24/07/2026
The real socialisation....
From Stefi at Spiritdogs.
Today I want to clear up some misunderstandings about socialization.
Before we start, even if you do not currently own a puppy, this is a crucial topic.
While ideally, socialization starts at a young age, we can provide positive and thoughtful exposure to a dog of any age.
This brings me to the first misunderstanding about socialization:
Social butterfly dogs, who see a new best friend in everyone they meet, are hard to work with. If you have a super social dog like this, you know what I am talking about.
Which shows that they’re not truly socialized in most cases.
Because rather than making your dog into a social butterfly, socialization is…
Simply the process in which we teach our dog all about being in society and social settings in many different ways!
It means:
Getting to know different surfaces
Learning to be calm in public places
Hearing many different sounds (vacuum cleaners, motorcycles, sirens)
Seeing many people and dogs from a safe distance and working on calmly observing or ignoring them
A session in which your dog is calmly observing a group of people from a distance is often much better for “socialization success” than one in which your dog is hyper and racing around with a group of wild puppies!
It’s important to note that socialization is not about making dogs closely interact:
It is really detrimental to try and make a dog get petted by strangers when they are stressed out!
Your dog should learn that being in different settings is always going to feel safe.
This is why I prefer the term “socialization/positive exposure.”
The goal is not to make your dog “social” with everyone; it is to provide positive exposure and experiences.
For some dogs, this might mean from a considerable distance.
The next misunderstanding is when socialization/positive exposure should happen.
Everyone knows it is crucial for small puppies, but it’s important for a while!
Dogs’ bodies mature a lot faster than their minds.
A six-to-eight-month-old puppy can already look very mature and grown up.
We might think, “Now that the dog is grown up, we can finish socialization!” When, in fact, the only thing that has matured is their appearance. Their mind is still relatively young and flexible.
Until a dog is about two years old, we should continually strive to teach them that the world is a safe, fun, and friendly place.
I have seen many younger dogs who received a lot of exposure through four to six months of age go from relaxed and friendly to stressed out or even reactive as they approach their first birthday.
Their owners stopped the consistent exposure because they looked so “grown-up.”
We can always change our dog’s opinion about the world.
If you adopted them as an adult or your dog is already six years old, you can start right now by helping them be calm and happy in different settings.
If you want some extra help putting this into practice, we can guide you through it.
Inside the SpiritDog Breakthrough Program, we show you how to teach your dog to ignore distractions and stay relaxed around other people and dogs. We'll help you figure out the right distances to practice so your dog always feels safe, and you can finally enjoy calm, easy outings together.
Steffi and The Spirit Dogs
SpiritDog Training 51 Ranch Rd Cedar Crest, New Mexico 87008
