How To Properly Socialize Your Dog (Hint: No Dog Parks)

Socialization is one of the most important skills we can teach our dogs. How our dogs perceive the world will form the foundation for every single experience in their lives. Depending on a dog's genetic makeup, training, and socialization, a simple walk around the neighborhood can be a fun, relaxing experience or a scary endeavor. We all want to do right by our dogs and set them up for the best life possible through proper socialization. Below, we discuss what socialization is and how to socialize dogs properly.

Common Dog Socialization Misconception

Over the past few decades, the concept of dog socialization has changed much in owners' eyes. Nowadays, most people think that a well-socialized dog plays with all dogs, wants to greet all people, and essentially invites everyone and everything to be their friend, regardless of their behavior. Therefore, they take puppies and young dogs on outings, have them interact with as many people and dogs as possible, and, if their dogs become nervous at any point, the conclusion is that more socialization is necessary. That is true, but how we socialize will heavily influence their development.

Suppose we repeatedly force dogs into uncomfortable situations without actively building their confidence in incrementally stimulating environments. In that case, we are essentially beating our heads against the wall and worsening an existing problem. A puppy nervous about people leaning over it and petting it or handling it in ways that are not respectful or enjoyable (although they may be perceived as friendly, well-intentioned interactions by humans) will not learn to enjoy people by repeatedly being put in an uncomfortable position. Instead, it will either fear them more and flee at the sight of humans approaching it or eventually show aggression to avoid further interactions. Additionally, a puppy that is eager to interact with every dog and every person that it sees on an outing instead of interacting with its owner is not only missing out on a fun, interactive experience with its owner but can also become hazardous, reactive, and even aggressive depending on its size, its handlers size and age, its genetic makeup, and other factors.

In summary, focusing on plentiful, often forced interactions with people and dogs alone is not enough and can create some serious problems down the road, regardless of your dogs' reaction to this "socialization" method.

What is a Well Socialized Dog

To us, socialization means exposing dogs to as many different environments, sounds, smells, people, dogs, and other stimuli as possible and teaching them to ignore those distractions and confidently engage with their handler.

A social dog is a dog that is comfortable and confident in its environment and its skin without needing to interact or react to every stimulus in its environment, including people, dogs, noises, and more. A well-socialized dog easily ignores what is happening in its environment without worrying and fully trusts and focuses on its owner. Moreover, a well-socialized dog is comfortable interacting with well-mannered dogs and humans who respect the dog and do not force interactions. They are also comfortable ignoring said dogs and people. They neither obsess over nor stress out over these interactions.

Tips to Socialize Your Dog

The basis of proper dog socialization involves exposure, confidence, and focus. Most owners go above and beyond in terms of exposure. In other words, they take their young puppies and dogs to many new environments and situations to socialize them. However, frequent socialization outings can be disastrous without intentionally building a dog's confidence and focusing on the handler in these environments. Instead, keep the following in mind when exposing your dog to new experiences:

• Foster a Calm and Confident Attitude. The quality of dog interactions with their environment is much more important than sheer quantity. Dogs should never feel forced into a new situation but instead built up progressively through training. This includes promoting our dog's calm state of mind and building confidence through positive interactions with the handler in a new environment. ‍
• Control Interactions. To make sure that we build up and reinforce the right mindset, controlling the environments and interactions during socialization is crucial. This means carefully selecting the environment, dogs, and people your dog could interact with. For example, a family reunion with kids is not the best environment to socialize a young puppy if the children are not aware of proper dog etiquette or if guests cannot ignore your dog. At the same time, you train it around people or if other dogs may come up to it in a way that your puppy is not ready for. Think ahead before choosing the environment to socialize your dog and ask yourself whether it is realistic for inappropriate interactions to be avoided, given where your dog stands in the training process and the uncontrolled variables in the environment.
• Build a Strong Dog-Handler Relationship. If you want a dog that listens to you when out and about and trusts you when unsure of something, you must become the most valuable entity in its life. This means you must be exciting and engaging during an outing and in day-to-day life through consistent, appropriate training and careful handling.

Socialization is an ongoing process. When planning how to socialize your dog, consider whether a specific experience promotes the overall behavior you want for the rest of your life. For more help on how to socialize your puppy or to learn about any of our dog training programs, speak to the staff at Chomps Dog Training today.