How Dogs Can Teach Us to Be Better at Socializing
If you’ve ever spent time with your dog at the park or even gone for a stroll around the neighborhood, you’ve probably seen how easy it is for your pup to make friends. While it might be pretty easy to socialize on the playground, as we reach our adult years, it becomes much harder for us humans. What lessons can our dogs teach us about getting better at socializing?
They’re Less Judgy
In general, most dogs are happy to encounter new humans or dogs. Each new person or creature they see is a potential friend. As humans, we tend to be more reserved when we come upon someone new. And we typically make snap judgments about a person based on our own experiences in life. Remember when you could make a friend just because they liked playing with rocks as much as you? That’s how most dogs approach someone new.
They Just Really Love to Play
Dogs have a pretty low standard for enjoying what someone has to offer. If you are willing to play with them, they pretty much already like you. We humans tend to have pretty high standards for the people in our lives. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make it harder to walk into a room and make a new friend.
They’re More Fearless
A dog’s life is full of adventure and wonder. With so many things to do and places to explore, they don’t have as much time to be scared. Even though we might have unintentionally judged someone before talking to them, we are usually afraid of them judging us, too. Sometimes this fear is so strong that it will prevent us from approaching someone.
They Can’t Overthink
Have you ever been worried how you sound when talking to someone or felt like you didn’t fit in with a group? How about feeling like you didn’t drive a nice enough car or wear the right clothes? Dogs don’t have the ability to overthink something, which makes it infinitely easier for them to say hi to whomever they want to say hi to. It might be hard to overcome these intrusive thoughts. If you can channel your dog’s eagerness to make new friends, it might be easier for you to socialize, too.
They Can Be Bought with Treats
If you give a dog a treat, you might become their new best friend. It’s as simple as that. It’s not as simple for humans to make a friend as bringing cookies to someone. Or is it?
They Can Help You Make Friends
Luckily, dogs are great co-pilots if you are looking to meet new people. They make it much easier to start a conversation with someone. Whether you’re watching your pup play at the local dog park or you’re taking daily walks around your neighborhood, they make it easy to talk to others. If you are a little shy, consider using your dog as an ice breaker. At the very least, you might make a new friend for your dog!
We hope our tips for how our dogs can help us be better at socializing work for you, or at least bring a smile to your face!
At Oakland Veterinary Referral Services, we want to make it as easy as possible to give your dog the best life. From helpful pet ownership tips to specialty veterinary services, we are here when you need us. To learn more, please call (248) 334‑6877.
