20
Wednesday, September 30, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Paw
Prints
Jodi Schneider McNamee
Columnist
The importance of
socializing your dog
You recently adopted an
adorable one-year-old dog
from a shelter and found out
that he has behavioral prob-
lems. You’ve worked hard to
train your new furry friend
by yourself, but now have to
call in a professional trainer.
Rescuing a dog from an
unknown background that
could have been filled with
neglect and abuse is filled
with challenges. Often dogs
surrendered to a shelter are
in shock and are fearful. It
could takes months of hard
work just to get him comfort-
able around you and his new
home, especially if he wasn’t
properly socialized to begin
with.
A puppy that has been
socialized at an early age can
avoid behavior problems.
This increases the likelihood
that a dog will become a
wonderful pet. A puppy, just
like a child, can’t grow into
a healthy adult without your
guidance and proper training.
Like humans, dogs are
social creatures and your
puppy needs interaction —
with you, other people and
other animals — beginning
very early in life.
According to the ASPCA,
a puppy is most accepting
of new experiences between
three and 12 weeks old. After
that age, he will become
much more cautious of any-
thing he hasn’t yet encoun-
tered. From about 12 to 18
weeks old the opportunity to
easily socialize a puppy ends
— and with each passing
week it becomes harder to
get the puppy to accept and
enjoy something that he’s ini-
tially wary of.
Your puppy needs to be
exposed to people, animals,
places, sounds and experi-
ences that you expect him to
be comfortable with in later
life. Depending on the life-
style you have planned for
your furry friend, this might
include the sight and sound
of trains, garbage trucks,
schoolyards of screaming
children, crowds, cats or cry-
ing infants.
Proper socialization will
help train your young dog to
handle new experiences and
challenges with acceptable,
appropriate behavior.
An unsocialized dog is
unlikely to cope well with
changes in his environment
or situation, making him dif-
ficult to handle for his pet
parent, groomer, pet-sitter,
and any people that come to
visit.
What if you didn’t have
your furry friend as a puppy
to properly socialize?
Regardless of the reason
your dog wasn’t socialized
as a puppy, it doesn’t mean
he has to be kept confined to
a life without dog friends or
free play with others.
Here are a few tips on
how to socialize your adult
dog:
Dog walks (don’t forget
his leash) are a great oppor-
tunity for your furry friend to
see and possibly meet other
dogs and people, as well
as practice proper behav-
ior when out and about. The
goal should be to teach your
adopted dog to behave calmly
in public and on walks. Bring
lots of tasty treats on your
walks and reward Fido for
sitting quietly and responding
to his name while other dogs
pass by at a safe distance.
Introducing dogs on a
leash can be tricky, so keep
introductions short. If he
should bark at another dog,
simply get his attention,
using the treats, and walk
him away from the situa-
tion. Once he calms down,
photo by Jodi schneider mcnamee
Honey was socialized as a puppy and is a great pet.
continue your walk.
Don’t rush things, but
if you can introduce your
dog to one new activity a
week, it will go a long way
toward helping them social-
ize and remain calm and
well-behaved. Think of it
this way; Fido will be acting
as an observer at first.
For example, instead of
just taking your unsocial-
ized dog into a dog park and
hoping for the best, you can
expose them slowly by walk-
ing them around the outside
of the fence and letting them
see the dogs play and have
fun. If your heart is set on
social time with other dogs,
start by introducing your
furry friend to one dog at a
time.
Invite a friend that has
a gentle, easy-going dog to
go on a walk with you and
Fido. Allow polite distance
between dogs while they get
accustomed to each other.
If both dogs appear relaxed
throughout the walk, allow
them to sniff each other
briefly. Keep leashes loose
and each interaction short. If
either dog appears to be tens-
ing up, call them apart using
a pleasant voice.
If both dogs’ bodies
appear loose and tails are
wagging, it’s time to consider
an off-leash session in one
of your fenced yards with
leashes dragging, using the
same short sessions.
Teaching your adult
dog appropriate behavior
and protecting him from
unwanted contact will go a
long way in building a trust-
ing relationship.
Give Fido space, time,
and positive reinforcement
when he behaves in a way
that is pleasing to you.
Prevent a Litter,
Fix Your Critter!
FURRY FRIEND S
FOUNDATION
501 ( c )( 3 )
www.furryfriendsfoundation.org
541-549-9941
501(c)(3) nonprofi t organization
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