Socializing older dogs

[alidansma]

I am wondering if anyone has advice for socializing older dogs. I am planning on getting another boxer that is over 6 months old. I don't know much about the dog's history, but I am pretty sure he hasn't been socialized or trained much....oh but what a cutie!!!

Is it much different from socializing/ training a puppy? any tips or advice?

 

[lisabethshaw]

I'd like to hear the responses to this one, too!

Hope you get good advice here - I need advice on socializing our one year old who is skittish and anxious!

 

[alidansma]

I wonder if some rescue organizations would have some advice...I imagine they have to deal with a lot of dogs that have spent their first year (or several) locked up before they find a forever home...if I don't get a response here, I might check there.

Everything is about puppy training and starting a puppy off right...but we don't always get to start with a puppy, or people may not have had all socialization knowledge while their puppy was young enough..

The answers are out there...

 

[kerry001]

we got chloe from rescue at age 7 months. She is a love, but was quite clueless about certain things...she has always had excellent doggie etiquette, and she does really well with people, although she can be a little hesitant and shy at first. When we first got her, we were careful to establish a routine so she knew what to expect, and what was expected of her. We crated her at night, and when we weren't home, and took the socialization thing slowly. First with older kids, then younger, then around other dogs, and took her for long walks where she would see other dogs and people. We were careful not to cater to her fears by making a big deal of them. Whenever she behaved the "correct" way, she got treats and affection. We did this for many small things like if she sat still and let someone pet her. Many rescue dogs are stressed out at first, they need to feel like you are in charge, that there is a routine, and that they get clear signals as to what behavior is ok, and what isn't. Treats and praise are VERY important, as dogs who were neglected have NO idea what is expected of them, it makes them feel safe and secure. Treat and praise for everything thing they do correctly, as many of them don't know! For the first week or two I would limit her socialization to the immediate family, and let her get used to you, her new home, and the routine. Then gradually add new experiences and watch her closely to see how she reacts, removing her from situations (calmly and without a lot of fanfare) when she seems overly stressed out.

 

[natrhymer]

Many rescue dogs are stressed out at first, they need to feel like you are in charge, that there is a routine, and that they get clear signals as to what behavior is ok, and what isn't. Treats and praise are VERY important, as dogs who were neglected have NO idea what is expected of them, it makes them feel safe and secure. Treat and praise for everything thing they do correctly, as many of them don't know! For the first week or two I would limit her socialization to the immediate family, and let her get used to you, her new home, and the routine. Then gradually add new experiences and watch her closely to see how she reacts, removing her from situations (calmly and without a lot of fanfare) when she seems overly stressed out.

I couldn't have said it better! We adopted Dieter two years ago and didn't do everything right from the beginning (we did obedience and he did well, but we had no clue how to handle his escalating aggressive behaviors). Now we're dealing with fear aggression when he's on lead... Good for you, alidansma, for figuring out beforehand how to make sure your new pup has a good "headstart"! It's all about leadership, so that the dog looks to you when he's confused, upset, scared, etc., and trusts you to "handle" the situation so he doesn't have to. Good luck with the new pup!

 

[shannonmac]

we have the same problem

We have a 1.5 year old American Bulldog that we got at 1 year old who was never socialized as a puppy. He's ok with kneesaa, but we can't bring him to petco because he barks at all the other dogs. I don't know how to fix this either, he's a big boy 110 lbs. and I'm afraid he'll scare the other dogs, any advice would be welcome here too. (He came from a home environment, however they didn't pay much attention to him)

 

[natrhymer]

We have a 1.5 year old American Bulldog that we got at 1 year old who was never socialized as a puppy. He's ok with kneesaa, but we can't bring him to petco because he barks at all the other dogs. I don't know how to fix this either, he's a big boy 110 lbs. and I'm afraid he'll scare the other dogs, any advice would be welcome here too. (He came from a home environment, however they didn't pay much attention to him)

I would advise you to take him to a trainer who specializes in behavior modification or to a behaviorist. This is the kind of behavior our Dieter was displaying, and it escalated to aggression toward us -- it was pretty scary, and both my husband and I were bitten numerous times. He started out just lunging and barking at other dogs (which did scare other dogs -- and owners!); then, in frustration, he started turning and snapping in our direction and at the leash; then he started to jump up on us and bite us repeatedly. This happened over the span of about a year. Fortunately, we found a GREAT aggression seminar at the Michigan Humane Society and found a GREAT behaviorist who helped us develop a behavior modification plan.

I don't mean to scare you, but if it's not nipped in the bud, that behavior could potentially escalate to what we are dealing with now. I'm sure much of it depends on the dog (Dieter is a "high-anxiety" boy, with lots of issues), but, getting together with a behaviorist will help you determine if your dog just needs some dog-to-dog socializing (training on how to be "polite" toward other dogs), or if it's aggression you're dealing with.

Our modification plan includes making sure Dieter looks to us for direction on how to behave in situations where there are other dogs present. Because he was allowed to go ballistic in those situations for so long, it's been tough to get him to stop; do your best to socialize and figure out your dog's "quirks" now before it gets too bad.

And make sure to search through these forums for WONDERFUL articles, links and advice... it really helped us deal with Dieter's issues. Good luck!

 

[alidansma]

shannon - it seems so much easier to give advice to others than to impliment it yourself. I have an idea from horse training that may help, but it might require a lot of effort on your part. Here is what I am thinking. There has to be a point at which your dog thinks other dogs deserve a bark, and a point where they aren't that big of a deal. If you had a friend with a dog that could help you out that would be great, other wise your training sessions might be limited at first to places where you know strange dogs are about.
did he bark during obedience class with other dogs there? Or is it only barking at dogs that are in the same room (building I guess) as you?
So you have your dog on a leash and you are doing simple obedience (that he has done a hundred times) and of course getting a lot of treats and attention. Now a dog comes into his zone (for Mr. Buu that might be 30 ft away) and he starts thinking about barking, but you have other plans, you plan is to continue with obedience like the other dog is not there. then the dog goes away and everything is fine, and the next time, the dog gets a little closer and when Mr. Buu starts thinking it is a good time to bark, you divert him with a little training and the other dog goes away. Eventually (the theory goes) those dogs will be wandering around you and Mr. Buu will be thinking - hey mom what can I do for the hot dog in your hand or a scratch behind the ear? with horses they just work the horse at the edge of the comfort zone, but have the horse concentrating on working, and when the horse is comfortable working a certain distance away from the distraction, then they leave the distraction. So the animal develops a trust that you will not push it into a place that is too uncomfortable, as long as the animal is paying attention to you, the problem will disappear. Then next time, the animal will be comfortable a little closer to the distraction, so all you are doing is shutting the window a little at a time.
If it is only indoors (like at petco) Then you can have him in center of the hamster aisle (where dogs aren't likely to be) and do a training session there, and ask your friend to walk the dog past the end of the aisle, if they just go past like no big deal, he will likely not bother barking, because they are already gone...time for a "GOOD BOY!!!" then later after he doesn't care about dogs walking past the aisle, maybe your friend can take a little look at something on the shelf at the end of the aisle, and then leave, still just shutting the window a little at a time. Of course having a friend whos dog is very mellow is what makes this work...if they start barking first or staring, or what ever, then Mr.Buu wil likely respond.
that's what I meant when I said at the beginning that it is easier to say than to do. and of course I am not a professional, so you can take my idea and toss it out the window if you think it isn't right for you