Can a dog have *too* much socialization?

[Dreeza]

I am thinking the answer is 'no', but I was still curious.

My friend just got a long hair dachshund (honestly, I have NO idea how reputable the breeder is) and she lives in a house with like 6 other girls. All college students. THe lil guy is adorable as heck, and gets tons of love and attention.

I was just at their place for a tailgate, and there were probs 50+ people inside/outside of the house, and the lil guy was just roaming around amongst them all, obvs getting oodles of attn cause he is so cute.

He is about 12 weeks now, and seems totally chill about all this attn. My instinct is that it is good for him (well, minus the loudness of it all).

Just wondering if this instinct is right or not!

[Sweet72947]

I think it depends on the dog. Some can get overwhelmed by too much stimulation. Others, like my friend's aunt's dobe mix, LOVE being around lots of people and stuff. They had a rather large party for her uncle's b-day and there were tons of people there, some drunk, and the dog had a blast.

If you have a shyer dog, lots of people, activity, and drunkeness probably isn't the way to go, lol.

[RD]

If the dog isn't overwhelmed by that atmosphere, I think it's fine! Some dogs might not have the right temperament for that kind of lifestyle.

I don't think there's such a thing as too much socialization, lol. Too much stimulation for a puppy? Yes, that's entirely possible. I'd be inclined to give that puppy a few hours out of the day to be by himself or with only one person, just so he can be a puppy and get used to quiet time on his own.

[Rosefern]

I'm a fairly "social" person ...

I have people over a lot...the fosters usually are crated somewhere quiet upstairs or in their room...the cat is locked in my bedroom/bathroom...but Flicka and Pepe are allowed to roam the party. Flicka LOVES it...Pepe will usually roam around for about 30 mins at a time, and then go sleep behind the couch or something...or attach himself to one of my friends he feels comfortable with and follow them around.

I think it's good: it allows your dog to be comfortable around a lot of different people, and people in HIS territory...

-Rosefern

[smkie]

Since i am in the public alot with my dog i can say yes...they can get tired of crowds of people. You can see when they are no longer having eye contact and it is seriously time for a break.

[MysticRealm]

I don't think there is but be VERY cautious if there are drunk people there that may hurt the dog in their stupidity (sorry I hate people who get drunk)

[Paige]

Miley is chill with everything. She's been all over the place and adores all the attention she gets. Spanky was the same way. Bandit was more difficult. He got so annoyed with people. It really depends on the dog. If he's taking it well then I wouldn't worry about it.

[bubbatd]

Everyone should know their dog's limits . When I did TDI visits with Bubba , I kept in tuned with his eemotions . We visited a patient in the hospital once who was really on her last legs .....Bubba sensed this and was really depressed . I made sure his next visit was a happier one .

[kidsanddogs]

I, too, distinguish between socialization and stimulation . Socialization, to me, can be a slow, deliberate exposure to sights, sounds, smells, surfaces, etc to help a dog become familiar with the world. Too much, too fast can harm a sensitive dog. Stimulation is more haphazard and can harm a sensitive dog as well. It sounds like the situation you described is mostly stimulation and can be fine for some dogs. But, by nature, it is more unpredictable and I would say supervision of the dog is desirable, especially in this case where a young puppy is involved.