imagination has no age

Do you have any tips for helping a dog get friendly with strangers? I adopted a young dog in April and he took to me and my mother (who lives with me) immediately, but he gets extremely nervous around other people. He never snaps or barks or growls, just flattens his ears and backs off. I am hoping to eventually be able to take him to outdoor markets, but people tend to pet first and ask later and though he's never shown ANY aggression (to anything) I would hate to have it happen there.1/2

Start small! Bring your dog to a park where there is foot traffic, sit far enough off that no one is likely to come see you but close enough that you can see everything, and give your dog treats while he watches the people go by. Once your dog is comfortable with being far away, then have him walk around the park ignoring people. Then sit somewhere busier and ignore people. Then walk somewhere busier and ignore people. Snacks or praise or play for everything that is improvement.

It’s possible that your dog will never become a people-loving dog, and that’s okay! If your goal is outdoor markets, then as long as your dog can be around people and ignore them, you should be good to go! 

You can get Julius K9 or similar harnesses with patches that say “Do Not Pet” or “In Training” or “Shy Dog” or something and that might cut down on the people who try to pet him without asking (just don’t try to pass your dog off as a service dog if he’s not). 

Good luck! -C