What is “socializing” and why is it important?
Socializing means exposing your dog to a variety of experiences, including meeting lots of people of various ages, races, sizes and both sexes, as well as teaching them how to acceptably interact with other dogs/cats. Obedience classes provide an excellent opportunity for socialization in a controlled environment. Ideally, a dog is considered “socialized” when it’s been successfully exposed to 300 different adults, 300 different children, and 300 different dogs (known as the “Rule of 300”). Socializing is important because it helps strengthen your dog’s confidence and reduces the chance that your dog will become shy or fearful. Fearful dogs can become fear aggressive or fear biters (another prime reason GSDs get ‘dumped’ in shelters and at rescues). Unsocialized dogs CAN be successfully rehabilitated with time; the rule of 300 is used as part of the rehabilitation process. Download the Socialization Checklist here!
