Keep in mind that not all aggressive or fearful dogs have “bad“ genes. Plenty of dogs are afraid of people because they were not properly socialized as young puppies. This is not uncommon on ranches and farms where working dogs live an isolated life, seeing few, if any, people during the critical socialization period. These dogs are not necessarily hardwired to be shy or fearful of people, but because of their lack of socialization, they often view unfamiliar people as a threat.
Lily Bella is a good example of how genes (nature) and development and learning (nurture) play important roles in a dog‘s future. (Also known as the nature versus nurture debate.) Had her situation been different (i.e., had she been well socialized), it‘s hard to believe she would have been a terrified eight-week-old puppy cowering under an abandoned house. Had she not been rescued when she had, had she continued to live as a stray, it‘s highly likely her fear would have become more deeply ingrained, thereby increasing the difficulty of a successful rehabilitation. Yet, her superior genes no doubt allowed her to overcome her once fearful behavior.
These rescued Border Collies prove that good socialization and training can work miracles!
What Is Socialization?
Socialization is incredibly important, but what is it? Trainers have all sorts of definitions, but in the simplest of terms it is about classical conditioning: creating an association between two stimuli. This is a learning process in which your puppy is exposed—in a safe, positive, and nonthreatening way—to all of the things he is likely to encounter as an adult dog, such as other animals, the clapping of hands, elevators, stairs, vacuums, trash cans, kids on bicycles, women in floppy hats, and so forth.
That said, somewhere along the way, socialization became synonymous with a giant free-for-all. Taking your dog to the park and allowing him to be bombarded by other animals, strange sights, weird noises, and hordes of screaming, rambunctious kids grabbing at him, stepping on him, or squealing at him is not a positive experience. Likewise, taking him to a puppy class and allowing him to be mauled, bullied, or sent yelping by bigger, bossier, more dominant puppies is not a positive experience, either. Granted, some puppies may not be affected, but the majority of them will suffer in the long run. These types of experiences can permanently traumatize a young dog.
You want your puppy‘s association with his world—everything and anything he is likely to encounter as an adult dog—to be positive so he grows up thinking life is good and safe. This point cannot be stressed enough. Puppies need to play and interact with other puppies, and even adult dogs, yet that is a teeny, tiny piece of their education, not the only piece. Every second of the day, you are either adding to or subtracting from the human-canine relationship. Dog training, which includes socialization, is all about the relationship you have with your dog. Protecting that relationship should be priority one.
Thankfully, it is not difficult to find lots of fun places and ways to socialize your puppy.
Training Tip”
Eight Weeks and Beyond— The Critical Socialization Period
We know from the pioneering work of John Paul Scott and John L.Fuller that both genetic and environmental influences impact the development of canine behavior.One of their most important contributions is the description of sensitive periods in the social development of dogs, with the “socialization” period being the critical time between three and twelve weeks of age.(Some experts say three to fourteen to sixteen weeks.) It’s the time frame in a puppy’s life when “a small amount of experience will produce a great effect on later behavior.”
How to Socialize Your Dog
As soon as he is adequately vaccinated, you should take him for plenty of kisses and cookies everywhere that is safe and where dogs are permitted, such as:
•Outdoor cafes
•Shopping centers
•Hardware stores
•Banks
•Coffee shops
•Flower shops
•Horse barns
•Veterinarian‘s office
Expose him to a wide variety of people including toddlers, teenagers, people in wheelchairs, and men in uniform. Expose him to other animals, such as cats, horses, chickens, and furry or feathered pets. If the goats are scary, let him sit in your lap. Pick fresh fruit and let him savor the sweet taste of berries. Make the clapping of hands, the jingling of keys, and the clatter of dog bowls no big deal. Teach him to walk and play on different surfaces, such as gravel, grass, sandy beaches, vinyl and tile floors, and so forth. Don‘t forget bridges with varying planks of wood or metal.
Take him on elevators and escalators, and expose him to open stairs, closed stairs, steep stairs, narrow stairs, wood stairs, and grated stairs (watch his toes and be careful he doesn‘t fall). Expose him to paper bags blowing in the wind, honking horns, garden hoses, sprinklers, wind chimes, and everything else he might come in contact with as an adult dog. Let him play in and around empty boxes, tunnels, and buckets. Allow him to investigate trees, rocks, bushes, branches, leaves, and fallen fruit. Take him to the beach and let him climb on driftwood and dig in the sand. Go for a hike in the woods and let him climb on and over fallen trees. Take him someplace new every day.
Give him a ride in a wheelbarrow or bundle him up in your jacket and take him for a bicycle ride. Buy him a lifejacket and take him boating or kayaking. Let him go swimming with a slow, fun introduction to lakes, rivers, and pools. Push him around pet-friendly stores in a shopping cart. Sit him in your lap while you gently swing on a swing or stretch out in a hammock.
Teach him the art of walking past people without always having to say hello. Teach him to potty on different surfaces—grass, gravel, dirt, asphalt, as well as on and off leash. (You‘ll appreciate this one when traveling and stopping for potty breaks.) Challenge his mind by teaching him to problem solve, such as how to find and retrieve his ball from under a chair, how to dig the marrow out of a bone, how to balance and walk on a plank or log, how to climb over a downed tree that‘s bigger than he thinks he can climb.
Attend a small puppy class—preferably with not more than three or four puppies—or invite friends and neighborhood kids over (after they have washed their hands and left their shoes at the door) for kisses and supervised play. Take him walking with one friend and her dog. Handle him multiple times a day cuddling, kissing, and whispering sweet nothings in his ear.
You want your puppy’s encounters with the outside world to be safe and positive.
Balancing Act
Socializing your dog is a balancing act. You must expose him to the world around him while simultaneously protecting him from potentially harmful or fearful situations, yet being careful about encouraging or rewarding fearful behaviors. You want to find a balance between the right amount of exposure and stimulation, while still providing a safe, stress-free environment. Try really hard to avoid exposing him to a barrage of constant noise and stimulation every waking moment. Puppies have short attention spans, and they need plenty of down time to sleep and recover from their busy day of being a puppy. When they are awake, however, they need enough physical and mental stimulation and socialization to grow into healthy, happy adult dogs.
Finding that balance will depend on your dog. Understanding the innate characteristics of your dog‘s breed is especially handy during this time. You will need to read his body language by observing his reactions to different situations. Watch his ears and tail and body posture. Is he happy? Fearful? Apprehensive? Courageous? Inquisitive? Submissive? By understanding and reading your dog’s body language, you will be able to assess his comfort level and evaluate or adjust the situation accordingly. Here are a few examples:
•If your dog is afraid of vacuum cleaners, leave it in the corner of the room and let him adjust to its presence