Socialization is SO important yet SO MISUNDERSTOOD 😩 By me, too. I got it all wrong in the past, but that’s okay, we know better now and I hope this helps you When I sought out advice from actual science based trainers/behaviorists here’s what I learned: ✅ Socialization is NOT focused on interacting with other people and dogs. While that can be part of it, it’s often the last step if ever (dogs are like humans, they may not want to meet a bunch of other beings and that’s ok!!!) part of “training” is learning what makes your dog special, what the prefer & what makes them feel safe ✅ Socialization is helping your dog feel neutral in new places and novel experiences. They may not love fireworks or thunder or loud trucks, but proper socialization helps build their confidence to TRUST in you (and themselves) that they can handle it and they ARE safe ✅ Socialization is having confidence in their ability to make good decisions when uncomfortable. Example, if they feel unsafe, they know to create space or communicate it properly AND, most importantly, trust they their guardian will help them feel safe again ✅ I am socializing Aura by exposing to the world, at a distance, with something yummy to work on. This makes the world noises/scents/smells background noise. A loud child laugh is no longer terrifying bc they’ve heard it (from a distance) multiple times & nothing bad happened ✅ Rinse & repeat. Multiple short sessions, door to door 20 mins. If she looks, I toss a treat away from the stimulus to teach they they can always leave (ie making a good/safe choice) ✅ Over time we get closer and encourage looking, but always avoiding going over threshold (ie barking, crying, shaming). If that happens, we make space and go slower. One thing the trainers @goroguedogtrainingllc I work with taught me is there is no timeline. It takes as long as it takes, & it’s also never too late to start For easy tips, follow along 🐾 💜🙏
#DogTraining #positivereinforcement #puppytraining #newpuppy #socialization