bobmalina wrote 09/10/2006 11:17 AM barks at strangers #113491 - 09/10/2006 11:17 AM
bobmalina Webboard User Reg: 07-31-2006 Posts: 2 Loc: Offline	My 8 mo old German Shep will bark at strangers, especially if they make eye contact. If a stranger allows, when I loosen the lead and let him sniff out the person, he acts fine..just sniffs them out and does not act aggressive. What is this behavior telling me ? We have tried to take him to places where there are many people but this behavior is stifiling this. He has been going to obedieance trainig class and does the commands well. Any suggestions ? thanks, Bob
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John Aiton wrote 09/10/2006 01:48 PM Re: barks at strangers [Re: bobmalina ] #113492 - 09/10/2006 01:48 PM
John Aiton Webboard User Reg: 09-23-2005 Posts: 331 Loc: Glasgow, Scotland Offline	sounds like weak nerves. I'd continue to socialize him as much as possible and give a heafty correction when he displays this behaviour towards a stranger. Also don't go out of your way to let people pet your dog, justg ignore them and don't let your dog eye them up (stalk them) too long as this will build the fear and suspision I think. I may be wrong, not having seen your dog, but it sounds very similar to many other issues people, myself included, have had. Keep working on the socialization. John
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Kristine Velasco wrote 09/10/2006 02:29 PM Re: barks at strangers [Re: John Aiton ] #113493 - 09/10/2006 02:29 PM
Kristine Velasco Webboard User Reg: 11-27-2005 Posts: 297 Loc: Offline	My dog will go for strangers if they make eye contact with him as well. He is not weak-nerved. You need only see the things I can get him to do to know this. I correct him or warn him when he shows signs of wanting to go for someone. He will stop but he will continue to watch them. If I need him to be around someone for an extended length of time without him getting set off, I let them offer him food on command and he's okay with them (no touching or anything though).
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Carol Boche wrote 09/10/2006 03:43 PM Re: barks at strangers [Re: bobmalina ] #113494 - 09/10/2006 03:43 PM
Carol Boche Webboard User Reg: 10-30-2005 Posts: 4531 Loc: South Dakota, USA Offline	Okay. I have a queston on this...Could it possibly be that the handler is anticipating the behaviour and is "getting tight" themselves, therefore making the dog get "tense" also? I have learned that if the handler knows what is coming and "readies" themselves for it then the dog will behave accordingly. Am I wrong here? I ask this only because they state, "When I loosen the lead and let him sniff out the person he acts just fine..just sniffs them out and does not act aggressive". I would agree that the dog needs more socialization but not huge groups of people at a time, my bloodhound is social but will get touchy when in big groups. I also agree that you should not let every person "pet" the dog. My dogs (BH and a Mali) have been taught to ignore, but they also behave when a stranger approaches (by behave, I mean tolerate). They are search dogs and are friendly when we are working and they "find" their victim, but they are "working" dogs and are not particularly fond of people approaching and mauling them. Until The Tale of the Lioness is told, the Story will Always Glorfy the Hunter
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bobmalina wrote 09/10/2006 05:43 PM Re: barks at strangers [Re: Carol Boche ] #113495 - 09/10/2006 05:43 PM
bobmalina Webboard User Reg: 07-31-2006 Posts: 2 Loc: Offline	Perhaps you are on to something here. IWhen I sense a situation coming such as someone walking very fast directly towards us, they may be swinging their arms or gesturing and talkiing. I may tighten the lead at that time and he is picking up the tension ??? I will keep socializing him and see if he inproves. He is not dog aggressive at all, very calm around dogs at obedience class. Also when friends come over that he has met , he is very friendly.
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Elaine Haynes wrote 09/11/2006 03:39 AM Re: barks at strangers [Re: bobmalina ] #113496 - 09/11/2006 03:39 AM
Elaine Haynes Webboard User Reg: 08-16-2005 Posts: 1221 Loc: Offline	It sounds as if your, very understandable tension, is being transmitted down the lead to your dog. One thing that may help you overcome this is to teach your dog to wear a basket-style muzzle by associating it with rewards and good things such as walks. If you know that your dog can't bite someone it should help you to stay relaxed in those situations. Then your dog will pick up on this and you can distract him by having him do something such as "doggy pushups" and praising/rewarding that behavior. "A dog wags his tail with his heart." Max Buxbaum
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John Aiton wrote 09/11/2006 04:48 AM Re: barks at strangers [Re: Carol Boche ] #113497 - 09/11/2006 04:48 AM
John Aiton Webboard User Reg: 09-23-2005 Posts: 331 Loc: Glasgow, Scotland Offline	Quote: Okay. I have a queston on this...Could it possibly be that the handler is anticipating the behaviour and is "getting tight" themselves, therefore making the dog get "tense" also? I have learned that if the handler knows what is coming and "readies" themselves for it then the dog will behave accordingly. Am I wrong here? Absolutley agree! I have personal experience of this with my dog! When I changed my attitude and perception of what was happening and TOOK MORE CONTROL over the situation the dog was noticably better when I behaved better! One thing that helped me was when strangers aproached I would position myself so they were to my right, with the dog on my left, not caring if I put them out or they had to move to accomodate me! John
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Mike Arnold wrote 09/11/2006 06:14 AM Re: barks at strangers [Re: bobmalina ] #113498 - 09/11/2006 06:14 AM
Mike Arnold Webboard User Reg: 07-09-2004 Posts: 1344 Loc: CNY Offline	Mike A. "I wouldn't touch that dog, son. He don't take to pettin." Hondo, played by John Wayne
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Mike J Schoonbrood wrote 09/11/2006 07:41 AM Re: barks at strangers [Re: Mike Arnold ] #113499 - 09/11/2006 07:41 AM
Mike J Schoonbrood Webboard User Reg: 04-30-2005 Posts: 2784 Loc: Toronto, ON Offline	You need to read a dogs body language before you can jump on the weak nerved bandwagon. Look at the ears, the forwardness, the tail position, the posture, where is the dog, at the end of the leash? Behind you? Could be many reasons for it.
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Mike Arnold wrote 09/11/2006 08:54 AM Re: barks at strangers [Re: Mike J Schoonbrood ] #113500 - 09/11/2006 08:54 AM
Mike Arnold Webboard User Reg: 07-09-2004 Posts: 1344 Loc: CNY Offline	Mike A. "I wouldn't touch that dog, son. He don't take to pettin." Hondo, played by John Wayne
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