Small dogs need to live in a big world, and sometimes it can be scary. Small dogs that are frightened react in numerous ways — by staging an aggressive display of growling, grimacing and biting, by retreating and hiding, or simply by freezing in place like scared little rabbits, their way of trying to become invisible. These responses are hard-wired into dogs as survival techniques. You can help your little dog by safely exposing it to different situations. If you were fortunate enough to get your dog from a reputable breeder, this socialization process may have been jump-started before it left its littermates.

At Home

Socialization begins at home. Introduce your pup to new sounds, sights, and smells within your household. Building your dog's confidence will prepare it for unfamiliar situations in the big wide world beyond your doors.

The first way you will socialize the pup is through your touch. Lovingly handle it all over, from head to tail. Play with its paws and tickle its tummy. If it balks at being touched on one particular area, go back to its comfort zone and gradually work your way back to the touchy spot. Repetition and a soothing tone of voice helps underscore your trust-building activity. Desensitization through touch is also a great way to acclimate a dog to the grooming process as you introduce the brush and comb in these brief non-threatening sessions.

Let the puppy get used to all kinds of background noises in your home. Unless your puppy has been raised underfoot in a family setting, vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, and dishwashers may be new and startling. Having someone hold the puppy when it hears these sounds will make them less frightening. If a particular noise is too loud and the puppy reacts with fear, move further away or lower the decibel level. It may take several such encounters to make a puppy feel less anxious. These exercises in desensitization are all about building confidence.

You need to adapt the socialization process to the individual pup. A little rascal may want to kill the vacuum cleaner, while a more timid tyke may be overcome with fright. You don't want to push a pup beyond its limits, so expose it to new situations in small doses, always offering comfort, reassurance, and tangible rewards like treats as the tolerance level increases. Positive reinforcement is the key to effective training. If your puppy accepts a treat as part of the exercise, that's a good sign. If it wants no part of the tidbit, it's too scared to enjoy a tasty morsel at the moment.

Rapid movements may also frighten your little dog. Big arm motions, dancing, exercising, running, or walking fast across the room may cause it to retreat to a safe place. Calm things down a bit, and tell other family members to be aware of how their movements affect the pup. Take it slowly, increasing such high-motion activities in small doses, and keeping your distance from the pup as it gets used to this kind of normal everyday activity.

Objects like tricycles, strollers, umbrellas, recliner chairs, or even big boxes can spook a puppy too. If your dog has a meltdown when it sees an umbrella, how will you be able to walk in the rain? If there are children in the house, bikes and strollers are there to stay. Again, let the puppy get used to them from a distance, and don't force them upon the four-legged baby until it feels less threatened. Never force your dog any closer to a scary object. It takes lots of time and patience to move beyond a small pup's fears, but if you do so successfully, you will prevent a lifetime of phobias.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is put your puppy in its crate when you know a fear-inducing situation cannot be avoided. This is another instance in which crate-training can be helpful. For example, some dogs are terrified of thunder, so being in their safe little haven may help them cope with it. You can also sit nearby and talk soothingly while it takes refuge in the crate. Turning up the volume on the radio or television or putting on a fan or air conditioner will help lessen the noise of the storm.

Away from Home

Your little dog needs to be socialized to the big wide world outside as well. Puppies that are always kept at home may find it extremely hard to cope with new places. This will make your life difficult as well because your little friend needs to venture out to go to the vet, the groomer, or training classes, or to accompany you on vacations. Exposing your pup to other places and other people is just as important as getting it used to objects and situations at home.

Because pups don't tend to catch infections from humans, there are places you can safely take your dog to meet people even before it can be exposed to other dogs. Until it has had its second round of vaccinations, avoid places where dogs congregate. Even if their waste has been cleaned up, harmful germs may still be present on the ground.

In order to grow up to be a dog that is comfortable anywhere, your puppy needs to meet people of every size and shape. In the first six months of its life, the wider the variety of humans your pup is exposed to, the less fearful it will be of those who are different. In a busy family setting with lots of visitors coming and going, your job is made easier. But you still need to make an effort to accustom the pup to strangers.

The pup should meet people of different races, men with facial hair and without, short people, tall people, and all those in between. People also wear different styles of clothing, such as uniforms, hats, costumes, flowing dresses, and all kinds of footwear. Dogs need to accept these sartorial differences, no matter how odd they may appear. Just like their owners, dogs notice differences in people, and they pick up on your reactions. If you act apprehensive around someone, you reinforce that reaction in your dog.

Let the dog also meet people in wheelchairs or on walkers, crutches, or canes. Pups need to witness the variety of ways in which people move about — walking, skipping, riding bikes, and roller-blading or carrying bags and other objects. Not all human voices sound alike either. Expose your dog to a variety of voices — foreign accents, laughing, whispering, yelling, singing, and so on.

Sometimes people will remark that their dog does not like men. Such a fear may not come from a bad experience with an abusive male but simply from a lack of interaction with males of the human species. If you don't have a man in the house, get the dog used to male friends or relatives. Since they make up half the world's population, this is a good idea!

Interacting with Children

With a small dog, socialization with small children may require special handling. Some small dogs naturally fear children who have not been taught to act appropriately around dogs. It's not that they are mean or that they hate kids. They have a legitimate reason to be scared. Children are capable of unintentionally injuring them. Preschoolers may not have learned how to empathize with animals. Older kids can also have problems dealing with dogs, especially if they have not been taught the consequences of startling, teasing, or provoking an animal. Unfortunately, this makes them prime candidates for dog bites, and the dog usually gets blamed.

The good news is that children can be taught to be gentle and nonthreatening to a small dog. Introduce your dog to them slowly, one at a time, so that it won't feel crowded or overwhelmed. Tell youngsters to talk softly and to touch the pup gently only if it does not appear to be afraid. With the proper training and socialization, kids and dogs can benefit tremendously from their relationships, forming bonds that instill love, kindness, and responsibility in children and creating lifelong memories as well.

Appropriate Outings for Puppies

Most of us lead active, busy lives, and there is no reason to leave your little buddy at home when you need to run an errand or meet a friend for coffee. Here are some places you can take your pup to socialize, either in your arms or on a leash:

The mall or shopping center

The beach

An outdoor cafe

A local youth sporting event, such as a soccer match

A flea market or street fair

Bring along a bag of treats. When you introduce your dog to new people, they can give it a tasty morsel for positive reinforcement. This early exposure will accustom your dog to the presence of new people, which will benefit both of you as novel situations arise.

Once your dog is fully vaccinated, you may also visit the vet's office or grooming salon, just to say hello. Try to schedule such visits when these professionals are not too busy. A pleasant interaction and a tasty treat will make your dog less fearful when it needs to go back for grooming or medical care.

Pups tire easily, so keep these outings short until the puppy matures. Before the pup has had its second series of shots, carry it to avoid exposure to areas where other dogs may have relieved themselves. Once it gets that immunization, it can mingle with compatible dogs of its own size as long as their meetings are well supervised.

If your best efforts at socialization just don't seem to alleviate your dog's fears of specific things, people, or situations, seek the help of a veterinary behaviorist. Early intervention can work wonders, since the longer you wait, the more ingrained fear will become. In some cases, your vet may recommend prescription drugs to reduce a fearful dog's anxiety level.