When we get puppies home, it often seems like they are everywhere at once. It can be overwhelming, especially since we often want to start their training immediately to figure out how to get them under control. However, puppies being everywhere is part of their learning. How? Exploration is hugely important for your puppy’s learning and development.
Exploring Novel Stimuli
Healthy puppies are often very curious. This natural curiosity means they want to get into everything; chew on things, lick things, step on things, climb on things, and more. We humans often want to stop this behavior because it takes so much energy to keep them under control, and sometimes that is what is needed. However, stopping their exploration completely would be a mistake. A better solution would be to redirect it. Why? Because when puppies explore, they learn. Here are a few reasons the exploration of novel stimuli is crucial for your puppy.
It teaches them to adapt and problem-solve. When your puppy encounters new objects, places, or situations, your puppy learns how to overcome and/or adapt to obstacles. For example, if your puppy encounters a massive cardboard box for the first time and wants to get past it, the puppy might give some ideas a try, ideally, until it solves the problem. Does it move if I bark? Does it move if I push it? Can I climb over it? Can I go under it? Can I go around it? As it tries things, it will learn what works and when and what to use in the future.
It teaches them what to expect from the environment. Jumping in puddles, walking in grass, listening to the AC go on and off, and more are all things that teach your puppy what to expect from its surroundings. Jumping in puddles for the first time teaches puppies to expect that what it sees might not be what is actually there (the surface looks flat, but it is not); walking in the grass can teach the same, or similar, concepts (grass hides many scents and fun treasures), listening to the AC come on and off teaches puppies that odd sounds like that are just a part of life. Hearing someone drop a pot in the kitchen teaches your puppy that loud sounds happen; it’s not the end of the world.
It gives them mental exercise. Any time your puppy encounters something new, its brain is challenged. It must build new memory paths, which takes effort, time, and experience. Much like working out is good for physical health, encountering and adapting to new things is good for mental and psychological health.
It helps them build confidence. When a puppy encounters something new, it might unexpectedly encounter a situation where it needs to balance better, use its tail more, be aware of where its hind paws are placed, push a little harder, move a little faster, or simply stand its ground. It starts to see what physical tools it has at its disposal and how to use them to navigate its daily life.
Closing Thoughts
You might have noticed that some unwanted behaviors might pop up when your puppy learns through exploration. This adoption of certain behaviors we humans don’t like is because puppies test everything to see how their behavior impacts and influences their environment, including humans. During exploration, puppies try out behaviors. When they try out behaviors with certain people and in certain situations, they may learn things like barking gets mom’s attention faster, whining gets dad up out of bed faster, jumping on the table is a great way to find food, and more. As a result, it is important to redirect your puppy’s curiosity and reinforce it for exploring things that are safe and things it should enjoy interacting with and investigating.
If your puppy is exploring a little too much or has learned some behaviors you don’t like, hop over to the services page and schedule a session! We can figure it out together!
Photo Credit: Unsplash - Ayla Verschueren
Opmerkingen