My 7 month old Giant Schnauzer has started unpredictably growling and barking at people, do you have any suggestions?

I would not let people pet her, at all. You are taking a nervous and unconfident young dog and then putting her in situations that she’s trying to tell you she’s unsure of. This will only serve to stress her more and be MORE likely to bite someone. Adding corrections just confirms in her mind that this is a bad situation. She gets worried and then gets punished for being worried which only amplifies the response. She’ll learn to NOT growl or warn of her worries because she’ll fear correction. This won’t change her state of mind, but will cause her to shut down the warning system she’s using right now (growling/barking) Dogs like this are often classified as “biting without warning” because the owner has unknowingly taught the dog to NOT use a warning.



There is really no reason I can see to have strangers touch any of my dogs, and honestly most people don’t know how to behave correctly around a dog that doesn’t have issues. I’d do her a favor and teach her to be neutral by first keeping people out of her “bubble.” I’ve helped a number of people with dogs like yours teach the dog that they don’t have to like people they don’t know and that they can remain neutral because YOU will protect her from being put in a situation she isn’t comfortable with. This in itself serves to build confidence.



I’d recommend Pack Structure for the Family Pet. You can try using the search function on the website to find the answer to any additional questions. It is located in the left hand corner of every page on our website. Simply type in your search terms or key words and you will be directed to articles, question & answers, free streaming videos and posts on our forum.



Here’s one example of a question similar to yours http://leerburg.com/packstructure.htm#1



I hope this helps. Cindy