Advice pls, Stranger issues.

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Vicki1986

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2 related but slightly different things i'd like advice on........

My small dog is a bit of a meek chap, he takes a while to get to know people and will stay well out of the way of someone he hasn't met before. Once your his pal he bounces around all over you etc - basically, confidence issues. I am dealing with these the best ways i know how under the advice of his breeder and i'm looking into some classes next year if i can afford it.

However i would be keen to hear how people would deal with the following situation.

My dog comes to work, he was crate trained as a pup so has a cage / bed hidden away in the corner for when he wants to sleep. When staff come in he bounces about plays etc. when the office is quiet he just mooches about with his teddy or bone.

When a customer comes in, 70% of the time he will bark a few times especially if the man is large/loud/over bearing (i work in construction/building so many are the aforementioned)
... i say NO or AHH firmly and usually he will stop pretty much right away, if he takes particular offence to someone he will walk around grumbling and growling but wont often carry on barking after he has been told.
If a person comes in who is softly spoken and who stays near the door / behind the counter, he is normally quiet ... so i praise him whilst they are there and after they've gone.
If someone a bit bargy comes straight in and round the counter right to my desk he runs underneath my desk and goes mad ... TBH he probably sense i am uncomfortable also, and im sometimes secretly grateful as it makes these inappropriate ppl get back behind the counter where they should be !!!

Anyway, luckily he is a likeable character so people dont mind his few woofs, usually making a joke about the smallest guard dog in the world etc but i need to know the best way to approach all this until i can get to a trainer as i dont want it to get worse. am hoping to start in January is i can find the £70 for the 6 week course.

I have read about squirting water, throwing things, at barking dogs etc i will NOT do that to my dog as he is of such a nervous disposition naturally anyway.

The other thing, in relation to his stranger 'issues'. Although not an attractive quality for him to be so overly shy with strangers, its his personality and i have sort of come to accept it. People say oh why doesnt he like me etc and my response is always "he doesnt know you, give him time" and like clock work after meeting them some more its like they are best friends.
Whilst this isn't too much of a problem, its obviously something to work on for his own sake. But i have found i cant rush him - even the most understanding patient people, people have sat on floors ignored him tempted him with food etc to try to gain his trust in 1 or 2 meets and it will not work, what he needs is time.
Where this problem IS a problem.........is the Vets. Recently he went for a jab, the jab itself he doesnt he doesnt care about - but the fact a stranger is touching him is Terryfying for him. He then tried to clip his claws but it was all too much and he bared his teeth so we stopped - he has not been this bad with a woman vet before so not sure if it was because he was a v large man?? The vet said i think you should bring him to the vet wait room a few times a month so he is more comfortable here...but the vets he is fine with its the VET i.e. the stranger he is not fine with!
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If you have got to the end well done - i dont half go on! cookies
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I totally understand where you are coming from and throwing things or making loud noises wouldnt work it would just make him work and i dont believe anyone should do it to any dog when there is so many kinder ways than in my opinion work better.

So this is what i suggest. Everytime someone comes in get them to throw a bit of chicken towards him without making any eye contact. Just keep repeating this so he learns that new people coming in is a good thing not a scary thing and then when the person is gone you can feed him another little treat.
It may take a couple of days for this to work or a couple of hours it just depends how deep set his fear is.
Good luck
Ruby
 
Give your customers treats as suggested, and get them to throw them down, but dont force him to them or pick him up, also try keeping him on the leash loosly beside u, and deny his access to hise, this is giving him false confidence, to mouth off and hide at the same time, by keeping him on the lead, u are preventing his hiding and making him face his insecurities, but at the same time u are paying no attention, just holding his lead, and the customer is dropping a treat down
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I agree.re not using a negative reinforcer, it could make the situation worse.

I would have kept trimming his nails also, he now gets the message, if he bares his teeth, he escapes the action.....hence he wins.....I groom dogs, and some bare teeth and try to snap, I restrain harder and finish the job, then praise.
 
My Lab is exactly the same. Most loving when she knows you. I also work in a large loud male domminated environment, and walk her early in the morning when its dark so i think i dont help the situation, by maybe some times being a little nervous. As you say she gets over it in time. she is quite big though so people find her less cute. the thing that really upsets me though is when im walking along minding my own, and someones dog run out of its way to say hello. thats fine she like other dogs. however the owner shouting and bellowing to get it back with no effect comes over to get it by the coller obviously getting verry close and bending down gets barked at. they then feel the need to tell me my dog is nasty or visious. how is it our fault they have no control? if they walk past in a calm friendly manner there is no issue. i no this is no advice, but its no just your dog, mine is the same.
 
I totally agree with Cala's advice.

And as Cala says, disagreeing with having claws trimmed is nothing new under the sun. If you're unlucky, he now knows what to do, to end claw trimming and might do the same with a female vet. [ QUOTE ]
he runs underneath my desk and goes mad ... TBH he probably sense I am uncomfortable

[/ QUOTE ] Suggest that you've understood that your attitude in situations, can affect his behaviour. So next time you need to take him to the vet, try to convince yourself that no matter what needs to be done and by who, the vet is allowed to touch your dog anywhere, whether he has nerves of steel or jello! Trust me, if he gets REALLY ill one day, you don't want the extra stress of not knowing if he will accept the vet.




Also can't help saying, that personally I don't see why a squirt of water from a spray bottle for pot plants (to distract or break fixation to catch attention), is any more of a negative enhancer, than to "say NO or AHH", especially if you really do say it with a truly firmly voice. I mean, it can rain outside, and though some dogs dislikes getting wet, they don't take mental harm by getting a little wet.



from Sweden.
 
Cool i will try the lead and treat ideas suggested.

Luckily he is fine with me doing his claws, and was also fine the time before when the female vet did them and took her time, he just stared at her a bit shell shocked. I think this large male vet was just a bit much for him in one go.
 
oh glad to hear that im not the ony one and that it affects other type of dogs too !!

As mine is like it with other dogs too (big ones) sometimes going for a walk can be somewhat of a nightmare but i approach it with a positive attitude and normally he is ok as long as he doesnt get chased!

Peoples lack of recall skills of their dogs never ceases to amaze me !! fair enough it sometimes takes a few calls for mine to come but he is fairly obedient, some people just seem to have no control over their animals which means to me no regards for thier safety when your in an open space near roads, or around dogs you dont know that could be dangerous, etc etc.
 
Something that usually improves other owners recall skills is shouting FLEAS! (If he had been a she, SHE'S IN HEAT!) And as my AKA siggy says, if I don't feel for shouting, when the other dog comes near I step towards it and says NO. Other peoples dogs might be their business, but my dogs are my business.


from Sweden.
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