Socializing is a necessary part of owning a puppy. Puppies who don’t receive proper social training can bite out of fear. Here are some helpful hints for properly socializing your gun dog puppy.

Puppy School
Puppy training classes can be a great asset to you and your puppy. You’ll learn commands that will teach your puppy control himself, like sit, stay and quiet. You’ll also receive advice on socialization questions. Check with local pet stores or search online to find a puppy class near you.

If your dog is especially shy, a group class may not be the best situation for him. It can be very scary for a dog that’s shy to be immediately thrust into this situation without developing a level of trust first.

Dealing with a Shy Dog
What do you do when your puppy is shy to the point of being afraid? Never force a fearful dog to accept petting. This increases his anxiety and could lead to fear biting. To help a shy puppy come out of his shell, you’ll need to do a “greeting circle”. Here’s how:

To do the greeting circle, ask friends for some help. Everyone should sit in a circle with delicious treats on hand. Have them sit on a sideways angle, since this is non-threatening. Instruct everyone to avoid eye contact, sudden movements, or leaning or dominating behaviors which can scare the puppy.

The way to make this circle work is to have each person sitting in the circle put a treat in their hand and close their hand and extend it into the circle. Once this is done you can each open up your hands and call to the puppy, and try to urge him to come to take the treat from your hand. You should make sure that you’re using soft voices and offering encouraging words during this process, but don’t try to pet the dog until he comes to you for attention.

One by one, each person will have a turn trying to bring puppy to the treat in hand. Start by making it simple for the dog. As he learns the nature of the game and freely walks up to the next hand in line, switch up the pace and randomize the process so that he’s going in a more random direction for his treat.

In time he’ll be running to each person for his treat. When this happens, it’s time to arrange a meet and greet with a very laid back puppy.

The Play Date
All dogs love to play and because of that it’s sometimes very easy to introduce a new puppy or person to your dog and help him overcome his shyness and fears. Try to make sure that you keep an eye on what’s happening and if your puppy appears to be intimidated, take him to another area.

Be sure to set up play dates with familiar and trustworthy dogs. For instance, if your friend has an adult Labrador who loves everyone and everything, you should try and setting up a playtime with him.

You can do a meet and greet at the pet store, too. There is usually no fee for this, so check with your local pet store for days and times. When you do go, watch and take the puppy from the area if he’s uncomfortable or if another dog is pestering him.

If your heading out, take your puppy along. This helps him get used to different smells and sights. Keep some tasty treats close by so that you can reward friendly behavior. If you take him to the pet store, give him a treat as soon as you walk in the door. Let him explore at his own pace.
When strangers ask to pet your puppy, let them know that your puppy is “in training”. Hand them a treat to give to your puppy.