DOG SOCIALIZATION: Helping our furry best friends feel safe in a hectic human world PART 1: Engaging the Senses

        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.
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Vaterlaws-Whiteside, & Hartmann, A. (2017). Improving puppy behavior using a new standardized socialization program. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 197, 55–61.