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Canine Socialization
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Socialization - Part one
Socialization - Part Two
Behaviour, Socialization and Training
Socialization
The Importance of Socializing your Puppy
SOCIALIZATION –Part One
George
K. Hobson Copyright April 2005
Our companions in the field
are ever more frequently becoming the same dog that lives in our homes.
The growth of apartment living, and smaller yards for private homes,
often prevents the building of an outside kennel where hunting dogs are
kept. However, even for those field companions that do live an outside
life, manners and socialization should be a part of their development.
Dog-to-dog aggression is not
often seen in working hunting dogs, but it does happen and can be prevented
with proper training. It is just as unnecessary as the dog that is a
family pet having a fight, or acting aggressively when out on a walk.
Training in at least the basic obedience commands for recall, heel, sit,
down, and remain in place is a start for our companion dogs, but not the
complete solution. It is why the dog carries out the command that is important,
and gives reliability around other dogs and humans. Proper socialization
is the second major component of the answer to achieving a dog that understands
its role in our world, and modifies its genetic drives to conform to the
rules of human society. Rather than having a dog that complies with a command
because it has been forced to do so, the correctly socialized dog will be
one that complies because it knows it is safe when doing so, and is rewarded
with the internal satisfaction of a job well done.
Socialization is not a one
time, or short-term training program. Socialization is the ongoing exposure
of the dog to all of the experiences of life in human society. To be fully
successful it must be done continuously, and on a recurring basis with all
possible and varied distractions and in different locations. The goal
of socialization is to help the dog to learn to act appropriately around
people, other animals, and in the many public and private situations of its
life. A dog cannot be considered socialized until it has demonstrated
the ability to act in a confident and relaxed manner to changing environments,
and new situations.
Developing a dog that is mentally
balanced, and able to readily adapt to changing environments can not
be approached haphazardly. There are some well-defined, and other more
general critical periods in the development of a dog from puppy to adult
that need special attention in the work of socialization. These critical
periods are recognized because the dog's experiences during them result
in well-documented behaviors and attitudes later in the dog's life. For
owners the first critical period is the human-dog bonding period of age
8 to 12 weeks, and is generally viewed as the most critical establishing
a trusting attitude in the dog. A dog's inappropriate or unacceptable
behaviors resulting from experiences with humans during this period are
often the most difficult to correct.
Recognizing that critical periods
are when experiences will have a significant impact on the dog, owners
must plan and set up the activities and exposures to ensure positive
results. As in any training, the factors of distance, duration, degree
of difficulty, and levels of distraction must be integrated into the
learning experience. For example, we want to expose a dog to heavy traffic
with blaring vehicle horns and loud mufflers for the first time. How
would we consider the four factors in planning the exposure?
One approach would be to take
the dog to a large, busy parking lot at a mall, and park at the far
end, away from the high level of traffic (distance). We would then gradually
work closer to the higher levels of traffic and noise (duration) until
the dog showed signs of anxiety (degree of difficulty for the dog).
Now we have established the level of comfort for the dog that tells us the
activity of vehicles and noise (distraction) has become more than the dog
can deal with in a calm manner. At this point socialization has moved from
just exposure to a situation, to training for that situation. Failure
to recognize a requirement for transition from exposure to specific training
is one of the most common reasons for failure and development of undesirable
behaviors.
During socialization that introduces
the dog to what could be frightening situations, it is especially critical
that the trainer be calm and in control by leadership and not force,
and transmit that composure and confidence to the dog. A tight leash,
or letting the dog lead its handler away from such situations, has put
the human in the follower position with the dog fully in charge. The training
has now moved from socialization to fear reinforcement, and the possible
development of fear aggression in the dog.
It is also possible for activities
not previously causing an undesirable reaction to become ones that are
unexpectedly doing so. This can occur because there are later periods
in the dog's life that require special awareness of the dog's mental development.
These periods are generally in the time frames of four to six months,
eight to ten months, and sometimes as late as sixteen months to two years
of age. In all cases of expected or unexpected shy or fearful behavior,
it is vital that coddling or soothing does not reinforce the behavior.
