Socialization is another word that has been redefined to suit the training methodologies employed today. Socialization is nothing more than exposure to the world, exposure to everything the dog is going to meet in its’ lifetime. It’s not so much about meeting dogs or people – but it’s the icing on the cake.
Many dogs I meet simply don’t have the skills to be a dog, they have never been given those skills. I can’t teach a dog how to be a dog, nobody can – they have to learn from their own species. I’ve seen dogs go from complete basket case to calm and social in a few hours – in a dog park. The place that scares many trainers – the high distraction areas.
Proper socialization can fix so many issues from aggression to reactivity, fear to lack of confidence. Socialization is so important to dogs – dogs are social creatures and dogs need dogs just like adults need adults and children need children. Dogs need dogs to learn how to be a dog – they should learn from their own species. Calm being the most important – excitement is always your enemy. Aggressive dog? It’s excitement. Reactive? It’s excitement. Scared? It’s still excitement. When the dog is in a really excited state, their brain isn’t in gear, they aren’t thinking properly – they are just reacting.
Many owners want the ability to take their dog to a dog park, so that’s what we focus on. I take the dog alone for an hour or two at a local dog park, and we walk up and down back trails for as long as it takes for me to gain the dogs trust. Everything is recorded to a chest mount gopro and owners can have the video – I have nothing to hide. Dogs won’t follow people that they don’t trust, so earning the dogs trust is paramount – you won’t gain trust by hurting the dog. That’s all we do for the first hour or so, walk – and give the dog a chance to explore the environment. They can sniff and mark, they can hear dogs barking, people talking, kids screaming – it’s a high distraction environment. All I want is for the dog to trust me, trust that I won’t hurt it, trust that I won’t allow it to be hurt, trust that I will protect it and trust that I won’t put it in harms way. Trust really is everything.
I’ve worked with dogs that had no trust at all, they avoid me as much as they can and that’s fine. All I want them to do is walk with me. I don’t care if they are pulling, or barking – that will stop as trust levels go up. Trust will come. As time goes on, I squat down, offer my hand – if they don’t sniff, lets keep walking. Rinse and repeat, at some point the dog will accept me through a hand sniff – there is no time limit for this, it’s on the dog. When I finally get a hand sniff, it’s acceptance – doesn’t mean I get to pet the dog. When the dog is ready for affection, it will show me – then I’ll give it. It’s not about pushing the dog, it’s about getting them calm in this environment, and letting them make the choice to trust me, to follow me. This can take a half hour, or a couple of hours – but it’s important for the dog to take the time they need. Once I can show affection, now it’s time to move forward, the dog is ready to follow.
Through all this, my dog is with us. They are watching Monty be a dog, he’s calm, he’s relaxed and not freaking out in this environment. This is why bringing Monty to assessments is so important, dogs trust him quickly and they don’t forget him, it creates that memory. I gain quite a bit of trust through Monty – good dog, can’t be a bad owner.
So, the dog shows me that it’s ready to move forward, time to hit the main park and start meeting dogs. Again, Monty takes the lead, meets dogs calmly, he’s not getting hurt – and the dog I’m working with is watching this, taking it all in. All I want is calm. If the dog gets excited, we stop and wait – again, there is no time frame. First dog, all I want is a quick bum sniff, then we move on. Keep doing that as long as the dog remains calm. The dog is learning that it’s not getting hurt, it trusts that I’m the protector and every dog needs that. When the dog is calm and meeting dogs and people calmly – now it’s time to bring the owner in.
It’s important for owners to start out watching all this from a distance. They need to see their dog in action, see their dog be a dog, calmly meeting dogs. It’s the first step to learning to trust the dog. Owners are watching me go from dog to dog in a busy park, their dog is meeting dogs and not causing a ruckus. It always amazes me how fast dogs can change when the human steps out of the way.
Now it’s time for the owner to physically step in and work with their own dog – they are the ones now in control, they are the ones that are bringing their dog to meet dogs and people. They are learning to trust their dog.
The fact that owners are now able to bring their dog to meet other dogs and people – that is called respecting the dog. The result of this new trust and respect? Confidence. There isn’t much in the line of training going on here – it’s about pushing the dog to use its’ brain, to think, to problem solve.
So many people I speak with believe they want a trained dog – but then they meet Monty and recognize that this is what I want. They would love to have a calm and confident dog, but are unsure of which way to turn. It takes trust and calm to take your dog to a park, you need to trust your dog to make the right choices, and your dog needs to trust that you will be there to step in and help if they need it.
Robert Hynes Dog Training
Serving Edmonton, Alberta and surrounding areas.
admin@roberthynesdogtraining.com