Is your dog shy? Some dogs have very outgoing personalities while others are naturally more timid of humans.

Certain breeds do come with certain personality traits. Pet owners may be trying to socialize their dogs to get them to move past this, but will it really work? If it doesn’t work for you on your own, a good idea may be considering professional dog training.

If your dog does not have an interest in people or even avoids them, that’s not the worst thing in the world. However, it is a good idea to train and socialize your puppy or dog so that they are able to healthily socialize with people and dogs and it doesn’t turn into something where they are getting afraid or too aggressive.

One good thing to do is build up the positive feelings that a dog has towards people. Socialization will never totally be ‘done’ when it comes to dogs. There is never a stage that you will be finished and it can continue on, actively socializing then until they are fully grown into an adult and then doing maintenance.

You can learn about how to socialize your pup or canine on your own or you can hire a company that knows what they are doing! Don’t feel bad if you try to socialize but feel you aren’t ‘getting it’ or your results are not what you want. There is always the option of having your dog work with a trainer. The important thing is that they are socialized so that they know how to behave with other animals and human beings.

It’s good to make sure that your dog’s experiences socializing are good and happy as opposed to neutral levels of exposure. You can show your dog many different things but want to make sure that your dog is not just getting exposed to socializing but having a good experience doing so.

Show your dog different things and stuff and help them to draw conclusions that you want to draw. If you’re the pack leader, they may find out that they like when you bring them treats for positive behavior. Ultimately, you want your dog to view people in a positive light and they do not feel prompted to behave in a negative or attacking/defensive fashion.

It’s a good idea to learn all that you can and find out more about how to socialize your dog– don’t go in blind! While your dog may never love new people, it’s crucial that people do not make your dog feel tense, stressed, or timid, because it’s going to translate into a low quality of life.

Dogs have no choice but to deal with people. The question is whether you want them to accept them and be happy around people or stressed. Obviously you care about your dog, but the best thing for them is to socialize while you also respect their pace and any discomfort.

Go slow and remember that their happiness and socializing them is key! Whether you do it yourself or with a trainer, the positive results will be their own reward.