How Do I Socialize My Dog
Socializing Is More Than Just meeting New Dogs
How Do I Socialize My Dog
One of the most common questions that I get is: How Do I Socialize My Dog?”
What Does it Mean to Socialize a Dog?
Socializing Your Dog is more than just teaching it to be OK with, or meeting, other dogs or new people.
We often ignore the fact or fail to realize that our dog’s base of knowledge is ONLY what they have learned from being around us.
If you are a person that takes your dog everywhere you go, this is perfect. But most of us only take our dogs out for occasional walks or to the veterinarian or maybe to a family function a few times every year. This is setting your dog up to fail when it’s out in the real world. It’s no small wonder that the dog reacts badly to the things it sees in the outside world.
What your dog has never encountered can become a source of fear and anxiety. This is how reactive dogs are created. Your job as a responsible dog owner it to expose your dog to EVERY situation it will ever encounter during its lifetime. You need to show your dog that there is no reason to fear or react to new things.
Socializing Your Dog must include letting it get used to its whole environment. This means it should learn to be comfortable with everything from that truck in the driveway to a barking dog down the street. It should be okay with the police car racing down the street to a call as well as the bushes in your backyard.
This doesn’t mean that every dog is going to love to be petted by everyone they meet. Or that they are going to want to play with every dog or every human they cross paths with. It only means that the dog will be “at least” OK with ever situation they are put into on a short-term basis.
When Should I Start Socializing My Dog?
The short answer is: Yesterday! You can never start too soon. The long answer is: You can begin with puppies as soon as they have had their last set of puppy shots (Aprox. 14-16 weeks). But in a controlled environment you can still do some work as soon as you get them home. Adolescent or adult dogs can begin at any time.
Need Help Socializing Your Dog?
