Dog Training FAQ - Puppy Socialization

I have a 2 year old shepherd mix that I have only had since she was a little over a year old. She was not treated very well at her old home, hit or yelled at when she did anything wrong. She is great with my kids and I but hates almost everyone else. She goes crazy if anyone comes to the door or if I walk her and someone comes close to her she barks and growls If she is loose she will charge at the person with her hair all standing up, barking and growling. She always stops short of the person, she has never tried to bite, just barks, like she is trying to scare them off. Please any advice to help my poor dog adjust to people and not hate everyone. Thank you.

Thanks for the question. Sounds like you've got a tough one on your hands.

The first key to fixing the problem is to really understand why the behavior problem exists.

You mentioned that her previous owners were abusive. I would imagine that her previous owners also did a lousy job socializing her. She probably wasn't exposed to different people, places, and things when she was a youngster. Am I right? The truth is, her lack of socialization is probably a bigger cause of her problem than is her early abuse. What I am saying is that even if she wasn't treated poorly as a young dog her lack of socialization would bring out this behavior as a two year old. She never learned as a puppy that other people are okay. She sees everyone as a threat and never was socialized as a puppy to show that people aren't a threat.

Her growling and hair raising are signs of fear. You obviously understand that an approaching person isn't a cause for fear but she doesn't. Not only does she not understand that an approaching person isn't scary but she has also learned from experience that by showing these signs of aggression she tends to scare the person. So in her mind she's thinking, "That approaching person is a threat," she growls and charges and the person retreats or shows fear, "Ahhh, see. I was right. I got rid of that threat." So her behavior is reinforcing and she repeats it every time she sees someone.

The key to fixing this behavior is to immediately break the negative association. You have to socialize her properly and show her that a new person is not cause for fear. I must warn you, it is going to be a bit difficult. Scientists tell us that the first few months of a dogs life are it's most formative months. The best and most effective socialization is done during this time. After these few months the socializing becomes more difficult, but don't worry, you can do it. It is just going to require some work and some help.

Every time your dog sees someone outside the family she has a negative experience. To re-socialize her or re-hab her you need for her to have a positive experience every time. What this means is that you have to choreograph all of her meetings. You need to set up each meeting so that you ensure success. A successful meeting means that she sees a new person and instead of thinking negative things, ends up with a positive.

You are going to need some help. Set up meetings with several people that you know over the next several weeks. Choose a neutral area outside the home and place your friend there with one of your dog's favorite treats. Have your friend be in a very non-threatening position. Perhaps sitting on a chair or sitting on the ground. Your friend shouldn't be facing the dog head on but should show a more sideways, submissive posture. Your friend shouldn't make direct eye contact but should be looking away. Remember, your dog sees people as a threat, you need to eliminate factors that may be seen as threatening. The next step is for your dog to make the introduction on her own. Let her meet the person on her terms. Encourage your dog to approach and have your friend speak her name soothingly and maybe pat her body gently to entice her to come over. When your dog finally approaches to meet your friend have your friend stay still. Let your dog sniff her and get to know her. Have your friend leave her open hand with the treat in it so your dog can find it and eat it. Allow this to go on for a few minutes and then have her leave your friend.

What is going to be accomplished is that your dog is going to have a confusing experience. She normally sees a meeting like this as stressful, but this time the person didnt pose a threat and even had a tasty treat. If you repeat this enough times with enough people you will start to shift her mode of thinking. Now seeing a person like this isn't a cause of stress, but perhaps may be a treat dispenser.

At this point you can progress. Now allow your friend to pet her when she comes over. Allow your friend to make more movement. Keep progressing slowly until your friend can be acting in a normal fashion, even walking towards you, and your dog sees it as a positive instead of a negative.

The more friends you use and the more locations you do this dog training in, the better. Also, it is imperative that your dog only meet people under these circumstances for a while. If you can't control the situation it is better to not have her exposed to it. Imagine what would happen if you have some great training sessions but then you take her on a walk and she has a negative experience with a stranger. It will set back your training immensely. So, make sure you have helped her sufficiently before you allow her to meet just anybody.

Good luck, let me know how else I can be of help.

Ty Brown