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Mine are night and day.

 

Violet has never met a stranger. She wiggles, whimpers, and even rolls on her back to get new people to pet her.

 

Faith, OTOH, reacts like a feral dog when people come over. Hackles up, slinks around in a jackal-like posture, oozing suspicion. Go figure. She's fine if she meets people away from home. It's just visitors to her home that get on her last nerve. I think it's because we so rarely have any. (We're not unsociable, we just live in the back of beyond.)

 

Scot, my BC/maremma cross, is very in touch with the LGD side of his lineage.

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Both of mine are generally OK with strangers - eager to check them out at first. After an initial sniff Daisy will either go into raptures and demand attention or she will dismiss and ignore. Seamus is a bit of a puzzle. He's not afraid of strangers, but after an initial sniff will just stand back and park at them. If they crouch or sit down he'll usually go over to investigate more closely and get some affection, but I think being so much shorter than people makes him wary.

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Buzz never met a stranger, either. His reward for sitting nicely was to go say hi to someone new - he'd refuse food or a ball when he spotted a new friend.

 

Sam was very friendly in our home, but more reserved outside it. Now, with her sight and hearing going, she's more likely to bark at anything new.

 

Shoshone is very timid with new people, until they offer her a cookie. Then she'll take the cookie very boldly, and retreat.

 

Ruth

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Shiloh is a total baby.

 

He will run over and sit beside them. (No pats if his bum isn't on the ground, he has a bad jumping to lick the cheek habit). He looks up at them with the classic border collie "love me" eyes and his little bum wiggles all over (as close to the ground as possible :rolleyes: )

 

He does whine a bit with excitement (which I don't really like- but stranger find it adorable) and if the person bends down he will lick them all over and try to curl in a ball in their lap. In the elevator he will inch closer and closer to a stranger(especially woman strangers) and look up for a pat! He is very loyal to us- but he adores meeting new people and will trust them right away.

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Mine can be embarrassing how google headed happy they get when they meet a stranger. Raven can be a tiny bit stand offish for a few minutes but once the other dogs break the ice, she's in for new loving too.

 

Mick is such a serious worker you'd never believe that's the same dog that was doing the happy yodle dance a minute before he becomes Mr. Serious worker man. If he's working, strangers or anything else that isn't what he's working is invisable. But the minute he's finished he's back to his OMG life is wonderful and so are you mode!

 

Dew is my youngest, she was a tiny bit stand offish for a few months right about a year old but quickly got over it.

 

Now meeting strange dogs is another story. None of them are that friendly and Mick can be a down right jerk but none go out of their way to start anything, they'd just rather a strange dog mind it's own business. Although Jazz does her slut puppy routine if she meets a good looking male dog. But that's how she's been since she was little.

 

Hope you get your arm back! :rolleyes:

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Katie is a "greet the burglar" kind of dogQ

 

My late Sara was reserved with strangers. Tolerant of petting but not encouraging it. My late Meg was shy and saw no reason she should have to interact with strangers - and this was a dog who was well-socialized from birth!

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Brody has never met a stranger either, BUT don't come near him when he is in "His" truck there are no friends even if you are one of his best human playmates. Rievaulx at 7 months is cautious about new people, friendly just not your wriggle and flirt approach. My first Border Collie Bandit was very wary of stangers until later in life when he learned they were a source of good things and might even share their lunch with him.

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Senneca is basically friendly, but a bit reserved. In the dog park, she will wander up to people and say Hi, but isn't over exuberant. When people come to visit, she insists on coming up and inspecting them, but as long as she sees I'm OK with them, then she is OK.

 

Rhys bach has issues with strangers, especially some men. He needs to be managed when people come to visit, but he will calm down after a few minutes and then he's OK. In the dog park, as long as he is off leash and has a ball, he will drop the ball at anyone's feet and require them to throw it. The moment I put his leash on to go home, he will growl and bark at the same people. Desensitizing him to strangers is still a work in progress. We've won many small battles, but he still needs careful management.

[Note: Both Rhys and Senneca are rescues, so I don't have much idea about their background. ]

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Katie is a "greet the burglar" kind of dogQ

 

you know I wonder about this. As I stated my dogs are stranger lovers but I have a feeling if you came in the house with bad intent you'd be greeted by teeth and not happy ones either. But I also believe that dogs read intent as much as anything else. I hope I never have to find out about this one!

