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UNDERSOCIALIZED |
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As I entered the patio the
barking got more intense but the dog was backing up rather than approaching
me. I moved very slowly so I would
offer less threat and I spoke softly hoping to get some response other than the
barking. No luck. The owner had explained to
me that the dog’s history was not totally known but
he seemed so sweet that she decided to give him a try. Once at her home the problems began to
surface. He was totally unfamiliar
with all of the usual household noises and activities and over-reacted to
everything. Mostly the form of the
over-reaction was to leap around barking but he had become threatening on
several occasions. He had actually snapped in
fear twice during the previous week.
Pretty scarey stuff, all right. I got down on my knees,
continued the soft talk and presented a tasty treat with an extended
arm. The dog would have to come to me
to get that treat. After what seemed
forever he did approach very carefully, stretched his head out as far as he
could and took the offering. Within
the framework of the lesson I was able to get the dog to respond to his name,
and even to sit for a treat but all of this was accompanied by obvious
anxiety. After two more lessons he
managed to get in and out the front door without hysterics. Those hysterics included putting on the
brakes and not moving to charging through the door with no regard for the
leash or the person holding the end of it.
How much progress he can make is highly questionable. My predictions are that
he’ll bond well with the person who now owns him but will never be trusting
of strangers. He’ll always be a risk
to have around children since children simply do not move or sound like
people and are therefore highly suspect.
Any situations or sounds outside of his daily life will always cause
him great anxiety and, yes, there is a strong possibility that he may bite
someone one day. And all this because this
dog was not properly socialized when he was a pup! The damage can never be reversed since the
windows of opportunity for dogs open early on and then, for all practical
purposes, cannot be opened again.
Sure, progress can be made and socialization doesn’t stop completely
at 16 weeks of age but that dog is handicapped! To have a well-balanced adult
dog it is necessary to expose a pup to the real world right from the
beginning. That means it should live
in the house as a baby – right in the house where all the action takes place! As soon as the vaccinations have protected
the pup against parvo and distemper that pup should
be out and about getting to see and know his world. Before those vaccinations give the proper
protection, however, a lot of socializing can still happen.. People can visit – people with beards, big
hats, dark glasses, loud and soft voices, etc. Puppies and dogs can visit to encourage dog
friendly behavior. Short rides in the car are
also helpful to the overall training program and that includes seeing other
dogs and learning not to bark at them.
Visit the vet just to say hi rather than only for scary things such as
vaccinations and the probing and such that vets are inclined to do. And do not forget that puppies as young as
8 weeks of age can easily learn all the basic obedience exercises such as
sit, down, stand, and come! No force,
mind you. Just a fun and games
approach works perfectly. The sooner
the training begins the less the pup has to unlearn. One important thing to keep in mind for
your young pups is the “fear imprint period” at about 8 weeks of age. If something really frightens the pup at
this age it may prove to be a lifelong fear.
So take care of those babies! What about the dog
described in this article? My hope is
that he will become a treasured companion.
My fear is that he may bite someone.
The reality is that the poor dog has been cruelly deprived of a whole
life because he was not proper socialized as a pup. B |