Socializing is Key in Developing a Friendly Dog

Dog socializing is the best thing you could ever do for your dog. Getting him accustomed to everyone and everything he will encounter in the first 6 months of his life will be a great step toward helping him become a good-natured, well-adjusted dog. Being introduced to his environment will allow him to feel safe in his surroundings and minimizes his fear, which can cause aggression. This should be a pleasurable experience for your dog.

Dog socializing should commence as soon as you bring your dog home. Don't wait. The longer you wait, the more fears he is likely to develop.

Introduce him to everyone: your children, mom, dad, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends, mailman. Introduce him to the young, old, tall, short, different ethnic backgrounds, people wearing uniforms, etc. Make sure that the people he is introduced to are not fearful. Dogs will sense that, which in turn will make them react defensively.

Expose your dog to many different environments, such as the basement, the sidewalk, the street, the playground, shopping areas, the car, the vet, the beach, the post office, crowded areas, desolate areas, etc. This is an important part of dog socializing.

Expose your dog to different sounds, such as the door bell, the telephone, the garbage truck, children playing, horns honking, the vacuum cleaner, aunt Bertha's voice, etc. The most common sound which causes < a href="http://www.happyk-9.com/dog-fears.html>fear in your dog is thunder.

Expose him to different objects, such as umbrellas, the mop, the broom, the vacuum, the dish washer, the washer & dryer, the television, the stereo, etc.

Most importantly, dogs should socialize with other dogs. All different breeds and sizes of dogs. Meeting more dogs minimizes the likelihood of aggression towards other dogs.

Accustom your dog to being touched all over. This will make bathing and grooming a more pleasurable experience for both of you.

Do not overwhelm your dog by introducing him to all of the above in one day. There is plenty of time for dog socializing.

If he becomes fearful of a particular object or sound, reintroduce it to your dog at a slow pace. For instance, if he is fearful of thunder, desensitize him to the sound by playing a recording of thunder at a low volume and slowly increase the volume each day until he doesn't react to it anymore.

Do not reward fear with a hug. This will only encourage your dog to behave this way when he hears thunder. Until you have been able to desensitize him to the sound, just distract him with a game of fetch or play soft music to drown out the thunder.

Many new and long time dog owners are not aware of importance of dog socializing. If a dog is not introduced to everything in his environment in the early stages of life, he will most likely grow up to be an aggressive, mal-adjusted dog.

Article written by Nancy Settecasi
Happy K-9 Dog Care