I really don’t want to Surrender my dog .back to the place where I got him from . He will bark excessively and if they walk towards him he will growl and snap his teeth at them no matter who it is. He is about ready to take her back to the rescue center. You have some really great tips here! I feel bad as my Irish Setter growled at a lovely friendly man as he passed us on a track. Thanks, Pamela. Good luck with your new pup and your patience will hopefully pay off soon.? We keep him on the lead when strangers come in so that they don’t get a fright. This is the basic courtesy that humans owe each other, and canine companions must be held in secondary status to this social contract. If she continues the growling or approaches them aggressively, then it’s something you’ll want to work on. I especially appreciate your tip to not correct your pet because it is an early warning signal. Later, they could wait until the dog approaches them just a little bit before dropping a treat. Our dog’s growls sound quite harsh to the stranger, but all he really wants is to play! Haley does that sometimes too and I think it’s usually something she hears or smells that I don’t notice. It’s wonderful that you talked with your niece about dogs and their space too. For example my elderly parents visited and he barked at my mum when she came in the door. He’s great off the lead it’s just this problem apart from that he’s a darling. Any punishment in a stressful situation will only make the dog more on edge. No ears tucked back. Thank you so much, it’s a relief to hear that! She otherwise loves him, sits on his lap, plays with him, etc. I would love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment, suggestion or start a conversation. It’s great that Jack is able to communicate so well when he’s uncomfortable. This is such an important post with lots of great information. That does sound cute! My last foster dog (Lana) was somewhat leash reactive, but with her it was more frustration/excitement and I think also wanting to make sure the other dog knew she was “in charge.” She would bark and growl and pull. You can even have your guests have some treats or yummy food to reward her if she approaches nicely. That being said, it’s pretty normal for most dogs to bark and maybe growl when the doorbell rings or the UPS man shows up at the door. Get back here with my treat". Hi I have an 18 week old pup who is very playful in the house and with our family. But stiff and growling really bad and staring at the men ….. Is this even fear? It’s a win/win! Harley has never growled at a person – just not in his nature. She had never been walked. 🙂. This site is devoted to the community of dog lovers, dog owners and most of all, our four-legged family members who give us their unconditional love. Teaching the “Place” command is a good idea too, so he’ll learn to go to his bed when asked. I will be sharing this because it is such an important topic with helpful tips. At first, I would say “It’s Okay” to Haley too, but I noticed it had no effect on calming her when she was really fearful. I hope you can figure out one day what’s triggering Sinead. I was walking my dog today who is generally very friendly to people who approach him. I’m not sure what to do to correct that. It’s nice having a dog that will alert you to something at night. Have you ever been concerned when your dog growled at someone? Assuming the dog is reacting out of fear, this is a good method to use for them as well. We have a new rescue – she seems to be an Anatolian Shepherd / Sloughi or Saluki mix. I’m glad you stopped by today, Taryn! So good you remind people not to correct growling. A single mistake — just a little impatience — will cause an enormous retrograde step.5. She wags her tail and if he pets her head she is fine. You’re right, Anne. We already spent a lot of money on trainers over the past 8 or 10 weeks, since we got her . She has no issues with the male workers at thr 2 daycare places, we use. Reducing Your Dog’s Exposure to Strangers. Will she accept commands from him if I share the classes with her? If a dog feels anxious around people, it is simply unfair, cruel even, to force the dog to frequent places where there are lots of people. I don’t have a dog and the one I had in the past fortunately never growled at people, but this post has great information for dog owners. I’m not sure how to correct the behavior or if I even should. Repeat this many times over, varying both the speed and nature of the approach and contact.The above routine is repeated in Week 2 with the same people, each carrying something, e.g., walking stick, umbrella, clip board, etc. I wonder if she is protecting me from my husband when she barks at him. He makes sure to let us know if he doesn’t like something or someone. And is now visiting (she moved out of state almost 2 years ago). I cannot ask strange men in public to give her space. I am worried that one day she might bite someone. When you’re working on this with her, the goal should be to prevent any reaction or growling before it starts rather than trying to distract her with food after she’s already worked up. And I will correct the ones I’ve made. 🙂. This is repeated many times over, progressively increasing the scratching-time with each treat until substantial petting (examination) is possible. It might take some time for your new girl to settle and adjust to her new home. I mean that literally. I’m glad the article was helpful. Dog Barking Basics. With her, I did tell her “no” calmly and then tried to distract her with treats and reward calm behavior, like sitting and looking at me. Thanks for stopping by the blog and for your kind comment! There are good growls, like when a dog’s having fun playing tug-of-war and there are bad growls like when a dog growls at a young child. I quickly learned to keep her closer and put myself between her and whatever she felt threatened by. While it’s usually a squirrel or a bird, you never know when it’s going to be an actual burglar or criminal individual with bad energy around them, or if the house is on fire, so I always check when they alert bark, and then tell them “Thank you, that’s enough” or “quiet” once I’ve checked things out. Do you have any suggestion for how to find/choose a trainer? Thanks for outlining what to do too. I doubt, that she would get the ok to go to a home…….. if a man would evaluate her, she might even react the same way. Thank you for the informative post! The stranger may now safely approach to offer the treat since the dog is no longer afraid. It’s just another way of helping him learn that he can’t control your space by being pushy or growling. I know there’s a lot of debate about dominance in dogs, but dogs are opportunists (like us humans) that like to get what they want or get their way. So I was like “calm down” he didn’t really listen to me but that’s ok he stopped when he realized who it was ( I think)! Haley’s come a long way from being scared and somewhat reactive around little girls to enjoying spending time with little ones and even giving them kisses when they walk in the door. All these people I mentioned have not harmed him in anyway it’s just so baffling to us but no one can come in and take care of him for us. Whether it’s the increased distance or that she feels I’m in control of the door area, it helps her de-escalate the tension and she’s relaxes quite a bit. Means a lot to me. You know it’s odd, because my one husky Koda has this thing where any time he meets someone new, he growls at them. Any advice? Thereafter, the dog builds confidence with each examination. He had been corrected for growling which led to him skipping the growling stage completely. Thanks so much for sharing the article. I think it helped send a message to her that she wasn’t responsible for keeping me safe; I was going to protect her instead. Even though your dog quickly learned to approach you and your friend, it is highly unlikely he will run straight up to take a treat from the first stranger. I will no doubt be rereading this one. I think Luna may be in the running for the sweetest, most well-adjusted dog award of the day here, lol! Without appropriate treatment, the dog's confidence and behavior will worsen with each exposure to threatening situations (e.g., crowded places, or veterinary clinics). Obscure your dog’s view of strangers at the door. He’s mellowed a lot in the 3+ years we’ve had him, but I’m still aware and cautious for his sake. Them to stop their dog barking at more dogs lately when we first got him from a bowl... 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