How to Socialize a Dog

For dogs to be happy and comfortable in the world of humans, socialization is so important. Many dogs lack basic social skills — either because of limited exposure to various situations or a lack of positive experiences. Dogs who were raised without sufficient experience with new people, places, sounds, and objects often show fear of many commonplace situations, such as meeting new people. To help avoid this, here are some tips for how to socialize a dog.

When to socialize a dog

It's never too late to socialize a dog. However, exposure to new experiences is especially important when dogs are puppies. Between 3 and 20 weeks of age is the critical socialization period in puppy development. During that period of time, if puppies do not experience a considerable variety of new things in a way that allows them to feel safe and happy, they might become fearful adults. 

One of the best ways to leverage this opportunity is to take a puppy to a socialization class with a relationship-based behavior consultant. We can help fearful adult dogs, but socialization of adult dogs can take much longer than it does for puppies.

Dog socialization tips

When socializing your dog — or introducing them to novel experiences — it is crucial to avoid “flooding” them. Overwhelming your dog with lots of something new all at once can create a negative association with that thing or experience, resulting in a lifelong fear.

If a dog has had limited experience with the outside world, any change, such as a move to a new house or city, can be quite a challenge. When dogs like these end up in shelters, they often have a very hard time adjusting to their new environment. They may have been great with their people, even with a few family friends, but when everything in their lives has been turned upside down, they become fearful and antisocial. Unless someone works with them to improve their social skills, they are often deemed to be unsuitable for the role of family pet.

We can help these dogs by teaching them that the world isn’t as scary as it seems. To do this, we must help them experience a variety of things in ways that make them feel safe and happy:

  • To help a dog feel safe: Always work at an intensity at which the dog is completely comfortable. You can reduce the intensity of a trigger (whatever new thing you’re introducing the dog to) in different ways, including increasing the distance, duration, size, and volume. Watch the dog’s body language to tell whether they're comfortable. If the dog looks even a little uncomfortable, reduce the intensity of the trigger.
  • To help a dog feel happy: Have the trigger predict something that the dog loves, such as a special food treat. Every time the dog experiences the trigger, give them a special treat. With repetition, the dog will start to understand that the presence of the scary thing means that a treat is coming, and they will start to feel better about it.

Use the checklists below to keep track of common experiences you've introduced your dog to — and add experiences tailored to your individual lifestyle.

Introducing dogs to people

People of various ages:

Differences in people:

___ Newborn to 3 months

___ Loud man

___ 3 to 6 months

___ Loud woman

___ 6 to 9 months

___ Ethnic differences

___ Newly walking toddlers

___ Using oxygen

___ 1 year old

___ Using a cane

___ 2 years old

___ Using a walker

___ More than one toddler at a time      

___ Using a wheelchair

___ 3 to 4 years old

___ Other______________________

___ Groups of children playing

 

___ Teenagers

 

___ Adults — many different ones

 

___ Seniors — many different ones

 

 

People doing different things:

People wearing different things:

___ Singing

___ Hats

___ Dancing

___ Glasses

___ Clapping

___ Sunglasses

___ Jumping

___ A helmet

___ Hopping

___ Coats with hood up

___ Skipping

___ Capes with hood up

___ Whistling

___ Gloves

___ Jogging

___ Masks

___ Other_____________________          

___ Big boots

 

___ Uniforms

 

Introducing dogs to other animals

___ Cats

___ Kittens

___ Dogs

___ Puppies

___ Horses     

___ Small pet animals

 

Introducing dogs to household activities

___ Vacuum

___ Dog nail clippers

___ Broom

___ Dog brush and comb

___ Mop

___ Sound of electric hair clippers

___ Alarm clock

___ Sound of electric fan

___ TV

___ Plastic bags flapping

___ Radio

___ A balloon with air escaping

___ Noise-making children’s toys

___ A recording of storm sounds

___ Children’s pull toys

___ A kite

___ Umbrella (open and close it)

___ Things being dropped

___ Other______________________________

 

 

Home starts with you

When we work together to bring our best friends home, we help loving pets find the families they’ve been dreaming of, and we get the country closer to ending the killing of pets in shelters. Let’s bring our best friends home.

Introducing dogs to the outside world

___ Ride in cars

___ See people on bicycles

___ Walk on different flooring

___ See people on skates

___ Use stairs with and without backs

___ See people using shopping carts

___ Walk on bridges

___ Meet new friends

___ Visit other people’s homes

___ Practice visiting the vet's office (give lots of treats)

___ Take the dog to be groomed

 

___ See and smell parks

 

___ Sit at coffee shop with you

 

___ Use elevators

 

___ Use automatic doors at stores

 

___ Other_______________________

 
Logo Icon

Be our Best Friend

Best Friends Animal Society is working with you to save the lives of cats and dogs all across the country, giving pets second chances and happy homes.

Just a few short years ago, cats and dogs were killed in staggering numbers in this country simply because shelters didn't have the community support or the resources to save their lives. That number is now less that half a million per year, but there's still work to do to ensure a bright future for every dog and cat in America.

Best Friends operates the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals and is committed to saving the lives of homeless pets by working with shelters and passionate people like you. Together, we will bring the whole country to no-kill in 2025. Together, we will Save Them All.