#11 Successful Socialization

Highfives Insights: What is successful socialization?

Everyone knows that when raising a puppy, socialization is key. Many new pet parents want to get their dogs into as many social 'learning' experiences as possible by having them meet people and dogs of all kinds and visit tons of public places in hopes of teaching them how to become a well-rounded member of society. More socialization equals more confidence right?

Wrong. There is an even more important aspect to remember: The quality of each social experience needs to be consistently successful or else you risk breaking down your dog's trust and confidence with every social interaction. Quality over quantity.

From my experience, it's easier to rehab an under-socialized dog then one who has been over-socialized.
An oversocialized dog has a belt full of many varied experiences, including those which turned out to be a flop and instilled fear, stress, or insecurity. This is what creates overreactions and high stress levels in dogs as they begin to act prematurely upon their negative feelings when confronted with pressure. Trainers often comment that the most reactive cases they know are dogs who frequented doggy daycares or dog parks. All strangers and unfamiliar dogs start to represent tension and are associated with arousal.
Meanwhile an under socialized dog may be unsure how to act in new social situations, but that is just because they've never had very few experiences, positive or negative. They are essentially a blank canvas. There's never been any break of trust in their life so, although they may show initial fear, they are more likely to be curious and more accepting of all social interaction after only a few positive encounters with other dogs and humans.

It's best for a puppy to be provided with solid social sessions early on in life, so she can enjoy every new experience while staying relatively calm. This can be done by socializing your puppy with family, friends, and dogs you know, which gives you a much higher success rate than having a 50-50 chance (or worse) of interactions ending badly. And those odds are not in your favour, as unfortunately it can take just one negative outcome along with the wrong reaction for a dog to become stressed out for the future.

For shy pups, the addition of food and games can help turn awkward meetings into something to look forward to. Practicing No Talk, No Touch and No eye contact also helps shy dogs to warm up to new people. Also remember to keep all leashes loose when allowing your pup to mingle with others. Constant restraint creates unneeded tension.

The other thing to consider is utilizing indirect socialization. Sitting in the park or outdoor cafe with your dog, walking through town, and passing by dog parks are all amazing activities that teach our dogs to exist with the world going on around them without having to feel pressured to mingle and react in excitement or anxiety. Service dogs are exposed to the real world from a very young age but are not encouraged to directly interact with their environment. This takes a ton of pressure off of dogs so they are able to naturally observe their surroundings.

Obviously we know it is really important to socialize your dog but socialize in moderation. Work your dog around humans, other dogs, public spaces, and real world scenarios but utilize the right amount of distance needed to avoid pressured meet ups. Your dog doesn't have to be pet by every stranger or meet every dog to become friendly. On the contrary, that’s a sure way to create a dog who is unfriendly or rude. So instead of taking your dog to every single overwhelming social scenario you can find, take it slow by going into situations that you are certain you and your dog can succeed in!

No train, no gain!

Jenna