Why do dogs struggle with socialization?

Dogs are naturally social animals. They are generally curious of their surroundings and those around them. However, some dogs really struggle. Many are afraid, or cautious around other dogs and/or people. Sometimes that fear compels them to flee. Other times fear propels them to fight.

But why?

Roots of Your Dog'sStruggle

For some dogs, it’s genetic. Their parents may have a quiet disposition and may not want to interact, while others may be poorly bred and may not have the best mind to process information and not be able to differentiate between threat and friend.

Assuming that the dog is well bred and has “normal” genetics; many dogs have experiences in their early life (4-16 weeks) that can shape the way they process social situations.

Maybe they were attacked by a dog, or a former owner. Perhaps they were neglected really early on and were never taught that other dogs and people were trustworthy. These early weeks are crucial to a puppy's early development. So if you have a young puppy, make sure to dedicate time to properly socialize and engage the puppy as much as possible. Please visit our blog on puppy socialization and imprinting

However, if we have missed this crucial window. There’s no better day than today to start. If your dog is not aggressively reactive to others, have your dog on leash while you interact with others. Perhaps you could invite friends over for a visit. Instructs the company to not interact with your dog. The dog should be almost invisible. To a dog that is socially frightened, too much attention can look like a threat and may cause them to flee more. No, we want the dog to be present and simply learn to be around others with no big “hoopla”. The experience should not be good, or bad. The experience should be nothing more than “it happened”.

After a few of these interactions, we should begin to see our dog begin to become curious of these “strangers” that come over. Give her space to sniff and investigate. Every good interaction should be met with a “good boy”, or “good girl” and good praise.

Handling Aggression Safely

If your dog does have some aggressive tendencies, we should start with some muzzle conditioning. (Please view our video on how to condition a dog to wear a muzzle)

Once your dog is comfortable wearing a muzzle, I would highly recommend that you hire a dog behavior professional. Most of us have seen this behavior before and are comfortable with handling these moments and can give you hands-on training to help you through it.