Okay, this has been brought up in different posts rescently, but not addressed specifically. I am new to all this, along with other people I have seen posts by.
I see some places that socialization is good, "have as many people as you can pet your dog", then see "dont let anyone pet your dog."
So... should a 'stranger' be allowed to pet your dog?

If there are circumstances, what are they?

What is considered a stranger to a dog? People not in the immediate household? For instance, if a cousin or sister or friend of the family is over at the house, is he/she a 'stranger'?

Also, does it have anything to do wether its a puppy or adult?

Does it have to do with if its working dog or house pet?

What are is accomplished by not having or having strangers pet your dog.

Some of these are pretty basic questions, but after reading several posts with ties to this, I think it would be nice to get all of the questions taken care of in one post.

Thanks!

Socialisation means that the dog is at ease in different situations not that he has to be petted by strangers. Only people that know my dog from when he was a puppy are allowed to stroke him. With others, including family, i don't allow it. I don't want to take the risk that he will bite.


Greetings


Johan

Mike,
To clear up some confusion, you need to remember that *anyone* can post advice here on the forum, so you're going to get a lot of different opinions.
The advice you get from hard core protection owners regarding people touching their dogs ( usually a no no ) will vary from the advice given by an Agility handler who needs a social dog that can tolerate the crowding that is common at an Agility trial.

So it's falls onto you to decide what your goal is regarding your dog and search for advice that fits your needs and lifestyle.

Obviously I have ALOT to learn <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I need to remember that the dog having socialization doesnt necessarily mean physical. Any time he is around people, different places, animals etc, he is being socialized. Doesnt have to include something physical.

So in reply to protection trainers. A stranger, wether it be an a family friend or complete stranger, if I am thinking right, a stranger is a stranger to a dog, black and white there is no in the middle...a family friend that comes around on occasion or someone that you have never seen before, in a dogs world, they are BOTH strangers. Correct?

What is the reason for not allowing them to pet your dog? Is it simply so there is no chance he will bite, or is it deeper than that?


Thanks for the replies!!

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So... should a 'stranger' be allowed to pet your dog?

Mike,
I'd say it depends on the dog, and your goals for the dog. Just like with people, some dogs really don't care to be touched by strangers. The degree of revulsion may vary. His attitude about being petted by strangers might also change, depending on location, circumstances, how "different" the stranger might be, time of day, position of the mooon....you name it.

Having experience with a dog who wasn't wild about it, but *tolerated* it, I'd never make a dog tolerate it again. At age 2 1/2 he found a way to deal with it on his own. Since he didn't trust ME to keep strangers away from him, he eventually took matters into his own hands by exhibiting behavior such that only a lunatic with a death wish would ever want to come near. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

If the dog doesn't care, and is not a service dog (or there is some other reason why strangers should NOT pet him), then it is totally up to you, as there is generally no harm in it. Just allow for the fact that one day the dog might not mind, and the next he will, and go with the flow.

T

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What is the reason for not allowing them to pet your dog? Is it simply so there is no chance he will bite, or is it deeper than that?

I'm new to this as well, but *my* understanding was that with a protection dog, you don't want him being 'friendly,' so to speak, with every stranger on the streets. You want him to remain somewhat aloof and indifferent to people, unless they are an obvious threat to you. It really has nothing to do with any chances that he might bite or not - it's just so that he doesn't want the attention of other people.

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What is the reason for not allowing them to pet your dog? Is it simply so there is no chance he will bite, or is it deeper than that?



Thanks for the replies!!

Taking the safe side is the reason behind it.

a)A dog can inflict a lot of damage.
b)Not all people know how to interact with and/or read a dog.
c) A stranger may do something that can be falsly interpreted by the dog which in turn can result in his training kicking in.

Greetings


Johan

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c) A stranger may do something that can be falsly interpreted by the dog which in turn can result in his training kicking in.

Or even just instinct....
I was sitting ringside at a conformation show with my male Briard. We'd been there for some time, relaxing, waiting for some friends of mine to show their dogs. He's a big black gorgeous hairy animal, so people are always approaching us. I allow children to pet him, but no adults (he likes kids, not grownups....works for me!). Everyone was quite respectful.

One man asked, very politely, if he could take his picture, and I said "sure!". No sooner did he snap the picture, that he leaned *over my shoulder* and yelled "woof" right in my dog's face.

Well, it was lucky for that man (and my liability insurance) that I had a 12" traffic lead on my dog, because he launched at him with the full intent of relieving the man of his facial features...his big fat stupid mouth, in particular.

Thankfully, the people around us saw what an ass the man was, and didn't blame the dog one bit, but we had to leave, as my dog's recovery from stuff like this (especially in an environment that is already busy and stressful) is NOT rapid.

*That* is the kind of idiocy that strangers can pull on your dog.

Tracy

Like I had a friend tell me last wk, if someone wants to pet a dog, tell them to get their own.

Ed explains this very well in his working puppy video, its well worth the price