Another term for socialization is de-sensittization. Unsocialized dogs over react to many common things. (Other dogs, strange noises, cars, bicycles, new people, people who are different than their owners - shorter, taller, wear glasses, wear a hat, etc.)
This de-sensitization is done by exposing the dog to the enviroment in small increments and by helping the dog make positive associations to the things we are desensitizing him to.
It is important not to overwhelm the dog by over-exposing him to new things. This may cause the dog to become sensitized. By forcing or overwhelming the dog, we cause him to make a negative association to things in the enviroment and cause the dog to become more fearful and/or aggressive.
Proper socialization is probably the single most important thing an owner can do to guard against the most serious behavior there is - aggression. Dogs that bite are frequently banished to the basement, to the back yard, re-homed, taken to the pound or euthanized. Therefore, proper socialization can mean the difference between life and death for a dog.
A dog that has not been properly socialized will tend to be shy and over-reactive. They may flinch, freeze or withdraw when petted.They startle easily by things considered routine like children sqealing, cars, bikes, automatic doors, etc. They may even become fearfully aggressive when people do things like make direct eye contact, make direct frontal approaches, smile, make movements over the dog's head or shoulder area when trying to pet the dog. Under socialized dogs fears those normal human greeting behaviors because they are the same as some very threatening canine behaviors. Because people see under socialized dogs acting in a fearful manner. they presume that they were abused. This may be the case sometimes, but not usually.
So as owners we must properly socialize our dogs. Every puppy or new dog must be given every opportunity to become as social as possible. It is a dangerous practice for all owners to go along "feeling lucky" with their puppy. It may be too late to help them after the dog has bitten someone.
While every new dog or puppy owner begin proper socialization immediately, it is even more important for people who adopt from shelters or find a dog on the streets. In these situations, the new owner doesn't know the genetic make-up or personal history of the dog or puppy. Therefore it is much more important to give these rescued dogs every advantage by properly socializing them.
Written By J. Foley
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