Socializing Your Dog the Right Way
Why socialization is important for your puppy
If your puppy gets worried or hyper at the sight of other dogs, people, or animals, socialization is the solution. Socialization training will get your dog used to others, feeling safe and secure around nice people, dogs, and other animals. This training is essential for a puppy to become a confident and harmonious adult. Socialization is also great for older dogs who lack the training as youngsters. For more information on puppy development and how the stages of maturity affect socialization, see The different stages of puppy maturity - essential information for anyone with a puppy.
Practical tips for effective socialization
Choose a few places containing whoever you want to socialize your dog with. Hang out near a horse stable, stroll outside a paddock with grazing sheep or sit on the curb and watch the neighbor's cat sit on his porch. Invite a friend with children over. Ask the children to squat down and look the other way while your dog gets to sniff them out. You want to revisit these places or invite people over many times. Short, stress-free sessions regularly will help your dog progress, settle down and feel secure. Socialization takes time but should not be time-consuming while you do it. 15-20 minutes is enough, just make sure to repeat, and repeat 2-3 times a week until you see the desired effect. Also consider the social needs of dogs and how these can affect their behavior, please read more on Dogs' social needs.
Create calm and stress-free meetings
When socializing it is good to have the other dog, cat, horse, or person as uninterested in your dog as possible. If they turn to your dog in excitement they will excite your dog. A socially eager dog will benefit from meeting people who talk to you, not your dog until your dog stops focusing on them. If your dog gets wound up around other dogs, it is good to practice with calm dogs fairly uninterested in other dogs. You can train your dog to look at the dog, pass by, walk calmly next to the dog, or train tricks together without physical interactions. It's a matter of training, and short sessions regularly are the way to go. If you have a dog that struggles with encounters, read: Leash tantrums.
Choose your dog's friends well
Let's be honest. Socialization with people often ends up being petting parties, and dog socialization sessions usually turn into playdates. This can give a dog high expectations of social interactions. Adrenaline and endorphins go through the roof, and this (instead of calmness) becomes associated with people/dogs. "She calms down after she gets to say hi" you may have heard dog parents say. However, if an excited dog gets to greet someone, that enthusiasm is reinforced. Rewarding social eagerness with social interactions may very well backfire. The dog won’t learn to handle social interaction cool-headed and will continue to need the greeting as an outlet. As greeting everyone is not always possible and inappropriate, this is not a desirable strategy, it is one that can lead to long-term stress.
Let the puppy get used to it without interaction
Socialization should instead be about just being with others without interacting. Go to a dog park and linger at a distance. Come back a few times a week, and your dog will eventually get used to it. Sit down at a cafe without letting anyone greet your dog. Why not observe a dog class from the stands? Praise in a gentle tone of voice and slow strokes along the chest can be ways to help your dog settle down. When your dog has calmed down, you can practice things you wish your dog to be able to perform around others. Maybe eye contact, sit beside you, pass by.
Take responsibility and stand up for your puppy
Guide your dog in life. Lead by example. Be the calm you want your dog to be. You can't expect your dog to relax if you can’t. Getting frustrated at a stressed dog won’t help. It's throwing fuel on the fire. Calm, safe and secure should be your dog's image of you as a life coach. It is your responsibility that your dog has positive experiences with the outside world. Protect if your dog perceives a situation as threatening by standing in front of your dog. It could be another dog barking at yours, a child greeting your dog too intensely, or a cat clawing at your dog. Stand in between your dog and the threat. This approach tells your dog that you are the protector when protection is needed. Do this in a calm and staunched way, and in every circumstance needed. Your dog will feel that you take charge of a situation before it gets out of hand. You gain your dog's trust. The result is a harmonious dog without the need to protect itself.
Socialize regularly with short sessions
Be sure to socialize 2-3 times a week for several months. Keep training sessions stress-free and short but frequent. And remember, socialization starts at a distance and does not require close contact or play. Make sure your dog's experience is pleasant, safe, and rewarding. Socialization carried out correctly gives you a confident dog that can mingle with ease and feel good around others.
Written by: Caroline Alupo
Caroline Alupo is Petli's co-founder. She has a master's degree in ethology and is also a trained dog trainer and dog psychologist. She has 19 years of experience as a professional dog trainer. Read more about Caroline here.
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