the first few days I had Pisa, she would growel and bark a few times when my better half would either come into the shop or out side near me and Pisa.
so I had her give Pisa a few pets each time this happened over the next few days, as well my parents got to pet her(they were not happy about a rotti), all this in the first week I had her, just those three people, those few times.
for the last 5 weeks every one has ignored her, and we,ve been around lots of people who understand why.

Still, Pisa wants to go up to every one we pass, at home or in the city, she pulls pretty hard trying to follow any one.Just this afternoon, we were in town walking around a park on the paths, and a very polite boy(about 10 or 11) came and asked if he could pet my puppy, and I explained she was a working puppy and couldn't be petted, and thanked him for asking, he politly said ok and went back to the play area he was in, and wow, Pisa wanted to follow him


Will she out grow this, or have I set us up for struggles later ?

 Quote: Dave Owen

Just this afternoon, we were in town walking around a park on the paths, and a very polite boy(about 10 or 11) came and asked if he could pet my puppy, and I explained she was a working puppy and couldn't be petted, and thanked him for asking, he politly said ok and went back to the play area he was in, and wow, Pisa wanted to follow him

What did you do? I mean while she was wanting to follow the kid? Were you pulling her away? Were you calling her away? Were you ignoring it? And how did she respond to all of this besides wanting the kid?

I ask because the correct response at her age would be to REALLY get her attention and SERIOUSLY reward her for ignoring the boy and choosing to follow you instead.

If she likes food, use the yummy-est. If she likes a toy, use her favorite.

The best scenario would be to set it up as many times as you can in a controlled area, like in front of a slowish grocery store where people are not expecting to pet a dog and you can get as close or as far away as is needed to keep her attentive to the reward you are willing to offer her. So if ten feet from a stranger is too distracting, but fifteen is interesting but a treat is MORE interesting, then go with fifteen to twenty feet away.

Work on asking her for attention at home as well. Use markers to show her that watching you is rewarded, but be careful NOT to ask her for attention around distractions until she is ready for that. Instead, just say her name and be exciting (jump up and down maybe?) and reward her for choosing to hang out with you instead.

So again, what were you doing on that walk to be MORE exciting than the boy?

I was calling her, quite goofishly while bouncing and giving a light tug on her line each time I said her name, while backing away from her, her wanting to follow was short lived, she did come for a treat and we carried on with our walking