Does not like strangers in public places

S19977 · 10-23-2011, 09:44 PM

My 11 month old is great around my family, extended family and friends. My neighbors can even hop the fence and jump in the backyard and my dog does not mind, since he knows them. However, he is not nice to people he does not know. He barks, and (sometimes) growls.

I pulled up to my house last week and my friend was waiting for me in the driveway. My friend has never met my dog. My dog was with me in the car and went nuts. I got out of the car and I advised my friend to stay still and ignore the dog, and I allowed my dog to go right up to my friend. He smelled him and then went about his normal business. A few days later, my friend came over again and my dog was fine with him. This is pretty much how it goes. Once he knows you, he is great. My friend worked in the yard all day along side my GSD without issue. Note that he is in doggie daycare 4 or 5 days out of the week and gets along great with the staff. I've done everything I can think of to socialize him, since I've had him at 8weeks old.

However, it becomes an issue if I bring him anywhere public. I've been into the local petstore a few times. When the associates ignore him and help me, he is fine. He didn't like one of the male employees, but as soon as the male employee gave him a treat, he was fine. But if someone walks towards us too quickly, or walks towards him making a fuss ("Hi doggy!") , he does NOT like it. He gets aggressive and starts barking and lunging. I've stopped bringing him to public places for now. Is this a sign of bad nerves, bad training or both? Or is it just normal? I have walked away from people trying to approach my dog.

When he was 3-8 months, people used to approach him all the time and pet him and give him treats. It seems he stopped liking strangers overnight! (around 9 months old) Is this just a phase or something to watch? I don't want him to be a liability.

PaddyD · 10-23-2011, 09:50 PM

Aloof does not mean barking or growling. It means not interested. Your dog is not aloof. It is hard to tell whether it is shy/aggressive or just aggressive but it doesn't seem severe. It looks like you have it under control and it is not a concern at this time.
Just keep an eye on him and tell people to approach with caution, if at all.

**MaggieRoseLee** · 10-23-2011, 09:59 PM

Quote:

However, it becomes an issue if I bring him anywhere public. I've been into the local petstore a few times. When the associates ignore him and help me, he is fine. He didn't like one of the male employees, but as soon as the male employee gave him a treat, he was fine. But if someone walks towards us too quickly, or walks towards him making a fuss ("Hi doggy!") , he does NOT like it. He gets aggressive and starts barking and lunging. I've stopped bringing him to public places for now. Is this a sign of bad nerves, bad training or both? Or is it just normal? I have walked away from people trying to approach my dog

I would be VERY worried too if my dog started behaving like you described. