Dog Tips

Socialization of dogs and cats

admin • 08 Jul 2023

If you have a dog or cat, you should be seriously concerned with socialization. Without it your pet may grow up with phobias and fear, which can be the cause of aggression.

That's why it's important that you make a positive conditioning of the animal to new situations. Training consists of introducing the animal to a wide range of experiences and providing treats and treats so that it associates them with something positive.

What is socialization?

Socialization is the period in which the owner must teach his dog or cat to behave in the world. That's why it's important to be introduced to people, dogs, cats and other animals.

Socialization is a period of rapid change in the animal's behavior . There is maturation of the central nervous system and complete control of perception and response to stimuli

During this period , social behaviors, relationships and bonds with a figure are developed . In the same period , habituation to environmental stimuli should also occur . Good socialization allows the animal to incorporate its species and the human into the social structure.

How to socialize the dog and cat?

When the animal is exposed to the world for the first time it can be frightening. He needs to learn which situations are dangerous and which are not. If normal situations provoke fear in the animal and this is not corrected, it may have a phobia for the rest of its life.

To do so, you need to learn to live with all kinds of people and animals. So you should create a routine to introduce your animal to other animals and people . It's not enough to expose just one. It must be exposed to a high number of people and animals, so that it learns to tolerate the full spectrum of the population.

How important is socialization?

Socialization allows the animal to develop into a healthy adult. Lack of socialization can result in severe phobias and fear aggression . The animal that has not learned to deal with other animals may chase other species.

Fear of strangers can lead to aggressive behavior , which becomes a serious problem and can put the dog's life at risk. That's why it's important that trust is developed in humans and not just in the owner.

This makes it easier during visits to the vet, the groomer or if one day it gets lost and depends on the help of strangers to return home. In the case of dogs, they look for the owner to assess the situation and must trust him to make decisions.

Therefore, it is important that the owner actively participates in the socialization of the dog. He should teach you how to respond correctly to stimuli . Uncorrected fear or over-enthusiasm can persist for life. Therefore, if you want to have a reliable, educated and happy animal, it must insist on its socialization.

When does socialization begin?

Since socialization starts early, it is important that breeders introduce their offspring to positive experiences . The owner should continue training throughout life. This will bring benefits for the entire life of the animal.

Socialization should be an enjoyable activity for both the owner and the animal . As it uses conditioning, it is good that the animal associates the new socialization experiences with something positive . This makes him remain calm in strange situations for the rest of his life.

Active and passive socialization

Socialization should be active . Passive socialization occurs when the animal is exposed to stimuli without the owner's participation. The owner does not make a positive association through treats and treats.

On the contrary, in active socialization, the owner tries to make the animal like the new stimulus . He offers you treats and treats so that you start to associate the situation with something positive. Thus the dog develops in a healthy way.

Tips for socializing dogs and cats:

• The owner must remain calm and patient, he must never punish the animal;

• Always and only when the animal remains calm in the face of the stimulus, the owner must reward it with treats and treats;

• If the animal is nervous or excited, move it away until it relaxes;

• Choose calm people and animals to introduce your dog or cat;

• Never force interaction, let the animal try to get to know the stranger;

• Socialization should be fun for both the owner and the animal.

canine socialization

learn to be a dog

At 3 weeks the puppies become active and curious . Their interest in the unknown makes them more courageous than apprehensive. This exploration feature gradually decreases and is maintained up to 8 weeks.

While playing with littermates, they learn important lessons. They learn how to communicate, how to bite gently, and how dominant-submissive relationships work.

For example, when one dog bites another hard, its companion will yelp and run away or bite back. Both cases are negative for the first dog: if he bites hard, the game ends or he gets a bite back.

The mother also educates the dogs. When the puppy is rough at play or becomes naughty, the bitch disciplines him. It does this by growling or using dominant postures or physical reprimands.

Between 8 and 10 weeks, puppies become sensitive to new experiences and contexts . The degree of nervousness and fear varies with the individual, but the period (8 to 10 weeks) is consistent in all dogs. Therefore, owners must be especially careful not to expose the dog to stimuli that may frighten them.

How to socialize dogs?

