toy) rough-and-tumble (again, this must not get out of hand) If play sessions become too rough or your puppy starts to show determination that is difficult to control, please stop the game to prevent behaviour from deteriorating and discuss this with your supervisor. 10

11 Excitable greeting of visitors and jumping up Greeting other animals and people is usually perceived as a pleasurable experience by our puppies. The positive socialising you carry out on a day-to-day basis encourages our puppies to expect people to be a positive stimulus. By meeting people playfully, puppies try to make a positive impression and minimise any risk that may result. Ideally greetings should be calm, friendly, relaxed and confident, with a fast settling period. However, greetings need to be managed carefully to ensure that certain inappropriate behaviours are not allowed to develop. These include: jumping up and pawing mouthing, biting and licking barking and growling excessive sniffing mounting urinating Again, although the causes for these behaviours can vary, there are some generic solutions that can be applied to prevent these behaviours being rewarded. These include: educating your visitors to ignore the puppy when they first enter your home and not to reward unwanted behaviours putting the puppy on a lead and controlling inappropriate behaviour before allowing visitors to enter setting up obedience sessions using prearranged visitor situations restricting the puppy s access to visitors by using a baby gate or by taking the puppy into another room giving the puppy a toy or chew to keep it occupied before letting people in If problems persist, please report them to your supervisor, who will have many other solutions to offer. 11

12 Stealing Stealing behaviour or taking items without invitation usually starts to occur as your puppy develops in confidence and size. It can be the result of a number of factors, such as boredom or anxiety, but is often normal mischievous behaviour. However, it is important that this behaviour is discouraged as soon as it starts. Not only is it dangerous for the puppy, but this anti-social behaviour is extremely difficult for a blind or partially-sighted person to cope with. Our puppies should not take any item in the house (including food) unless invited. This includes stealing from hands, work surfaces, pockets, washing lines or accessible surfaces such as coffee tables, etc. The following advice may help to discourage or prevent stealing. Please consider your puppy s temperament when deciding which measures to use. If problems persist, then please contact your supervisor. ensure that items likely to be pinched are kept out of your puppy s reach reduce the amount of access the puppy has around the house this will reduce the opportunities to steal when the puppy is caught in the act, but only when the puppy is caught in the act, use a firm voice and the command No continue to reward good behaviour, especially if a chance to steal has not been taken ensure that your puppy has plenty of access to items that it can have, e.g. toys, chews and bones ensure children are not allowing the puppy to take food. If necessary, separate the children and puppy at feeding times fit child-locks on cupboards or fridge doors to prevent access 12

13 Scavenging and begging behaviours Taking food whenever the opportunity arises is very natural behaviour for a dog. Dogs are opportunistic feeders and unless controlled will usually eat whatever they can, whenever they can whether on or off the lead. They can also quickly learn when food is likely to be available and in some situations attempt to manipulate people into giving them food. On most occasions this behaviour will start in and around the home and when out walking on a lead. Begging at the table and licking plates in the dishwasher are obvious signs, but sniffing when out on the lead and picking up litter is also an aspect of this behaviour. Obviously, this is unacceptable in a working guide dog. Not only is it dangerous to the dog, but it can also have an effect on the dog s work and create issues of safety for our guide dog owners. In order to prevent this behaviour from developing, it is important that you consistently apply some of the following basic solutions: ensure that when the family is eating, the puppy is either under the table lying down or on its own bed ensure nobody feeds the puppy human food or scraps after a meal or from the table firmly control any attempts to take food (see stealing) control with voice or the lead attempts to sniff or pick things off the pavement during walks If problems become persistent, please contact your supervisor for additional help. Use of furniture Guide dogs and guide dog puppies should not be allowed to use furniture. If your puppy tries to use furniture, try the following: verbally reprimand the puppy, using the No command followed by the command Off while simultaneously removing the puppy from the furniture. place objects on the furniture to prevent access (upturned cushions, brooms or dining chairs, etc) restrict the puppy s access to the furniture place single sheets of newspaper or brown paper on the furniture; this is noisy and uncomfortable tip up the furniture to get the puppy off it. But only if doing so will not cause injury to you ensure your puppy has access to its own bedding attach a trail lead and use this to guide the puppy off the furniture praise it when it doesn t use the furniture If problems persist, please contact your supervisor for additional help. 13

14 Feeding time Feeding time is usually a time of great excitement for our puppies and behaviour can deteriorate as a result. Excitement before and during feeding time can often be displayed by barking, jumping up, bossing for food, bolting food and even aggression. If any aggressive behaviour does occur, please bring this to the attention of your supervisor straight away. Our puppies should be quiet, well-mannered, patient and respectful of us whether food is present or not. Your supervisor will demonstrate feeding, but you may also find that the following advice helps your puppy to understand what is expected of it: never allow the puppy to eat until settled and quiet this will ensure you reinforce and reward the correct behaviour control inappropriate behaviours verbally fit and use the lead to control any poor manners, such as diving into the food bowl before being given permission to eat ensure you do not feed your puppy when it wants to be fed by ignoring any prompting remember, when your puppy is eating, avoid moving or playing with its food; by allowing your puppy to eat without fear of the food being removed you will reduce anxiety levels add water to the food immediately before feeding to prevent bolting Feed from a larger bowl to prevent bolting Leave the bowl down for a maximum of 10 minutes for picky eaters before removing it; do not feel tempted to add flavouring to encourage eating. If your puppy is not consistently eating all of its food, please discuss this with your supervisor 14

15 Barking Barking is also a natural dog behaviour. A dog uses a wide range of sounds to convey its thoughts and intentions, so barking is a method of communication. Every dog has its own collection of vocal signals that are dependent on its breed. Different barks can convey excitement, suspicion, aggression and loneliness. Although it is normal behaviour for a dog, it is at times inappropriate for a guide dog or guide dog puppy to bark. Barking should always be controllable by the handler. It is considered particularly inappropriate in social situations, especially when greeting people at the door, when seeking attention and when used in a protective situation as an aggressive tool. During play, barking may be appropriate, but it must remain under the handler s control. The following measures may help prevent your puppy barking through excitement or attention-seeking behaviour: ignore attention-seeking behaviour and walk away control behaviour through the vocal command be quiet and gently praise compliance fit the lead and apply control to reduce excitement levels move your puppy to another area in order to give time out and to prevent barking repetition. carry out obedience exercises to regain respect and control and for which you can praise the puppy Most importantly, please ensure that incidents of barking are reported to your supervisor during their visits to you. These points must be followed at all times to support the agreed training process within the puppy walking department of Guide Dogs. Copyright 2014 A charity registered in England and Wales (209617) and Scotland (SC038979) 09/14 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. 15