One of the major problems of having an overprotective dog is that it prevents you from taking your dog out in public. Plus, it limits your enjoyment with your dog, especially if you have house guests. No one would like to visit a friend’s home only to be confronted by a growling or biting dog. It may also result to lawsuits, and visits from friends may start to dwindle.

One of the most effective ways to rehabilitate an overprotective dog is through socialization. But how are you going to do that if your pet is already acting out around others? Here’s how.

Choose your guests wisely

If you try to socialize him by trying to invite one of your friends and his aggressive dog over, then you’re doing it wrong. In order for this exercise to be successful, you need to start with people who are calm and assertive and dogs that are calm and balanced.

Your dog will feed off the energy of others. So, you have to make sure that your guests project a sense of peace and safety.

Maintain a balance

Your dog might be aggressive, but you shouldn’t keep him locked away just to minimize the risk of hurting others. If you do so, it will only reinforce the dog’s aggressive and overprotective instincts.

When we say socialize, we don’t mean that you should force the dog to interact with a lot of people or their fellow canine. You can’t expect your dog to change overnight. The key is to control the socialization as much as possible. This is especially true during the first few weeks, when the dog is starting to adjust to the situation.

Social-cize

If you want your dog to learn how to socialize with other people and other dogs, you might want to consider walking with them. You can invite a friend to walk with you and your dog. In this exercise, it is important that you maintain your calm-assertive energy.
Since physical activities like walking can have a calming effect on dogs, this may help your dog to relax more around others.