Puppy Socialization Part 2: It Starts with Dogs

Dogs and humans are both animals who learn by watching. When we are children and young adults, we watch those around us. Our parents, teachers, friends, and family teach us what is appropriate - and sometimes what is not. Today we will look at when socialization actually begins and how we can continue on with the canine socialization process.

A puppy’s mother begins to teach them about conflict resolution when she weans them. Most mothers will simply run away from their puppies or move to higher ground when they no longer wish to nurse them. They do not growl or bite the pups. Most have a neutral or sometimes playful body language. You can see an example of this by watching Lava with her 5 week old puppies.

As the puppies spend their first 8-12 weeks with their littermates and mom, they start to learn how the canine part of society expects them to behave. They may even be introduced to a few other adults or puppies who also are there to teach them important life skills. However, these interactions should be thought out and planned for. 

Puppies should be allowed interact with appropriate adult dogs and other puppies to learn social behavior. Adults and young dogs who are unknown or who do not behave appropriately should not be used to socialize the puppies. It should also be noted that these dogs are not there to ‘baby sit the puppy’ and interactions should be supervised and ended if the older dog (or puppy) is trying to escape the situation and the other playmate(s) are not allowing them to walk away.

This rule continues after you bring your puppy is part of your home. Play-date members should be screened ahead of time and should be of appropriate size, strength, and energy for your puppy. A mis-match in puppy energies or style could lead to one puppy feeling overwhelmed by the others and becoming insecure in canine groups. 

As your dog gets older and becomes more confident, you may further diversify their play group. However, you should avoid putting the pup with a dog who will overpower them right from the beginning. 

The flip side is also a concern. If your puppy is always the pushy/bossy one, they may learn to expect that future playmates will let them “win” also. A balanced play partner match where both puppies can “win” sometimes is of great benefit to your puppy’s social development. 

Consider the same situation as if these were human toddlers. If one was always taking the toys from everyone else, or if one was always having his toys taken, we would intervene and try to make things more equitable. The same is true with dogs. Keep an eye on them and intervene if things get too one-sided. 

If you have other animals the dog will interact with, you may want to also set up interaction with those animals based on HOW the interaction will occur. Will the dog play with cats? Will it snuggle with your rats? Will it be expected to leave the reptile habitat alone? Think about this and plan your socialization based on the outcome that you desire.

In our next post, we will discuss socializing with humans.

Puppy Socialization Part 1: What is it?

Socialization is a term often used when breeders, trainers, and owners talk about a new puppy. Socialization (or a lack of) is often the reason given as to why an older or rescue dog may not behave the way we expect or want them to. 

New owners often set out on the journey of socialization with the best intentions, but many do not understand what they are actually teaching the dog and how to properly socialize for success. 

It’s common for a trainer to hear things like: 

“I took him everywhere with me!”

“We always let dogs and people say hi to him when we are on walks.”

“He plays with my neighbor’s dog so he is socialized.”

However, the process is a bit more complicated. Socialization is indeed the activity of mixing socially with others, but it is also the process of learning to behave in a way that is acceptable to society. 

How does society expect dogs to behave, and how would YOU like your dog to behave? Everyone can probably agree that we expect dogs to listen to basic commands from their owners/handlers. Dogs who lunge and bark at cars or people as they walk by your yard become a nuisance. When we see a dog with their owner at a park or at a coffee shop, we expect to be able to walk past the dog without interaction. When your dog is at the park with you, are they relaxed? Or are they excited and trying to meet all the people?

It’s so tempting to let your puppy say hi to everyone because we NEED those positive human interactions, but what is the puppy really learning? 

You may think your puppy is learning that people are good and kind. The puppy may actually be learning, “When I see a new person and they come say hi or I go say hi! Many times they even have TREATS!”

This is why we often see dogs who seem to say, “OMG!!!! I MUST GO SEE ALL THE PEOPLE! THEY MIGHT HAVE TREATS! THEY WANT TO PET ME!” On the other hand, we also see dogs who may seem to say, “Oh no, here comes ANOTHER person I have to say hi to. I really don’t feel like it, but mom will have them give me a treat, so I guess I will pretend to care.” 

Dogs, just like people, may be more extroverted or introverted due to their breeds and individual personalities. Both types have different training challenges. Through socialization at a young age, we can tailor our plan to build each dog’s confidence based on their own natural breed tendencies and traits. 

Over this series of 4 blog posts, we will look at socialization with other dogs, humans, and the world. I hope you will follow us throughout the series!

***Socialization does not have to stop during a pandemic. Although we are challenged to stay at home as much as we can and social distance, the mental health and well-being of our young dogs and new additions is also important. Over the next few weeks, we will discuss different components of the socialization process. These components can still be addressed while adhering to local and state regulations on social distancing and minimizing the spread. If you need help developing a socialization plan for your new puppy now or in the future, please reach out. We will be happy to help you through our remote consultations and training sessions.***