Can dogs still be socialized if they are past the socialization period?

For dogs, the socialization period is from birth to four or five months. Once the socialization period is over, if you do nothing, your dog will inevitably show a "low socialization" or "poor socialization" reaction.

If your dog is six months old and still has insufficient socialization, it may take half a year to complete socialization.

If your dog is eight months old and you just start socializing it, maybe after one to two years, if you help it with socialization training, it may still be well socialized.

But if your dog is over a year old, he may always be "undersocialized."

Countermeasures

You only need to lead it on a leash as if nothing has happened, and then praise and praise it well at the same time. In the eyes of your dog, your attitude is everything.

For example, if he is scared when he sees children, you can choose some places where children will appear sporadically without snacks, take him for a walk, and pass by the children. Don't be deliberate when walking, just walk naturally and normally. Praise your dog as long as he follows you. If he is afraid, as long as he is willing to follow you, continue to praise him and ignore whether he is afraid.

Although it cannot be completely socialized, it can quickly adapt to your life. When faced with feared events, it learns to adapt rather than learn to refuse to adapt.

The dog is too timid and barks when the doorbell is pressed?

First of all, dogs are afraid of strangers because of insufficient socialization. In classical conditioning, the dog is afraid of strangers, and the arrival of strangers is always accompanied by the sound of the doorbell, so it will be afraid when it hears the doorbell, and the dog mistakenly thinks that the stranger is driven away because of his barking . The result of this sequence is that dogs will bark when they hear the doorbell.

Does it feel a little confusing? In fact, this is the process of "conditioned reflex" that our high school biology talks about. Dogs have formed a conditioned reflex to the sound of the doorbell, and they naturally feel fear.

Coping plan

Now you only need to find a few neighbors to ring the doorbell at your door every 3-5 minutes, and prepare dog snacks or toys at your door. As soon as the stranger rings the doorbell, let him open the door by himself and give your barking dog a handful of snacks; if the dog doesn't like snacks, give him his favorite toy. If you operate this mode continuously for 20 days, your dog will be brainwashed. All the people who ring the doorbell are good people, and they will no longer be afraid of barking!

Does a dog get nervous, scared, or tremble when seeing strangers besides his own family?

Dogs trust their owners, that is, family members; but being nervous and trembling with strangers is a phenomenon of poor socialization. In the process of dog socialization, a lot needs to be done, and "people", especially "strangers", are a very important part.

Coping plan

Find 12 friends, or find the owners of 12 dogs with the same problem, bring the dog to a party, and let everyone present hold it.

Everyone takes turns holding the dog for more than 5 minutes. When the dog is stable, it can be held by the next person. It is best for the owner not to be present, or to stay far away, not to look at it or pay attention to it.

As long as the dog is calm, the person holding it will praise it. If the dog is still willing to eat in someone else's arms, you can ask the person holding it to feed him one or two snacks, and this process continues. There are at least 12 people each time, and they do it for 12 consecutive days and in 12 different environments. The clothes and voices of these 12 people will be different every day. After 12 days, it will no longer be afraid of strangers, nor will it be nervous or trembling!