​Socialize, Social, or Sociable—Who Cares?

​There is some confusion among dog people about dog socialization. Many use the terms social, sociable and socialize interchangeably, but there are important differences.  Socialization occurs in a developmental period, and can help dogs be more sociable, while being social means dogs are interacting with others.  

Socialization:  
In dogs, the ability to cope with new situations is both learned and inherited. Introducing and familiarizing your dog to new experiences – including people, places, and other animals – is called socialization. It refers to the process of carefully exposing a dog to various people, places and things, and it specifically refers to a crucial development period, typically between 3 weeks and 12 weeks of age. Positive experiences during this phase helps dogs become well-adjusted, confident, and friendly in different situations and around different people and animals. After this age, they continue to learn but this kind of learning is much slower and some behaviors learned during this period are hard to change. Here are some tips on Puppy socialization.
 
 Socializing:
Many time people use socialization when they mean "social,” which means that the dog enjoys interacting with other dogs or people. Social dogs typically exhibit friendly behavior, such as approaching others with wagging tails, engaging in play, and showing signs of enjoyment in social situations. These dogs may seek out the company of other dogs or people and feel comfortable in group settings.  Your dog will tell you whether they enjoy interacting with thier body lanugage.


​Sociability:  
Similar to being social, a sociable dog is one that is friendly, outgoing, and enjoys being around other dogs or people. A sociable dog may actively seek out interactions with others, enjoy meeting new dogs or people, and display positive body language, such as relaxed posture and friendly gestures. Being sociable implies a natural inclination or preference for social interaction. There is much variation in individual dogs when it comes to sociability. Breed, personality and early learning impact how sociable each dog is. There is a spectrum of sociability, not all dogs love all other dogs.

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In summary, socializing refers to the process of exposing a dog to new things including social situations, while social and sociable describe the dog's behavior and disposition toward interacting with others. Remember that every dog is unique, and their progress will vary. With love, patience, and positive reinforcement, you can help your dog improve their social skills even beyond the critical window.

If you have questions or want more information how to socialize your dog or your dog’s behavior with other dogs hit me up!