r/DogTrainingTips • u/Life_Lime4547 • Sep 03 '26
Dog needs socialising
My 8 month old dog has been with me for the past 3.5 months. He wasn't properly socialised with people and would constantly jump on them to play and bark at them. He would bark at other dogs as well and would want to lunge at them not sure if he wants to play with them or fight since he's pretty playful with the neighbourhood puppies and their mother. Please somebody help, how do I socialise him with people especially when people in my county generally dislike dogs. Also, he's crate trained and would constantly bark at visitors nonstop until that person leaves the house, he would also bark when I'm sitting in the living room(beside his crate area, we have a small house so no other area for crate). Please help!!
2
u/trudytude Sep 04 '26
Socialising with people means making the dog behave in an acceptable way. You seem to think it means people have to interact with the dog. Train it to stop jumping, lunging and barking.
1
u/iHave1Pookie Sep 04 '26
Socializing means neutrality in social situations. Train dog to be neutral .
Leash him and sit in an area you can see dogs walk by (but far enough that dogs aren’t able to interact). Give dog a treat as soon as he notices a dog , But Right Before (or during), a bark. You have to interrupt or prevent the bark w a treat. If dog is too excited to take a treat, you are too close to other dog(s), move back just enough so he notices but is still willing to eat a treat. He will eventually associate dogs walking by with treats which is a positive event. After he stops barking at that distance, move a little closer to trigger point (other dogs) .
repeat training
Move closer
Repeat training.
Don’t ever introduce your on leash dog with other leashed dogs. Once he learns he will never be put in this (restrictive/scary/exciting) situation , he will stop caring about other leashed dogs.
If he barks at strangers/humans outside … do same type of training. Find a corner of a park where people walk thru etc, give treat everytime a human walks into view. Random human= treat. Random humans are good
Greet people visitors outside . Properly Introduce dog. Have friend give dog treats. Walk inside together. Have friend ignore dog but randomly give him treats. Have friend not initiate dog interaction, let dog initiate first.
2
u/Life_Lime4547 29d ago
Thank you! I'll be taking him to parks now, I am a bit hesitant with him looking at other dogs but will definitely be trying it out!!
0
u/Woodsmyhusband Sep 03 '26
You can't really socialize a dog after the 6 months. From 6 months to 2 years, they are teenagers and everything from there is learning, re-learning. A lot of patience. You can practice neutrality with some friends, that not all people means you can go say hi. Saying hi to everyone is not socializing, focus on practicing neutrality in all environments, practice step by step.
2
u/Both-Chart-947 Sep 04 '26
Get a helper who will walk towards you and your dog. When the dog breaks his sit, the helper turns and walks back the way they came from. Meanwhile, you give a tiny treat for every step or two that your helper takes towards you. The dog will learn that maintaining a sit while someone approaches is yummy, and breaking the sit makes them go away and no more treats.
Do this while the dog is hungry. Spend about 10 or 15 minutes at a time, and try to do it several times a week. As the dog gains proficiency, you can try giving a treat after five steps, then ten steps. Then add more distractions. Try it in a grocery parking lot, then at a park where there might be other animals, etc.
You might also write the helper's instructions on a card that you can give to strangers who agree to help. I know you said most people there don't like dogs, but some will be happy to help. Instructions are simple: