Socialization

One of the things I see in kids of all ages is the behavior of being uncomfortable or even terrified of social situations.

Let me explain it like this. In our business we deal with all kinds of dog owners. Most of them give great care to their dogs. Some of those dogs when they come into our office are terrified and that terror can be manifested by behaviors as mild as trembling or as severe as aggression (fear biters).

These dogs are not abused, far from it, they get the best of care. The problem is they have received either poor or no socialization training. Those dogs invariably never see anything but their own back yards and when faced with a social situation they have not experienced before they become terrified.

The same thing happens with kids, they are fed well and in every way taken good care of but they are not encouraged to experience social situations. They don’t know how to interact with adults, they haven’t been trained in common basic courtesies such as greeting someone with a hand shake, making eye contact and interactive social conversation.

Parents should encourage, train and seek opportunities for their children to engage in social interaction.

In my office owners not only bring their pet in but also their children. Frequently those kids are playing some hand held video game. That’s disrespectful to me and a disservice to them. Make them put those games away and pay attention. Make them shake my hand and speak to me. Show me some signs of respect.

When I was in the sixth grade my parents encouraged me to walk the neighborhood with our lawnmower, knock on doors and seek lawn mowing jobs… three dollars a yard as I recall. From the time I was in the eight until the eleventh grade, I threw newspapers and at the end of the month had to knock on my customer’s doors to collect my wages.

I had to engage in those activities because my parents did not lavish money or the things money can buy on me or my brothers. They taught us how to work and how to interact with adults.

Dog owners can give great care to their pets; proper food, proper medical care, play time and discipline. And yet these pets can soil a Veterinarian’s office and bite the people who are trying to help it.

Socialize your dogs and your kids. Keep me from getting bit and help your kids excel in life.