“Socialization”: You’re a Tricky B
I wish there was a new word for what everyone uses for “socialization.” And we need a new word with a new unanimous definition because everyone has so many different views on what socialization means to them – especially with their dogs.
According to the Google Machine, socialize means: 1. Participate in social activities; mix socially with others. 2. Make someone behave in a way that is acceptable to their society.
When we use the word social in regards to humans it’s usually along the lines of “oh, he’s a social butterfly!” and we think bubbly, extroverted, super nice and, dare I say, sometimes a passive aggressive dig that they’re a flirt. Very rarely do we give the “social stamp of approval” to the person who is sticking to their spouse at a party.
So then, because we’re very good at applying human psychology to dogs, we think: I need to socialize my dog by dragging them everywhere and putting zero limits on their behaviour so they turn into that super nice, friendly, dog!
Taking them places and exposing them to different environments isn’t the problem. It’s teaching them what you want them to do in all these different situations. A lot of the time we let our dog do whatever they want to do and forget about leading them.
We forget about the second part of the definition: make someone behave in a way that is acceptable to their society.
When we expose our dog to their trigger, the response is different from dog to dog. A shy dog feels unsettled and nervous, a reactive dog feels threatened, and an excited dog, although kind intentions, forgets about respect.
Now I have a question for you: think of all the dogs in your circle of friends and family. Which dog is your favourite? I’ll bet my house that you like the one who doesn’t jump on you, just comes for a hello, then leaves you alone.
THAT my friends, is a “socialized” dog.
What I want your goal to be is to have a dog who isn’t triggered by the environment.
So maybe instead of thinking “social” we need to think “neutral.”