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This is an interesting thread. Zorro, our 5-year-old BC rescue, loves all people, including kids. We've had a bunch of people over to our house since adopting him and he's never had a problem with anyone. But I've known plenty of dogs--BCs and otherwise--who were not comfortable with strangers, or took a while to warm up to new people. As long as the dog isn't aggressive, I think people should respect that.

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Both of my boys missed the "Border Collies are stand-offish" memo. Nick loves people, especially little kids. He's all business about work, but off stock, or when he's done, he's a wiggly goof who just wants to lick someone's face. He will tolerate just about anything from little kids and babies. He just leans into them with a look of total bliss.

 

Hoot is a total wiggly moron around people. At 6.5 months, he tries SO HARD to sit down, but the wiggles usually get the better of him. He's figured out the "jump on people = no attention" thing ,and he'll sit at someone's feet now. He is, however, the wiggliest dog I have ever met! He practically folds in half when he meets someone- he's so happy.

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Blaze usually ignores strangers. If we are out walking, he'll look over at them, ears up, but quickly leaves them alone and goes back into 'walking' mode when I tell him to leave it. If we stop and talk to someone, he usually ignores them. Depending on the person he might go up to them, or might not. If we have people over at our house that he has not met or only seen a time or two he's very good with them. He'll say come and see what's up, but then leaves them alone. He's really good about meeting people, not shy.

 

With people he knows, he has the nickname "mr. wiggly butt" for a reason, lol.

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both of mine are friendly but reserved with adult,s they are friendly as long as I say its ok, otherwise they hang back a bit unsure, and just plain LOVE children of all ages.

 

they are NOT greet the burgler types..if anyone of any age tried to cause harm to anyone in my family, I have no doubt they would go mental on them..in fact I have seen them do it lol

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Speedy LOVES meeting strangers - as long as they look and don't try to touch. He's a very hands-off kind of dog. He will give soft hugs to his human friends, and he will allow them to pet him softly, but he hardly ever wants to be loved on by strangers. So, he is definitely "shy", although he does enjoy meeting new people who ignore him, or are content to just look at him.

 

Dean is the opposite. He lives to meet new human friends and show them how much he loves them. He loves to give hugs and be petted by friends and strangers alike. Strangers are just good friends he hasn't met yet.

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Night and day with my two as well. Maggie has never met a stranger.

Inside the house or out. Dave, on the other hand, is very reserved

with everyone until HE decides they're ok. It has to be at his pace

and on his terms. I've never had a dog with that attitude before, but

I'm not really sure if I see it as a problem? As long as he is under

control and not going crazy, I kind of like his "stand-offish" behavior.

 

Ever since the first day we got him, he has had a real problem with

toddlers though. I think he lived with a hair pulling youngster when

he was a pup. We know it's one of his quirks, and it's just easier to

tell people right up front and most are understanding.

Maggie is the more unique looking of the two, so she gets most new

people's attention anyway.

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Georgia has never met a stranger. She greets just about everyone as though they're long lost family. She's especially silly with men, the more frightening looking the better as far as she is concerned. Hussy! :rolleyes: Tex is a bit of a mixed bag. With women he is a little cautious at first but warms up very quickly. With men...he takes a bit longer to warm up to. Usually if Georgia is there gushing over ther person he defers to her judgement. But not always.

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We used to joke that our old Rocket *might* pick up his head if a burglar came in, but would only hope the burglar didn't trip over him on the way out!

 

Celt is reserved with strangers, particularly children, and very worried about white-haired women (go figure how he managed to get his Therapy Dog certification years ago). Megan loves everyone and the younger, the more she loves them. Babies and toddlers put her into fits of excitement. Dan is similar, and everyone is just a friend he's dying to meet.

 

Our Aussie, MacLeod, never forgot a first impression so it was always best to make a good one. And he never liked the sanitation folks because, in his mind, they were stealing our trash. Best guard dog ever!

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Annie is strange about this. With some people, she is very outgoing and affectionate; this is especially true if the other person has a dog. With others, she is very wary; the fur on her back will stand up, and she will shy away and bark. I have yet to figure out a pattern (although she is more likely to take an instant dislike to a man as to a woman); she just seems to make an intuitive snap judgment as to who she likes and who she doesn't. I control her closely when she first meets a stranger, as she immediately sends signals as to which way she is likely to go; and if there is any doubt, I do not allow any interaction.

