My senior dog avoids people and dogs. How can I help her socialize?

Introduce her, gradually, to one dog then another and another. Do this in a neutral area, such as a dog park or field. Correct negative behavior/responses immediately and praise/reward good behavior. Use a pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar, to help decrease any anxiety.Given her age, get her enrolled in an obedience class and puppy socialization classes.

Poor Mia! You're right that a lack of proper socialization as a puppy can cause adult dogs to be quite fearful and sometimes reactive or aggressive towards strangers or new things. Technically speaking, you can't really "socialize her" anymore at this age - the socialization period in dogs ends at about 16 weeks of age. After that, the brain changes and is no longer as receptive to new experiences. This doesn't mean that there is nothing you can do to help her, but it does mean that it will take much more time and effort than it would have if she were still a young puppy. Normally, the general approach for this problem is to identify what types of situations are scary and stressful for her, and help her to associate good things with these situations by feeding her treats or playing a game she enjoys. It's very important to go slowly and make sure that she is comfortable every step of the way - if she's anxious or afraid, then this is making things worse instead of better. Because it can be very difficult to work with a dog like this successfully on your own if you don't have any dog behavior experience, I would really recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can evaluate her in person and help you put together a detailed plan to help her become more confident and less afraid. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist here (www.dacvb.org) or a qualified trainer in your area here (www.ccpdt.org).

He's pretty old to start working on that, so keep your expectations low, but you can start by having him around other dogs in very low key settings. Start really far away, give him lots of treats, and leave if he seems at all uncomfortable. Here's a website that goes in to dog body language a bit: https://positively.com/dog-training/understanding-dogs/canine-body-language/ I would also consider talking to his vet to see if they think he needs medication to help with general anxiety, or if he's a normal dog who just isn't very social. Good luck!

As a dog gets older, it will be harder to train out undesirable behaviors, but Bubby is still young and I don't think it's too late to socialize him. I would speak to your vet about seeing a professional behavioral expert. I'm not sure what undesirable behaviors he is showing, but if it does include aggression, that should be dealt with by a professional. A behavioral expert can work with you and Bubby on training, and can introduce him to controlled and safe situations to work on his socialization.

Maisy may not have been properly socialized around other dogs, and if she isn't a confident dog, she will react with fear around other dogs. Unfortunately, fear in dogs can come out as aggression, so it would be a good idea to start socializing her now to prevent this from happening. You can speak to your vet about getting her enrolled with a behavioral expert to work on this behavior. The expert can introduce her to other dogs in a safe situation, working on socialization skills, and teaching her that she does not have to be afraid of them.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Merlin. I recommend starting to socialize him by enrolling in an obedience class with other dogs. This will offer a safe and controlled environment for you to start. I would alert the trainer to your concerns ahead of time so you can both make appropriate plans for the class. I hope this information helps!

If Chloe isn't comfortable around other dogs, you can help her by starting at a distance where she isn't afraid - this may mean that she needs a lot of distance at first! Praise and reward her with a treat every time she looks at the other dog. When she is able to do this comfortably from far away, you can gradually begin working your way closer as long as she is doing well. Eventually, you can allow her to sniff the other dog and say hello if you wish. It can be difficult to do this correctly on your own in some cases, so I would recommend getting in touch with a reward-based trainer who can help you in person - he/she can help you set up practice sessions with a calm, friendly "helper dog" if needed, and make sure that you are comfortable with how to work on this with strange dogs. You can search for a qualified trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org