my doberman puppy is 4 months old. he likes to bark at people when they get too close to our apartment, but when were in the park to play he just looks at them and watches. Ive been working with him on ignoring people when were in the park so that i can have his full attention.

He lately has taken to barkin and raising the hair on the back of his neck when someone goes by the apartment, and sometimes even runs after them. How can i get him to stay put? And when they pass by the apartment, he barks but as they get closer he runs away and cowers. How do i stop him from being afraid?
I want him to be a confident dog and a true doberman when he's an adult.

Any suggestions???

 Quote:

Rane Wilson ~ And when they pass by the apartment, he barks but as they get closer he runs away and cowers. How do i stop him from being afraid?

Hi Rane welcome to the board

It sounds like your pup has weak nerves, and unfortunately it is in his genetic make-up. There is probably nothing you can do to stop him from being afraid, but by setting up training scenarios you might help him deal with it better.

You could have tested this pup (for this weakness in nerves) when he was 8 weeks old, if that is when you got him.

thanks for the advice.

its only certain people that he runs away from. other people he greets. for the most part he stands by me, in front of or sometimes to the side, sometimes he'll stand behind me as if he's not so sure. its kind of strange. im not really understanding if he's pickin up on personalities or if its just something in their appearance thats sending him a strange vibe or something. not quite sure...do you think he will outgrow it?

Well, just try and keep all experiences positive with strange people.

Usually a pup that has weak nerves, grows into a dog with weak nerves.

ok. i will.

i hope he grows out of it

Thanks

Rane,

What training are you doing with your pup? Have you tried marker training? Very easy, very positive, and really engages your dog mentally. I would encourage you give this some consideration as I think it would allow you to POSITIVELY mark the moments your dog is not responding negatively to an approaching person (as an example.) Giving YOURSELF a plan on how you are going to handle these encounters will help prevent the dog picking up on any anxiety you might be feeling as these situtations present themselves... you will soon (if not already) begin to tense up when you see people coming because you are concerned how the pup might respond, and he in turn is picking up on your body language which could be telling him "this is making my dad nervous - something must be wrong" (okay, he is not really thinking in those terms, but you know what I mean!)

Some things are genetic and perhaps not able to be changed, but I think at this age, with the right, consistent training with a calm, assertive "pack leader" the dog can learn that YOU are in control and he does not need to fear non-threatening encounters. My recommendation is to not wait and hope he grows out of it - get proactive and take the training into your own hands! It will help increase your bond with the dog and open up a whole new way of teaching and interacting with your pup.

There is a lot of free info on this site about marker training and some great dvds you can order.

Good luck!

Barb

ok great! thank you

i do use marker training but hes still getting used to it. he hasnt really hid from anyone or anything like that in the last few days but im still concerned.

ill keep working on the marker training.

do you think i should introduce him to the people he cowers from to show him he shouldnt be afraid?

I would really keep up the positive yet neutral interactions with people as often as you can.

It made a huge difference with my husky when he was a pup. I went through tons of hot dogs and cheese sticks, but he is now a mostly neutral but happy to greet and meet new people dog.

I agree; keep it neutral while you are building this relationship and nailing the marker training. As he becomes more confident in you as his pack leader and you get more confident/proficient at the marker training, then you can begin to expose him to more and more "challenging" situations. Keep in mind we all have to walk before we can run... this pup is telling you he is a bit insecure about strangers, so build up his confidence in comfortable, fun, non-threatening ways, then increase the distractions. Begin with working in a non-distracting, quiet environment. Then, once he is comfortable with a particular skill, add TINY distractions... maybe go out in his own back yard. Little by little, add people at a distance, but not approaching, etc... It really will work, just take small baby steps and continue to reinforce you being the leader and the fact that learning is fun and results in GREAT treats when he is concentrating on you.

As much as i dont like Barbara right now, she is bidding against me, I agree with her 100%. a weak nerved dog will always have weak nerves for the most part. HOWEVER, with a strong leader your dog could learn to not respond to NON-THREATENING situations. I am not sure your dog will ever have strong nerves and be able to do anytype of protection but for 99% of people a "bad ass" lookinig dog is enough to deter people. So if you are wanting a good house dog, with good training you should be set, if you want a deter dog you will be fine WITH GOOD gTRAINING, if you want a top sports dog or dog that will engage a threat, you may be wanting to look for another dog. Best advise i can give is the same as everyone else has given, lots of praise and positive reenforcement. good luck