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 "Slow and steady wins the race" is a popular saying that applies not only to dog training but also to dog socialization! For this reason, I started this socialization series with a part focusing on engaging the dogs' individual senses before exposing them to the world at large. Beginning by simply engaging your dog's individual senses can be particularly helpful if you are in Covid quarantine or have a dog either with an unknown socialization background or a history of trauma. Once you have engaged your dog’s individual senses, you can focus on the 3 main components of the human-dog world: people, other animals, and various environments. Getting to know new people Especially if you live in an urban environment, it is important to get your dog used to people. If you have a young puppy, you can follow Vaterlaws-Whiteside and Amandine Hartmann’s guidelines to help get puppies accustomed to new people: Start off small by changing up your look while engaging your puppy in a variety of everyday tasks and activities. Do this by alternating between wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a backpack while picking up your puppy, bringing them to a pen or crate, gently examining their ears and teeth, playing one-on-one using soft, squeaky, and tug toys, and hiding a toy and encouraging your puppy to find it. Changing your appearance while doing simple activities will help simulate the experience of interacting with someone new for your puppy.  Based on their 2020 study on pet dog fearfulness, scientist Emma Hakanen and her colleagues stress the importance of having puppies meet unfamiliar men, women, and children between their 7th week and 4th month of life. Regardless of your dog’s age though, you can help them feel comfortable around people by turning the socialization process into a fun game with your friends, family, and neighbors! Set up encounters with individual people of various ages, skin tones, voices, weights, and heights. Set up encounters with individual people wearing hats, sunglasses, and funny costumes. Every time your dog looks at or interacts calmly with each person, talk to your dog in a calm, happy voice and deliver a yummy treat. If you feel nervous, you can replace the talking with the press of a clicker and follow up each click with a yummy treat. You can gradually increase the number of people you expose your dog to as they become comfortable with a variety of one-on-one meetings with diverse people. If you have a dog who is terrified of humans, introduce them to humans very gradually from a safe distance and with your dog’s favorite treats, toys, games, or activities. Build trust with your dog by avoiding surprise close encounters, as well. You can do this by having your dog wear a harness that says something like “Do Not Pet” so people do not just walk up to your fearful dog and interrupt your safe socialization process. Properly socializing your dog to humans will not only help them feel comfortable in a human world but will also improve your own relationship with your community and mental health. Getting comfortable with other animals Chances are, if you have a dog, you live in a community with other people who have dogs. Therefore, it is important to make sure your dog feels comfortable being around other dogs. Pet dog socialization researcher Emma Hakanen and her colleagues note that parents of puppies younger than 4 months can actually prevent general fearfulness by having their dog meet unfamiliar friendly dogs. If you have a puppy, you can safely do this by signing up for a local positive reinforcement based puppy socialization class. If you have an adult dog or lack access to a good puppy socialization class, you can arrange a playdate with another dog around the same age as your dog, preferably one with a good reputation around other dogs. This way, you and the other owner can supervise both dogs without overwhelming anyone with too many dogs.  If you have a dog who seems shy or uncomfortable around other dogs, form positive associations by watching other dogs from a distance at which your dog is comfortable. As your dog notices the other dogs, talk to your dog in a happy voice and give them yummy treats. Go closer to the other dog if your dog moves calmly towards them while still accepting treats. Move further away from the other dog if your dog starts dragging you towards the other dog, does not accept treats, freezes, or freaks out at the other dog. If you feel anxious or often caught by surprise by other dogs (i.e. in a crowded city setting), you can press a clicker whenever your dog looks at another dog and follow up each click with a yummy treat. Go ahead and meet other dogs if both dogs have loose, relaxed body language and gaze; avoid contact if their body language and gaze are stiff and direct. If one or both dogs does not want to be friends with the other dog, some warning signs include a tucked or raised tail, growl, hard stare at the other dog, lunging on the leash, hiding behind you, turning away from the other dog, lip licking outside of snack or water time, or yawning when they are not likely