The dog's actions must be met with the handler's confident, normal demeanor
and tone of voice. The sequence of actions for the handler is to:
1. Distract,
2. Redirect,
3. Train or Correct as appropriate.
Continuous and repetitive exposure
to the vagaries of life is a necessary part of socialization. This means
that over the full life of the dog it should be given properly planned,
repeated exposure to any given distraction. Fearful and aggressive attitudes
regarding particular situations won't go away just because they are ignored,
or have been brought under control at a given point or at a single location.
All training requires practice to maintain a level of response or to
make improvement. Issues identified during socialization are no different,
and should be carefully noted for future emphasis in maintaining a mentally
healthy and balanced dog.
This is part one of a two part
installment on socialization. In part two the considerations and procedures
for socialization training will be discussed along with recommendations
for socializing a dog to become a confident and calm companion.
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SOCIALIZATION –Part Two
George
K. Hobson Copyright April 2005
In the first installment about
the need for socialization, the periods of development and receptiveness
to environmental influences were discussed. In part two we will take
a brief look at how to approach the training involved in achieving a
calm and confident companion. Whether a field dog or a family pet the
approach is the same.
As with any training the trainer
must have a plan, and keeping a training record is the most effective
way to ensure the plan is accomplished. A good socialization plan involves
keeping a record of the individual situations, and all distractions to
which the dog is introduced. A very effective way to do this is by the
use of a table of activities. A table format will not only provide a record
of what has been done, but is most easily used to identify areas of concern,
activities yet to be accomplished, and how long since any given activity
has had a turn in the training.
One important element
in a complete socialization program is dog-to-dog activities. A dangerous
misconception is that of a dog getting along with all dogs just because
it gets along with one or two others it sees frequently. Dog parks
are not recommended for this activity as the variety of untrained dogs,
on and off leash, presents a significant potential for a bad experience:
particularly with a young dog. In general, if you see another dog owner
approaching you with their dog in the lead or on a tight leash, you should
move away and ask the owner not to approach you: both of those activities
are warning signs about an uncontrolled dog with unpredictable actions.
The best place to develop canine-to-canine
social skill is in a controlled class, and the best trainers offer group
socialization with all dogs off leash. That means little dogs, big dogs,
young dogs, and old dogs doing dog things under supervision. It is a fact
of the canine world that humans cannot teach dog-to-dog manners and social
skills: we can teach them to be obedient but we cannot teach canine manners
to dogs. For example, we must not assume obedience to heeling past other
dogs (reliability to command) is a display of socialization (lack of anxiety
while doing so). Owners can certainly train to a level that achieves one
dog ignoring another while under command, but the dog's level of confidence
to act appropriately in the absence of command or proximity for control
comes from socialization
People and dogs get along best
when each is respectful of the other. Unfortunately for the dog, many
humans have no idea how to be respectful from the dog's point of view,
and thus the burden of appropriate action falls most heavily on the canine.
The dog must be prepared to meet loud-voiced, and towering humans that
unintentionally present a threatening aura as well as small children that
back it into a corner. It must endure the rough pat of the unknowing as
well as the syrupy voice of the uninitiated when offering their attention.
The dog must do this with humans of all ages, races, sizes, and manner of
dress and deportment. An effective technique in this particular realm of
socialization is to enlist the aid of friends and relatives to stage training
scenarios involving unusual dress and activities.
Careful and planned introduction
into new environments should start early and with short duration.
Puppies should be taken for walks at night, and even older dogs may exhibit
a tentative attitude if this is not a part of their normal activities.
Just as country dogs need exposure to city life, city dogs need to go
the zoo, and the country to encounter new animals, sights, and smells.
Pet stores are good places to encounter birds, fish in tanks, cats, strange
dogs, and sights and scents not otherwise available. As with all work in
socialization, the handler's calm demeanor is critical in achieving and
maintaining a calm attitude in the dog.
How much, and when to expose
the dog to any given activity are two important considerations in developing
your socialization plan. The planned use of activities, the duration
of exposure to them, the degree of difficulty they represent to the dog,
and the distance of the activity from the dog at its first exposure must
be mixed and matched in determining how much. In all cases the handler
must be alert to the signs of anxiety and take action before the dog feels
the need to do so on its own. When to do so must be done with judgment rather
than any set formula or time frame.
Owners must remember that there
are critical periods of development that vary from dog to dog, and sensitivity
is affected by previous exposure and genetics. The decisions as to how
much, and when are as much in the realm of art as in practical implementation.
