The third part of the mini-guide on socialization deals with the importance of respecting that your dog's needs do not necessarily match yours as an owner.
The guide is in 3 parts and was created in collaboration with professional dog trainer and behaviorist Maria Wittrup, owner of happy-hund.dk.
If you didn't get to read the other 2 chapters, you can read them here:
Part 1: Proper socialization of your dog
Part 2: Learn to understand your dog's signals
Your dog no longer has to put up with anything from you as the owner.
In the past, socialization focused on the dog putting up with whatever its owner put it through, without considering the dog's own needs. This has proven to be an inappropriate approach.
The approach to socialization now is that we focus on the dog's own needs.
Dogs are social creatures, but their need is not to be in a large pack full of other dogs and new dogs. This means that we cannot expect our dogs to get along with everyone, and we must accept that as natural. What we must be aware of is that we can never know for sure how our dog will react to dogs it does not know, but we can give it a good basis for responding appropriately.
We also don't know how other dogs will react to our dog.
When strange dogs are loose together, it can sometimes go well, but the opposite can also be the case. Therefore, we cannot be sure that the experience will be positive. We as owners are therefore a very important piece in relation to appropriate socialization, since we control what our dogs experience.
I always imagine a backpack that you try to fill with good experiences with other dogs.
Every now and then you may have a bad experience, but it doesn't matter much because there are so many good experiences that overshadow the bad. We need to make sure our dog's backpack is filled with good experiences.
Dogs are different and have different needs. Some need to see it all before they want to socialize with strange dogs. Some play with every other dog they meet on their way, and some may feel best with a few good dog friends. Therefore, you need to look at whether what your dog is participating in is for your own sake or for the dog's.
A motivating factor for letting your dog loose with other dogs is to give the dog good experiences and get it active.
It's great to see your dog running around and using up a lot of energy, and meeting other dogs. However, it will only be a good experience if the dog appreciates meeting many strange dogs. To know if this applies to your dog, you need to know the signals it sends you. Dogs are different and to know if it's a good experience for the dog, you need to be able to read your dog.
I really appreciate teaching dogs to be able to meet other dogs on a leash. You can do this, for example, by going for a walk with another dog. That way you can meet, even if there is no place for the dogs to run loose, and at the same time the dogs can have company without necessarily having to be able to play well together, for example due to size differences or different ways of playing.
Socialization is therefore an exercise in good interaction between dogs, where the dog gets used to experiencing many different scenarios without being stressed. It is not that the dog is exposed to things that exceed its limits. When the dog's limits are respected, it learns that it is not necessary to speak up in an inappropriate way, and situations where the dog experiences major stress are avoided.
About the author
Maria Wittrup is 39 years old and has run her own dog school in Hjørring since 2008.
At happy-hund.dk we always work with positive reinforcement and training on the dog's terms. We offer group training, individual lessons and behavioral treatments.
In 2023, Maria published a book about appropriate socialization.
Her passion is the appropriate socialization of dogs, taking into account their different needs and making sure to give them lots of good experiences with other dogs. In general, she tries to make sure that socialization can also take place where dogs meet on leashes, and not only when they are let loose with other dogs.
Mini guide – part 3: Owner vs. dog needs
The third part of the mini-guide on socialization deals with the importance of respecting that your dog's needs do not necessarily match yours as an owner.
The guide is in 3 parts and was created in collaboration with professional dog trainer and behaviorist Maria Wittrup, owner of happy-hund.dk.
If you didn't get to read the other 2 chapters, you can read them here:
Part 1: Proper socialization of your dog
Part 2: Learn to understand your dog's signals
Your dog no longer has to put up with anything from you as the owner.
In the past, socialization focused on the dog putting up with whatever its owner put it through, without considering the dog's own needs. This has proven to be an inappropriate approach.
The approach to socialization now is that we focus on the dog's own needs.
Dogs are social creatures, but their need is not to be in a large pack full of other dogs and new dogs. This means that we cannot expect our dogs to get along with everyone, and we must accept that as natural. What we must be aware of is that we can never know for sure how our dog will react to dogs it does not know, but we can give it a good basis for responding appropriately.
We also don't know how other dogs will react to our dog.
When strange dogs are loose together, it can sometimes go well, but the opposite can also be the case. Therefore, we cannot be sure that the experience will be positive. We as owners are therefore a very important piece in relation to appropriate socialization, since we control what our dogs experience.
I always imagine a backpack that you try to fill with good experiences with other dogs.
Every now and then you may have a bad experience, but it doesn't matter much because there are so many good experiences that overshadow the bad. We need to make sure our dog's backpack is filled with good experiences.
Dogs are different and have different needs. Some need to see it all before they want to socialize with strange dogs. Some play with every other dog they meet on their way, and some may feel best with a few good dog friends. Therefore, you need to look at whether what your dog is participating in is for your own sake or for the dog's.
A motivating factor for letting your dog loose with other dogs is to give the dog good experiences and get it active.
It's great to see your dog running around and using up a lot of energy, and meeting other dogs. However, it will only be a good experience if the dog appreciates meeting many strange dogs. To know if this applies to your dog, you need to know the signals it sends you. Dogs are different and to know if it's a good experience for the dog, you need to be able to read your dog.
I really appreciate teaching dogs to be able to meet other dogs on a leash. You can do this, for example, by going for a walk with another dog. That way you can meet, even if there is no place for the dogs to run loose, and at the same time the dogs can have company without necessarily having to be able to play well together, for example due to size differences or different ways of playing.
Socialization is therefore an exercise in good interaction between dogs, where the dog gets used to experiencing many different scenarios without being stressed. It is not that the dog is exposed to things that exceed its limits. When the dog's limits are respected, it learns that it is not necessary to speak up in an inappropriate way, and situations where the dog experiences major stress are avoided.
About the author
Maria Wittrup is 39 years old and has run her own dog school in Hjørring since 2008.
At happy-hund.dk we always work with positive reinforcement and training on the dog's terms. We offer group training, individual lessons and behavioral treatments.
In 2023, Maria published a book about appropriate socialization.
Her passion is the appropriate socialization of dogs, taking into account their different needs and making sure to give them lots of good experiences with other dogs. In general, she tries to make sure that socialization can also take place where dogs meet on leashes, and not only when they are let loose with other dogs.