Does your dog like strangers?
- Thread starter crazedACD
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Crystal is a very selective dog, so this isn't an easy question to answer lol. She loves all kids, including toddlers/babies, and is ok with like 90% of women. Then there is that 5% of women she LOVES for no reason, and the 5% of women she fears, again, for no reason. She is more wary of men, but it is split 50/50 whether she will avoid them or run at them barking with hackles up. If a man entered the home unannounced I have no doubt that Crystal would attack. That can be considered a bad and a good thing, I guess.
In public Eve's attention is usually on me, but if I tell her to "go say hi" she's always happy to greet people. I'm very put off when she DOESN'T want to greet a person. She's friendly to everyone.
At home, if you are a stranger and you come in with our permission, she's absolutely in your face demanding that she be given attention. Like oh my god, visitor, please full body glomp her so she'll SHUT THE HELL UP.
At home, if you are a stranger and you come in with our permission, she's absolutely in your face demanding that she be given attention. Like oh my god, visitor, please full body glomp her so she'll SHUT THE HELL UP.
Lily loves everybody. Total hussy. :rofl1:
Needless to say I have paid attention the few times she has shown appropriate suspicion to shady characters.
Scout is generally happy to meet new people. She isn't comfortable with people rudely all up in her grill, particularly in the context of leash walks. They both greet everyone at my mom's office or the library I work at when I have them in.
Lily is trained to alert bark to let me know someone is outside, but she is happy to see everyone. Doesn't matter if they let themselves in or if I do.
Scout would not let a stranger just walk in the house. Which, duh, I wouldn't expect her to because GSD.
Scout also will not let someone who isn't a family member or very close friend into the house if I am showering or otherwise incapacitated. She's bonded enough to my bf that if he's there I'm sure she wouldn't feel she had to guard me.
Needless to say I have paid attention the few times she has shown appropriate suspicion to shady characters.
Scout is generally happy to meet new people. She isn't comfortable with people rudely all up in her grill, particularly in the context of leash walks. They both greet everyone at my mom's office or the library I work at when I have them in.
Lily is trained to alert bark to let me know someone is outside, but she is happy to see everyone. Doesn't matter if they let themselves in or if I do.
Scout would not let a stranger just walk in the house. Which, duh, I wouldn't expect her to because GSD.
Scout also will not let someone who isn't a family member or very close friend into the house if I am showering or otherwise incapacitated. She's bonded enough to my bf that if he's there I'm sure she wouldn't feel she had to guard me.
Holly LOVES strangers, all the better if they come into the house where she can corner them, rub herself all over them, kiss them and nibble on their chins. She actually gets so worked up that she'll eventually get overwhelmed, stand in the middle of the room, shake, wail, and run upstairs to her bed. She's quirky. If she's on leash she totally ignores people unless they're small children. They're fair game for a face wash.
Rig barks, growls and "talks". We have the front door gated off and he just HATES it when people stand behind the gate and don't come right in to love him up. He sounds really kind of scary, but he's not. I sometimes have problems convincing people to come through the gate, LOL.
Jesse's good with people from behind, the minute they turn around and say something to him he runs off. Getting to know him is a long, involved process but once people do they discover the wonderful world of an 85 lb lapdog. He's a work in progress.
Rig barks, growls and "talks". We have the front door gated off and he just HATES it when people stand behind the gate and don't come right in to love him up. He sounds really kind of scary, but he's not. I sometimes have problems convincing people to come through the gate, LOL.
Jesse's good with people from behind, the minute they turn around and say something to him he runs off. Getting to know him is a long, involved process but once people do they discover the wonderful world of an 85 lb lapdog. He's a work in progress.
Bubbles loves everyone. Pen loves everyone. Jari loves everyone (but is starting to focus more on me after the initial greeting which is YAY).
Kimma will "go say hi" and sniff people for food, then generally come back to me if they don't have anything
In the house they are all appropriate. Excited to see people, but calm down relatively quickly. If it's someone Kimma knows pretty well and likes though (my sister's boyfriend, for example), she will bark endlessly at them and rub herself on them like a cat until I give her something else to do.
No issues with people coming in when I'm not here, which is how I want it.
Kimma will "go say hi" and sniff people for food, then generally come back to me if they don't have anything
In the house they are all appropriate. Excited to see people, but calm down relatively quickly. If it's someone Kimma knows pretty well and likes though (my sister's boyfriend, for example), she will bark endlessly at them and rub herself on them like a cat until I give her something else to do.
No issues with people coming in when I'm not here, which is how I want it.