There are two rules that may be applied to every socialization activity.
First, the handler must be calm and in control from the dog's point of
view. When the handler projects the confidence and energy that
he is going to take care of this "normal but unusual” situation the dog
is far less likely to attempt to do so by flight or fight. Secondly, any
given situation must be handled according to the needs of the dog. Always
introduce highly stressful or unusual activities slowly, and with the
same confident attitude and energy previously employed for less demanding
ones. Remember that socialization is a life long activity, and those activities
not revisited will fade in the order of reliable and predictable response.
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Behaviour, Socialization, and Training
Trying to decide what
level of training is right for you and your dog is not all that easy.
Most people of the
dog world recommend "obedience" training. Most dog owners, however,
see "obedience" training as
marching around in circles teaching their dog to be perfectly
aligned with their left leg. Indeed some classes do that, but most classes
for the beginner are simply using typical obedience commands as a tool
to teach basic teaching and handling skills. What most dog owners really
want is simply a well-mannered, socially acceptable dog. How much work
it takes to achieve that goal depends upon many factors the most important
of which are: the patience and consistency of the teaching, the temperament
of the dog, and the amount of time the dog has the opportunity to learn.
The more time the dog spends as a member of the family the more easily
it will learn social skills simply because it will have more opportunity
to practice, make mistakes, be corrected, and receive praise for behaving
well.
Effective training requires good timing. This is the most difficult
thing for most dog owners to learn. A critical difference between the
way people learn and the way dogs learn involves the use of language.
A parent can explain to a six year old child that an action (praise or
punishment) is related to an event in the past.
Language connects the present action with the past event. Even more importantly
language can be used to
identify and describe for that child exactly what behaviour merited
the action. Dogs, for the most part, lack
language skills. Good timing becomes critical to connect the action
(your praise or correction) to the event.
Learning how to communicate without words is the most important
basic skill you can learn in a good quality basic obedience class. If
the instructor has the skill to teach you to read your dog's body language
and how and when to react to it, then you will be well on your way to
a polite, socially adept dog. For example:
Suppose you want to teach your dog not to chase a cat. The least
effective way of doing it is to yell at the dog after it returns from
chasing the cat. The second least effective way is to yank the dog back
as soon as it starts to run after the cat. The most effective way is to correct
the dog for thinking about chasing the cat.
HUH? How do you know what the dog is "thinking"? Observe the dog.
Its attention will be on the cat.
Observe the body language of the dog - see the tension rise -
if you've let the tension crest you have waited a smidgen too long. Don't
wait until the dog actually tries to take the dinner off the table, express
your
disapproval when the dog shows an interest and focus on it. By
timing your response to the point at which the dog is forming the intent
to act, but has not yet committed to it you will be able to make the strongest
connection between your response and the act.
The best basic dog training classes teach you why to do what and
when. Most mediocre training classes
teach by formula. The mediocre instructors have little or no understanding
of dog behaviour, or how to read
dog body language. Good timing is very difficult to learn by yourself,
with only a good book or videotape. If
you don't have access to good quality instructors then at least
practice with a few other people so that you
can watch one another and observe each other's timing of responses
to the actions of each dog. Well-timed praise is just as critical as well
timed correction.
One of the other problems people face is conflicting information.
There are a lot of different training
techniques, and some that sound very different but are really
not. It is confusing and there is no getting
around it. The only advice I can give you is that virtually any
training technique you actually use consistently
and patiently will probably result in a well-trained and well-behaved
dog. It is worth taking some time to
explore the different styles and philosophies to find one that
you are comfortable with and will use.
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Socialization
Dawn S. Sylvia-Stasiewicz
A well-socialized dog is a
joy to live with. He will readily accept change, new people, and interact
comfortably with his own species. Socialization is a continuous process
that begins at around 3 weeks within the litter, and continues throughout
the life of the canine. However, puppyhood is the ideal time for any pet
owner to take advantage of. The ‘socializing period’ is a crucial time in
a puppy’s life, but begins to close at or around 16 weeks of age. A puppy
purchaser has a golden window of opportunity to ‘shape’ the future personality
of the canine during this time. All that the puppy will experience is new,
and if controlled by the owner, each experience should be safe, happy and
positive.
