Most dogs that are fearful of strangers are lacking socialization. This is to say that as puppies they were not exposed to many different people, situations, noises, other animals, sites and sounds of life. They suffer from a “fear of the unknown.” Some breeds, and certain individuals within breeds, have a predisposition to grow up shy, cautious and fearful. This can often be countered with early socialization efforts. Puppies need to be handled by many different people and exposed to a variety of life situations so that they grow into secure and confident adult dogs. Socialization can begin at any age in a dog’s life but the earlier it happens; the less likely a dog will grow up fearful. On
There is no doubt that in all professions some people are better at their jobs than others. There are both gifted and poor doctors, lawyers, teachers, salesmen, plumbers and even dog trainers. One major difference between dog trainers and other professionals is that there is no formal schooling, licensing or governing board that monitors the field of canine trainers. Only certain states even require a license to train Guide Dogs. There are groups of trainers who have attempted to legitimize their profession by offering certifications. There is NADOI (National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors) and APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) which sounds impressive but only amounts to a que
