another bc behavior question

[HighDesertSpice]

Hello:

 

What to do about this?

 

Hailey, pound dog bc mix and spoiled child (refer to my profile for her's) greets strangers & acquaintances like this:

1. slowly walk up to person, sniff hand if offered, tail wagging unenthusiastically, upright but otherwise looks like a crouch

2. stranger pets Hailey and talks to her

3. Hailey sniffs person's face, nose to nose (i mean really gets in their face)

4. Hailey steps away slowly; almost in a sideways manner

5. Hailey glances at me, looks back at person and barks: long syllable bark, not the deep throated alarm, but a semi deep "bauuuu, bauuu, bau, bau, bau". THrows in a short hop or two.

6. Hailey looks at me again. and then back at the person and repeats.

 

I am most often taken off guard---expecting that the bark would have come sooner (ala Labs or Goldens), NOT as she pretended to be walking back to me. I then try to hush her (No! Hush!). But she usually doesn't stop until after 2 or 3 rounds of this noise.

 

Why is she doing what's she's doing? Your suggestions for stopping this behavior?

 

Thanks, M~

[sluj]

Hello:

 

What to do about this?

 

Hailey, pound dog bc mix and spoiled child (refer to my profile for her's) greets strangers & acquaintances like this:

1. slowly walk up to person, sniff hand if offered, tail wagging unenthusiastically, upright but otherwise looks like a crouch

2. stranger pets Hailey and talks to her

3. Hailey sniffs person's face, nose to nose (i mean really gets in their face)

4. Hailey steps away slowly; almost in a sideways manner

5. Hailey glances at me, looks back at person and barks: long syllable bark, not the deep throated alarm, but a semi deep "bauuuu, bauuu, bau, bau, bau". THrows in a short hop or two.

6. Hailey looks at me again. and then back at the person and repeats.

 

I am most often taken off guard---expecting that the bark would have come sooner (ala Labs or Goldens), NOT as she pretended to be walking back to me. I then try to hush her (No! Hush!). But she usually doesn't stop until after 2 or 3 rounds of this noise.

 

Why is she doing what's she's doing? Your suggestions for stopping this behavior?

 

Thanks, M~

 

When you say "upright, but looks like a crouch", do you mean she has her head level with her back? If so, coupled with the sideways walk away, it sounds she's giving you hints she doesn't trust this person. I would recommend Patricia McConnell's book "The Other End of the Leash" -- it has a lot of great info about reading a dog's body language. Stanley Coren's book "How to Speak Dog" also has good descriptions of posture, ear set, tail set, etc., with illustrations. This will help you with an early warning. As far as stopping the behavior, I would suggest counter-conditioning: give her treats when strangers approach, but before she gets a chance to interact with them. Try to keep it low pressure for her, i.e., avoid having people too near for too long if she seems stressed. Talking to a trainer about it couldn't hurt, as well.

 

Good luck!

[HighDesertSpice]

When you say "upright, but looks like a crouch", do you mean she has her head level with her back? If so, coupled with the sideways walk away, it sounds she's giving you hints she doesn't trust this person. I would recommend Patricia McConnell's book "The Other End of the Leash" -- it has a lot of great info about reading a dog's body language. Stanley Coren's book "How to Speak Dog" also has good descriptions of posture, ear set, tail set, etc., with illustrations. This will help you with an early warning. As far as stopping the behavior, I would suggest counter-conditioning: give her treats when strangers approach, but before she gets a chance to interact with them. Try to keep it low pressure for her, i.e., avoid having people too near for too long if she seems stressed. Talking to a trainer about it couldn't hurt, as well.

 

Good luck!

 

Hi Sluj:

 

Thanks for the books reminders/ suggestions. I have read Patricia's book (will need to revisit) but have not read Stanley Coren's. I'll look it up.

 

Cheers, M

[MickeyDogs]

It's hard to say what's going on without seeing it, but it sounds like she's unsure and very tenative and not sure whether or not to be frightened of the person. Another good book (actually a booklet) from Patricia McConnell is "The Cautious Canine".

[Macks mum]

Hi mack my pup does this but only really with men. Even if he's seen them before at first i thought it may have been as some of my husbands friends are quite tall but the one came round and he's the same size as me so that theory went out the window!

He is still a bit nervous around my father in law although he frequently visits us he no longer barks at him but is very tentative around him and would rather hide behind me for the first 15 mins of him being there then he seems to be ok and will mither him for treats and stokes etc.

Mack is also like this on the lead he's fine if he see's women and children especially children he goes mad for petting off them but if theres a man he'll bark and sort of cower. Although there are a few women he's barked at while out for a walk and these women are not very nice so i think some of it is he can pick up on a person character.

I have always gone with if my dog doesn't like someone theres normally a good reason for it they seem to be able to pick up character flaws that we sometimes miss.

However Mack is quite nevous and timid at times he was very timid when we got him at 11 weeks now 16 weeks and is slowly coming out of his shell. My freind came the other day mack has never met her or her son he barked and stooped and hid behind me when my freind went to pet him but when her son who is 4 came over then he went to play with him and my 3 yr old without a problem it took 30 mins of gentle coaxing by my freind to get him to accept that she was freindly then he wouldn't leave her alone.