to be tired. Some dogs prefer people and/or other animals over other dogs, so remember to respect their choice whether or not to engage with another dog. The goal of socialization is just to have a dog who calmly shares space with other dogs so you can relax and enjoy your adventures together, regardless of other dogs present. Do you have another animal species in your home or community? It is wonderful to socialize your dog to other animals as well, not just dogs. Allow your dog to meet other friendly animals via see-through barriers like baby gates. Over time, you can safely transition to on-leash meetings and finally off-leash meetings. If you have a cat at home, you can also implement a permanent partial barrier to set consistent boundaries. Simply lean a baby gate up against the door frames to any rooms that contain the cats’ belongings so the cat can enter the rooms, but the dog cannot. This way, the cat can exit their room(s) to interact with the dog (on leash at first) as they please and then return to their room(s) when they have had enough interaction. This setup teaches the dog the cat’s boundaries regarding interactions and prevents problematic games, like chase. Boost the socialization experience by offering both your dog and the other animal yummy treats or playtime whenever they are around each other. Get your dog accustomed to as many species as needed, keeping all introductions safe and positive.  Getting accustomed to new environments Many dog parents do not realize that socialization includes not only interactions with the same or other species but also with the environment! If you live in an urban setting or plan on traveling with your dog, prioritize socializing your dog to as many different environments as possible. Scientist Emma Hakanen and her colleagues recommend puppy parents visit a city center and travel by car or bus with their puppies during their first 4 months of life if possible. Following Helen Vaterlaws-Whiteside and Amandine Hartmann’s socialization program, puppy parents should also carry their puppies around outside and, when inside, gently place a towel over their puppy and let them find their way out of it. They should also have their puppies walk on concrete, grass, and rubber surfaces. Additionally, they should encourage their puppies to go through doorways as well as climb over carpet, a reusable shopping bag, and an obstacle (i.e. small incline).  It is important to make sure the environment in your control does not incorporate aversive elements (i.e. electric fences) so most of your dog’s associations are positive, especially those involving you. Exposing your dog to aversive tools, particularly during sensitive periods of development, can trigger serious behavior problems, including aggression. In her 2016 article on fear periods, certified dog trainer and behavior specialist Liz Palika indicates that dogs are most vulnerable to being influenced by fear at 8-10 weeks of age when they wean off their mom, 4-5 months of age when puppies’ teeth drop, adolescence (somewhere between 6 and 18 months) when hormones rage, and early adulthood (2 years on average). If you have a dog that is in a constant state of anxiety or stress, alter your environment or routine to allow the dog to relax for a while before reintroducing stressors in a slow, controlled way. For example, if you have a dog who freaks out on walks, temporarily walk your dog in your backyard or on quiet, wider-set blocks instead of busy intersections and parks. When introducing your dog to new, unusual, or stressful situations or textures, take a deep breath, go slow, and never underestimate the power of potent treats, like cut up hot dogs! Have fun and believe in yourself! Just like training, socialization is most effective when it is fun! Turn it into a game by playing Fear Free’s Puppy Socialization Bingo:  As you socialize your dog, remember to believe in yourself! Dogs are highly sensitive to our emotional state. This means that having confidence in ourselves actually helps our dogs succeed! How cool is that? Do you have an especially shy or fearful dog? You may need some socialization boosters. Click on the button below and scroll down to the "Take it slow. You can do it!" section for booster options. If you are struggling to socialize your dog on your own, feel free to go to my “Contact” page to schedule your free phone screening today. Facing the world with your dog can be stressful but having professional help can turn it into the fun bonding experience it is meant to be! Sources Hakanen, E., Mikkola, S., Salonen, M., Puurunen, J., Sulkama, S., Araujo, C., & Lohi, H. (2020). Active and social life is associated with lower non-social fearfulness in pet dogs. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 13774–.
Palika, Liz (2016, May 12). Fear Periods are Upsetting but Normal. [blog post] Retrieved from https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/blog/fear-periods-are-upsetting-but-normal/. Vaterlaws-Whiteside, & Hartmann, A. (2017). Improving puppy behavior using a new standardized socialization program. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 197, 55–61.
