Need Advice on Fearful Dog

[ap2974]

Hi everyone! I'm not only new to this forum, but also new to the dog world, so I could definately use some advice! Last Sunday we adopted a 7 month old Carolina Dog/ Shepard Mix and she has been great. She was very shy when we first brought her home, but warmed up very quickly. She has been to the vet, parks, met new dogs, etc. with no problems. As a matter of fact, we have never even heard her bark before tonight. However, tonight we had my mother in law and father in law over, and as soon as she saw them she began growling and barking. 5 hours later, she was still barking and growling, sometimes even lunging at them. She hasn't done this to anyone we've met yet - not even at the vet. We thought maybe it was because they came into her "territory", so everyone went outside to let her warm up to them. We even had them give her treats. She had no problem taking treats from them, and even let them cautiously pet her, but would still growl the whole time and even lunged twice.

Are we doing something wrong? Could it be just them that she has a problem with, or is it because they came into our house vs. a stranger at the park? Is there a way to discourage this behavior - they were very nice about being growled at for 5 hours straight, but most people wouldn't be, and I'd like her to enjoy other people's company as much as she does ours. Again, this is our first dog, so if we are doing something wrong, please let us know!

 

[Criosphynx]

personally, I wait about two weeks before introducing anything "wierd" to the new dog. Strange places, strangers etc. They need time to just get used to home, you guys, the routine etc etc. Keep in mind that your dog doesn't really trust/know you yet.

Often dogs will act out of character because they are overwhelmed. For now work on getting to know your dog and bonding a bit.

Getting strangers to offer treats is a good idea, but if your dog is growling still thats means it was too much to fast. Start by having people walk by (not looking at the dog) and tossing treats. You slowly build up to taking treats from strangers. This might take minutes or weeks. Depends on your dog. Main thing is to take things s..l..o..w. Don't push to hard or you will have to start over.

Shes very cute btw.

 

[Mum2mutts]

Give her some time to settle in, with no suprises, then perhaps you should seek out a good trainer to work with.

When we adopted our cattle dog 3 years ago, we had no idea she was dog aggressive- big shock, I had had other dogs in my life, but they didn't have any issues- I had never owned a dog with behaviour like this
We have been working steadily, with direction (from trainers) over the years, she still has some issues, but is so smart and so rewarding to work with.

Seek out some professional help and work with your dog and she will reward you too

 

[Phoenixangelwyngs]

Yeah.... I agree with the previous commentors.

This seems to me to be a case of "whoa, I just got here and now where on earth did THESE people come from? Man, will anything ever stay the same for me?"

I've been raised with Border Collies who are extremely bright but also tend to be timid and shy.. my whole life. Patience, a lot of praise, and more patience is probably what's going to be needed. Once she settles into your home and your family a bit better, then start introducing her to the other people in your life. If she has bonded with you then she has you to look to for a safe spot... otherwise, she's got nothing secure to explore from. I try to think of dogs like people. If you were in a scary place and you got picked up by strange people and taken to a new scary place and then they brought people into what you thought was your space... I'd be a little scared and possessive too. Don't want these new people taking over... ya know.

 

[ap2974]

Thank you so much everyone. Like I said previously, this is our first dog, so I do need and appreciate your advice! :hail:

It was just really surprising because we had not heard a peep from her yet, including when we went to the kennel to see her and bring her home, so I wasn't expecting it.

 

[DaVinci]

First off congrats on the new addition. I'm glad to hear that you that you are willing to work with her and are seeking advice. Do your in-laws have pets, do they smoke, I'm sure that they do something different at their home than you do at yours. Even burning incence or candles. I would give her a little time but she is young so she shouldn't have much baggage with her. Try taking her to their home. Let her sniff out their home and get use to them on their turf. If you could possibly get a towel or something from them to have at your home too it would help her get use to their scent in your home.

 

[ahkelteke]

Hey there. My parents had a similar problem with their Lab/Shepherd mix. Shepherd's tend to be a bit more terretorial then some breeds, our trainer explained to us. One of the biggest, most helpful tips she gave us was to stay calm. Your new addition will look to you for guidance and support. If you always approach new people and situations calmly and confidently, your pup will see that and feed off of it. Next time the folks come over, do as you did before... meeting them outside. Approach them as though its no big deal, as though last time the pup didn't growl for five hours straight. Forget the debacle all together and instruct your folks to do the same. Talk to you visitors, too. Oddly, our trainer said that merely talking to a person indicates to your dog that they are friendly and non-threatening. Realize that your tone of voice also indicates comfort. Keep you voices low, speaking at a reasonable speed in calm tones. Try not to burst into laughter or use high pitch or cooing noises. The trainer also suggested that you walk with the visitors around the block as physical activity can distract the pup.

Additionally, something I read online suggested that the visitors not make eye contact with the dog as it is threatening. The article suggested the visitors ignore the dog and occassionally drop treats on the ground. As the dog becomes more comfortable, they may be able to take the treats from the hands of the visitors.

Good luck! I hope this was helpful. I know that you are trying some of it already. My parents' dog does much better with visitors now that we implemted the trainer's suggestions.