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I don't think it's a secret that Art does NOT like strangers! However, you can turn from a "stranger" to "life-long" friend if you give him an hour and don't force interaction...oh.......and have food. lol
Talon, some people are "OMG I LOVES you so much let me smell your eyeballs NOW!" kind of reaction. Our landlord he just wants to hug and smell her eyeballs from the moment he met her.
Most of the time now he is very polite about sitting first, before going for the eyeballs.:rofl1:
However, he still gets a bit nervous with a few people, specifically tall guys wearing hats/glasses, but he just needs a bit of time to investigate them. There's an older gentleman with a cane and hat and glasses that Talon was a bit nervous about. We stood about 5 ft away for a little while and talked, in that time Talon went from suspicious to friendly. He ran up to him and sat at his feet for pets and was super gentle
I really don't know what would happen if you walked into my apartment announced, likely nothing good. Art will NOT be happy, though I doubt he'd bite, however Talon feeds off of Arts energy. Though he's largely a friendly dog, and without Art there would likely give kisses after the initial barking, with Art there barking frantically Talon would likely go on guard immediately. I don't even want to think how that would end.
However, you can turn from a "stranger" to "life-long" friend if you give him an hour and don't force interaction...oh.......and have food. lol Talon, some people are "OMG I LOVES you so much let me smell your eyeballs NOW!" kind of reaction. Our landlord he just wants to hug and smell her eyeballs from the moment he met her.
Most of the time now he is very polite about sitting first, before going for the eyeballs.
:rofl1: However, he still gets a bit nervous with a few people, specifically tall guys wearing hats/glasses, but he just needs a bit of time to investigate them. There's an older gentleman with a cane and hat and glasses that Talon was a bit nervous about. We stood about 5 ft away for a little while and talked, in that time Talon went from suspicious to friendly. He ran up to him and sat at his feet for pets and was super gentle
I really don't know what would happen if you walked into my apartment announced, likely nothing good. Art will NOT be happy, though I doubt he'd bite, however Talon feeds off of Arts energy. Though he's largely a friendly dog, and without Art there would likely give kisses after the initial barking, with Art there barking frantically Talon would likely go on guard immediately. I don't even want to think how that would end.
Out and about, they all ignore people unless they are given attention. Recon will clamor and wiggle if people get down to pet him and will jump if allowed. He loves attention from new men or women, just not kids.
The two shepherds act like people don't exist. Frag will defer to me if people come near him after a quick sniff, Patton continues to act like they don't exist until they start petting him, then he either gets really excited or very calm, depending on where they pet him. He is totally fine with attention from adults or kids.
In the house all three are very excited and friendly to meet new people coming in. If I'm not home they bark much longer than usual and Frag and Patton both do a "hold and bark" style greeting. They won't bite someone, but they are obviously not cool with someone coming in that they don't know while I'm away.
The two shepherds act like people don't exist. Frag will defer to me if people come near him after a quick sniff, Patton continues to act like they don't exist until they start petting him, then he either gets really excited or very calm, depending on where they pet him. He is totally fine with attention from adults or kids.
In the house all three are very excited and friendly to meet new people coming in. If I'm not home they bark much longer than usual and Frag and Patton both do a "hold and bark" style greeting. They won't bite someone, but they are obviously not cool with someone coming in that they don't know while I'm away.
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Nia doesn't really like strangers. She will wag her tail at them but will not allow to be petted or picked up or touched in any way. If they try, she will try to move away or hide.
She's like that both inside and outside. She's friendly but wary I guess.
If someone strange comes into my house, she will bark at them a bit, wag but not get too close. After that, she will mostly ignore them. It actually takes her pretty long to warm up to new people, probably at least 5 or 6 meetings if not more. Nia didn't let my boyfriend pet her for like 3 months even though he often stayed the weekends. Now she loves him and begs to lie on his chest.
However, even if she doesn't like someone, if they play ball with her appropriately, she will interact and play. But once the ball is gone, so is she.
She's like that both inside and outside. She's friendly but wary I guess.
If someone strange comes into my house, she will bark at them a bit, wag but not get too close. After that, she will mostly ignore them. It actually takes her pretty long to warm up to new people, probably at least 5 or 6 meetings if not more. Nia didn't let my boyfriend pet her for like 3 months even though he often stayed the weekends. Now she loves him and begs to lie on his chest.
However, even if she doesn't like someone, if they play ball with her appropriately, she will interact and play. But once the ball is gone, so is she.
