[gaijingirl]

I've recently spoken to my vet about the risks of doggie parks, daycare, public places etc. What he told me was that while there is a risk, there is ALSO a big risk to not socializing your dog to other dogs and people.

He then proceeded to tell me about one of his patients, a Boston Terrier, who had an owner that was afraid to let him be around others and as a result was very socialized. He was constantly trying to bite my vet and the staff while he was there out of fear. Well, this dog now had also recently bit his own owner, who went to the emergency room for the injury. As a result, the hospital followed protocol and contacted animal control. They wanted to put the dog in a mandatory 10-day quarantine and the owner was fighting to let him keep the dog in quarantine in his own house instead of taking him away. What a horrible mess to be in. I would go crazy if someone tried to take Snickers from me!

So, I guess it's a fine line between protecting your dog from things in the environment outside the home and protecting your dog from becoming fearful and aggressive.