[Episode 8]  Socialization. Building Emotionally Resilient Dogs.

When should I socialize my dog? But, he doesn’t have all of his shots, I should really wait until he has all his shots, right? Is he too old to socialize? Maybe if I expose him to more dogs, he’ll stop being so scared of them.  

One of the biggest mistakes dog and puppies owners make is misunderstanding socialization. It is not a matter of socializing your dog so that he’ll be “social,” that is the point, but there’s a time limit. Once you pass the time limit, it’s not called socialization and the process is different.  So, you might be asking, then what is socialization, how do I do it correctly and when does this time limit end? 

Socialization is a developmental stage, similar to adolescence. This stage of life helps your puppy form opinions based on varying experiences. Specifically, your puppy learns what safe and what is dangerous. Your puppy will go through the socialization period whether you adequately socialize him or not! The goal is for you to understand and take advantage of this developmental stage. This is critical to how your dog will react to things he encounters as he gets older. Will he bark, growl, lunge at a person?  Or will he wiggle and ask to be pet?  

What you do, or don’t do during this time will affect the rest of your dogs life and your life with him. This brief window in time can either create or prevent problems. The choice is yours, but you have to know and understand what is going one before you know that you have a choice.    The socialization window closes around 13 – 16-weeks old, and novelty becomes scary. Your dog is now 80% fearful and 20% curious. That curious bold puppy that you knew is gone. 

In this episode of the Naughty Dog Podcast, you’ll learn: 

• What socialization really is
• Varying views on socializatino your vet vs. veterinary behaviorist
• Nature vs nurture 
• How to properly socialize your dog

Leave me a comment, or send me a DM on instagram @allabouttrainingdogs, and let me know what common misconceptions you’ve heard about dog training.     

Definition of Socialization

If you think that socialization is about socializing your dog, you are partially correct. However, the misconception is that you can socialize your dog at any point in his or her life. But, that isn’t true. Socialization is a development stage in life with a defined open and ending. It’s similar to human developmental stages. 

For example, a 40 year old man cannot become a teenager years again, right? It’s the same when it comes to socializing and your dog. Socialization is a developmental stage of your dog’s life, similar to adolescence. The socialization window is between 3 and 12 weeks old and it marks a biological and neurological stage in your dog’s growth. 

This is the most critical time for your puppy, because it is when he is forming opinions about the world that he will carry into the rest of his life. These opinions are based on his experiences. If your puppy has a bad experience, in his mind, then he will form a negative opinion. When he gets older, you will find yourself saying, “he hates his crate” or “she hates the car” or “he hates other dogs.”  If you create enough positive experiences, he will not be as fearful coming out of that age range and as an adult. Life with your dog will be easier. However, if he does not have enough postive experience before this time, he will likely develop fears that turn into barking, lunging, biting, snapping, growling, cowering and running away.  But are good and bad experiences enough to form fears that turn into aggression?

Here’s what most people, dog trainers and veterinarians miss, if your pup don’t doesn’t have enough positive experiences,  by 16-weeks-old then he will automatically assume something is bad or dangerous, no matter how many times you tell him “it’s ok.” Remember your dog doesn’t think like you. He doesn’t know that the gardener is there to cut the grass in the backyard. He sees a strange looking human that makes a loud scary noise too close to him and his home. 

What Veterinary Behaviorist Recommend

But my veterinarian told me to keep my puppy inside until he’s had all of his shots and vaccines. Most dog owners don’t realize that veterinarians have little, in any, education and experience in dog behavior. And that’s ok, veterinarians are amazingly smart and caring people. They love animals, but their expertise is in medicine, not prevent behavior issues. 

Veterinary Behaviorists, on the other hand, have experience in animal behavior. They recommend that you safely socialize your puppy before he gets all of his shots.  See the handout below.    It is critical for your dogs long term behavior. Now, I’m not saying to take them to the dog park, or areas that may pose a risk when not fully vaccinated. But, you should be able to expose them to other dogs, sounds, people, etc, in a controlled environment. 

While writing this post, it’s flu season and there is a global health emergency in the US declared by the World Health Organization because of the coronavirus. All viruses are spread the same way, parvo is a virus that puppies get vaccinated for when they are young. Even though there is a global emergency, no has been told to stay inside their house until we get a corona vaccine. Why then, if there isn’t an emergency with dog diseases, such as parvo, is that the advice given to puppy owners? 

It is scary to have a sick puppy and no one wants that, but it is more likely that your dog will develop a behavior problem from inadequate socialization than from walking on the sidewalk without his 3rd set of vaccines. You have to make the best decision for your dog, no one can tell you what to do. My goal is to give you that information to make good choices and to help you with your dog and his behavior no matter what you do.