How To Socialize An Aggressive (Or Is It Reactive?) Dog

What is socialization in dogs?

Socialization is the process by which puppies and young dogs learn to interact with other animals, people, and their environment in a positive way.

Good socialization

Good socialization means that your dog will grow up to be a confident, well-rounded individual who can cope with different situations without being scared or aggressive.

Bad socialization

Bad socialization happens when a dog is exposed to many people and things but does not have a positive experience.

This can lead to a fearful or potentially aggressive dog who is afraid of new people and experiences.

What is primary socialization?

Primary socialization happens between the ages of 3 and 12 weeks old when puppies are most impressionable. This is known as the critical socialization period and is the time when they should be introduced to as many different people, animals, and experiences as possible in a positive way (i.e. they are in a happy, relaxed emotional state).

According to Horwitz and Landsberg, peak sensitivity occurs at 6 – 8 weeks, depending on the breed and individual dog. Fears begin to emerge “around 8 weeks of age, so that beyond 12 weeks of age, fearfulness may surpass sociability.”

During the 8 – 12 week period, “puppies experience a Fear Imprint Period, where traumatic experiences to stimuli that induce fear may be generalized and produce lifelong aversion responses.” (Center for Shelter Dogs, 2014).

What are the signs of a poorly socialized dog?

A lack of good socialization, or poor socialization, can manifest in several ways, including:

• Fearful or aggressive behavior around new people or dogs
• Fear of new experiences or situations
• Lack of confidence
• Lack of social skills with people or other dogs
• Lack of positive experiences
• Previous negative experience

Case Study: Roxy – Undersocialized Rescue Dog

Our largely unsocialized dog, Roxy grew up in the shelter and we adopted at the age of 2 years.

Roxy was fearful of many things, including men, the TV, mirrors, running, playing with other dogs, and jumping in the car, all due to a lack of socialization at an early age.

Luckily we were able to overcome most of her fears, although some of them took several months.

What are the options for socializing an aggressive dog?

This is a basic overview of the options available.

I would not recommend working on an issue involving reactivity or aggression without the guidance of a qualified dog trainer who can create a training protocol tailored to your dog’s individual needs.

Shaping

This involves rewarding your dog for small steps in the right direction.

For example, if you’re trying to get your dog to approach new people, you would start by rewarding them for just looking at the person at a distance they’re comfortable with.

From there, you would move on to rewarding them for taking a step closer, and so on.

Desensitization

This involves gradually exposing your dog to the thing they’re afraid of in a controlled way.

For example, if your dog is afraid of loud noises, you would start by playing the noise at a very low volume.

Once they’re comfortable with that, you would gradually increase the volume until they’re no longer afraid.

Counter-conditioning

This involves changing your dog’s emotional response to the thing they’re afraid of.

For example, if your dog is afraid of car rides, you could start by having them look at the car from a distance, then approach the car with the engine off, then build that up to jumping in the back of the car, to turning on the engine without going anywhere, to going on very short drives and rewarding them with something of high value (e.g. chunks of cheese, or sausage, or whatever else the dog really loves) for staying calm.

Over time, they will build up a positive association with the car ride because they have had a positive experience.

Training incompatible behaviors

This involves teaching your dog an alternative behavior that they can’t do while simultaneously doing the aggressive behavior.

For example, if your dog is aggressive towards other dogs when out on a walk, you could teach her to look at you, or look at something else (a game known as “Look at That” devised by renowned dog trainer Leslie McDevitt), and stay focused on that until the dog has moved away.

This way, you can keep the dog under her emotional threshold and avoid her escalating to the point where she feels the need to behave aggressively.

This video demonstrates how you can train your dog to “Look at That”:

Aggressive behavior from the dog’s perspective

“Animals learn to use aggression as a way of solving their problems,” explains Dr. Westlund.

So if a dog growls at another dog or an unfamiliar person, and as a result that dog or person moves away, that has been a successful strategy for the dog and is more likely to be repeated in the future.

“One task for us, pet owners and animal professionals, is to teach more acceptable behaviors to get what they want,” continues Dr. Westlund, adding that we can also change the dog’s emotional state altogether, “so the situation is no longer a problem.”

How can you manage an aggressive dog’s environment?

One of the most helpful things you can do to help socialize a dog likely to behave aggressively in certain situations is to manage her environment.

This means making sure they’re not in difficult situations where they’re likely to feel scared or threatened.

For example, if your dog is afraid of other dogs, you would avoid taking them to the dog park or on daily walks where they’re likely to encounter other dogs.

Instead, you would stick to quiet streets or areas where you know there won’t be any other dogs around.

Our pitbull-Labrador cross Maggie had a tendency to (sometimes but not always) lunge at other dogs if she felt they were coming too close to her.

