I have the nicest dog on earth. The problem is he is only nice to people he knows. The other day we were at memorial park and a lady stopped to try to pet him. before we could tell her know he snapped at her. She said sorry and went on her way. He used to only do this with tall men but now he seems to do it with any stranger. How on earth do we fix this. I mean he really is a great dog. I just don't want to have to worry every time someone new is around him.
You could try taking him out more and letting him get use to different people. But if he keeps snapping at people, give him a good slap on the mouth and lock him in a room for a while.
This is a very difficult problem. The one thing you can do is try to get the dog in positive situations with strangers. For example taking it to public areas and if you see someone who seems interested in the dog, let him give a snack. Youc an try it this way, but ofcourse it takes a lot of time doing it. Also ALWAYS carry snacks with you when you walk with the dog, and everytime someone looks at the dog, ask him if he want to give a snack to the dog.(ofcourse you must be confident that the dog will eat the snack and not snap at he person) Otherwise i do not really know if you can change it. How old is the dog? did it have a negative experience with tall people?
how does the dog do around other dogs in a pack? does the dog socialize much? this gay but if you want a good book about the nature of dogs, Caesar Millan has some good ones.
watch and learn from the dog whisperer on nationalgeo. i think his tactics really work. but then again, it's all edited..
Caesar would tell you that dog is trying to be an alpha. Put the dog in a submissive position on it's back and let the stranger stand next to him and pet him while you hold it. Overtime, the dog will learn to be submissive to the strangers. Do this everytime someone comes over to visit as well, at least the guests who will cooperate. don't know if it will work, but I'm pretty sure that is what Caesar would have you try.
He just turned three. When he was young he got along with anybody. but when we started taking him to the dog park tall men seemed to always want to pet him and he would then kind of duck down and snap at them a bit.
At the dog park he seems to just run around for a while with them but he eventually gets bored and stands by us. When we take him to our folks place he plays all day with the other lab. he never starts fights or anything with other dogs or anything.
i found this online. It doesnt sound too promising Adopting a dog that is afraid of strangers Question from a member: We recently adopted out a dog that is wonderful with her owners and good once you get to know her, but will snap at strangers approaching her to pet her. It doesn't matter whether she is in her own house or off-property. After she snaps at people, then she wags her tail like she wants to approach them. The owner is now afraid to take her for walks or have people come over to the house and pet her. They don't want to get rid of her but have called us for advice. She came in as a stray so we don't know her previous background. Do you have any thoughts? Responses from Jean: Yes. Most such cases result from a predisposition to be spooky with unfamiliar people and/or some degree of lack of exposure to a sufficiency of people while young. Either way, the priority is to keep the dog from offending (biting) as that will spell disaster. Many such dogs, once their owners are sensitized to their shyness, do well and live long, full lives. Her owners must be counseled to protect her from people coming up, attempting to pet or touch her etc. If this keeps happening, she will have a harder time improving, and may even get worse. Tell the owners she can't help it and forcing her to interact is a bad move. They can take her out but politely request people to be more respectful of her space until she demonstrates willingness to go up them (sometimes she will, sometimes she won't). They can also have people over and give them the same instructions - ignore the dog unless she makes overtures. This way she will be able to come up to people at her own pace, which is *vitally* important. Visitors to the house can also be supplied with food treats to give her (again, no petting, just give her the treats, then ignore her until she's relaxed enough). Once owners are able to empathize with the dog and see that the behavior is limited to this, the dog's space is more protected and she can start to make gains.
what would Ceaser say about a dog that cant socialize one bit with another dog? This is the problem Im having...he just goes bananas when he is around another dog.
There was an episode on this, and I can attest that his advice works. My dog is pretty calm, but doesn't like dogs behind a fence barking at her incessantly. I was able to stop my dog from reacting to other wildly barking dogs. Keep them close to you on the leash. He made a point of not pulling the leash up or back, but hold it to make the dogs head turn sideways towards you. What he says his you have to get the dog's attention...to look at you. If you have to, with your dog on the left, take your right foot and swing it behind your left foot to kick the dog slightly, in a manner that is not that noticeable. The behind your left leg kick is great for getting their attention. The whole point he made is that you have to get their mind out of the "bananas" mode by getting to look at you, then keep walking forward. When you can walk them without them going bananas at another dog, then you can start trying to introduce them to the other dog...by making them go into a submissive posture on their back, and let the other dog sniff them. You might have to hold their snout. that said: the fundamental rule of getting any Caesar advice to work is consistency. We must walk dogs regularly to socialize them. Random sessions doesn't work.
I actually do this and it works. But he doesnt try to bite other dogs, he loves them, only strange homo sapiens
I went to one of his lecture/seminars in Austin, and saw him do his thing live with other peoples dogs. Trust me: his technique works, 9.5 times out of 10. Your dog is claiming the leadership position over you. It's no coincidence that this happened as the dog matured. He considers himself pack-leader, and is telling the strangers "This is my human. Go away." What you need to do is assert yourself as the one in charge. Then, YOU get to determine who you socialize with, and he won't be afraid when you introduce him to new people because YOU'RE the one in charge. Watch for signs of territoriality in your house, and I'll bet you find one or two. Absolutely. Daily walks (of at least 30-45 minutes) and consistent discipline are the key to "normalizing" your dog.
you are correct. I was going to say the same thing. i referenced my girl,whos read a few of millans books, and the advice was pretty much the same. Your dog is taking the pack leader role...so you need to establish your presence as the pack leader. Your dog should be following your lead, so unless you are trying to bite people he is not following your lead when people approach. Also, excercise is key. But dont just go for a walk and let him lead and wonder around at his leisure. Dogs need to 'work' and when they feel like they are working they are typically happier (think about how happy sled dogs are). So, when you go for walks really walk him like your on a mission. dont let him look around too much, stop and smell, etc. Also, it sounds nerdy but they say putting a backpack on your dog helps b/c he feels like he is really doing something to help. After 'work', if he did well, then let him roam free as a reward. Also, feed your dog after he's 'worked'...say after the walk. 3 keys: Exercise/work discipline affection
