The term “socialization” is thrown around a lot by dog people. Owners hear from their breeder, trainer and veterinarian that they should “socialize” their puppy. Owners of ill-mannered dogs are frequently told that their dog’s bad behavior is due to a lack of “socialization”. For a term that is used so often, it is surprising how few people understand what proper socialization is, and how critical it is to reducing dog bites.
Proper socialization is probably the single most important thing an owner can do to guard against the most serious behavior problem there is – aggression. Dogs who bite are frequently banished to the back yard, re-homed, taken to the pound or euthanized. Therefore, proper socialization can mean the difference between life or death for a dog. Dogs get euthanized every day because they bite someone, not because they don’t heel well.
A dog that has not been properly socialized will tend to be shy and over-reactive. They may flinch, freeze or withdraw when petted. They may startle easily by things considered routine like children squealing, cars, bikes, automatic doors, etc. They may even become fearfully aggressive when people do things like: Make direct eye contact, make direct frontal approaches, smile, make movements over the dogs head, neck, or shoulder area to pet. Undersocialized dogs fear these normal human greeting behaviors, because they are the same as some very threatening canine behaviors. Because we see undersocialized dogs acting in a fearful manner, we often presume that they were “abused”. This may be the case sometimes, but not usually.
Many dog owners feel that just getting their dog out in public occasionally constitutes proper socialization. It is true that some dogs do just fine with this kind of exposure. They never bite anyone or behave aggressively. These owners are lucky. They have a dog whose breed, genetics and temperament allow them to get away without a specific socialization program.
However, many dogs, because of their breed, genetics or upbringing, need a special socialization program. Some breeds are harder to socialize than others. Dogs that are bred to be naturally suspicious like the guarding breeds (Rottweilers, Chow Chows, Shar peis, Brazillian Filas) or breeds that have been developed to work independently of people, rather than in conjunction with them (some Terriers), usually need more work on socialization.
Certain individuals also may need a special socialization program. Poor breeding practices may produce a litter of puppies that are shyer than the norm. Puppies inherit a lot of their “shyness” from their mother. Breeders who place a lot of emphasis on the stud dog will often discount the importance of the mother and will believe a good father can overcome a mothers marginal temperament. Also, puppies reared in isolated situations often need more socialization than others.
As trainers, we must encourage every owner to properly socialize their dog. Each puppy or new dog must be given every opportunity to become as social as possible. It is a dangerous practice to allow owners to go along “feeling lucky” with their puppy. It may be too late to help them after the dog has bitten someone.
While every new dog or puppy owner should begin proper socialization immediately, it is more important for people who adopt from shelters or find a dog on the street. In these situations, the new owner doesn’t know the genetic make-up or personal history of the dog or puppy. Therefore, it is much more important to give these rescued dogs every advantage by properly socializing them.
The optimum time to socialize a dog is before it’s 5 months old. After 5 months of age, socialization occurs at a slower rate. Socialization can start as soon as a puppy is born. Even puppies that are still nursing from their mother can benefit from brief, gentle handling from a variety of humans. Socialization should always start as soon as possible – as long as the puppy or dog being socialized is healthy and the socialization is done correctly.
Proper Socialization is the exposure of the puppy or dog to things in the environment the dog should ignore or not react negatively to in the future (people, children, mailmen, cars, cats, bicycles, other dogs, etc.). Another term for socialization is de-sensitization. Unsocialized dogs over react to many common things. (Other dogs, strange noises, cars, bicycles, new people, people who are different than their owners – shorter, taller, wear glasses, wear a hat, etc.). Proper socialization is the act of teaching the dog to not react by de-sensitizing him to those things. This de-sensitization is done by exposing the dog to the environment in small increments and by helping the dog make positive associations to the things we are de-sensitizing him to. It is important to not overwhelm the dog by over-exposing him to new things. This may cause the dog to become sensitized. By forcing or overwhelming the dog, we cause him to make a negative association to things in the environment and cause the dog to become more fearful and/or aggressive.
An example of proper socialization is taking a puppy to group class but only exposing him to pleasant dogs at a distance he feels comfortable with. The owner gives the puppy food treats, praise and petting when he is calm. If he becomes agitated, the owner does not punish him, but simply moves a bit further away from class until the puppy is comfortable again. A good sign that a dog is comfortable with a situation is that he or she will take food treats. The owner slowly gets closer to the other dogs over the next few weeks, keeping things positive as the puppy gets accustomed to the other dogs. An example or poor socialization that can lead to sensitization or even aggression is taking a puppy to group class and dragging him into the middle of the class where the puppy becomes overwhelmed. The owner continues to force the situation on the puppy despite the fact that the puppy is nervous (eyes dilated, stiff, low body posture, hackles up, unable to take food treats). The owner may even punish the puppy because they are embarrassed by the fact that the frightened puppy nipped at an overbearing adult dog that charged him. Over time, this puppy is likely to get more apprehensive during group class. The owners should expect to see his behavior get worse with each exposure. The puppy may even become dog aggressive.
It is very important for the owner to learn how to read their dogs or puppies body language so they will know if they are properly socializing their dog or overwhelming him. The puppy should always appear relaxed and happy during socialization. The owners must not force any socialization experience on their puppy (dragging the puppy into a noisy area or shoving the puppy into the arms of someone he’s frightened of). They should learn how to use food treats to encourage their puppy. Owners should be taught to look for any cringing, shaking, or freezing-up in their puppy and immediately make things easier. They should also be sensitive to any indication that the puppy is trying to hide or run away. Again, they should try to avoid these situations first. By choosing socialization experiences that are appropriate for their puppy and by bringing him into these situations when he’s hungry, their food treats will be most effective for distracting or re-directing his attention, should he become concerned or startled about something.
If their dog or puppy becomes tense, nervous or frightened, they must not “soothe” him. This will only imprint the fearful reaction. Instead, they must learn to re-direct the pup’s attention onto a food treat or toy. They should then calmly get the puppy out of that situation and decide how they can re-introduce their puppy to that situation in smaller steps. They may need to go a bit slower and build up the pup’s confidence with exposure to other public situations. Make sure they are properly using their food treats and that the puppy is hungry enough in those circumstances to be “brave” to get the treat. The owner can teach their puppy to learn to be “brave” by using the food treat to encourage the hungry puppy to overcome his fears in order to get the food treat. The owner can use a food treat to coax the puppy across a slippery floor or into a new or noisy area. The owner can give food treats to strangers to encourage a shy puppy to go to strangers.
It is important that we educate our clients about the importance of proper socialization. We must also let them know how they can socialize their puppy and protect him from Parvo. Most veterinarians will agree that it is important to avoid areas where other dogs have been. The owner can take the puppy places where other dogs don’t usually go – like shopping centers or their friend’s homes. The puppy should get to meet as many different people as possible. Tall people, short people, children, people wearing hats etc. These people should be encouraged to give the puppy food treats. This should occur on a daily basis. The owners should also be encouraged to get the puppy in a play-group with other healthy, vaccinated puppies. Exposure to healthy, friendly adult dogs is important too.
Many owners refuse to take their puppy out until it is fully vaccinated (at about 5 months old) for fear of contracting Parvo. They frequently misunderstand or overreact to their veterinarian’s warnings about not taking the puppy places where he may get exposed to canine viruses. However, a puppy can be taken many other places to socialize with people and healthy, fully vaccinated dogs the owners know personally. While Parvo is something to be concerned about with a new puppy, it does not claim nearly as many lives as behavioral problems do.