I used to work around that by crossing the street, using a parked car as a barrier, or feeding her treats before and during the time the dog was in her vicinity.

Using various safety measures (such as a basket muzzle – but do proper muzzle training condition your dog to like wearing it first so it’s not another aversive experience) can also be helpful.

Avoid scary things and experiences

It’s important to accept your dog as she is.

Many dogs really don’t like socializing with other dogs or are very selective in who they have as dog friends.

This means that for many dogs, the dog park is a scary and overwhelming place.

Dog park

It won’t surprise you to hear that our Louis was terrified of the dog park, even though he had spent two years living in close proximity with other dogs in the shelter before we adopted him.

How he coped I’ll never know.

In any case, the first time we had the bright idea to take him to the dog park when we moved to Los Angeles, he snarled and snapped as we approached the gate.

He was telling us he was uncomfortable and didn’t want to go in.

We elected to respect his signals and walked around and sniffed outside in the larger park area instead, something he loved and could enjoy without feeling stressed or anxious.

So you may need to accept that your dog doesn’t want to socialize and respect that. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that!

Household visitors

The same goes for visitors to the house.

If your dog is fearful of new people and behaves aggressively in any way, you may find it easier to place her in a safe room with a lovely stuffed KONG full of goodies to keep her entertained than stress her out by trying to get them to accept a new person in her own home.

If you want her to enjoy having visitors and to be able to interact with them in social situations, then I would recommend you seek professional help and work with the protocols outlined above under the supervision and guidance of a qualified trainer.

Learn what are the dog’s triggers

Aggressive behavior doesn’t occur without a reason. There is always a trigger. Without triggers, there will be no increase in emotional arousal. So learn what they are for your dog. They may be very specific, e.g. large white dogs, or tall men, or seeing another dog walking by on the street, or getting too close when they’re resting or eating.

Sometimes it’s all just too much and the dog can’t cope.

Let’s say the dog is tired, just now there was a loud truck going past, there were also two large dogs being walked on the other side of the street, and now there are lots of scary people approaching on the sidewalk and the owner is keeping the leash tight because they’re feeling a little anxious about how their dog may react.

This is known as trigger stacking, when things just build up until the dog can’t take it anymore and lashes out. It happens in people too!

Behavior doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

There are always reasons for why dogs do what they do, whether we like them or not.

The key is to understand them, and then we can work on changing or managing the dog’s response.

Is it ever too late to socialize a dog?

It’s never too late to socialize a dog, but it may be more difficult the older they are.

This is because they’ve had more time to develop certain habits and become set in their ways.

That being said, it’s still possible to socialize an older dog. It may just take a little more patience and effort on your part.

What not to do when socializing an aggressive dog

Don’t just go to the dog park and hope for the best

If your dog is scared or uncomfortable around unfamiliar dogs, especially lots of them at the same time, simply taking them to the dog park for an hour every day is not going to help them get over their fear.

Don’t punish the dog

This will only make her more scared and/or aggressive.

Avoid using confrontational training techniques

They are based on causing pain and/or creating fear and, as a result, have been shown to increase aggression.

Don’t force the dog into situations she’s uncomfortable with

This will only make her more stressed.

Final thoughts

Aggressive behavior in dogs can be a result of many different emotions.

It’s important to understand what triggers your dog’s aggressive behavior and use that as a starting point.

I hope this article has helped you to better understand your dog’s behavior.

And thank you for trying to do the best for him/her!

READ NEXT

Resources

• Behavioural medicine as an integral part of veterinary practice – Dr. Kendal Shepherd in BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behaviour (2nd edition)
• ‘Look at That’ LAT Game -teaching dogs to focus and eye contact – Positive Dog Training 
• Puppy Behavior and Training – Socialization and Fear Prevention – Debra Horwitz, DVM, DACVB & Gary Landsberg, DVM, DACVB, DECAWBM
• RAGE – Animal Emotions/Module 8 [Educational Course] – Dr. Karolina Westlund/Illis Animal Behaviour Courses
• The Canine Ladder of Aggression – Dr. Kendal Shepherd
• The First Eight Weeks: Socializing Puppy Litters in a Shelter or Foster Home – Center for Shelter Dogs
• What Is Aggression? Dog Reactivity vs. Dog Aggression – Erin Rakosky, DVM

NEED A DOG TRAINER OR BEHAVIOR EXPERT?

If you need more help dealing with a training or behavior issue, please find professional help from a force-free dog trainer who can consult with you either in person or remotely.

GOOD PLACES TO START ARE:
- COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers
- Pet Dog Trainers of Europe
- International Companion Animal Network
- Institute of Modern Dog Trainers
- Pet Professional Guild 

All dog owners deserve to have successful relationships with their canine companions!