Until the puppy has been sufficiently inoculated, socializing can begin
within your own home. Invite friends, and neighborhood children over to
sit down on the floor and hand-feed your new puppy, this is a wonderful
way to expose your dog to strangers, and the little hands of children. With
your supervision, the puppy will learn through this experience that children
are safe, and those little hands reaching forward to pet the puppy are gentle.
Associating ‘touch’ with something the puppy already enjoys like food makes
that ‘first’ contact with children and strangers a pleasant experience.
Also, this is a grand time to educate young children about dogs.
Once your pup has been sufficiently inoculated, throw some puppy kibble
in your pocket and begin to take him for walks down the street. Puppies
are adorable, and attract a lot of attention. Anyone that passes by will
enjoy petting him. Offer your neighbor a piece of puppy kibble to feed to
your pup, he will soon learn to ‘enjoy’ strangers. Offer another piece of
food as you approach ‘Mr. Mailbox’ and Mr. Fire Hydrant’ encourage him to
investigate, and then give him a treat for doing so. These things along
the street can produce an array of responses from your dog, ranging from
very scary to very curious. Get him use to the ‘everyday’ sights and sounds
of children playing, cars passing by, and people petting him.
Puppy classes are one of the best ways to expose your dog to other dogs
within his age group. In a ‘controlled’ indoor environment, he will ‘safely’
meet other people; men, woman, and children, as well as other puppies,
all under the ‘supervision’ of a qualified instructor. Plus, your not putting
your puppy at risk by guessing whether or not the dogs at the local doggy
park are social and friendly, or current on their vaccinations. You’d be
surprised how many adult dogs attend doggy parks without proper training
or socialization. This will put your new puppy at considerable risk for not
only picking up diseases, but also getting hurt or bitten by an older dog.
When one weighs the risk of behavioral problems caused from lack of socialization,
and disease from the soil at the local doggy park, I’d rather take my risk
in the form of a ‘clean, indoor’ puppy class. Most reputable instructors
have not only ‘screened’ each puppy prior to registration, they also have
on file the inoculation records of each puppy registered. This will help
to put the puppy owner at ease simply knowing that the risks involved have
been minimized.
Unfortunately, many veterinarians still advise new puppy owners NOT
to attend any classes until the dog has completely finished with the necessary
round of shots, putting the owner and canine at quite a disadvantage. This
usually gives us two distinctive groups of puppy owners. Group A; completely
isolates the dog, thereby living in a vacuum for the fist four or five months
of his life. Group B; takes their puppy to the local dog park for exercise
and play, but when asked why they are not in a puppy class they answer,
"My vet told me he is too young and I should wait until his shots are completed."
Socialization must be approached with a common sense attitude. If you
would like to have the kind of adult dog that will be a joy to not only
you, but also society, then you should begin while he is still a puppy,
more specifically and far easier to accomplish before his 16th week of life.
Think of all the things he will most likely come in contact with during
his lifetime, and expose him to those things now in the most ‘positive’ format
you can muster up. The ‘greater’ his experiences are while he is still young,
the better his chances are of handling new situations, new people, and a
joy to take out into the world with you. If your veterinarian suggests that
you not attend any classes with your puppy until his shots are finished,
ask why. Most vets today are more ‘up-to-date’ on all the new information
that ‘supports’ puppy classes, positive reinforcement training, and the
importance of early socialization.
Dawn S. Sylvia-Stasiewicz, CDBC Shaping Your Dog's Future Relationship
Training for You and Your Dog APDT # 513www.MeritPuppy.com C
- 703 915 3635 H - 540 364 2781 O - 540 364 3200 O - 877
Dog News Fax 540 364 2957 Washington Post Washingtonian
Magazine Dog Fancy - Popular Dog Series The Hill Rag Newspaper,
Washington, DC
The Importance Of Socializing Your Puppy
What is socialization?
Socialization is introducing your puppy to, and establishing a positive
relationship or response to all creatures and its environment.
Why is socialization important?
Socialization prevents a puppy from being fearful and, quite possibly,
aggressive in new situations or environments. A properly socialized, confident,
and happy puppy, when startled, should be able to recover quickly and respond
in a positive fashion.
When do you start socializing your puppy?
Initial socialization should start to occur between birth to six weeks
of age. During this period, puppies are stimulated by frequent handling.
