I hear often from clients, my dog barks, lunges, and/or growls at: guests coming into the house, dogs and/or owners walking their dogs, landscapers working outside of the house etc. Even a local veterinarian referred me clients whose 2-year-old female Golden Retriever was displaying aggression towards strangers. Most people would be surprised to hear of a Golden Retriever acting aggressively. Truth be told, any canine, regardless of breed, is capable of reactivity/aggression under the right circumstances. If the dog lives in a household without owner leadership and without proper training and socialization, stressors can add up causing the dog to go over threshold and display reactivity- inappropriate barking/growling or even aggression- the threat of physical harm or actual physical harming of another animal or human being.
Owner leadership training helps the owner communicate to his canine what object, environment, social situation, person, or other dog is safe. Dog training along with socialization both lowers a dog’s reactivity (propensity for outbursts of inappropriate behavior) and substantially increases the amount of stress required to reach a dog’s aggression threshold. MRI imaging has proved focus and obedience training actually creates new neural connections in the canine’s prefrontal cortex, which is the calming, rational, problem-solving area of the brain.
Socialization is important to the overall well-being of your dog because it will provide him with the ability to develop skills and habits to cope with new people, dogs, environments, and social situations in a positive way, therefore reducing stress and potential reactivity/aggression. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB, veterinarians who are board-certified in behavior) came out with an official statement in 2018 that says, in part:
“The primary and most crucial time for puppy socialization is the first three months of life. During this time puppies should be exposed to as many new people, animals, stimuli, and environments as can be achieved safely … it should be the standard of care for puppies to receive such socialization before they are fully vaccinated.”
Think of socialization as a vaccination against behavior problems! At the same time, your dog should not be forced into socializing if it appears at all uncomfortable. Socialize gradually e.g., visit the dog park during hours when it’s not crowded. Eventually work up to prime-time hours! Socialization should always be set up so that it is a rewarding choice for your dog! Choice is the key since your dog should have an option to avoid a social situation that is too stressful for him.
Nevertheless, consider socialization as a lifetime journey for your dog. Canine Command teaches owners to reinforce their canine’s social skills and continually expose her to new social experiences throughout her entire life. Consider exposing your dog to appropriate dog parks, nature trails, outdoor events, other vaccinated and trained dogs, puppy parties at your house, downtown areas as well as farmer markets, pet and hardware stores that allow dogs. Bring a treat bag and ask people you meet to offer your dog a treat if he sits. Dogs learn by association and consequences and you want both of these to be positive.
Learning safe and effective socialization techniques with an experienced dog trainer helps both the owner and his canine companion safely and confidently enjoy their time with new dogs, people, environments, and social situations.
