Welcome to Heart of the Pack

Dan arrived at the party and fidgeted nervously, he didn’t get out much and as a result social situations made him anxious. After a few awkward encounters people started to avoid Dan because he was a bore. This left Dan feeling angry and unwanted.

Sound familiar? Chances are that at some point your social skills will have been left wanting. As humans this is something that we all go through, and when people ignore us this conditions us to change and adapt so that we can better fit in. By exposing ourselves to more challenging situations we get the opportunity to practice and improve our social skills.

Dogs have social skills too

It seems obvious; like us, dogs are social creatures. While this concept is straight forward, what many people fail to realise is that this also means that dogs need the opportunity to practice their social skills. As the owner, it is your responsibility to fulfil these needs.

What happens if my dog is not socialised? By failing to correctly socialise your dog you are effectively encouraging your dog to engage in antisocial behaviours. These can include excessive barking, separation anxiety, fear, aggression and many more.

How do I socialise my dog?

The good news is that socialising your dog is fun and you get to be as creative as you want. While there is no magic formula for socialising your dog here is 5 principles to keep in mind:

1. Don’t praise when you should be correcting

If your dog is engaging in an unwanted behaviour then do not praise it. By praising in times of stress you are effectively saying ‘good dog, bark at those kids’. This requires you to be perceptive to your dog’s state of mind - in order to correct behaviour you must do it immediately. Another point to keep in mind is don’t use your pets name while you are correcting, the reason for this is that your dog will have a positive association with its name and get confused as to whether you are praising or correcting it.

2. Ask your dog to do something else instead

Correction does not mean punishment. If for example, your dog barks excessively at skateboarders, then simply ask it to do something else. Make it clear that you want it to be paying attention to you and to ignore the passing skateboarder. Also, if you know ahead of time that your dog reacts to passing skaters don’t get anxious yourself because..

3. Dogs live in the moment

If you and your animal have had a bad past experience before then its quite normal for you to be anxious when that situation occurs again. This is something you must train yourself not to do. By becoming anxious you are telling your dog that it is acceptable for them to behave how they did in the past. Take control of the situtation and clearly explain what behaviour you want.

4. Expose your dog to many different situations

Ideally you want your dog to be comfortable with people, other dogs, runners, bike riders, skaters, loud noises etc. In order for this to happen you have to expose your animal to new stimuli frequently. Thorough socialisation will provide your dog with confidence and reduce the likelihood of confidence-related problems such as fear, aggression or separation anxiety.

Practice makes perfect - be creative in thinking up new ways to expose yourself and your loyal companion to new situations and you will both grow for it. If you’re stuck for ideas you could always consider socialisation classes.

5. Walk the pack before you take them to the dog park

Going to the dog park is not a substitute for a walk. By taking your dog for a walk prior to entering the dog park you are doing the other owners a favour. A good walk will drain energy and reduce the chance of your dog getting into an altercation with another dog. Obviously the dog park is a great place for your dog to practice it’s social skills but it shouldn’t be used as a substitute for the walk. Be considerate to others and do your part to maintain balance of the greater pack!

Understand: dogs are social creatures just like us. Think about the most antisocial person you know, do they have many friends? Do they spend the majority of their free time by themselves or doing the same thing over and over? By not making a concerted effort to let your dog be social you are in human terms, turning your friend into ‘a bore’ to other dogs, which in turn leads to antisocial behaviours.

Benefits to humans

One of the things that excites me most about dog behaviour is the lessons we can learn for our own personal growth. By thoroughly socialising your dog you are also exposing yourself to new situations and adventures, it’s a great opportunity to get to know other people and their dogs. Conversely, it’s a great reminder of how people will respond to us if we choose to neglect our social skills..

 I hope you have enjoyed this post. If this has been of any help to you or you have any other ideas you believe would be valuable please post them in the comments box.

Keywords: Separation Anxiety, Barking Dog, Dog Socialisation, Dog Socialization, Running Away, Training Tips, Aggression, Dog Park, Dog Obedience, Pet Care, Housebreaking, Scared Dog, Afraid Dog, Antisocial Dog