Dog Socialization

So today I want to talk about dog socialization. It's something owners hear over and over again. What does socialization mean? Simply put, it means learning to behave willingly according to standards accepted by society.

Dogs have a sensitive period from around the age of 3-12 weeks where their impressions of people, other dogs or various environments are long lasting. Today in our "High Anxiety" class, I experienced what lack of socialization could mean not only to dog, but to human. "Shy" our min pin missed out on some things during the critical socialization period. She is great with humans but with other dogs on leash, she says, "...get the @#$! away from me..." She will bark, she will lunge, she will do whatever it takes to get that creepy creature away from her. Of course we also indirectly taught her that by doing those things, the creepy creature goes away 'cause we remove her from the situation. Or we also taught her to continue barking since we were almost barking ourselves. "Stop it Shy! Quiet! No! No Barking! Stop it!"

For the human, it is a stressful situation. Our blood rises, our heart pumps faster. How am I going to stop this? It can be overwhelming. In our case, the lack of socialization means lack of confidence. A walk in the park can mean several outbursts at the sight of bicycles, skateboards, buses and trucks. We start feeling ashamed and lost because we do not have control of our own dog. Hope is not all lost. It is never too late for dog socialization.

On a good note, she has gotten better. We socialize her at the doggie daycare, she is in class now, and we are constantly working on her focus. Dog socialization doesn't stop after the 12 weeks of puppyhood. It continues for the lifetime of the dog. Many think socialization is for big dogs because they are bigger and pose more of a danger because of their size. Little dogs are no exception. Socializing your dog can give you many happy years with your dog or many stressful ones. I rather choose to have happier years.