Rescuing a dog is an incredible experience that can bring a new source of love and joy to the life of you and your family forever. You may be eager to introduce your new furry best friend to your loved ones or hit the dog park for some outdoor fun. But, the road to achieving a confident and social pup is a long yet rewarding one.
Some rescues have missed their critical years of socialization, which has left them anxious and scared. They also may be timid as they adjust to their new forever home. But, you can help them to ease their worries! Guide your rescue to become comfortable socializing with others with these useful tips.
1. Establish and Build Trust
Building companionship with your dog is a vital first step in the journey to socialization. Before any outside interactions can take place, your dog must feel comfortable and safe around you and in their new home. According to the three days, three-week, three-month rule, your rescue most likely will not feel truly comfortable in your home until around the three-month mark.
As you get to know your dog, It's important to know how they respond to certain situations. A good place to start is by understanding their body language when they get scared. Do their ears flatten? Does their tail go between their legs? The more you understand your dog’s negative reactions, the better you can address their stressors and can help them in social interactions. It’s crucial to establish attention-grabbing commands with your rescue such as “come”, “watch”, or other recall cues before your dog meets anyone new. This will ensure you can get your dog's attention in any situation. It’s also essential to know what rewards your do
g will respond to. Do they like treats? A soothing toy? Ear scritches? Before you can socialize your rescue, you must get to know them first.
2. Get Active with Daily Walks
Let your rescue pup experience all the sights,
smells, and sounds within your neighborhood to help them gain confidence when going to new places. Walking your dog is a great way to help them create positive or neutral interactions with new people and dogs.
At first, you can start by allowing your dog to see new friends from a distance and ease them into interacting once you and your pup are more comfortable. If you see your dog becoming stressed, you can remove them from the situation entirely. When interactions go well, be sure to keep a stash of treats or toys to reward and reinforce positive behavior during these walks.
3. Keep Encounters Short and Sweet
While your rescue is still adjusting to meeting new friends, it’s important to keep interactions brief. Allow your pup to greet other dogs and people with a quick sniff. Keep these interactions short, aim for no longer than 30 seconds. Anything longer might cause your dog to become overwhelmed or stressed. It’s also best to keep them on-leash during these early interactions.
Communicate with other dog owners at all times. Use the universal human hand signal for “stop” if you or your dog get nervous. Never yell if the interactions go poorly, instead remove them from the situation immediately.
4. Set Realistic Goals
The most important goal is getting your dog comfortable with everyday life. From going to the vet, to daily walks, to seeing other people and furry friends, it’s best that your dog navigates through life feeling confident and secure. Set goals for your dog to ease them into social interactions.
Do you want to introduce your dog to your best friend? Try out a friend's secured backyard? Make a schedule for your dog’s socialization and give about a week’s space between each new person or pup. For example, if you would love a playdate between you and your best friend’s dog, first introduce your rescue to your friend to help your rescue become comfortable with the new person. Then, slowly introduce your dog to the fellow canine friend. Once your dog has established a friendly relationship, you can set up the playdate. If you want to eventually get your rescue comfortable in a new space such as a friend’s secure backyard, you can have your pup first watch and sniff from outside the gates. Help them to build confidence by rewarding good behavior. This helps to make interactions positive and encouraging. Keep reading your dog's body language to determine if they are ready. Once they get used to the sights, smells, and energy of the new area you can have your rescue eventually join in on the doggie-fun.
5. Stay Positive and Patient
Patience is key! You may not always know the full extent of your rescue’s history and all of their reactions. So take the time and energy to get to know your new pup.
Don’t overwhelm them with too many new things at once! Flooding your dog can create fear. If your dog is not reacting the way you want them to, stay positive and keep encouraging them by rewarding good behaviors. Stay optimistic even when your dog is not achieving the goals on your timeline.
Rescuing a dog is a life-changing experience. The journey to socializing your pup may require time and effort, but it’s always worth the hard work. With these tips you can begin socializing your rescue dog to help them become a happy and secure pup. Remember to always stay positive throughout this journey. Your rescue will go at their own pace. While it may take some dogs three months, others need four, five, or even more. The most important thing for you and your rescue is to provide a nurturing and safe environment.