How To Train a Dog To Accept Other Dogs and People

Chances are your dog will spend a lot of time with you. But he’s also likely to come into contact with other people, and, of course, other dogs. Ideally, when these situations occur your dog will be confident and won’t exhibit inappropriate aggression or fear. Here’s some tips to help you train your dog to be comfortable in social situations.

Start Early

Trainers and behaviorists generally agree that dogs begin learning many responses when they are still puppies. So if you want your dog to be comfortable around other dogs and other people, you need to get started right from puppy-hood.

Give Your Puppy New Experiences

It’s important to get your puppy desensitized to a variety of experiences so that he’s used to all the many sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations that he’s likely to encounter at some point in his life.

The process, which people sometimes refer to as socialization, should include exposure to different surroundings (such as city streets, parks, waterfront locations, public buildings, various rooms in your house) and noises (lawnmowers, vacuum cleaners, motorcycles, children playing).

Give your puppy an opportunity to walk on different kinds of surfaces and observe a variety of moving vehicles, from bicycles and scooters to buses and trains.

You should also get your puppy used to a variety of people. Expose your dog to people of different ages and ethnic backgrounds, who may wear different styles of dress. Try to get your dog used to seeing people with umbrellas and people in wheelchairs.

Make Sure Your Dog Is Always Comfortable

Exposing your puppy or dog to a variety of experiences is very important. But you must make sure the experience is a positive one for your dog.

It helps to bear in mind that your dog is always learning. Therefore, anytime she has a nice, rewarding time, she’s learning to be more calm and confident. If, on the other hand, she becomes uncomfortable, you risk teaching her something else. She may learn that certain things or people are scary, unpleasant, or even dangerous.

Watch your dog. Use your understanding of her body language to tell if she’s relaxed, or aroused, or anxious. If she ever seems too anxious, or if she shows signs of fear or aggressiveness, that’s a sign that you’ve pushed her too far, too fast.

This is particularly important if your dog is on the timid side. Some dogs are inherently more confident than others. If your dog tends to be under-confident, take special care in exposing her to other dogs and people. Pushing a timid dog too fast can make her fearfulness become worse, instead of better.

Training A Dog To Interact With Others

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