Drum roll……..The answer is………Yes and No and Maybe. What an answer. There just is not a better answer because there are a bunch of things to consider. Let’s talk about this so that my crazy answer can start to make sense.
It all depends on a bunch of different things so let’s talk about it and see if we can answer the question for you. What breed is it? I ask that question because breeds that are known for their protectiveness will be much harder now that it is an adult. Yes, those are the breeds that really needed that socialization before they were 20 weeks old.
The period of socialization is the same for all dogs however some of the sweetheart breeds like labs and golden retrievers can be socialized at an older age even if they were not socialized earlier. A lot depends on their current temperament as an adult. Are they showing aggression, or they fearful?
Is the dog good in its environment but spooky and scared in new locations? This is a dog that just may be able to be socialized and brought around with some patients and time.
Keep in mind that when you are socializing and adult dog take it slow. It will not happen overnight. It could take days, weeks and even months of working with your dog and making it feel comfortable with new people and places.
You may even want to use what I call positive association when meeting new people if needed. It is simple to do and the dog will love it. Keep some high value snacks available and when your dog meets a new person have that person give your dog this high value treat. Your dog will begin to look forward to meeting new people because there is always in it for them.
If your dog has gotten to a point where it appears to be aggressive with new people there can still be some help with obedience training along with some behavior modification. Of course not every dog will be able to be cured however a lot of the dogs we deal with come out of the training with a completely different attitude.
The main thing to consider when getting help from a trainer is to make sure that you are dealing with a person that has a bunch of experience working with aggressive, fearful and un-socialized dogs, not just a regular dog trainer. Look for a Canine Behavior Specialists with heavy aggression experience.
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If you have an aggressive or un-socialized dog please be sure to visit www.DogAggressionExperts.com for help…
Please remember we can help you with dog training or problem solving no matter where you are located. In fact we have clients all over the U.S. simply visit www.CanineBehaviorSpecialists.com for more information and the give us a call.
Until next time,
P.S. Do you need some advice from a Canine Behavior Specialist? If so CLICK HERE now!
About Wayne: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists which is headquartered in Nashville, TN but serves clients all over the U.S.. If you have a dog with aggression, behavior problems or simply needs training feel free to contact him.
Wayne has also been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network at www.K9-University.com
It is difficult to socialize an adult dog because Dogs have a sensitive period for socialization between the ages of 3 and 12 weeks. I would personally suggest that Obedience classes will help you better.
Thanks for visiting and for the comment Alexander.
A few years back, my family took in a one year old Boxer, Max, who was no longer wanted in his current home. A husband and wife bought him as a puppy but were just too busy to care for him as well as their three young children. They lived near a busy highway and didn’t have a fenced in yard so Max wasn’t able to get out all of the energy that a boxer puppy should while outside. So, this caused him to misbehave while inside. As a result, his owners kept him in his crate… in a bathroom… in the basement. He lived like this for the first year of his life, until we came along! Max was a very lovable and cuddly dog but was extremely skittish and afraid of meeting new people. We did as much as we could to help him be more comfortable around strangers but unfortunately, Max was diagnosed with cancer and had to be put to sleep. In the short amount of time we had with Max, he touched our hearts and we fell in love with the Boxer breed. I would love to adopt another Boxer in the near future and may possibly have to deal with this issue again. In your opinion, do you believe that adult Boxers are able to be socialized? And if so, what is your advice? Thanks.
Kristan, thanks for the message and a very good question.
Let me start by telling you that over the last 30 years I have adopted well over 1000 dogs. They includes shepherds, labs, goldens, border collies, a couple of malinois and a bunch of theses dogs were mixes. These were all dogs that after training ended up in working homes as drug dogs, arson dogs, etc.
In order to qualify for that they must show no aggression to people and be very well socialized. These dogs all came from shelters and rescues and were between 1 and 3 years of age.
What I am trying to show you here is that you can find the right boxer that has been socialized. Simply look for the dog that is outgoing and enjoys meeting people, not a fearful dog.
I wish you luck, I know you can find that special dog for you.