The socialization period for dogs mainly occurs between 3 and 12 weeks . Puppies should only be adopted after 8 weeks . During this period, socialization will mainly consist of interaction with the mother and littermates.

It is important for him to learn social rules and how to control biting . The dog learns what the dog's natural behaviors are. The breeder should complement this education by introducing the dog to people and animals to start socialization.

When you receive the puppy, it is the owner's responsibility to socialize it correctly so that it develops into a healthy adult. Continuous socialization is positive and allows maintaining social relationships. In dogs, it is thought to be beneficial to maintain throughout the juvenile period.

With dogs, the ideal is to walk them, take them by car and make them meet a wide range of people and animals . In these, it is ideal to enroll in a training school from a young age. In this period obedience training is easier as the puppy learns faster. And it allows exposing the dog to other animals and strengthening the bond with the owner.

Playing with calm and controlled dogs

With regard to socialization between dogs, the ideal is that the puppy is exposed to calm dogs so that they are not afraid and live together peacefully. He can look for these dogs among his friends or by observing the behavior of dogs in the park.

Ideally, the dog should not scare your dog. He must be in a quiet place. Dogs should play under your supervision until they get tired. If your puppy is overly excited, you should calmly pull him away from his playmate.

Whenever he misbehaves in play, take him away from the other dog. Don't raise your voice or get upset. Simply pull it away and repeat as many times as necessary. So the dog will learn that when he is rough, the game is over. As he likes to play, he will start to control his strength and excitement. Repeat the conviviality 2 to 3 times a week .

build positive associations

The ideal is to provide treats during the walk when the dog is exposed to a new situation. He should stop away from the stimulus, make him focus on the owner and give him the treat . You should only give the treat if the dog remains calm .

As for people, you can ask for their help in training. Approach a person and ask him to pet the dog and offer him a treat. This ritual should be followed 2 to 3 times a week.

If the dog gets scared or barks, push him away and break his attention. The owner should always remain calm and treats should only be offered as a reward for good behavior.

You will have to train the dog by introducing it to a variety of situations such as:

• Vehicles:

• motorcycles and bicycles;

• scooters and skateboards;

• Garbage trucks;

• Buses;

• Trucks.

• People:

• Women and men;

• Various ethnicities;

• Various accessories: hats, walking sticks, sunglasses, prams, etc;

• Uniforms;

• Children, adults and seniors;

• Crowds.

• Animals

• Large and small dogs;

• Males and females;

• Cats;

• Other pets: rabbits, hamsters, turtles, iguanas, etc;

• Farm or wild animals: doves, chickens, ducks, etc.

socializing adult dogs

When you adopt an adult animal, socialization becomes more complicated. The ideal is to start with a walk . Watch how the dog reacts from afar to each situation. As with the dog, you should reward him when he behaves well . When he reacts badly, simply push him away by remaining calm.

You can introduce him to one dog at a time. Take a walk with a friend who also has a dog, for example. You should not force your dog to interact with other animals.

If he's nervous, push him away and stay calm. You can approach little by little for the dog to gain confidence with the situation. The training will not be as fast and effective as with the puppy . However, it is possible to teach an adult dog to tolerate stimuli.

Feline socialization

learn to be cat

The socialization period in cats is shorter and less defined than in dogs. Occurs between the 2nd and 7th to 9th weeks of age . Through interaction with the siblings and the mother, they learn social behaviors, hunting and communication .

Amazingly, kittens can learn by watching their mother perform a task. This may be why a human-friendly mother cat encourages kittens to interact with people.

In cats there are sometimes training sessions . These allow the kitten to be exposed to new people and other kittens, and to interact with toys. The experience is positive and can have long-term benefits such as getting the cat used to car trips, as it associates them with something positive.

socialize the cat

It is necessary to spend a few minutes a day with the kittens in the first 5 weeks of age. This interaction allows them to mature into more sociable adults.

To socialize a fearful cat follow these tips:

• Pet the cat and speak to it in a low, calm voice. If the cat gets nervous, leave him alone.

• Provide treats whenever the cat behaves well.

• Bring your friends home and let the cat get to know them. Don't force the interaction.

• Introduce him to other cats of your friends, especially if your kitten is young.