Just like humans, dogs are social animals and extremely sensitive to having their socializing needs met.
Given their social needs, dogs are prone to the identical behavioral problems that humans go through. Your dog needs a lot of positive social exposure to sounds, surfaces and all sorts of environments from the start of life. Isolation is highly risky to the wellbeing of your dog.
Harmful impact of Social Isolation on Dogs
Antisocial behaviors can dampen the immune system of dogs that fights against diseases. This can develop fearful body language in the dog and can lead to early onset of viral diseases. Hence, it is recommended for dog owners to keep themselves well educated about the dangerous diseases that their pets can suffer from. This timely awareness will help dog owners in keeping their dogs safe and healthy in the long run.
Just like babies, dog owners tend to keep their dog in a bubble to protect them from the dangers of the world. Dogs tend to soak up the environment and respond accordingly. The initial period is crucial in the development of social and intellectual skills of dogs. Their senses are exceptionally sensitive and they can detect even the slightest of environmental changes during this time.
Socialize your Dog the Right Way
For this purpose, it is recommended to provide dogs a healthy and supportive environment to interact with regularly. This keeps the dog feel relaxed and capable of handling challenging situations. As a dog owner it’s your sole responsibility to nurture and nourish your dog as much as possible. Regular stimulation of sound, touch and visual perception can work wonders in making your dog confident and socially apt.
The absorbent and active brains of dogs need to be regularly enriched with positive social stimuli for maximum benefits. Connection is pivotal to the healthy development of dogs. Great care needs to be taken in exposing your dog to people, animals, places and other positive stimuli. Too much of social exposure can overstimulate your dog, making it feel distracted, overwhelmed and unable to practice self-control.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, “The initial years of a dog’s life are crucial for their neurological development before they start exploring their physical and social environment. Failure to adequately expose dogs to positive social environments can lead to life long inability to cope with fearful situations.”
To spark up the curiosity of dogs in the household environment, you need to fully engage them with activities, people and places before making them step out into the world outside. The development of a strong bond with your dog is an essential factor that drives the dog to foster positive social relationships with the rest of the world. Excess noise or tactile information can make the dog go frenetic and border towards mania.
Take away…
This blog was written to support dog owners in developing a confident and socially healthy dog. A large chunk of the dog population is not getting their socialization needs met. This can lead to early onset behavioral issues and the best approach to resolve them would be to develop good socialization skills in dogs. Encourage your dog to interact positively with people, animals and places and reward this behavior by offering them food, petting and play times.