Are You Socializing Your Puppy, Properly?
Here I go again, preaching 'socialization'. Well, it's for your benefit as well as your puppy's. I can not stress strenuously enough, nor loud enough, the importance of a well-socialized dog. Especially one destined to be such a large breed, as the Mastiff.

Dogs who lack adequate socialization and stimuli can grow up to have various behavioral problems, such as; shyness, fear aggression, dominant aggression, or territorial aggression. Other related behavioral disorders can also be related to lack of proper socialization such as; excessive chewing due to boredom or anxiety, lethargy and/or weight gain due to lack of stimulation, and gnawing at themselves; just to name a few.

Once your puppy has developed a well-rounded socialized education, it will be a much more stable and happy family member.

So How Do I Properly Socialized My Puppy?
Your puppy needs socialization both, on premises, and off. You should allow it to learn what is, and is not, a normal situation through adequate socialization and stimuli.

The ideal situation would be to find a good Socialization, Canine Good Citizenship, or Obedience class in your area and get yourself and your puppy involved. To locate a class call your local kennel clubs. If you do not know how to locate a kennel club near you, call The American Kennel Club at (212) 696-8281 and ask them for a listing of Kennel Clubs in your area. It is important that your puppy be able to meet strangers away from the home environment. It is equally important that your puppy be able to meet and learn to interact with other dogs. This will teach your puppy how to interact with members of its own species; therefore, it will learn to not be dog aggressive. Classes will be a great deal of fun for the both of you. Not only will you be teaching your friend to interact, but you will get to meet new friends whom you share a common interest with, your dogs.

If you can not find such a class in your area, then you will have to seek his education elsewhere. Yes, education, although it may not be a regular scheduled class your puppy is still going to go through a learning process. Every time it experiences new situations and stimuli, your puppy is going to learn something from that experience and register it for future reference. You want these to be pleasant and fun experiences.

You can take your puppy to places where it can interact with people and other dogs. The park is always a good place to start. Many stores, such as Petsmart, allow you to bring dogs into the store. Take the puppy along with you when you go on your outings and allow time for him to interact.

Is Socialization That Important?
YES! An unsocialized dog can develop behavioral problems. If a dog does not learn what is, and is not, a normal everyday situation then it will not know how to react when anything differs from their current lifestyle.

If your dog is unaccustomed to other people or dogs, when the situation arises that it does meet a stranger or other dog he may see these people or dogs as a threat and may either act aggressively, or become shy and fearful.

But I Have Another Dog
Sorry, it's not the same. It is not enough to just socialize your pup with your other pets. Your pup will grow to accept your current dog as part of the family. It is anything outside of your family circle that it will deem as a threat.

Don't Worry, Be Happy!
Take the time NOW, to work on your puppy's education! Don't wait until you have a behavioral problem on your hands. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! A stitch in time saves nine!

Please believe me when I say, "You will be much happier with your puppy when it is grown if you take hold of it's education"NOW!" Right now it is such a simple process to socialize your puppy. If you wait till the pup is grown and it does develop an environmental behavioral disorder, then it could take months of rehabilitation to turn your baby around.

I don't mean to frighten you but I do want to be honest with you for your benefit and his, "Inadequate socialization is the number one reason for purebred dogs ending up in Rescue programs and shelters." Their owners do not realize the importance of a well-socialized pet and ignore their education, the dog develops behavioral disorders and the owners do not know how to cope with their pet's problem behaviors so they ultimately turn them over to shelters or Rescue organizations.

You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. It takes mere minutes of your time when you look at the wonderful, lifelong, companionship and love that a socialized, well rounded puppy will give you throughout his lifetime! Take a few minutes a day, or just 15 minutes 2-3 times a week and work on your puppy's socialization.

It is my utmost hope and desire that your puppy becomes everything that you wanted in a best friend and family member, because I know if you are happy with your baby, my baby is happy. As a worried Momma, I want the best for my kids!

Okay, now that I'm through nagging , I am going to talk about some common behavioral disorders. Though I am proud to state that all of you seem to have done a wonderful job of socializing my babies and all of my "kids" seem to have wonderful stable temperaments, I am going to educate you about Canine Behaviorism & Development, or "What Makes 'Em Tick thus you can learn how to prevent behavioral disorders so.....

Let's Talk About Aggression
A genetically unstable dog has little chance of rehabilitation. However; although temperament is an inheritable gene, or genes, the greatest percentages of temperament problems are environmental. Sometimes aggressive tendencies in dogs are caused from repression of natural instincts. Under either intensive, crowded living, or guarded living conditions an animal becomes more suspicious and defensive, if not almost paranoid, about the safety of its territory and property. These fears are increased when there is (or what the dog deems as) competition. Many times dogs may be friendly when out in public or on neutral territory but on their own territory become wary or suspicious and visitors become unwelcome. So what you may think of as Fear Aggression, may be Territorial Aggression. First you must identify the type of aggression that is being exhibited before a disorder can be remedied. There are several types of aggression. Fear Motivated Aggression , Dominant Aggression, and Territorial Aggression, are among the most common exhibited type of behavioral disorders. Territorial Aggression can also be exhibited over a dog's owner, vehicle, or crate, when in public; not just exhibiting protective signs when on their own property or fence, kennel or crate.

