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SOCIALIZING

Training Your Animal Friends

From that moment you realize you’re adding a new addition to your family. It starts. The flood of what needs to be done, what needs to be taught, what food to choose, what toy to get. Then SOCIALIZATION. That little bit of pressure arises when you’re sorting out who you’ll introduce the dog to, how many dogs you can see within a week. Which friend or park has the best behaved dogs. And so much more.

It’s actually much simpler than that. 

Socialization ISN’T about bringing your dog everywhere, meeting every person or dog. It isn’t about encouraging your dog to see everyone and everything as a friend or this amazing thing. Some of you reading this are probably bushing your brows and asking yourself why. Why? Well for one, I’m sure you don’t say hi to everyone you walk passed or greet everything that comes your way, right? … At least I don’t. The reason I don’t is because there’s really no NEED for it. By introducing your dog to everyone and making it an amazing experience each time, you actually create an overly excited dog who gets crazy around dogs and people to the point you’re unable to control them because they’re pulling and jumping towards everything. 

What socializing really IS about, is properly exposing your dog to different areas, people, animals, cars and sounds. The goal by doing this is to desensitize your dog so it can learn to stay levelled & calm in all situations. When done properly, It will teach your dog HOW to react appropriately. Whether it is walking passed a loud construction site, a pool of kids or just simply walking passed a dog. There shouldn’t be any reaction until given the command to do so, like waiting calmly until given the “OK” to greet someone.  

Socialization can eliminate so many issues, just by teaching your dog that the world is normal and that aggressive or over excited behaviour isn’t the answer. There will be dogs he will like, and some he doesn’t. That doesn’t mean your dog will react to the ones he doesn’t like, it just means he’ll distance himself because he’s learned that skill. 

A properly socialized dog is unbothered by the world. And that’s the goal.