how to socialize your over-excited dog
You’ve been told to socialize your dog but it just isn’t going as planned. What do you do when your dog won’t eat treats? How do you socialize a dog who barks and lunges at other dogs? What can you do to help your anxious or excited dog cope? Surely…there must be some sort of solution. What if there was a way to provide autonomy, freedom of movement, and enrichment all the while teaching your dog how to regulate themselves?
rethinking socialization
Socialization is widely recommended in dog training as the answer to all of your problems but, that isn’t the whole story. Contrary to popular belief, there is no age where dogs stop learning to be social and learning about the world around them. Such beliefs place pressure on dog owners to expose their dogs to as much novelty as possible early in their lives, but not all dogs are ready for this- even in adulthood! There are a lot of people who have great insight on this topic who I suggest you learn from, as I did. This podcast episode about the neuroscience of puppy socialization with Dr. Kathy Murphy and Marissa Martino of Paws & Reward is a great place to start. This rigidity in the way we think of and practice socializing young dogs can be detrimental. Genetics play a huge role here too- so there’s a good chance your dog is already prone to certain feelings and behaviors. For the dog who is excited, amped up, anxious, or fearful of all that the outside world has to offer- I suggest a softer approach to socialization.
world watching: What is it?
The objective is simple: Watch the world go by and be a dog. Some dogs come pre-installed with this feature but many of them don’t! The good thing is it is never too late to learn. So… let’s break it down. “Watching” means observing with soft and loose body language- not staring, lunging, or screaming. And, “being a dog” is characterized by those doggy behaviors we all know and love: sniffing, licking, chewing, sunbathing, playing, soliciting attention, digging, shredding, etc. We can encourage these things in a few different ways.
One great way to help encourage dogs towards more positive and desirable behaviors in the presence of scary or exciting things is to include a freework setup. ACE Freework, developed by Sarah Fisher- involves setting up a scene for your dog rich with enrichment, toys, and engaging textures, scents, and more. You can do this by setting up snuffle mats, cardboard boxes, chews, toys, scattered treats, and new/exciting scents as well as platforms and varied textures. The goal here is to provide the dog with options, freedom, and easy access to reinforcement. This way, we create an environment rich with opportunities to make desirable decisions. Not only is this fun and enriching, but it is also a great tool for behavior modification and socialization setups.
We can also encourage good behavior by bringing along a familiar mat to lie down on, offering comforting touch and social support to the dog, and determining the setting that is right for our particular dog. Your dog should display relaxed body posture, respond quickly to known cues, and (preferably) be able to eat food easily. You will want to pay attention to a few things to make sure your dog is truly comfortable. Firstly, take a baseline video or observe your dog at home. What does their body look like? How quickly do they turn their head? How softly do they take food from your hand? Are their ears alert? Do they lie down? Solicit attention? Having a good idea of what your dog looks like in a relaxed state will help you recognize signs of increasing stress- they can be subtle! Continue to observe their body language when you try this out for the first time in the presence of distractions. If you notice discomfort or stress, move farther away from the exciting or upsetting thing you are trying to socialize your dog to. Alternatively, you may decide that your dog is too stressed even with lots of distance. In this case, try an easier location.
This intervention can take place in relation to anything you’de like to help your dog become more neutral and calm around but best results are achieved when focusing on one thing at a time. That is, if your dog is sensitive to the noises of the road, gets excited by each and every dog, and hates children- don’t start at your neighborhood park set alongside a busy road! Instead, you can isolate one thing your dog struggles with at a time working up to more challenge as you go. If your dog is experiencing high levels of stress or reactivity/fear towards multiple triggers, that is a sign that you should seek help from a behavior consultant if possible.
Choosing a location
Selecting a location has a lot to do with knowing what is likely to happen there. Be aware of traffic patterns, weather, upcoming events, time of day, day of the week, etc. It is generally a good idea to opt for less busy and crowded days and times. Depending on the location, this will be different (ie. church parking lots will be busy on Sundays while other locations might be busy on weeknights). You should also know reliably what you are to encounter in the location you decide to practice this in. Offleash dogs and children can make a nightmare of an experience for some dogs, and every effort should be made to ensure the experience is controlled and bad experiences are mitigated. Depending on the dog, you may choose to use a muzzle for safety or use other protective measures. Know that things are unlikely to go exactly to your plan and know what your exit plan is. You should also have a good idea of what your dog finds threatening, upsetting, or exciting and at what distances they may react or become too interested to act appropriately. This will factor into the location you choose as well.
Aside from choosing your location, you will also want to choose your placement within the location. Putting your dog on leash and marching them into the middle of a chaotic scene is likely to garner any of the positive effects of this protocol. Choose a placement that allows your dog to seek distance when necessary without encountering additional worrisome stimuli. Choosing placement that allows you to be adjacent to the action without being in it is generally a good idea.For example, for a dog learning to calmly watch other dogs, parking 60 yards from a trailhead in a nearby field is appropriate. However, distance from the excitement must be selected based on the dog’s needs. You must also encourage natural soothing and calming behaviors in your dog. A space that has ample room for free movement and has interesting terrain to see, smell, and feel under their paws is most ideal. If this isn’t something that your location has to offer, try bringing your own items such as snuffle mats or chews and place them in the environment for your dog to interact with.
What to look for
How do you know how far away you need to be? In short, your dog will tell you- so long as you know how to listen. Having a good understanding of dog body language will come in handy here. Your dog should be able to carry out natural behaviors such as sniffing, chewing, playing, seeking affection, and otherwise interacting calmly with the environment. Watching the action is totally okay and should not be avoided or interuppted unless the dog is escalating in intensity or other signs make it clear that the dog is too close. Some alertness in the ears, facial tension, or raising of the tail is appropriate so long as it is short-lived. For example, your dog may look up at the stimuli perking their ears and raising their head while briefly stiffening, however if this is followed by a softening of the body and return to interaction with the environment- don’t worry about it.
If you are struggling with over the top, anxious, unruly behavior with your dog, especially in new or exciting places. You aren’t alone. This protocol is one of many interventions I use with clients to get them back to living in harmony with their dogs. If you think you might need help, click below to learn more about our offerings.
