Hello,
My husband I and adopted a Boxador puppy last Saturday (08/06/11). He is a cuttie, and the day we adopted him from a rescue group at PetSmart, he seemed to be ok with people around him. He was very quiet, but not shy nor nervous - just a cute puppie. He's been doing very well in his ex-pen, with marker training, and he is slowly getting used to the crate at night (his whining and crying have significantly shortened).
When we took him for a walk in the neigborhood the first day we adopted him,he refused to walk and simply plopped on the ground. We didnt push it and kept it minimal. since then he significantly improved. Two days later he was leading the leash. lol He seemed more confident and excited about the surroundings.
However, I noticed two days ago that he isnt too fond of strangers. He gets shy and keeps his "guard on", basically walks around with the fair amount of distance. Last night when two teenagers kept walking in front us, he basically walked behind me and kept the distance, and if we got too close to the teenagers he would pause walking and then start again when encouraged by me. I try to pass the two strangers and picked him but he seemed very tense and almost ready to charge.
Later during the same long walk a family of two was approaching with a stroller; he did the same thing; he paused, kept distance and even immitated the barking/growling sound.

Is he being scared or aggresive? careful of strangers? protective of his pack leaders?
he stopped during the walk, focused totally on me and run between my legs hiding his face. (poor thing)

I dont understand this sudden change. He was wagging his tail, welcoming everyone just 6 days ago and now he is very wary of starngers. Hmmm...

As always, if Anyone has any suggestion on the topic, my husband and I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks.

Start clicker training him.All answers to your questions lie with a clicker.

It does not matter what he feels and why he is not doing some thing. What really matters is how to make him do what you want him to. You click him for even the slightest interest in a stranger or ignoring a stranger and pretty soon all this will be a thing of the past. Encouraging him verbally etc will not work too well. Get a clicker, a bait bag and some cheesy treats and start clicking.

I'm very glad you're marker training!

Ramachandran is right about marker work keeping the pup focused on you.

The puppy is very new to you, too, so I would place myself confidently between the puppy and any "scary" stranger and keep on moving, not "soothing" him or giving much notice to anything that seems to worry him.

You can do upbeat marker basic ob at a non-reactive distance from whatever worries him, and he will learn that that thing over there is nothing, and his job is right here with you, his leader and protector and source of yumbo rewards.

But at this point, only a few days in, I might not be placing much importance on a little hesitation. I definitely would not act hesitant myself, and I'd be upbeat, tall-walking, calm, and in charge. I would have put some air between us and the teenagers, probably, but calmly, unhurriedly, etc. (And I would not allow strangers to loom or touch or anything else at this point, but it doesn't sound like you are doing that.)

Have fun!

How old is your puppy, Anna?

I found these free videos to be very helpful:

http://leerburg.com/flix/videodesc.php?id=239

That is the link to the first one...there are two others.

thanks so much for all responses...


Melissa, Optimus is about 17 weeks old...hard to be sure..he's been rescued and the vet evaluated him for 17 weeks.
thanks for the videos.. I dont see him reacting his way to the kids..I sense that this reaction might be strictly reserved for adults/tall teenagers (lol).
He's fine with another puppy on the street and he didnt mind the owner of the puppy at that time.
I loved the videos. Thank you. The hardest part will be to find a stranger who would be willing to work on/rehearse the part when the dog can focus on me and food instead. lol
But I'm sure I'll get there. Hard work pays off...

yay...the image signature worked..

This is our Boxador (Optimus Prime).

OT from the stranger danger discussion: what a face awesome

 Quote: anna varanasi

The hardest part will be to find a stranger who would be willing to work on/rehearse the part when the dog can focus on me and food instead. lol

You can also set this up in a different way. Example: you are marker-training with food near people doing stuff but not near enough for the dog to react (not near enough to make the dog refuse food).

I think folks here will offer suggestions for setting this up. I have been at the edge of the field when the high schoolers were having football practice, for example (meaning out of the way, towards where the spectators are, NOT drawing people towards us by being conspicuous because that's the opposite of what I want), or on the grassy verge of a parking lot edge, or in our side yard however far I needed to be from passersby to start outside the reactive zone.

It's another way of focusing the dog on me rather than the strangers who the dog would react to if they were closer.

Then I only slowly, gradually, never triggering the reactivity, decrease our distance.

This also accomplishes the positive food-working with the dog "around" but not confronted by the scary strangers.

Also keep in mind that you've only had him a week--and everything is new to him. Things that "scare" him this week may very well not with the next exposure. Just keep taking him out into the world and exposing him to as many new sights and sounds as you can; never coddling fear, but not forcing interactions that are causing trepidation.

He is a very cute puppy!