Christ Yoder
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Many of us have decided to welcome new puppies into our homes over the past couple of years – Kennel Club figures show the number of dog owners has soared nearly 8% and demand for four-legged friends after confinement remains high.
There are 221 different purebred dog breeds to choose from, as well as plenty of crossbreeds, so there’s a lot of thought to go into before selecting the latest addition to your family.
Our lifestyle has a huge bearing on what type of dog is best for us – if you have limited space you might want to look at smaller dogs, while the owner of an older pet should place certain breeds at the top of his wish list.
Some breeds are sure to be a hit both at the park, where they will enjoy playing with other dogs, and at home, welcoming human friends and strangers alike.
Meanwhile, other dogs have a reputation for being shy, unsure of their fellow dogs, and timid around humans they don’t know well.
Here are the 10 most sociable and shy dog breeds according to the American Kennel Club.
Starting with dogs who often like to stand alone. Vizslas are large dogs that were bred to hunt – so it’s perhaps surprising that they can be very shy and timid if not widely socialized at a young age.
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Butterflies are naturally shy around strangers and will tend to lie down where they feel safest when you have visitors. There is nothing to worry about and they will become more sociable when they get used to the person.
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The Akita Inu is an unusual dog breed in that it often likes to keep its distance from its owners. They are very independent, dislike cuddles and can react with genuine fear when a stranger approaches.
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Another gentle giant that doesn’t tend to be very social is the Great Dane. They can be as shy as they are tall and their perfect ideas of companionship are their owner – and no one else.
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