The first thing you hear when you get a new puppy is that you need to socialize them. But what does that even mean? It’s probably not what you think!
What is Socialization?
Socialization is the process of teaching a new puppy how to live and behave in a world that is designed for humans. Dogs aren’t born knowing how to be a ‘good boy’ by human standards. It’s our responsibility as owners to teach them how to be comfortable and successful in a human world.
Socialization vs. Socializing
“But I thought socialization was getting out to meet new dogs and new people?!”
It’s okay. That’s a common misconception.
It’s true that exposure to new dogs and new people is an important part of learning how to appropriately interact with the world, but it’s only a small part of socialization. You can think of socialization as going to school to learn what you need to know to be successful…and socializing as hanging out with your friends after class.
True socialization includes learning basic commands, building confidence in unfamiliar situations, exploring a variety of different obstacles they may encounter in life (different types of flooring, sounds, etc.), learning how to cooperate in their own care (grooming, vet visits, etc.), being introduced to appropriate ways to meet new people and other animals, and much more!
Puppies are Impressionable
Puppies are exploring the world for the first time and their initial experience with something will influence how they’ll feel about it for the rest of their life. Which brings us to the importance of a controlled, safe environment and training with positive reinforcement methods….
The Importance of a Controlled, Safe Environment
During socialization, it’s important that you have full control over the environment. We want puppies to have good experiences which build their confidence…and that requires giving them a safe environment where they can explore and learn without having to worry about something suddenly scaring or hurting them. This means that places like dog parks or stores that allow dogs inside are poor choices for socialization as you don’t have control of the dogs or people around you.
R+ Training
Making sure a puppy has good experiences during socialization also extends to our own behavior. It’s important that we utilize positive reinforcement training to encourage further confidence. Relying on punishment techniques can actually have the opposite effect during this period, as pairing new experiences with emotions of fear and/or pain may make the puppy wary of unknown situations later in life.
Consider a Puppy Socialization Class
The best news is that you don’t have to do any of this alone! Consider enrolling your pup in a Puppy Socialization Class. Not only does this provide a safe, controlled environment, but you’ll have a knowledgeable trainer to help you through the process. Look for a class that includes confidence building exercises and introductions to cooperative care in addition to basic obedience.
Training for Your Puppy
During socialization your puppy should learn a variety of things, including:
- Basic commands including “leave it” and “trade”
- How to walk on a leash
- How to appropriately greet a variety of people
- How to act around other dogs and different types of animals
- Be exposed to a variety of floor and stair types
- Experience people wearing different styles of clothing (hats, costumes, etc.)
- Learn that it’s okay to be curious in a new situation instead of afraid
- Be exposed to new sights, sounds, and smells
- Be introduced to the idea of cooperative care (accepting grooming/nail trims, learn to step up on a scale, etc.)
- Learn to accept being kenneled
- Appropriate manners when engaging in free playtime with other puppies
- …and MORE!
Training for You!
But it’s not just your puppy that will be learning! Socialization is a great opportunity for you to learn how to deal with situations that will come up throughout your dog’s life…and help the two of you grow closer through your shared experiences. This is an important reason why you, as the dog’s owner, should be directly involved with all aspects of the training and socialization process.
Building Confidence
One of the most important goals in socialization is to build up the puppy’s confidence. Confident puppies will approach new situations with curiosity rather than fear. To build your puppy’s confidence, you have to start small.
First, establish a way to tell your puppy that they’re doing something correct. Many people use a clicker for this…though in my house we use a marker word (‘Good’). Have a few short sessions with your puppy where you demonstrate that the sound/word means that they’re going to get a reward. This is fun…and easy. Click the clicker (or say the word) and then immediate hand your puppy a treat. Do this over and over until your puppy understands that the click/word = treat.
Next, on a day when you have lots of extra time (you don’t want to rush the process), pick a location where your puppy feels comfortable (likely at home) and change something small. Maybe place your (empty) coffee cup on the floor in the center of the room. Despite the fact that your puppy has seen you drink out of it every day, the fact that it’s somewhere unexpected will be a whole new experience. Or maybe put down a cardboard box. Anything that’s just slightly out of the ordinary. Nothing too scary.
Let your puppy out into the area and sit nearby with a bag of yummy, high-value treats.
Every time your puppy shows interest or curiosity in the item, mark the behavior by either clicking the clicker or using your marker word and then reward with a treat.
For very nervous puppies, you may need to sprinkle some tasty treats in the area around the object to entice your puppy to take that first step. But be sure to also mark and reward the effort as well!
It’s likely that at first you’ll only get a small look or step towards the item and that’s okay! When your puppy shows even the slightest sign of interest instead of fear, immediately mark the action and then offer a treat. As you reward interested or curious behaviors instead of fearful ones, your puppy will become more confident and venture closer and closer.
Once your puppy has mastered a small change in their environment, you can make a slightly bigger change…and a bigger change after that…and a bigger change after that. As your puppy racks up ‘wins’ at these lower levels, they’ll be able to overcome more challenging situations faster and with more confidence…which will translate into more curiosity and less fear in any unknown situation later in their life.
Need some ideas for confidence building situations that you can put together at home? Check out these videos for a couple suggestions:
Confidence training with physical therapy equipment
Time for Fun
But don’t let it be all work and no play. Puppies have limited attention spans. Keep socialization sessions short and find ways to make them fun. Make sure to have lots of play breaks (and time to play with other puppy friends…socializing is important too!)
Be Patient
Above all, be patient! Socialization is a process which takes time. Every puppy will progress at their own pace…and that’s okay!
