Socialization -- the most valuable gift you can give your dog

Guest Blogger: Dianna Young of  Camano Island Kennels

Years ago I attended a school for dog trainers in West Virginia. I'll never forget the day a call came in from an official at a nearby county jail. A felon had escaped, and our help was needed to round up the escapee.

Residing at the school was, Floyd, one of the most talented bloodhounds in that entire section of the Appalachians, and it was this dog’s help that the caller really sought. As Floyd's chosen handler, we set out together and I soon found myself huffing and puffing up a steep ridge behind that amazing dog. The way he was snuffling his hound-dog heart out, I figured it was only a matter of minutes until we had this guy up a tree.

But as we crested the ridge, that old boy stopped dead in his tracks. Floyd melted into what we call “passive immobility,” and refused to take another step. Forget about the prisoner’s trail. We had lost him for good.

The reason? A herd of harmless cows that stood gazing dully at us from just over the brow of the hill. This phenomenal bloodhound never had seen cows before, certainly not an entire herd, and his first encounter with them had just overwhelmed him.

This is a great example of why it’s so important to socialize your pup properly to as many things as possible while you have the chance. A cow can be a scary thing if your dog's never seen one before!

Socialization is the act of introducing your pup to situations and experiences, and teaching him or her to deal with them in a calm and confident manner. It is the foundation for any dog’s life, whether he’s a service dog, a hunting dog or a companion animal. Socialization is the imprinting on his mind of resource material that he will use throughout his life.

You won’t have long to do the job right, either. The critical socialization period for any dog is the 63 days of its life between seven weeks and 16 weeks of age. This is the period when socialization will leave the strongest imprint. The window starts to close rapidly after 16 weeks, and although your pup still will be able to receive information, it will not do so as readily or as effectively.

What are the things to which you want to introduce your dog during this impressionable period? Everything you can think of. Introduce him to people, to other dogs, to farm animals and wildlife, to noise and confusion.

Dogs that aren’t properly socialized to people, for example, often grow up to be biters. They may be accepting of members of their human family but at the same time react to people outside their own pack with aggression that’s based in fear. To avert this, take him where people gather. Visit parks and street fairs. See that he’s exposed to different kinds of people; women and men, children of various ages, various ethnic groups. Children are a particularly important category, especially running, shouting children. If you have none of your own, borrow some. Utilize nieces and nephews, or introduce your pup to neighborhood kids or to the Little League team that plays on Saturdays in the local park.

Your pup doesn’t have to actually meet the people you expose him to. He just needs to know that they are out there; that there are lots of people besides the handful who exist inside the security of his own four walls, and that they don’t pose a threat to him.

If you enjoy riding in your car with your dog, start your pup early. Some dogs get to ride in a car only once a year, to go to the vet’s office for booster shots. That can be quite an ordeal for all involved.

Introduce your pup to loud noises. Take him down to the station to watch the Amtrak come through. And if you’re rearing a future gun dog, you’ll want to expose him to the sound of gunshots, of course.

How should you conduct your dog’s exposure to new things? First, put a collar on your pup and attach it to a six-foot leather leash. This puts your pup into a controlled environment, and puts you in control of the environment. Then, think about your own behavior. This is absolutely critical, because you will tell your animal how to feel about what he’s experiencing, whether it’s fireworks, gunfire or a screaming ambulance. He will look to you for leadership, and will take his cue from your demeanor.

When you take him down to see the Amtrak train come by, for example, it’s important that your pup see that its noise doesn’t alarm you or repel you. Don’t pick him up at a critical moment; your dog has to experience life on his own four feet, whether he’s four pounds or 150 pounds. Your goal, however, is to redirect his mind while he’s experiencing something new.

Since a dog can focus on only one task at a time, give his mind something to work on while he’s undergoing the new experience. If your dog has had obedience training, this could be as simple as holding him in a “sit” position. If he’s busy holding a “sit,” he doesn’t have the ability to focus on a train that may make him feel insecure. If he’s not that far advanced, you can distract him by attempting to show him how to sit, or by directing his attention to a treat in your pocket or to a toy.

The hours that you invest in proper socialization when your pup is in the open-window period will pay off in many years of rewarding companionship with a stable, dependable, enjoyable canine companion.

Dianna Young is a certified, professional dog trainer and canine behaviorist who operates Camano Island Kennels Dog Boarding, Grooming and Training Facility and Stella Ruffington’s Doggy Playcare in West Seattle. She can be reached at http://www.camanoislandkennels.com/ or http://www.stellaruffington.com/.