SOCIAL TIME IS NOT A FREE-FOR-ALL

When giving our dog ‘socialization’ experiences, we need to be aware of what we’re teaching the dog, what we are correcting and also what we are unintentionally reinforcing. Socializing our dog is an important part of his training and development and it has a major influence on our dog’s mindset and behaviour. When socializing our dog around people and other dogs, we need to make sure that we are correcting over excitement and naughty choices and holding our dog accountable for his polite manners and calm behaviour. If we allow our dog to get crazy and rowdy with people and other dogs then we are reinforcing over excitement and reactivity and that’s the behaviour the dog will keep giving us. However, if we ensure that our dog is always calm and polite while sharing space with others then that is the mindset and behaviour that we will pattern and also what the dog will give us in those situations. In this video, Bruce and I are socializing by calmly holding a down/stay beside a playground full of wonderful laughing children. Bruce is gaining the valuable experience of seeing and hearing the fun activities while I’m making sure that he remains calm, relaxed and polite at all times.