# Socialization--REGRETS?



## ardavis324 (Jan 14, 2008)

What specific person/place/thing/sound, etc do you regret not socializing your pup with?


----------



## Achielles UD (May 26, 2001)

I think the only thing I really regreat not socializing Axel more on as a puppy were other dogs. I did some interactions and he of course was comfortable with my house dogs, but I don't think I did enough with dogs outside of the household. I am not talking about playing with other dogs, just learning to ignore them more.

Also, more socializing around the horses is in store for Moxie, that Axel didn't get. So again not to play with but make them "ho-hum" no biggie. 

Oh! And stairs! Lots of stairs. My dogs are fine with a few, but because we don't have a send floor or basement, more than 2 or 3 is strange for them. So Moxie will get to go to a place where I know they have a lot more steps









Tile floors. Off to Lowe's we will go.

These really aren't regrets... as I did socialize a lot.. but I would have liked to have done more I think.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Socializing with small children is one of the harder ones to do. Where do you go to find small kids to interact with? I have two kids, 12- 15yrs. but the 4-8 yr. age is something that Onyx doesn't know about, so she barks and hackles when she sees them. Also because little ones are so unpredictable, she doesn't know how to read them, so she fears them!


----------



## DrDoom (Nov 7, 2007)

I didn't have Bear as a pup, he's a rescue, but I wish he didn't flip out over vultures. Flying, in trees, on the ground, whatever. He HATES them with a fiery passion.


----------



## tracyc (Feb 23, 2005)

We were MANIACAL about socializing! LOL. And the one thing we forgot...Sonic Drive-ins! So add that to your list if that's someplace you'd like to take your dog. 

the other thing I wish I could have done was to have MUCH MORE front door manners practice with strangers. Luca will accept with no issue the 12 people he knows--our usual friends, family--all the people he met as a puppy. But any stranger is a mass murderer if they come onto our front porch. Out in public he loves everyone. But on our front porch...not so much.


----------



## ardavis324 (Jan 14, 2008)

How do you socialize him for visitors to your front door? Just make sure lots of strangers come over once or twice each? I would think with the front door issue, you have to find the happy medium between condemning and condoning the "territorial" behavior.


----------



## tibvixie101 (Nov 26, 2007)

Mya was my first GSD of my own, i had them growing up, but never had to deal with OB or training, they were just my playmates. So when i moved into my own place and got Mya i should have leanred that socialization was a necessity with GSD's. She is fine with people at the house, a little wary of strangers in public who want to pet her, and she is a bit fearful of other dogs. So when i got my 2nd GSD the first thing i did was plan a list of things i knew i needed to do so that he wouldnt have the same unsocialized issues as Mya. 

Stairs are a big thing though, we live in a one story house so their are NO stairs at all. So i had to take them to this cove area where their is a stack of at least 30 stairs with a landing every ten steps. i had to teach them to go up and down them. Let me tell you, for dogs who have never seen stairs, it was a big task to get them to go down them. Up was ok, but down was a nightmare. They either went to fast and stumbled or too slow and would stop after taking each step.


----------



## tracyc (Feb 23, 2005)

> Quote: How do you socialize him for visitors to your front door? Just make sure lots of strangers come over once or twice each? I would think with the front door issue, you have to find the happy medium between condemning and condoning the "territorial" behavior.


I don't know...that's why it's a tough one, or was for me. If I had it to do over again, I think I would have had some kind of gathering at my house every weekend for a few months when the dog was a puppy/adolescent--cocktail parties, movie nights, anything to widen the circle of people coming and going in our house, including friends of friends--people we don't even know well...all to make the idea of "friendly" people showing up at the front door the norm. 

Like a lot of people, we have the same 6 guests over all the time--we don't have a wide circle of friends and family. So, my dog's first instinct is that any visitor to the door that isn't on the "list" of known friends is someone to act agressively towards until I say shut up. My preference would be for a dog that expected strangers to be friendly unless he got a clear signal that they aren't.


----------



## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

My dog has been great regarding friends, neighbors, family and other dogs. Our neighborhood is extremely dog friendly, so he was introduced to the neighbors at an early age. 

Prior posts mentioned this, but the one thing I would try to socialize the dog more, is toward strangers that come to the door. At 90 ponds this is difficult to recruit volunteers. When he was a pup I am sure I could have recruited a few volunteers.


----------



## my4cowboys (Mar 19, 2006)

Onyx'girl - As far as finding large groups of younger kids - I'm not sure of how it is where you are, but here, you can drive around to any large field of grass on a Saturday between August-November, and again between March - June and there will be loads of kids with their families and pets at soccer games. I have 4 boys in that age group, and nearly all of their teammates bring their dogs with them, so we're looking forward to major socialization with our new pup this spring at those soccer games!

Another idea is any elementary school playground right when school is letting out. That may actually be a little overwhelming for a pup, but LOTS of loud, busy, and excited kids then, too!


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

You are lucky for that~ team=dog socializing....Unfortunately, the sports parks where I live don't allow dogs at their facilities. I would love to go to the little league diamonds or soccer fields. That is why Onyx didn't get here social skills developed when she was younger...My daughter plays softball, last season I always wanted the dogs to go with me...They even kicked off the horses when people rode in on them. I can see their point, distraction to players and foul ball injury is always a scary thing. I do have a few different walking trail options, but our weather is so harsh right now, I have to wait a bit 
School playground is way too much stimulation for her as she is fear aggressive. Been there- done that.


----------



## 1211meeka (Mar 1, 2007)

I completley agree with the front door thing. Meeka is still under two years old, so I think when school is out I can ask our neighbor girl to spend some time ringing my doorbell, so I can get our problem solved. For now I have resorted to this modifying of MY behavior:
Doorbell rings-Meeka gets overly excited-I go to the back door(which leads to enclosed porch) Meeka follows I open door, she goes through-I don't-shut door-run to front door-deal with whoever-go to back door, let Meeka back in-she runs to the living room to see who the company is-and is then pouting for a couple of minutes. Yes, I already regret this routine! Ha ha!


----------



## sunnygirl272 (Dec 10, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: DrDoomI didn't have Bear as a pup, he's a rescue, but I wish he didn't flip out over vultures. Flying, in trees, on the ground, whatever. He HATES them with a fiery passion.


For whateve reason, I find that it's vultures, combined with your screen name and avatar to be HILARIOUS!!!!


----------



## sume747 (Apr 3, 2008)

We take Duece to regular parks. We have one that has ball fields, a 2 1/2 mile track, tennis courts, all kinds of things and there are people of every age there and most everyone loves a puppy so he gets to meet all kinds of people.


----------



## Arobryn (Nov 1, 2007)

Kids. Blue's only 5 months so I'm hoping we still have time, but not having kids myself it's hard to find 'the right kids'. You don't want them hurting the pup and now that he's a bit bigger you don't want him hurting them.

But now that the weather's warming up I'm going to try the suggestions mentioned here - ball fields and school yards.

I've also got the doorbell thing - thanks for reminding me. I think I'll have a friend come over and be prepared to stand there ringing the bell for a bit and I'll get Blue to calm, give him a treat, open the door, then go through the routine, again.

~L'aura


----------

