How-To: Socializing Your Puppy Or Dog

Socialization is something that is often preached about when you have a dog. In fact, it is something I cover with all of my clients regardless of why I am there. This is because of how important it really is.

Positive associations

Socialization is about building associations with things that the pup will come across in everyday life. The goal is to set them up so that they have positive or good associations with these things. The concept of how this is done is actually pretty simple; it's just about doing it and making sure that nothing bad happens in the process. The overall idea is to make sure your pup receives things she enjoys while encountering everyday stuff. (e.g. people, places, trucks, etc.)

How to get started

The first thing that you need to do is find something that your pup loves. It is easiest to use small food rewards for this. (e.g. cheese, hot dogs, real meat, etc.) The second thing you need to do is find some environments that have different things in there for your dog to come across. When searching for the right environment for this, it's important to start off with places that aren't too overwhelming. (You'll want to avoid county fairs etc.) (Check out the video below to see more about choosing the right environments.)

What it looks like

Once you've found the thing your dog loves and some environments, you're ready to get started. The goal is to pair the stuff that your pup is going to come across, with good stuff. So as you're walking with your pup you'll want to have your treats ready. As soon as something happens like a person walks by, or a truck drives by, you're going to want to start giving your pup those treats. Timing is important. You want to give the treat right after the potentially scary thing appears.

Never overwhelm your pup

When doing this socialization it's important not to "flood" your pup. Flooding is when you overwhelm a dog with things and have the mentality that they should just "deal with it." An example would be taking a dog that is weary of humans and placing it in a room full of them. This will often result in a dog that is extremely frightened and could easily lead to a bite. Remember to always introduce new things in small increments with plenty of awesome stuff that your pup loves. Here are some things that you want to socialize your dog to:

-People (Different shapes, sizes, and skin colors.)

-Dogs (Different shapes, sizes, and colors.)

-Noises (Vacuums, trucks, trains, etc.)

-Environments (Lots of different places.)

-Surfaces (Walking on bricks, wood, cement, tile, etc.)

Check out the video below for a great visual.