I have been socailising mack as much as possible and he is getting better i let people pet him in the street unless he is really nevous then i pet him first and tell him its ok and then let them stroke and he is improving. I think that he is worse in the house as its his space and he knows who belongs there and is just wary of new people he is fine with my brother but i put that down to the fact that he stayed at my house for a week so therefore he belongs and is part of the pack if you get what i mean.

I have also decided to get mack a crate as a safe place as at the moment he trys to get under a small side table for his safe place but is getting a bit too big nad my dh uses this fir his laptop so i'm always getting can you get your dog pls hun!

In the house i have been getting freinds to give him treats ball fetch etc with him so he's sees them as fun freindly people who are ok .At the same time though i would like him to still be a little tentative of strange people coming into our home so that he will guard and protect us.

[Samantha J]

Holly has been similar in that she loves all children, women and most men but sometimes she will bark at a man as he approaches her. She doesn't go behind me though and even though she goes a bit submissive in her actions and barks she still keeps going back to the person as if she really wants to go but is a little unsure.

 

We normally with Holly let her have a few minutes doing this then gradually the barking stops as she keeps (her total choice - she is on lead but slack so she decides if she wants to go near the person herself) going closer and sniffs their hand. It is strange really as it seems to be bearded men mostly, we have a neighbour who is a lovely older man with a beard and she has learned from him that beards are ok. She is much better now and rarely barks at anybody.

 

She now thinks nearly everyone is her friend and sometimes she can be quite excitable as if she knows them!

 

In the home though she is ok with everyone, even all men.

 

I think if you keep letting her meet all sorts of people she will get better, try the treat idea too.

We found that letting her decide if she wanted to go close and say hello to someone helped. With plenty of encouragement saying - go and say hello then - or something like that. We also gave the treat to the stranger sometimes too so they could give it to her then we would say perhaps - look what he's got.

[HighDesertSpice]

It's hard to say what's going on without seeing it, but it sounds like she's unsure and very tenative and not sure whether or not to be frightened of the person. Another good book (actually a booklet) from Patricia McConnell is "The Cautious Canine".

 

Hi Deb:

 

I actually have that booklet too. When I first brought Hailey home, I bought a handful of these booklets and was not sure where she fit. I'll reread it though.

[HighDesertSpice]

Holly has been similar in that she loves all children, women and most men but sometimes she will bark at a man as he approaches her. She doesn't go behind me though and even though she goes a bit submissive in her actions and barks she still keeps going back to the person as if she really wants to go but is a little unsure.

 

We normally with Holly let her have a few minutes doing this then gradually the barking stops as she keeps (her total choice - she is on lead but slack so she decides if she wants to go near the person herself) going closer and sniffs their hand. It is strange really as it seems to be bearded men mostly, we have a neighbour who is a lovely older man with a beard and she has learned from him that beards are ok. She is much better now and rarely barks at anybody.

 

She now thinks nearly everyone is her friend and sometimes she can be quite excitable as if she knows them!

 

In the home though she is ok with everyone, even all men.

 

I think if you keep letting her meet all sorts of people she will get better, try the treat idea too.

We found that letting her decide if she wanted to go close and say hello to someone helped. With plenty of encouragement saying - go and say hello then - or something like that. We also gave the treat to the stranger sometimes too so they could give it to her then we would say perhaps - look what he's got.

 

Hi Mack's & Holly's Mums:

 

Greetings to the UK! Your pooches sound a lot like mine. Mine was very, very people shy when I first got her....but not toward me or Boone; but is a real character now. She is more reactive to men and running children (she may be trying to control the kids). She is also quite protective. I wonder if men are naturally less patient with BC-ness unless they particularly like BC's? I guess I'll learn as time goes by.

 

Thanks for your input.

[WyoBC]

I don't really know if this has anything to do with what Hailey is doing or not, but my Black Jack does this from time to time too. I can be outside talking to him and he'll lift his head up kind of howl like, AAAAAAAWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO oooo oo. He also does this when my Mom is talking to him, or I'm not paying attention to him. Maybe it's his way of talking?

[Melodyuk]

What about perhaps rewarding her once she has nicely greeted the person you are talking to and offer her treat before she would normally bark?

[HighDesertSpice]

What about perhaps rewarding her once she has nicely greeted the person you are talking to and offer her treat before she would normally bark?

 

Yes, I was thinking of something along those lines. Perhaps have the individual that she doesn't trust treat her.....I did this once shortly after I got her. We were in a park and she used to bark at strangers yards away. So i had some toss her a hamburger piece from a distance and then come close, but not touch her. She doesn't bark at distant strangers anymore unless we're camping and they're walking past our camp. But good reminder. Thanks.

[HighDesertSpice]

I don't really know if this has anything to do with what Hailey is doing or not, but my Black Jack does this from time to time too. I can be outside talking to him and he'll lift his head up kind of howl like, AAAAAAAWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO oooo oo. He also does this when my Mom is talking to him, or I'm not paying attention to him. Maybe it's his way of talking?

 

Hmmmm, that sounds like your dog wants / is competing for your attention....just a wild guess though. I think Hailey on the other hand is expressing something....distrust I'm thinking after some of the feedback.

[Guest Freckles LaLa Mom]

Not to hijack.... Freckles is cool with people...its other dogs she doesnt like. We're thinking about putting her into the petsmart pup classes....not so much for the training (though i'd love to play patty cake with her) but to be around other dogs. Good/Bad idea?