it cannot see you? Some people say the dog should regocognize your scent, others say their dogs will bark at them until they see them.

This could depend on a dog's temperament, on certain physical traits ( acuity of hearing and scent ), and even on environmental factors ( wind direction, for example ).

So many factors could make a difference here that even the same dog that *does* bark as you've described may not bark if just one factor is changed.

Thanks Will, I have seen both from my dogs so that fits with what you say...

We had a severe thunder storm one night and we lost power. It was just me and the two dogs in the upstairs bed room with candles as they both are big babies when it comes to thunder. My husband went outside to make sure the windows in the cars were up, when my male heard some one coming up the stairs he ran barking down the hall at the sound until he recognized my husband at which point he tried to apply the brakes but was unsuccessful resulting in a minor collision - followed by some fast low walkin back to me in the bed room...it was interesting

I sure am not anything like Will when it comes to knowing dogs but I don't see a problem with it. My lab will bark if she doesn't recognize a person, even if she knows him. Generally once she gets close enough for a good look or the person identifies himself by calling out she settles down. It has never been a problem. I don't want to discourage her because I want her to bark when she feels something is out of place, until I tell her to shut up, that is. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

all i can add is, that will's right. my dogs bark at me if i pull up in an unfamiliar vehicle until i talk or they scent me. they do the same with people they *know*, again usually until they hear a voice or scent the person. and that's FINE by me. heck, my 6-mo old came out into the dark livingroom this a.m., with me stumbling along behind aiming for the microwave and coffee, started raising heck at "???", scared ME awake, then figured out it was just some trick of the light or something, and shut up.

dogs'll do that weird stuff sometimes--and i'd just as soon they did it to be honest--better safe than sorry. i've had the Dobie (who sounds like the Hound of the Baskervilles) wake me at 2 a.m. over some coyotes/deer/possum/whatever, and i've had my muttly labX raise cain and alert me to the fact that someone was in my garage stealing (as it turned out) a welder and a chain saw. i'd rather wake up for that than sleep through a bad guy.

i like (and need) my dogs a little sharp. anyway, JMO. i think your dog's reaction was ok...

The only time my dog actually showed a little hesitation about me was when I had my hair straightened.
My hair is naturally curly and I decided to have it straightened one day. And i know I looked totally different and probably didn't smell normal either considering I had just been at a hair salon.
He didn't bark though. He heard my key in the door, I opened the door and he was coming up the stairs to greet me...and he stopped at about the 4th stair and just stared at me for a bit.....I didn't want to freak him out so I said his name and as soon as he heard my voice he finished coming up the stairs.
I've had my hair straightened since then, but that was the only time he did it.

In case you're interested in another experience...here's my 2 cents. My dog doesn't recognize me more often than I would have expected. I always thought it was strange, that he should recognize me or pick up the scent or both. But he doesn't seem to. For example just this morning my dog was outside by himself and was wandering around our backyard looking for a place to bury his bone. I came out onto our patio (unbeknowst to him) and stood on the wall of the patio; something I NEVER do. When he came onto the patio and saw me he stopped dead in his tracks and stared at me for what seemed like an eternity. He did not take his eyes off me. I stared right back and him, didn't move and didn't make a sound. I guess after about 15 (long) seconds he barked at me and came running at me.

It was at this point I spoke and said his name. He instantly wagged his tail and greeted me as if to say, "Oh good it's you. I thought I was going to have to kick some ass this morning"!

So the whole thing to me was very strange because I was only about 30 feet away from him. Even if he can't get a whiff of me, can't he recognize my form, my face, anything?

As a side note, I told him good boy for that fact that he barked at me when he didn't recognize me.

i've found that if a dog sights something out of place in a known place, they alert to it (remember how pups react to weird things during socialization??). and that's how it should be: in their world, something out of place could easily be a threat to THEIR well-being (a dog-eating monster), or it could be something good to eat. but until they KNOW WHAT it is, a good defense is the best offense. right?

i've had a dog *not know* me when i've had a shower and washed/replaced my natural scent away (and don't take this wrong--i DO shower daily; this was a young dog who never reacted after that first time <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.

remember what they are, instinctually. surprise will get a *gut* reaction from them. which is why we TRAIN <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

As Anne said it's anything out of place around here.

My Mal never barks at me, does bark at my husband(even though she loves him). Matter of fact, she almost bit him the other day. Winnie was asleep in the living room, husband takes a shower and comes walking out in a new pair of Crocs. She goes into full alert,barking, snarling, teeth showing, stiff-legged, hair standing, got within 2ft of his bare legs before she realized it was him. Of course, she was embarrassed afterwards....and he had to go change his underwear <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. It was just the sound of new shoes that she had never heard in the house.

She is a sharp dog so it is hard for anything new to go un-noticed!

Regards,

Debbie -

You made me laugh!!! My husband was totally NOT phased by my Buddy charging him...it would have phased me as Buddy is 47 lbs of sheer APBT muscle, instead Buddy was not only embarrassed but I think he came crawling back to me like "I am about to be in big trouble...right?" My husband entered the bed room and asked the dog if he had lost his "pea" brain then laughed!!!! At this point the dog relaxed. It is so interesting to see different behaviors. My female Am Staff stayed glued to my side because of the thunder....thank goodness it was not a bad guy and it was just her <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />