Lots of us have dated a guy who we’d rather not bring around our friends—much less bring home to mom and dad. Maybe he was ill-mannered, offensive or just plain unsanitary. But then there’s a different type: The type you would love to bring around other people but he refuses to go.

Example: You’ve got an event at your boss’s house; you tell your boyfriend about it; he says, “It’ll be boring. I won’t know anyone,” and somehow weasels his way out of it. If you’ve been through this so many times that your co-workers are starting to call him “Mr. Snuffleupagus,” you may have a problem.

But is his reluctance to attend functions with you a sign of shyness or selfishness? Is it trivial or troublesome? And is there anything you can do to get him to slap on a “Hello my name is…” badge and at least pretend to have a good time?

Figure out why he flakes.
If the relationship is fairly new, he may just not know how to be a boyfriend or he may not be ready to be one. Jeff Cohen, the dating expert at dating.about.com, says, “Some single guys struggle to transform from a bachelor hanging out with the guys to a partner standing by their woman's side. They mistakenly believe that rejecting various events reasserts their independence.”

On the other hand, maybe he’s just not the social type. Does that mean he can play his “get out of jail free” card every time you have a function? Cohen says, “If your man is shy then don't pressure him into going all the time and don't view his shyness as a personality flaw. Instead only ask him to go for functions that really matter. Plus, if you can, introduce him to some folks ahead of time so he feels more comfortable.”

But if you’re picking out bath towels with this guy and your friends still can’t remember if his name is Greg or Craig, it doesn’t matter how shy he is. You need to take action.