If we're on a walk, Norris avoids people, they make him nervous. If we're at the dog park, Norris will walk right up to different people and sniff them curiously and will allow them to pat him. At my house, he will come down and see people if they come over, but he is nervous and will run back up to my room. People could come unnanounced into the main part of my house, but if they were to try to go into my room, they will be met with an angry, barking dog. Norris is very bonded to me, and he would probably be quite happy if everyone else ceased to exist. I don't really care if Norris likes strangers, he has no aggression issues. I just manage his interactions so that he isn't put into situations that would make him uncomfortable.
If we're out, Smalls, Magpie, Elsa, and Jack are happy to meet any one. Same for home as well, I suppose. They're just people dogs and like to be paid attention to.
Jonas will not give people the time of day no matter where. Shambles will zero in on you in the house, but out and about he means business and won't let any one pet him because he wants to keep going.
If you walked into the house or yard uninvited I know Jonas will bite. A friend of my ex's came into the house without so much as knocking and he was the first to rush and grab a mouthful of pants. Jack I believe would bite or at least corner them. In that same instance he went forward in such a menacing manner that I was relieved when I called him off he came back. I can't decide on the rest. I feel like they'd all bark defensively and hang back.
Jonas will not give people the time of day no matter where. Shambles will zero in on you in the house, but out and about he means business and won't let any one pet him because he wants to keep going.
If you walked into the house or yard uninvited I know Jonas will bite. A friend of my ex's came into the house without so much as knocking and he was the first to rush and grab a mouthful of pants. Jack I believe would bite or at least corner them. In that same instance he went forward in such a menacing manner that I was relieved when I called him off he came back. I can't decide on the rest. I feel like they'd all bark defensively and hang back.
Henry is pretty good with strangers, generally. He is aloof with strangers when we are out and about unless I start speaking to them and encourage him. Then he's very gently and happily interested. Young children in particular, he's so well behaved and gentle with them. He has flared up at people that have run up to me in the dark or otherwise acted sketchy.
At home he is very protective and acts like he will not let anyone in without an okay from us. As soon as we go to the door and start speaking to the person, he is fine and completely under control again. He loves all of our usual acquaintances and turns into a regular ol pest once he realizes it's a friend.
Rhys loves ALL THE STRANGERS ALL THE TIME. I often joke that I socialized him too well. His breed is known for being people lovers so I probably didn't have to do as much socialization with strangers as I did. He goes crazy for new people and cannot get enough.
He does mimic Henry, though, when we are at home and Henry starts aggressively barking. Rhys trails along behind him, barking, looking around like, "Um, why are we barking again?" Then when he realizes there are people outside he starts squealing and yipping "yay friends!!"
When Henry passes (he's only eight, I'm talking way future!) I'd like to have another protective dog in the home as a nice balance to the Amstaff and future Amstaffs. I babysat for a family for years with a GSD that I loved, and I have had an interest in the breed for a long time-I suspect that's what it will be.
At home he is very protective and acts like he will not let anyone in without an okay from us. As soon as we go to the door and start speaking to the person, he is fine and completely under control again. He loves all of our usual acquaintances and turns into a regular ol pest once he realizes it's a friend.
Rhys loves ALL THE STRANGERS ALL THE TIME. I often joke that I socialized him too well. His breed is known for being people lovers so I probably didn't have to do as much socialization with strangers as I did. He goes crazy for new people and cannot get enough.
He does mimic Henry, though, when we are at home and Henry starts aggressively barking. Rhys trails along behind him, barking, looking around like, "Um, why are we barking again?" Then when he realizes there are people outside he starts squealing and yipping "yay friends!!"
When Henry passes (he's only eight, I'm talking way future!) I'd like to have another protective dog in the home as a nice balance to the Amstaff and future Amstaffs. I babysat for a family for years with a GSD that I loved, and I have had an interest in the breed for a long time-I suspect that's what it will be.
I have always preferred dogs that are not friends with everyone. Susie, my Bernese cross, loves everybody. My Shih Tzu x Maltese do not usually go out of their way to greet people but are friendly enough if they want to pat them. Kris, my Doberman is neither friendly nor unfriendly. She will let people pat her but just tends to ignore them.
I don't get very many visitors but if a stranger does come around, my small dogs will bark at first, Susie will grab a toy up and run around wagging her tail and try to bark with the toy in her mouth and Kris just stands back and watches them.
I don't get very many visitors but if a stranger does come around, my small dogs will bark at first, Susie will grab a toy up and run around wagging her tail and try to bark with the toy in her mouth and Kris just stands back and watches them.