Socialization for Dogs
While many dog owners believe their dog to be the friendly sort, and they very well may be, the act of socialization goes far beyond just saying his to house guests. It goes beyond meeting new people, trips to the Dog Park and doggy play dates, too! Socialization includes items that may be strange to a dog, different floor textures, sounds that can be scary and more. You can start your dog, at any age, down the road to being well socialized with patience and care.
The Fear Periods
While all dogs are continuously learning throughout their lives, including socialization, the two fear periods in a puppy’s growth are probably the most impressionable. These two times in your puppy’s life are when objects, people, other animals and dogs can hardwire a certain emotion and reaction in your dog. The experiences he has during his fear periods are the ones that he will carry with him for the rest of his life, even the bad ones. This is why trainers, breeders, rescuers and veterinarians always stress socialization during puppy hood, because these emotions and behaviors that your puppy learns at this time become difficult to change in the future.
The first fear period
The first fear period will begin before your puppy is even weaned at four weeks old. If your puppy came from, or is coming from a breeder then it is up to your breeder to begin socialization at or before this time in your puppy’s life. The same can be said for a rescue or shelter! It is incredibly important for a puppy at the beginning of his four weeks of life to begin learning new things and have a positive exposure to things that may seem scary to a dog. This first fear period ends at about twelve weeks of age, which means you will receive your puppy during his first fear period! This is a prime opportunity to begin training immediately and form a wonderful bond with your puppy.
The second fear period
The second fear period is a guess, as each individual puppy may be slightly different. It can occur anywhere between seven and eight months of age and lasts for two weeks. During this time you may see more flighty behavior from your puppy, hence the name fear period! It helps to know your puppy well so you can realize quickly that he has entered his second fear period. While socialization should be taking part on a regular basis no matter what your dogs’ age is, this is the most ideal time to introduce him, or reinforce socialization with items and people specifically as well as work on preventative training so your dog will not become reactive in the future.
Exposure vs. Experience
Exposure is needed to socialize a dog, whether you are working on introducing him to umbrellas or other animals. However, exposure alone will not socialize your dog! The key to a well socialized dog is the brief, positive experience he goes through while the exposure is taking place. This does not mean you need to give your dog a treat after he cautiously explore a scary hat on the ground, but instead encourage him to explore it more and when he’s done give praise and move on. It literally can take minutes to socialize your dog with an item!
Nothing Forced
When it comes to socializing your dog with people, especially if you have a shy dog, the trick is not to force him to allow others to pet him. Forcing your dog to let strangers put their hands on him will work against you in socialization. If your dog is shy, let him just observe people, and when a stranger asks to pet your dog don’t feel obligated to let them. Just kindly tell the person your dog is in training, and most people will happily accept and understand to respect your dog’s space.
When your dog becomes interested in the people, and not providing fearful or cautious behaviors, like leanings towards someone without stretching out his back legs (as this allows him a quick exit,) you can allow a person to pet him. Ask the person to kneel at his level, while providing their side not chest in his direction and let your dog approach. This makes the person look inviting instead of threatening, and gives your dog the ability to have a positive social experience with a stranger. Once should be plenty for a shy dog, but an outgoing pup may want to meet humans as many as possible!
Never Stop
Dogs learn for life. No dog is too old to learn new things, not even socialization! If you adopted an adult or senior dog, don’t feel as if you don’t need to help him become comfortable with new or strange things. Even if something is scary to him, he will love to learn something new and be more confident instead of fearful. Never stop teaching any dog new things, especially when it comes to socialization!
Comments