These two terms are often used interchangeably, and that’s not the right thing to do. The reason why this happens lies in the nature of both processes. When a dog is still very small, just a puppy, it goes through both processes simultaneously. We habituate and socialize a dog at the same time, as we should. But, because of this, the confusion arises and people use the term “socialization” for anything related to introducing a dog to a new stimulus – be it another dog, animal, or a sound of fireworks. So let’s get to the bottom of it, what is the difference?

Socialization

The term socialization means introducing a dog to various other dogs, other animals, and people so that they learn how to behave and be friendly in their presence. Socialization is primarily focused on other living beings, from dogs to people.

Socialization is aimed at making a dog social and friendly, it is focused on living things. We socialize a dog with things we know a dog will interact with in the future. We want them to be friendly (social) to other dogs. If we live on a farm, we will socialize them with farm animals. We don’t want a dog to go around chasing chickens or other animals on the farm. We want a dog to be friendly and playful with them. 

Some dog breeds have a “built-up system” for friendly and protective behaviour toward other animals (e.g., Livestock Guardian dog breeds, Great Pyreneese, Anatolian Shepherd, etc), but even they need to be properly introduced to these animals. Of course, it is easier than with a high-energy sporting dog, such as a Vizsla.

Then again, if you live in the city and you know you won’t be visiting any farms lately, your dog doesn’t need to get to know cows, sheep, or chickens. Your dog does need to learn how to behave and be friendly with other dogs and people. Dog Park etiquette 101 is to socialize your dog before bringing it to the park. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people who either don’t do this or do it in the wrong way. All of this brings chaos to something that should be a nice and playful occasion.

Dogs naturally go through the process of socialization with their mother and siblings. They learn their first “yes” and “no” from their mom. This is also a time when traits start to show – some dogs are shy, others are very playful, and some show signs of dominance even at such an early stage. Early socialization is very important, and if not done properly or not at all (early separation), it can cause various issues in the future when a dog gets older. 

Habituation

Now, what is habituation? It is gradually introducing bigger stimuli to desensitize a dog so that they don’t get scared, aggressive, or reactive in any other way. Habituation is focused on everything in the environment, especially things that are “unnatural” in a dog’s mind such as sirens, trains, TV, etc.

Habituation means getting used to something. Its focus is to make the dog relaxed in the world it lives in. We can habituate dogs to people and other animals, too. But the difference is that during habituation, we help them understand that other animals are not a threat and that they shouldn’t respond to their movements. Socialization would be introducing them to other animals and teaching them how to play with them or how to be friendly with them. Both are equally important and should be done with any dog.

Once again, habituation is a natural process, and every puppy goes through it passively. As soon as they start exploring the world, they get habituated. At first, they get “used to” their surroundings – all the smells, sights, and sounds. Eventually, we help them to get used to other things outside of our homes – cars, trains, sounds, lights, etc.

Habituation (as well as socialization) never stops. If the environment changes, we need to help dogs get used to it. It is also important to know that many dog trainers actually use habituation as a form of treatment when dogs are scared of something or someone. It’s because habituation is, in essence, and as already mentioned, desensitization – gradually exposing a dog to something (a stimulus) so that it doesn’t become reactive to it. 

The “problem” with habituation is that dogs forget things if not exposed to a stimulus often. For example, they got used to the loud noises of the city. Then you move to a quieter place. After a while, you go back to the city and your dog gets all flustered with the city noise. This means you have to go through the process again. 

Final Thoughts

Reality is that you will use both habituation and socialization at the same time without even noticing. And, it’s not important to notice the difference but to utilize it correctly. I’m always for learning new things and being informed and open to new information. It’s what makes living in this time and age a good thing. Constant flow of information. All we need to do is read, watch, or listen. So, from that angle, it is nice to know the difference between habituation and socialization. It is also interesting from a point of view as a dog owner — we want to know as much as possible about our dogs. But, like I said, in reality, a dog passively goes through habituation combined with socialization, guided by us. We will take our dog to his first walk and let him sniff and explore – get used to the environment. We will also train them to act friendly around other dogs. That should be the goal, at least.

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Cover photo by Sandy Millar