Socialization - Part 2: Dogs
Most of us would like for our fur-kid to be social with other dogs, or at the very least not act like a maniac at the sight of one, right? Of course we would! Taking your dog for a walk is far less stressful and much more enjoyable when she isn’t lunging, barking and dragging you down the road to get to your neighbor who is just trying to enjoy a relaxing stroll with their pup. Unfortunately, not all dogs are social butterflies. While some dogs are naturally social, most have to be taught how to act around other animals.
Socialization, rules of play, and proper interaction with other dogs begins with a puppy’s mother and litter mates. Puppies have three crucial developmental stages. From 4-8 weeks old, your puppy is learning how to interact with other dogs through guidance and corrections made by their mother and play interactions with his siblings. That is why it is so important for a puppy to stay with his mother and litter mates for at least the first eight weeks of his life. After that, his continued socialization is up to you. From 5-12 weeks, your puppy is developing social interaction skills with humans. Having positive interactions with people during this time is crucial and we will discuss that further in Part 3. During the window of 10-20 weeks is when your puppy is the most curious and will begin to investigate new environments and stimuli.
Unfortunately, not all puppies have the opportunity to be with their mother and siblings for a full 8 weeks. This is where you, their human family, come into play. Socializing a new dog or puppy with other dogs and animals seems like it should be a pretty straight forward undertaking. Not necessarily.
Note: From this point forward I will use the term “puppy”, but all of this information is important for newly adopted dogs and puppies alike.
So you have a new puppy? I bet you’re really excited and want that puppy to go everywhere, meet everyone, see everything and meet some new furry friends, right? Well isn’t that the whole point of having said pup? Man’s best friend and all, right? So, with the best of intentions, you take your new puppy to pet stores and dog parks and walk her downtown with the hopes of meeting other dog people with their dogs who are just as eager to meet your new puppy as you are excited to show her off to the world.
Hold on a second. Let me gently reel you back in; and please try not to gasp at what I am about to type. Not all dogs are dog friendly and not all people want to meet your new puppy. Now, catch your breath and let me explain.
First, remember that not everyone has a dog who had an ideal start to socialization in life. The person and dog you come across in the pet store (or outside of the pet store), standing off to the side at a park, walking outside of the dog park, or walking alone with their dog around town might have a dog who is reactive to people or other dogs. That person might be trying to help desensitize their dog to those triggers. They could also just want some quiet time alone with their dog. Not everyone is eager or able to socialize when they are out with their dog, so please always ask if you can approach someone with a dog and don’t be offended if they say no.
There are also those dog owners who don’t pay very close attention to what their dog is doing when they are, for instance, distracted by their phone or a conversation. Or (heaven forbid) you might encounter a dog on a retractable leash where the owner has no control over their dog and is not paying attention to where their dog is wandering off to. Now, suppose one of those dogs comes bolting over to your very impressionable puppy or very shy/scared rescue and scares the life out of him? Remember, all interactions are supposed to be positive during this process. That kind of scary interaction will leave a lasting negative memory on your puppy that you will have to spend a lot of time and energy trying to overcome. Always keep an eye on your surroundings and advocate for your pup.
Now, let me briefly talk about dog parks. My thoughts? Please do not try to socialize your dog/puppy at a dog park. Why? Isn’t that what they are there for? Yes, the general idea is that a dog park provides a place where your dog can run around, be a dog, and meet and play with new fur friends. So what could possibly go wrong? So many things! First, you have no idea if the dogs are vaccinated. Second, for many dog owners (not all), this becomes just as much a social hot spot for people as it is for dogs. People tend to start talking to each other or looking at their phones and stop paying attention to their dogs. Finally, you are essentially throwing your dog to the wolves. There could be intact males or females, there could be an already established pack at play that a new dog may not be welcome to join, there could be dogs with resource-guarding issues, to include toys, water bowls, or even play equipment and owners. There are so many things that could go wrong, even for a well socialized dog.
With all of that being said, there are some really good, safe alternatives for socializing your dog/puppy with other dogs. One suggestions is to sign up for a Basic Obedience class. Not only will there be supervised interaction by a trainer, but generally, the other people in class will have similar goals in mind for their own dog/puppy. Another option is to look into a supervised play group. Typically what will happen (in a reputable Playcare program) is that your dog will be evaluated to see if she is a good candidate for Playcare; meaning that she is not aggressive, overly scared, possessive or reactive, and plays well with the other dogs in the group. The point is that this is a play group which is supervised by staff members who are knowledgeable in reading dog body language, have knowledge of dog breeds, are familiar with the individual dogs in the group and know their quirks and triggers, and also know which dogs can play together and which dogs need to be in separate play groups. The dogs in Playcare will generally be separated into play groups based on temperaments and energy levels, which makes for a much safer environment for your dog/puppy and helps build confidence in those dogs who start out a little unsure. Paws on the Duck offers a fantastic Playcare program where I assist our Playcare supervisor in evaluations. I also have many dogs who opt for the best of both worlds and do both training classes and Playcare.
If you are researching different facilities for the Playcare option, here are some good questions to ask:
How are the dogs evaluated? If they are just thrown into a group and everyone hopes for the best, RUN the other way.
Is there somewhere inside for the dogs to cool off/warm up if it gets too hot/cold?
Do staff members know the breeds well enough to know which dogs physically can’t play for extended periods of time and will need to go up for breaks often?
Do the dogs get breaks to cool off and calm down? Because just like kids, if they start to get tired, they start to get grumpy.
What is the dog/staff ratio?
What vaccinations are required?
All of the information I just gave you applies to most dogs/puppies. However, there are those who may have had a terrible experience with another animal at some point and are extremely scared of or reactive to other dogs/animals. For these dogs, please reach out to a trainer for help in working your dog through those fears. Navigating those severe cases can be a very delicate process requiring a lot of patience, time and Knowledgeable guidance.
I hope this was helpful! In Part 3 I will tackle Socializing your dog with people and introducing new environments and other stimuli. Until then, keep calm and train on!
~Heather Pope