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 You just welcomed a puppy or dog into your home! What now? Most dog parents have heard of the term “socialization” but not everyone knows exactly what it means nor how, when, and where to work on it. Socializing a dog means safely exposing them to the world so they can adjust at their own pace to other dogs, people, places, objects, and more. There are many ideas regarding the ideal time to socialize a dog but, generally, the critical period of socialization tends to fall during the first 4 months of a dog’s life. If you have a puppy this young, you are certainly at an advantage since you can expose them to everything in a fun way to prevent fears and phobias from developing in adulthood. Regardless of your dog’s age though, the best time to start socializing your dog is as soon as you welcome them into your home. Exposure means engaging all their senses so you can start by working on one sense at a time—from a single smell to a single sound. Therefore, even if you have an unvaccinated dog or need to quarantine yourself in the age of Covid, all it takes is a little creativity to cover socialization basics! Touch Start off by teaching your dog to feel comfortable being touched. Properly touching your puppy or dog can not only help them accept human handling but also improve their emotional development. There is a lot of research on how to touch a young puppy. However, there is little research on how to touch an older puppy or adult dog. In my practice, I have found that dogs can learn to accept touch at any age, as long as you go at the dog's pace and incorporate yummy treats. If you have a young puppy, scientist Angelo Gazzano and his colleagues recommend giving them a gentle full body massage every day for 5 minutes. You can do this by starting with the puppy’s head, ears, muzzle, mouth, gums, neck, back/midsection, arms, legs, toes, and tail, then flipping over the puppy to massage the tummy and repeat the other body parts. Helen Vaterlaws-Whiteside and Amandine Hartmann’s scientifically recognized socialization program involves introducing your puppy to a Velcro collar and picking them up. It also recommends stroking your puppy’s head and body with your fingers, hands, a soft towel, a rubber glove, and a small soft toothbrush. Additionally, it advises exposing your puppy to different clothing textures, holding them close while wearing a woolen sweater, cotton t-shirt, and fleece jacket. The puppy massage and touch socialization exercises can help your puppy feel comfortable meeting strangers in later socialization sessions and undergoing future medical procedures. If you have an adult dog, older puppy, or shy puppy, you can apply a Fear Free technique called a “touch gradient” to socialize your fur baby to touch. To do this, first let the puppy or dog come to you. Once they arrive, give them treats. Then, start out by touching your dog in a less sensitive area while talking in a soft, calm tone of voice. Slowly move your hand and apply steady consistent pressure in a circular motion without lifting your hand. Refer to my “Pup Sensitivity Scale” below to see what areas of the body tend to be less or more sensitive. Gradually move to more sensitive areas over time only when your dog shows relaxed body language in response to your contact in less sensitive zones. However, note that every dog is different, so be sure to move gradually and follow your dog’s lead. Just like with people, every dog has unique sensitive spots and preferences for being touched. Refer to Fear Free's "The Spectrum of Fear, Anxiety, and Stress" ladder below to see what a dog typically looks like when they are relaxed versus when they are not. Generally, a dog comfortable being touched will have a loose and curvy body, slightly squinted eyes, and a soft or open mouth.   Sight Next, expose your dog to a variety of sights. Helen Vaterlaws-Whiteside and Amandine Hartmann recommend placing puppies in front of a TV screen, rolling different objects both within and out of the puppy’s reach, hanging items above the puppy, slowly opening and closing an umbrella around the puppy and gradually increasing speed over time, and introducing the puppy to a mirror while encouraging them to explore it. If you have brought home an older puppy or dog with an unknown socialization background, you can leave the curtains or blinds open in your home to allow them to see new things from a safe place. You can start out just by observing how they respond to the natural world outside. Then, you can get creative and have new people, animals, and objects appear outside for your dog to view from the window. To ensure visual socialization remains positive, it is always great to keep some pea sized yummy treats on you to give to your dog as they check out each new sight, especially sights that dogs might find scary, like a truck or an umbrella. Smell Third but perhaps most important, engage your dog’s sense of smell! Surprisingly, I struggled to find literature on socialization through smell. However, in my experience, dogs who lack sufficient sniffing opportunities tend to develop anxiety. Dogs’ sense of smell is similar to our sense of sight. Through sniffing around, they gage general information about their surroundings, including the basic demographics of other animals and people. Therefore, it is important to allow your dog to sniff around new spots and places both inside and outside your home. If you want your dog to be comfortable around certain people or animals