Monday, March 8, 2010
Socialization
It has become a well-known concept that early socialization is beneficial for dogs for so many reasons. Puppy socialization classes have sprung up all over the country and are very popular (and very important)! But what about those of us that adopt an older dog and what is the benefit of socializing an older dog that we've had since puppyhood? It is true that there is a window of opportunity in a pup's life from 2-4 months old and this is the best time to expose them to as many safe and positive experiences as possible. Dogs that are kept secluded during this time period frequently have confidence and fear issues later in life that take a great deal of time to overcome. However even if a puppy was socialized early on or if an adult dog was adopted later in life, ongoing socialization is still very important and can greatly improve confidence issues. My youngest dog Noel has become a worrier when exposed to new situations or meeting new people. She was socialized extensively as a puppy but I made the mistake of not continuing this socialization throughout her adolescence. Of course every individual dog is different and there are certainly breed tendencies that are put into play also. Noel, being a Rottweiler, is naturally suspicious of strangers and so socialization will be important throughout her life. Other guarding breeds like shepherds, dobes, schnauzers and some of the herding breeds will also need continued socialization to maintain proper social skills with humans and other animals. It's never to late to start.
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Another comment on the importance of early socialization. There is another side effect of not socializing dogs, and that is the loss of their ability to behave in a socially acceptable manner, not only around humans, but even around other dogs. Scott and I had an important reminder of this with a current train and board dog, a one year old, very large dog that hasn't been properly socialized. Although a very friendly guy, he has no idea how to behave appropriately around other dogs. The danger in this is that he ignores warnings that the other dogs give him. Not only does it set up a situation in which a fight is more likely to break out, but because of his large size he could hurt another dog accidentally. Continued socialization not only helps with fear-related issues, but it also teaches dogs how to be polite around all species of animals.
ReplyDeletedo you have any suggestions for un-teaching social behaviors? April's dog friend Mango goes to daycare and has picked up the habit of growling over toys and when playing. April wasn't so sure what she meant by the growling over the toy [so the toy went away before she reacted :-)] but I was just curious if there was a way to get them to stop those kinds of behaviors once they have started.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell how serious the growling is? Meaning is Mango guarding the toy or is she just becoming more vocal playing?
ReplyDeleteIt was hard to say when she had the toy. They were Mango's toys but she was playing at the same time she was being vocal. April couldn't tell either and she was worried about the guarding since that is what Sully started fights over. She has also been more vocal when she play wrestles which is completely a play sound.
ReplyDeleteIf it seems Mango is only doing a play growl, then it would be okay to allow it and let April slowly get used to it. However if there is any freezing or hard staring with the growl it is probably a little more serious and the game should be stopped, toy taken away until Mango is calm again, so she learns that possessive behavior makes the game stop.
ReplyDeleteOkay that makes sense. I was trying to think of ways to discourage the play growl without her associating it with the play and couldn't think of any!
ReplyDeleteLet me know how it goes!
ReplyDelete