One of the biggest problems American dogs have is a lack of socialization. It isn't hard to figure out why. My dad tells a story that he always knew where to find his mom after he got home from school by looking for their Boxer. What ever porch the boxer was under he knew he'd find his mom in that house having tea with that neighbor.
In this day of busy schedules, 2 family incomes and garage door openers we, and by default, our dogs don't get out much to greet people. Most of the time we just wave to a neighbor as our car slides into the garage. Think about when the last time your dog went with you somewhere and got to meet someone they didn't know. Even when we walk our dogs we make a circle around the block then back inside. Our dogs see the inside of our houses and the fence in the back yard. As a result, they don't know how to greet strangers.
Some dogs are so happy when they finally meet someone new they trample all over them, others become fearful and hide. Some even get aggressive and assume danger. To fix this problem we need to regress a few decades. Think about your grandpas farm and how the old hound dog went to town 3 times a week with his master. Think back to the times when it was not the least uncommon to see a scruffy mutt waiting outside the hardware store while his owner was shopping.
Fences are a good thing for dogs to keep them safe, but don't let your fence and home become a prison. Introduce your dog from an early age to all the kids on the block. Take them with you to the bank and to pick the kids up from school. Let your dog see that strangers are no big deal. We need to make our dogs not just part of our families, but part of our lives.
Have fun with them and get social!
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