Fear Motivated Aggression
Fear Motivated Aggression is probably the most exhibited behavioral disorder in the biting canine. Most dogs that bite, do so out of fear; therefore, they are called "fear biters". It is common in the unsocialized or inadequately socialized canine. This results in an anti-social dog in some or all situations. Sometimes a dog can exhibit fear to just a particular situation or stimuli.

Fear Motivated Aggression is a learned response that aggressive behavior will elicit a retreat response from, what the dog thinks of (real or imagined) as, a potentially threatening situation. Unfortunately the owner is usually so unnerved by the dog's actions (especially if it is a large breed dog) that they further tend to enhance the dog's problems by:
1. Refraining from seeking socialization for the dog due to apprehension of causing injury to others or being sued.
2. Unknowingly reward the dog's behavior by patronizing the dog with soft tones of voice during these encounters or offering chews, toys, ect., to quiet or calm them.
3. Knowingly reward the dog's behavior in the false belief that this is a natural protective instinct and the dog is fulfilling a role.

Do not let this happen to you. Take charge of your dog's education and socialization for its benefit and yours. Do not immediately consider euthanasia. I tell everyone, "After all, you would not accept undesirable behavior from one of your children, neither would you get rid of a child because it was uneducated. This may not have been an option in your own mind, but I have worked with people who consider this as a first option. Fear Motivated Aggression is a treatable behavioral disorder.

Neither should you consider spay or neutering as an only treatment. Spaying a dog or bitch will reduce the fluctuations of hormones, but it will not remove the fact that the dog has become fearful. Neither will it remove the fact that an Alpha is an Alpha, it will not remove a dog's dominant nature.

MAKE A DIAGNOSIS: Symptoms of Fear Motivated Aggression
EYE CONTACT: Does the dog make eye contact with a stranger? A more Dominant dog will challenge with the eyes. That is not to say a dog with other behavioral problems will not stare at you, it will just try to avoid 'eye contact.'
Note: Do not ask a stranger to test the dog for this. Someone will get bitten. But how has the dog acted on previous encounters?
SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE: When the dog barks & stomps in a threatening gesture, note the dog's body language. Is the tail tucked, ears back, lips in a horizontal (rather than a vertical) position, and does it remain close to the owner (perhaps shielding part of its body behind its owner)?
SEPARATION RESPONSE: If the owner leaves the dog in the presence of strangers or in unfamiliar territory, does the dog become anxious? Does the dog anxiously try to follow the owner as he walks away? Is the dog whining, straining at the lead?
BITING HISTORY: Does the dog snap and stomp toward strangers rather than try to make actual contact?

TREATMENT: Behavioral Modification Socialize, socialize, socialize; and then Desensitize.

SOCIALIZATION: Proper socialization is the root of rehabilitating the Fearful Canine or Fear Motivated Aggressive Canine. It is the process of gradually introducing the dog into new situations. In essence, you will be teaching the dog that it does not have to be fearful. It will be learning that these outside stimuli are normal conditions. New experiences should at first be kept short and pleasant, gradually increasing the outings and experiences.

Find a socialization class or Canine Good Citizenship class in your area. I recommend the Canine Good Citizenship classes since they offer forms of desensitization. If you wish, you may just find a good Obedience class and just go visit if you do not wish to participate.

As you feel more and more confident with your dog's behavior, begin asking friends to offer small tidbits to the dog. They should at first totally ignore the dog (as if it did not exist). Have your dog sit. Next have the friends walk up to you slowly, in a non threatening manner, and begin quiet conversation without threatening gestures. All of their movements should be slow and purposeful. If the dog accepts this, allow them to slowly and purposefully offer the dog a treat and go back to ignoring the dog. This person should be void of anxiety or fear because the dog will be able to sense this uncertainty. The person should not, at this point in time, converse with nor try to pet or play with the dog.

As the dog warms to family and friends without showing signs of fear or aggression you may begin outside socialization on your own.

When you begin to feel comfortable with your dog's behavior take it out into public every day. First you MUST examine your own fears! If you feel anxious about being able to control the dog or wary of whether or not your dog will bite, your anxiety will travel right down the lead. Your dog will read this anxiety as fear and will likewise be fearful. Your anxiety will place your dog on alert and he will read this as: "Mom/Dad is afraid, I must be on watch."

Your attitude should be warm, friendly to strangers, and you should be completely void of anxiety. If you do not feel you can accomplish this you must seek the advice of a trained Canine Behaviorist or Certified Animal Behaviorist to accomplish this task for you.

Take your dog to a park, parking lot, or place that will allow dogs. Petsmart allows dogs into the store. If you are uncertain or questionable about your dog's behavior, invest in a head harness, 'Haltie' or muzzle. This will give you control of the dog's head at all times.

As the dog's mental physic becomes more stable you may wish to begin Desensitization.

DESENSITIZATION: Is 'controlled' conditions without threatening gestures that acclimate and stimulate the dog into new and different situations such as someone wearing large oversize hats, overcoats, dark glasses, ect., or walking on crutches or walker. It is imperative that the dog not be overly stressed for the first few outings or all of your hard work can become undone.

Important note : Odd strangers (persons wearing odd apparel) should remain pleasant at ALL times and never make any threatening gestures, either toward you, the dog, or otherwise!

MASSAGE THERAPY:Before you begin any exercise use Massage Therapyon the dog first.

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