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Posted in Latest News | 5 years ago

Three Steps To Safe And Fun For Dog Socialization

Here are 3 of the most important tips for successful dog on dog interaction.

1.) No human interaction.

I’ve talked about this time and time again and made videos on this topic you can find in my past posts. Human interaction is AWFUL for dog socialization. It can create unnecessary arousal and an association of you as a resource creating a higher likelihood of a dog fight over you. Removing the human interaction allows the dogs to do their own thing with each other without the interruption of us or expectation of them getting anything.


2.) Advocate for ALL dogs.

This is HUGE. Almost every single dog fight can be predicted light years before it actually happens. 9/10 times that is because one dog is getting stressed out by another. When socializing, wether it’s with 2 dogs or 20 dogs, it is your responsibility to play the referee that lets each dog know when it’s too much before the other dog feels like they have to. Look for clear signs of stress or avoidance from one party and make sure to intervene right away and let the other dog know to tone it back.


3.) Be safe.

If you are planning to socialize your dog with dogs that they have never met before make sure to discuss with the owner what you are looking to get out of your dogs social experience with them. If they are not on board with the above rules, or they have the mentality of “oh well just let um figure it out” that’s likely not the dog and owner you want to socialize your dog with. Find people that respect the fact that socialization should not be a free for all and you guys are running the show.

Remember one bad social experience can REALLY set your dog back in their behavior. So be careful and play it safe!