This helps them to be more social, handle stress better, and build confidence.
Primary socialization should begin at three weeks through fourteen weeks
of age. This time is the most important time of social development in your
puppy’s life, as lack of socialization may lead to the puppy regressing
to an irreversibly fearful state.
How do you socialize your puppy?
Introduce your puppy to new situations, people, animals, and places.
Take your puppy with you everywhere possible. However, when introducing
your puppy to these new situations, there are a few things to remember:
1. The first experience should be a positive and safe one. For
example, if you take your puppy to the playground to meet children, the
children should be respectful of your puppy. Do not allow children to jump,
scream or tug at your puppy, as this may make your puppy fearful of children.
The children should approach calmly and quietly, allowing the puppy to sniff
their hands, and then pet the puppy with perhaps giving it a treat.
2. Watch for signs of fear in the puppy. If you see your puppy
with its tail between its legs, body hunched over, fur on its back raised,
growling and/or barking, not wanting to approach some something or someone,
constantly laying down or startled, immediately stop the introduction and
go no further! Forcing an introduction at this point could create an irreversible
fear of what the puppy does not want to approach as well as create trust
issues between your puppy and you. Instead, allow the puppy to take a moment
to process what is going on and approach it at its own pace.
3. Do not reinforce a fearful response from your puppy. Meaning
if your puppy is acting fearful, do not pick puppy up, hug, comfort or pet
it. Act as though nothing is wrong and give your puppy a moment to process
the situation and approach at its own pace. By trying to console and comfort
a puppy when in its fearful, you are reinforcing to the puppy that acting
fearfully gets a positive response from humans. Moreover, human interference
does not allow the puppy to learn how to process and recuperate from being
startled or fearful of a new situation.
4. Do not correct a puppy for acting fearful, your puppy will
associate what ever it was fearful of with a correction.
5. Remember if puppies or dogs are startled, they can become
unpredictable. They may try to bolt, or if startled, may try to snap at
what has startled them. In order to mitigate this, keep your puppy on a
leash whenever introducing it to something new or not in a safely confined
area.
6. Your attitude means a lot. If you act uneasy or uncomfortable,
your puppy will respond in similar fashion, as it takes queues from you.
Remain patient, calm, confident, and unaffected by the response of your puppy
in these situations.
7. Talk to your veterinarian about vaccinations and common puppy
illnesses before socializing your puppy with other animals.
Remember when you are in public places keep your puppy leashed as it
may save its life one day, and it is also the LAW. Do not limit your puppy
to this list, be creative, and have fun! Here is a list of things to socialize
your puppy to:
1. Introduce your puppy to as many people as you can, irregardless
of age, sizes, ethnicity, disabilities, appearance or dress.
2. Introduce your puppy to people in motion such as walkers,
bicyclists, skaters, joggers, persons using wheelchairs or canes.
3. Introduce your puppy to other healthy, vaccinated, friendly
dogs and cats.
4. Introduce your puppy to different urban and woodland environments.
Remember to have them leashed you do this.
5. Take your puppy to the veterinarian’s office, not only for
its shots and check-ups, but to just visit. This helps build the association
that good things can happen when you go to the veterinarians’ office.
6. Take your puppy to the pet shop with you.
7. Take your puppy on car rides. Do not leave a puppy in a vehicle
with its windows rolled up for even a minute as it can quickly suffer from
heat stroke and die. Also, do not leave the widows rolled down as your puppy
can jump out of the car and become lost, injured, or even killed. If you
can’t take your puppy with you when you get out of the car, leave it at
home.
8. Take your puppy to a friend’s houses.
9. Take your puppy to outdoor sporting events.
10. Expose your puppy to anything which makes noise and/or moves
in your house such as running vacuum cleaners, sweeping and mopping or
a running dishwasher.
11. Expose your puppy to stairs, carpeted floors, wood or vinyl
floors, grass, *pavement,* gravel paths and anything else you can find.
*Please note: Check the temperature of any outdoor pavement before allowing
your puppy to touch it, they can get pretty hot.
12. Allow your puppy supervised visits in all rooms of your home.
Sharon Bradberry is the founder and primary trainer at Fredericksburg
Canine Academy (540-898-8823).
Unable
to contact author, but some good advice is outlined in this article.
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