I won't lie, I'm kind of a weirdo about socialization. I believe that dogs need to be socialized but that they should be in a controlled environment where the dog can win and be appropriately trained. I don't particularly care if my dogs play with other dogs or people, but they need to behavior appropriately until I tell them otherwise. Many people seem to employ the "deep end" tactic where they just toss a puppy/new dog into a scenario and hope they learn to "swim." This (lengthy) article talks about why that's a terrible idea and how you need to treat it like any other training you do. Have a realistic goal. Have a plan to achieve that goal. Have a plan B in case issues arrive. Make sure its a mission accomplished. In and out. Piece of cake! Don't Socialize the Dog!
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DogJoyBethHi there! Just a training fanatic here writing about the things going on around DogJoy Central! Archives
February 2016
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