# Proper Socialization (?)



## PitbullLover9000 (Dec 2, 2021)

For a few days I have been wondering how to properly socialize a dog or puppy. I am not planning to get a GSD until I am older and I have my life together, but I still want to do as much research and educate myself on these topics. 

How exactly do you socialize a dog? Does it depend on each individual dog's temper?
Is it better to have dogs physically meet people up close, or just teach the dog how to be calm and relaxed while in the presence of other people?
Is conditioning a young dog or puppy to wearing a muzzle early on a good idea? Just incase they do become reactive and to prevent other people from getting hurt?
Any feedback would be appreciated.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Here's yet more for you to readrethinking "popular" early socialization

Being calm around people and animals and not being expected or forced to interact avoids multiple behavior issues down the road IMHO.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Good for you doing research ahead of time! Do a search on these forums for "socialization" and/or "socializing" you'll find plenty of good reading!

Edited to Add: Just make sure you read through lots of posts, don't take any single post as being correct! Read on and find the consensus. Many people are still confused by what was once "popular knowledge" about socialization. So keep an open mind and read many posts!


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## PitbullLover9000 (Dec 2, 2021)

Thank you so much Dogma13! I was thinking that not forcing dogs to interact when they don't want to was better but I was not sure because many people had their dogs out meeting people up close. Because, what if the dog I got had a low sociability rate? From what I've researched, for some dogs, it doesn't matter how much you socialize them, they will never like other people. So I thought that just teaching the dogs to be calm and relaxed in the presence of other people, but not forcing them to interact if they do not want to, was a better option. 
Anither thing is, a lot of people will not approach a dog with a muzzle on, and I think that for a low sociability rate dog, it would be better for them. I will read the article you gave, and I appreciate it a lot! ^^


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Covid was a great help in keeping people away from squealing over my pup. I had him exposed to people but not interacting and he is almost two and nice and friendly to people He is an English Shepherd.


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## drparker151 (Apr 10, 2020)

Don't forget socialization is not just about meeting humans and other dogs. It is exposure to the whole world, strange new sights and sounds, garbage trucks, kids screaming on a playground, sirens. Start at distance and slowly move closer.


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## PitbullLover9000 (Dec 2, 2021)

Thank you! I will take this advice. I heard getting dogs in new places and around things like kids and loud trucks also builds their confidence. ^^


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

PitbullLover9000 said:


> Thank you! I will take this advice. I heard getting dogs in new places and around things like kids and loud trucks also builds their confidence. ^^


This is how socialization goes wrong. You shouldn't be trying to build confidence. You should be exposing the dog to things it will encounter in life and observing. If the pup has a bad experience, it can make just as strong an impression as a good experience. 

I think where people go wrong is that they get it in their head that the pup going a particular place or doing a particular thing is very important. Then they focus on making that thing happen and forget about the pup. 

You can't fix a genetically fearful pup through socialization, particularly if the pup is flooded with stressful experiences.


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## SMcN (Feb 12, 2021)

David Winners said:


> You can't fix a genetically fearful pup through socialization, particularly if the pup is flooded with stressful experiences.


Which is why one of our requirements for new puppy is being a non-reactive puppy, at least giving us a chance to have one who will accept life rather than run away from it....as long as we don't screw up.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

Here is a good example. I took Valor to the range at 10 weeks. He was fine in the parking lot. Fine walking towards the gun line. Fine and attentive during the video. I'm observing him carefully as opposed to focusing on the goal of exposure to gunfire.

If at any point he showed stress or avoidance, we would have backed up or left. There is a huge difference between exposing a pup to things in a fun or neutral manner and forcing a pup to weather a stressful experience over and over again, with 2 drastically different outcomes.

If you watch this video with no sound, you would never know we were at the range.









Valor at the range (10 weeks old)







youtube.com


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Socializing is allowing your puppy to safely observe and interact with their environment so they learn to be confident and neutral. Somewhere, people got the idea that socializing meant flood the puppy with other dogs and people. Probably because we tend to put a human twist on everything instead of thinking like a dog. This is my favorite blog for socializing. She really nails it.






Socializing Your Puppy: how it should look | Naughty Dogge - Monique Anstee


The Biggest Mistake Of All: PUPPY SOCIALIZATION. Dogs need to be socialized. That means that dogs need to SEE the world, and handle it with social grace. We need to teach them the skills and habits necessary for participating within our society. Unfortunately socialization got misunderstood as...




naughtydogge.com


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## PitbullLover9000 (Dec 2, 2021)

Oh okay this makes a lot of sense now. Thank you!


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## finn'smom (Oct 4, 2019)

PitbullLover9000 said:


> Is conditioning a young dog or puppy to wearing a muzzle early on a good idea? Just incase they do become reactive and to prevent other people from getting hurt?



There's plenty of great advice on here about socialization and they've been expressed, quoted and linked here already.

Just my thoughts on conditioning to wear a muzzle - There is nothing wrong with teaching your dog to calmly accept a muzzle (even without an expectation of having a reactive dog). My dude learned to wear his, not because I had an ingrained fear of him becoming reactive or anything similar. I did it simply for the fact that he may have to wear one someday.. in a stressful situation ie injured at the vet clinic.. if the time I took to get him accustomed to it reduces the stress of accepting one then, it's a win for me and him.


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## PitbullLover9000 (Dec 2, 2021)

Thank you for this! I appreciate this a lot.


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