before they meet, give your dog items (i.e. towels, blankets, t-shirts) that those other animals or people have slept with so they can get used to their scent. If you want to socialize your dog with another pet, swap out their item with a similar item the dog has slept with so they both have an opportunity to adjust to each other’s scents. If you live in an urban environment, try to plan out sniffing routes along cleaner streets and parks. In case of an emergency, keep some yummy treats on you. If you notice something dangerous on the ground that your dog might attempt to eat, just encourage your dog away from the item in a happy voice and offer them one of the yummy treats. It may seem trivial from our point of view but encouraging your dog to sniff their surroundings is one of the most important parts of socialization. Your walks might go slower than you prefer, especially in the beginning, but they will help your dog feel more secure long-term. Sound Finally, get your dog accustomed to a variety of sounds. If you have a young puppy, you can follow some suggestions from Helen Vaterlaws-Whiteside and Amandine Hartmann’s socialization program: gently rustle paper and plastic bags, jangle keys, and clap near the puppy. Have a phone ring at its lowest volume near the puppy and gradually increase the volume over time. Also, roll noisy items both within and out of the puppy’s reach. If you have an older puppy or adult dog, you can gradually increase the volume of the items you roll near your dog in case they startle easily. Regardless of your dog’s age, be sure to expose them to sounds they may hear out and about such as cars, skateboards, thunder, and fireworks. To do this, find audio tracks and gradually increase the volume while offering your dog yummy treats or engaging in one of your dog’s favorite activities. Once your dog is comfortable with a loud audio track, start working with the real life sounds you can control. For example, you can have a friend introduce an actual skateboard far and out of view, then gradually have them ride it closer to your front door. If your dog refuses treats or a favorite activity at any time during sound exercises, lower the volume or intensity of the sound to a level at which they are more comfortable. Take it slow. You can do it! Socialization is an often misunderstood term. People tend to think it means to turn your dog into the life of the party, but the actual goal of socialization is just to help our pups develop resilience in our chaotic human world. Contrary to popular belief, old dogs can learn new tricks, sometimes just as quickly as their younger counterparts! However, socialization gets trickier the older your dog gets so it is important to start as soon as possible. Before socialization sessions: take a deep breath, smile, and approach with confidence. You can do it! Keep in mind that regardless of your dog’s age, it is important to socialize your dog to different elements in short bursts, entering and exiting sessions on positive notes. Immediately remove dogs from situations that trigger any fear or anxiety, then try again later more gradually with lots of praise and treats. If your socialization session is in your home, you can also provide your dog with a crate so they have their own means of escape if they do not feel ready to tackle something new. If you need a socialization booster, you can change your treats, add relaxing background noise, and/or take advantage of calming formulas. For shy or anxious pups, potent smelling crunchy treats, like freeze dried liver or Blue Dog Bakery cookies, can help. Classical music and ocean sounds can also be calming background noise for socialization sessions. If you have a puppy under 3 months old, you can fit them for an Adaptil Junior collar, which produces calming synthetic pheromones. If you have an older puppy or dog, calming treats like Composure by VetriScience can help. Depending on the source and age of your dog, you may need to take socialization very slowly and with professional help. If you need help carrying out your socialization sessions, feel free to go to my “Contact” page to schedule your free phone screening today. From the senses to the world! Now that you have engaged your dog’s individual senses, you can start focusing on the three main components of the human-dog world: people, other animals (including other dogs), and various environments. Do you feel uneasy about facing the world just yet? Proper socialization can take some creativity but, once you find what works for you and your dog, you will feel a lasting sense of relief. Do you feel ready or just eager to learn about socialization to people, places, pups, cats, and more? Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article! Sources Fear Free Shelter Shelter Course Module 4a. (2021). Https://Fearfreeshelters.Com/. https://fearfreeshelters.com/modules/communication-and-considerate-approach/
Gazzano, Mariti, C., Notari, L., Sighieri, C., & McBride, E. A. (2008). Effects of early gentling and early environment on emotional development of puppies. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 110(3), 294–304. Vaterlaws-Whiteside, & Hartmann, A. (2017). Improving puppy behavior using a new standardized socialization program. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 197, 55–61. |
AuthorLana Brucker is a certified professional animal trainer and behavior consultant, specializing in cat and dog behavior. ArchivesCategories |
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