97 Tips for Raising Labs
Following are approximately 97 questions readers of BigYellowDog.com submitted in recent years. They were answered by a licensed veterinarian on the site as a general service to all Lab owners. This information is for general reference only. Always consult your veterinarian for any questions about your Lab's health. We hope this information is somewhat helpful. At this time, we are not accepting any more questions.
Question
I have an 18-week-old chocolate male lab. He has bonded with me, my folks, roommate and he loves other dogs. However, he is really shy around other people. He has just started obedience classes. I take him to the park and places like PetSmart where he can go in and be around others. Will he always be shy or what can I do to socialize him more.
Answer
It sounds that you are doing a wonderful job with your puppy. Continue as you are with your obedience classes and taking and exposing your puppy to as many people and situations as you can. All puppies have different personalities like people do and it takes some of them longer to develop in certain areas. But if you continue the great job you are doing your puppy will grow into a well-adjusted adult. Do not forget that puppies go through what we call a "fear" period when they are approximately 5-months old. For some puppies, this is very noticeable. For others, it is not. But just be patient and continue what you are doing and all will go well.
