Many people believe that socializing their new dog is just a matter of letting it
greet a bunch of dogs while on a walk, going to a dog park to play, or enrolling him/her
in doggy daycare. All this is indeed an aspect of socializing your dog but there is much
more to it. A dog is considered socialized when they can confidently, and securely
interact with the world. Not just other dogs. Especially for puppies, this world can be a
scary place. There are alot of different sounds, types of animals, even different types
of humans. By slowly introducing your dog to many different scenarios and
environments your dog will learn that fast cars, noisy trains, and people with hats and
beards aren’t that scary after all.
If you find yourself with a new dog that is not a puppy, but rather an adult dog who not only is not socialized, but shows actual fear, you should always consult with a trainer who specializes in behavior modification as the steps to overcome this are a bit
different. However, for a puppy who has never encountered all these different things, it can be a fun experience for the both of you to go out exploring together! Like all training
this should start at home. Have some treats and/or toys to help your puppy make a positive association and then start by just introducing different types of flooring in your house. Many puppies can be scared to walk on different textures. Use a treat or a favorite toy to gently coax them onto different flooring textures. Chances are you have at least 3 in your home. Then, start introducing them to everything in your home that may scare them. Noisy pots and pans, mirrors, different colored lights, etc. It’s better to properly introduce them to something that turns out to be no big deal, than to just
assume and find out later it is a big deal. Once they are familiar and comfortable in your
home, start the process over outside. Take them to a park and try to sit a small distance
from a busy walkway and watch people, dogs, children, bikes, etc go past. Be sure,
again, to have treats and happy voices so your pup has an easier time associating all
this newness as fun. Slowly get closer to these items. When they are ready, let them
greet willing people, smell parked bikes, walk past other people etc. This may sound
like a bit of a chore and time constraint, but it can be fun to explore all these new things
with your puppy. Also, not only does your dog learn to be comfortable around all these
new things, but it is also an excellent way to bond with your dog. Your puppy will learn
that you are there to protect them, and that they can turn to you when unsure of
something.
If you are not experienced with introducing dogs to each other you may want to
consult with your trainer for the first few greetings.
Just remember, with dogs it’s not always a matter of just facing your fears and
“just do it” as it is at times with us humans. Often times dogs need to ease into new situations. The more environments and scenarios you expose your puppy to at a young age, the less likely they’ll be to develop fears or phobias later in life.
Lastly, a word of caution. Puppies go through two separate fear stages while
they are maturing. During these periods puppies are much more prone to develop a
lasting fear of what sometimes seem to be mundane things, if they have a negative
interaction with them. For example, if your puppy happens to be walking down the
street and bump into a trash can, causing it to tip over and make a loud noise, they
could spend many years acting like all trash cans are the boogey man and doing all
they can to avoid them. This can be difficult to overcome and should be handled with
the help of a trainer. These fear periods vary slightly between breeds and even
individual dogs, but generally the first period is between the ages of 8-11 weeks and the
second is between 6-14 months old.
