How to Socialize an Adult Dog

Conventional wisdom decrees you have only a limited window of opportunity to socialize a dog, and, admittedly, conventional wisdom is accepted because there is usually a good basis for it - on average.

But you've just adopted the most intelligent, cleverest, best dog ever from the local pound. He's never been trained, had no real attention or interaction. The poor beast spent the first years of his life in a kennel in the backyard, his only contact with people once a day when he was fed - unless they forgot or it was raining or too cold or they were too busy.

So you met this guy. You were looking for a puppy, something smaller and cuter, but as you started to walk by his cage he sighed and you looked back over your shoulder. Your eyes met his and you forgot all about puppies.

When it's right you know it, and now you want to do right by him and open the world up to this dog who gave you his heart and took yours in the space of three heartbeats. Conventional wisdom tells you it can't be done, or at least it's not likely to happen, but you're not a conventional sort of soul and you're determined. Now you have to figure out how to begin the process.

The first step is showing this dog that he can trust you not to put him into situations he can't cope with right away. If you overwhelm him it's going to make the task you've set out to accomplish together more difficult.

A good start is to find a quiet place where the two of you can learn to walk together on leash. Take a pocketful of treats with you and another pocketful of patience. Make it a time to relax and bond; reward confident, mannerly walking with intermittent breaks for a treat, affection and praise and let him have time at the end of the session to do some sniffing and snooping around. Remember, he hasn't had much of a chance to discover the world in his past life, and the more he learns about the world he's moving through, the more confidence he can build. Confidence is going to be the foundation for his social skills.

As the two of you become more assured in each other's company, start expanding his world. Introduce him to friends. Load them up with some of his favorite treats and have them meet you when you're out walking so he begins to learn to accept friendly strangers and then to recognize known friends.

Finding a good beginning obedience class to take together can be another step forward in the process, especially if it's one that has other adult or adolescent dogs. Do your homework, though, and make certain the trainer is one who doesn't believe in using harsh corrections, yanking on the leash, snapping a choke chain, the infamous "alpha roll" or any sort of confrontational training techniques. A good rule to base your decision on is not to let a trainer do anything to your dog you wouldn't let them do to your child.

Once the two of you have developed a level of trust in each other in social situations and he's learned an acceptable level of public manners the two of you can start making social visits to public places that allow dogs. Plant nurseries, most home improvement and hardware stores, farm supply stores, outdoor markets, flea markets, if there's not a sign prohibiting dogs and if you don't see that it's too crowded for your dog to be too far outside his present comfort zone, go for it.

Socializing the adult dog can be accomplished. It takes determination and awareness on your part, as well as consideration and empathy. You can't push too hard - pushing doesn't accomplish anything positive. It's your responsibility to lead him out into the world.

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