One of the most common things that dog owners come to me to address is to “improve their dog’s socialization”. Usually this is an adult dog that is displaying what we call reactivity, or barking and lunging at other dogs (or people). There are two main points to take away here.

Socialization is something that is done primarily as a puppy and is maintained throughout their life.

Socialization means being comfortable in the presence of something, not necessarily seeking it out.

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, puppies have developmental windows. These windows allow them to be more or less receptive to experiences. If a puppy has a bad experience, they may remember and be more worried, anxious, or potentially defensive in the future. If a puppy has a good experience, they retain that information as well and it builds their confidence for similar situations.

Once these developmental stages pass, dogs may become worried, anxious, or even defensive in situations that content unfamiliar elements. Not every dog was abused by a tall bearded man wearing a hat — but that dog may never have had any experience with one. Survival instincts drive dogs, just like most any other species you can think of, to stick to the familiar. Any deviation will be met with mild to severe suspicion in the name of safety.

What Makes An Experience Good?

So for puppies, a good socialization experience is the puppy having the freedom to retreat from and approach The Thing (person, animal, object, etc.) at their own speed. They get to choose the distance they want to observe from. They get to choose if they interact and for how long (if it’s safe to interact). They are responsive and are not seeking much if any reassurance from you (chances are they’re overwhelmed if they are). They are not trying to hide behind you. You accomplish this by starting much further away than you think you need to. For someone sitting quietly that may be 10-20 feet; for something noisy or moving quickly like a kid on a bicycle, several houses to a block away is more appropriate.

Socializing your puppy is a careful balance of quality over quantity, without disregarding big chunks of experiences that will be common in your puppy’s life. If you don’t expose your puppy to enough novelty, they may be more fearful and cautious as an adult. On the other hand, if you overwhelm your puppy in your socialization attempts, you will also be at risk for a more fearful and cautious adult.

Your focus is to set your puppy up to think that seeing dogs, people, shopping carts, cars, ceiling fans, wheelchairs, etc. are all very good things. We do this by making sure to allow the puppy to gather information at a distance, and pairing the presence of these things with food, play, attention, etc. (whatever the puppy likes). Socialization (classical conditioning) is tasty science!

Socialization Examples

Here are some tips to set your socialization up for success.

Invite a friend with one or two healthy, vaccinated, dog-friendly dogs over to your yard (or vice versa). Start with everyone on a leash and at a distance. Reward everyone for calm interest in each other, and gradually work closer as your puppy is comfortable. Don’t rush even if your puppy seems eager to meet them — calmer and slower is better here.

Once your vet is comfortable with your puppy venturing out into public, consider going to dog-friendly stores (not just pet supply stores). Go at off hours if you can so that it’s not as busy and as likely to overwhelm your puppy. Let your puppy walk and set the pace (as long as they’re not trying to run at other dogs).

Consider a puppy class if there is one in your area. Seek out a class that uses positive methods and has a good sanitation protocol in place, since you’ll possibly start these a little younger depending on the trainer and your vet’s advice. Puppies are ready and willing to do what’s right — help them see what behaviors you like by rewarding preferred offerings.

Adult Dogs

For adult dogs, the process is slower and the distances may be greater, but the science is the same. If we expose the dog at what they consider to be a safe level/distance, and they’re allowed to observe (and not forced to interact), the distance they need to feel safe will decrease. You can also use food with adult dogs to help move the process along. For adult dogs we’re primarily using classical counterconditioning which means we’re taking something the dog feels is a negative and using the science to turn it into a positive.

Whether you’re working with a puppy or an adult dog, it’s never too soon to ask for help! I can’t speak for every dog trainer, but nothing makes me happier than helping a family start their dog off right.