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Originally Posted by Patches Mom  I thought to socialize dogs well they should meet everyone when you are out & about so they would be more confident in all situations and learn how to interact with humans & other dogs and to be able to figure out friend from foe on their own better??? |
I trust in my ability to raise and train a dog. A lot of it depends on the owner IMO. If I had children for example I would have focused more on her greeting strangers and being friendly to people she doesn't know instead of ignoring them.
Nyx can go in public. She is calm, polite, and well mannered. She can be handled by strangers without my worrying about aggression and inappropriate behavior. She can meet other dogs with a polite disposition. She quickly responds to my commands and remains focused on me while we are out (most of the time, she is 9 months old). Is that not proper interaction with people and dogs?
She is out and about. She has been through 2 6 week training sessions and will start the next one next month. She has gone to a dog show with me. She goes to my mothers house and to visit my other half at work.
Many people push friendlinesses with socialization. Meet people, be happy, let them pet you and coo over you, yay. That is not something that I like. The purpose is for the dog to become a well mannered citizen and to introduce them to new situations so that they are not reactive in an aggressive or fearful way.
I think many people take it overboard. I can't stand being mobbed by someones dog. At the same time, people are almost freaked out by the sense of calm that come off my dogs. Standing at the vets office people constantly let their dogs come over to my dogs and shove their faces into them and try to play. My dogs just stand by my side, often turn their heads, and for the most part ignore the other dogs. Sometimes a casual sniff. That is what I encourage. Some don't know how to react to the non reactive quality of my dogs. PetsMart trainers mob me constantly and try to shove food in my dogs faces and ask me who trained the dog.