Environmental conditioning
Teach your puppy to be confident anywhere you go
Environmental conditioning is one of the most important duties of yours during your puppy's critical socialisation period. Introducing your new family member to as many environments, surfaces, weather conditions and natural elements as possible will help them to grow into a dog that is happy and confident, no matter where their owner takes them.
While working on environmental conditioning with your puppy, always make sure that they have a good time and they aren't forced into situations they find uncomfortable. If your pup is scared of a certain thing, take them far enough from the object so they can calmly observe it while taking your tasty treats. If something unexpected happens, like a balloon explodes on the street or the wind blows something over, show calm confidence to your pup, maintain a happy voice and feed them some treats if possible. Showing love to an unsure puppy or giving them some comfort can mean a lot in scary situations. Always maintain a happy voice while talking to your pup during environmental conditioning, to reassure them there's nothing to worry about.
Places and environments
Take your puppy to as many different places as you can! Take them to the beach, help them climb some rocks and play in the sand! Take them to busy urban areas, sit down and just watch people, vehicles and other dogs pass by. Go on short bushwalks one day and then take your pup to Bunnings the next! Spend some time at coffee shops and dog friendly restaurants. Avoid taking them out in the same areas; drive even just a few streets down the road so they can experience many different streets and neighbourhoods. Getting them used to travelling in the car is very important to avoid carsickness or restlessness during future trips.
Noises and sounds
In a world where everything is new, loud and unexpected noises can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. Help your pup to get used to the sounds of everyday life. Exposure to a lawnmower, a motorbike or a leafblower would help your pup to ignore such machine noises later in the future. Getting them used to the sound of storms, parties and crowds, playing children will help them greatly to remain calm and confident in many different settings. For a great variety of sounds, I can highly recommend using the Sound Proof Puppy App, created by Amy Smith.
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To desensitize your puppy to all above stimuli, start playing a sound on very low volume, so your puppy can hear it but it definitely doesn't bother them. Feed your puppy treats as you slightly increase the volume. Watch your puppy and stop the exercise before the volume would get overwhelming for them. Take your time and allow a few sessions with your puppy before reaching the loudest volume level.
Weather conditions
Get your puppy to know as many weather conditions as possible! Walk them often after sunrise and take them out for a quick stretch when it's raining! Take advantage of sudden thunderstorms or strong winds and make them a fun experience for your pup by playing with them or giving them treats. Don't forget: always watch your puppy and if they are uncomfortable, remove them from the scary stimuli and maintain a happy voice to show them confidence. Maintain the increased distance until your puppy gets comfortable again, and only then move close to the stimuli again (if at all).
Surfaces
Let your pup experience as many strange surfaces as you can think of. Walk them on sand, concrete and gravel and let them roll around on the grass. Encourage them to walk on wet grass and to walk over puddles. Let them get in the mud! It washes off and your puppy is going to have the best time.
Introduce shiny and slippery surfaces to them, like marble floors or glossy floors. It would be a good idea to take them to a pool so they can experience the wet, slippery stone and the water next to each other.
Feel free to set up a ballpit or a sandbox for your puppy to play in. If you are feeling creative, you can even set up a little 'obstacle course' and use a food lure to walk him over the ballpit, some plastic bags, a tarpaulin, some plastic bottles or anything that is out of the ordinary. Get them used to walking the stairs - it can be difficult carrying an full-grown dog if they develop a fear of stairs!
