⁣⁣⁣ It’s a fact that dogs that haven’t had sufficient positive and neutral exposures to the world around them – the world they have to live and function in as adults – have a much greater chance of developing behavioural issues later in life.⁣⁣⁣
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Making up for lost time isn’t really a ‘thing’ when it comes to your dogs development.⁣⁣⁣
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This stated, there is also no point sitting on your hands and maligning the reality of the situation you find yourself in with your dog.⁣⁣⁣
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Below is a list of 7 things you can action immediately to put your dog in the best position moving forward:⁣⁣⁣
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This will create a strongly conditioned reinforcer that can become hugely useful in your dog’s training, and can form a useful tool if your dog does develop any behavioural issues later.⁣⁣⁣
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Your dog needs to experience the world, and he’ll never learn to cope without an effort to expose him to it. Start slow, in a manner that allows him to cope, and graduate the intensity of the exposures incrementally.⁣⁣⁣
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Anxiety is experienced by dogs on a spectrum, and though many dogs can still learn and function just fine with mild levels of anxiety there are some that simply need more help than others. Your dog will not grow out of it, and without assistance from a pro there is a fair chance it will get worse.⁣⁣⁣
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Training your dog to a high level of proficiency in just a few core skills using a well designed curriculum, focussed on building those behaviours towards becoming repeatable and reliable will do a massive amount to offset current or future behavioural issues.⁣⁣⁣
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Look for trainers that are focussed on building the behaviours that they would prefer to see, and those that reinforce desirable behaviours early and often. Avoid anyone that is consistently offering ‘quick fix’ solutions, or one size fits all mentality.⁣⁣⁣
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For 99% of the population having the time isn’t the issue, and consider that you’re probably not truly part of that 1%. Prioritisation of what’s important is. Make time to do the work, and commit to two or more short sessions per day. Also, see point one above.⁣⁣⁣
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Stop relying on your older dog to teach your younger dog the ropes – it’s your job. Make sure that your pup gets to spend time completely alone, and without you in the room or even in the house. Conversely, make sure that when you take your pup out into the world you do so with only the pup and yourself – it’s important she learns she is powerful enough to process what goes on around her and to cope with what comes her way.⁣⁣⁣