February 16, 2015 Socialization 911…er, I mean…411

Beamerwindo

Hi Everyone! Beamer here. Sorry its been a while since I last communicated with you but life has been busy around Good as Gold and challenging with this frigid cold winter we are having!

Last week, as I was lounging on my couch taking a break from all the hectic business when I suddenly heard a dog let out a cry. I immediately looked out the window to see what all the commotion was about! Apparently, one dog went up to another dog to say hello while on leash and when the leashed got tangled, one of the dogs did not like feeling trapped and lashed out at the visiting dog. Oh dear! The ensuing chaos of humans screaming made it more difficult to get the dogs apart. But eventually, all calmed down and I am happy to report that both dogs were fine! But that wasn’t the only incident of that nature to happen last week. That’s when I decided that perhaps the humans needed a reminder of what socialization actually means so they can be more effective leaders and keep their dogs safe.

From the dog’s perspective, socialization means giving us the opportunity to be exposed to many places, people, dogs and events. It means ensuring we have a rich life full of different experiences. It doesn’t mean I have to like every dog I meet or that every dog it going to like me! And even if I was possibly going to like a dog, it is less likely to happen in a confined indoor space, in a new environment, when the anxiety and/or excitement is high and we are both on leash.

If two dogs meet and they do seem to like each other, they are still really getting to know one another. A good meeting does not mean the dogs won’t have a disagreement from time to time. When a disagreement occurs the humans involved need to STAY CALM!!! Keep your wits about you and do not simply react in a high energy, panic-struck way. That could possibly intensify the altercation more than it ever would have on its own! Once the altercation has been interrupted, simply leaving the situation before the dogs have had a chance to “shake paws” and move past it could result in your dog having the memory of the negative experience instead of learning how to cope and move past the negativity.

If the humans are at all unsure of how to introduce two dogs or how to read the body language of their dog and dogs in general, contact Nancy or Karen and they will help you to understand what your dog’s body language is saying and how to safely introduce your dog to another dog. Lets ensure that socialization questions result in humans obtaining some 411 instead of waiting until its a 911!

Until next time….

Beamer
Good as Gold Mascot

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