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The key to your dog interacting with other dogs, or socialisation, is familiarity and experience. You should expose your dog to as many positive experiences, with as many different people, places and animals as you can.
Is your dog calm, confident and controllable when interacting with other dogs or people? Some dogs display curious personality quirks. They're afraid of people wearing gloves or men with beards. Some bark ferociously when they see another dog or are terrified to get into a car.
Socialisation aims to correct this behaviour in dogs. It's a process that should begin when a dog is young but continue throughout adult life. Even a dog that has been adopted as an adult can benefit from socialisation training.
Familiarity breeds success
The key to socialisation is familiarity and experience. You want to expose your dog to as many positive experiences, with as many different people, places and animals as you can.
Simple repeated exposure is not enough, the experience your dog has while in these new situations must be positive. So, inviting a friend's children over to let your dog get used to them won't be helpful if they pinch and poke or frighten.
Catch them young
When your dog is still young, training school and puppy parties in your home and vet clinic are a fantastic opportunity for your dog to become friends with other dogs. Resist the temptation to coddle nervous dogs or reprimand overly rowdy ones. Dogs are social animals and need to learn about interacting with each other, not surprisingly, the best way to do this is through interacting!
Let them meet people of all shapes, sizes and ages and have some treats ready to help reward good behaviour. Remember to never leave your dog alone with toddlers or infants. Very young children might hurt or frighten them without meaning to and if your dog is startled or feels uncomfortable they might turn on them.
Change the route of daily walks and take your dog places they are unused to. The more they experience, the more comfortable they will be in out of the ordinary situations.
Professional help
If your dog is displaying aggressive behaviour, don't hesitate to look for professional help. An aggressive reaction isn't necessarily the sign of a bad dog but it needs to be addressed quickly. Talk to your vet, who will be able to recommend a behaviour specialist.