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Sugarfoot is a schitz with new people. Mostly shy shies away from them, a few she goes right to and makes nice. There are three people who will immediately cause her to hackle and growl. (But these three are not strangers, and I don't like them either, so she may be getting cues from me.) Her acceptance of strangers has nothing to do with whether or not they are proffering treats. She will sometimes take the treats, but she retreats a few steps to eat them. If people are capable of taking instructions to completely ignore her, (very few seem to be. :D ) she will remain perfectly calm. If they insist on trying to make up to her I walk away. I will suggest to Sugar that it's Wubba time, or supper time and we will go off to seek the fun/food. This seems to settle her nicely. She will not even give the horrible stranger a backward glance. If the stranger is capable of ignoring her completely, she will become inquisitive and come up for a sniff. If they pass muster (and continue to ignore her) she will relax, but it takes several meetings before she will accept a given person and allow them to pet her. Although a complete stranger can come up while we are playing fetch, and if I give the Wubba to the stranger she will retrieve for them immediately. Interestingly, she has never shown any reservations or alarm about a vet or vet tech.

 

One thing I have never been able to understand is why people assume that since they like dogs, my dog will like them. If my dog shrinks away from the clueless type mouthing babytalk and waggling fingers at them, they are devastated. I think this sort of behavior is intended to endear them to the dog, but it doesn't, and it makes me sick.

 

Then when the dog does not respond in the manner they expect, they typically have one of two reactions. They either glance narrowly at me as if I have beaten my dog to make her chary of strangers, or they put their heads on one side like a puzzled Cocker Spaniel and say in a theatrical whisper, "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Was she abused?" and continue in the general direction of the dog resuming the babytalk. "Oh, was wuzzums abooooooooooosed? Poor widdle!"

 

My dog may indeed have been abused before she came to me. But I regard this behavior as absolute torture to me, and my dog's contempt for such treatment seems obvious to everyone who has a lick of sense.

 

Hey, it isn't easy being a curmudgeon! :rolleyes:

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Chase is very shy with new people, especially if they stare and oogle and coo at him. He wants to meet and greet but his fears get the best of him sometimes. With some people, he does go up and say a quick hi, but then retreats.

He remembers most people he's met more than once and once he knows you, he can barely contain his joy! Wish he was like that all the time, we're working on it :rolleyes:

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With Duncan it depends on the setting. If it's "only" people - there's no such thing as a stranger. He may initially look a bit intimidating as they approach, body and ears erect, but if they look at him, or better yet say "hi!", he becomes a total marshmallow, wriggle-butt pup. If they ignore him, he tends to look at them plaintively, and I can see his ears droop a bit, but he's learning he can't just rush up at everyone he sees. (I work on a college campus, and dogs are rare beings; not everyone appreciates having a dog nose thrust upon them suddenly, so I try to discourage him from approaching people without any encouragement on their part).

 

If it's someone he's met before - he'll sit and wriggle and wag his tail and lift his muzzle and "sing" until he can gain their attention. Heaven forefend that they ignore him.

 

On the other hand - if I'm leaving the office and there are a bunch of kids running around right outside with balls - he has no time to say hello to anyone who wants to meet him. He seems to think I'm keeping him from his real job, which may involve chasing after all these kids running after balls, or maybe just involves chasing after the balls - I've never put it to the test. He's as far removed from the wriggle-butt marshmallow dog as you can imagine. Needless to say... I don't let him off the leash under these circumstances.

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Juno: I luurrrves all people young or old and would like to cuddle you all, I hate the garbage truck who is *definitely* stealing our stuff, I loathe and fear all skateboards and know it is my duty to bark you down.

 

Daisy: I love everyone I know well and who is therefore in my honorary pack, but I would prefer if people I've only met three or four times or who are big tall men with hats would pretend I am invisible and *not, yes never, never* touch me, although you are always welcome to throw my frisbee and, in fact, all you athletic young surfers encountered on the beach, would you please bend over, pick up the frisbee that I have deposited conveniently at your feet, and give it a really long throw for me, which my food lady seems unable to do competently.

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