How to Train Your Dog to Meet Strangers?
What do you want to do first when you get a pup? Show them off to your family, friends, and Instagram feed? Meeting in person can be tricky for these four-legged bundles of joy.
Despite the excitement, you need to be patient to opt for the right way to introduce your dog to others.
Let’s take a look at the tips that can help you train your dog to meet strangers.
What to do when a stranger approaches your dog?
The key is that you maintain control over such a situation. Make it clear what you expect from the other person and your doggo.
Give your dog the sit-and-stay command, but with a calm tone. Let the human know what you expect them to do, e.g. “Please don’t pet her unless she is sitting”.
Create an environment that helps your dog to behave appropriately. You should remember that even if you know a person, they still might be a stranger to your dog. Keep in mind, gentle reminders, be firm when need be, and repeat your reminders.
How to train your dog to interact with others?
Following are few of the most important training tips for interaction between your dog and a stranger.
- Teach proper greeting behaviors
- Expose your dogs to all kinds of people, dogs and surroundings.
- Setting boundaries for people with other dogs.
- Find your cues and rewards and stay consistent with them.
How to teach proper greeting behaviors?
- Get the right tools.
- With your dog on a leash, have your helper approach just out of leash range, holding a treat. Reward the doggo once they sit without getting a cue from you. Repeat this several times.
- Allow a little slack in the dog’s leash. You can move on when they sit without first pulling the leash.
- Repeat this training with a few different helpers (kids, adults, tall people, people with facial hair, etc.) to better prepare your dog for encountering different types of people.
- Next, repeat the same training steps off-leash. Make sure you have a controlled environment with minimal distractions. Gradually move to environments with more distractions like parks, etc.
Remember, the interaction between your doggo and a stranger doesn’t have to be unpleasant. The right training can ensure that it is pleasant.
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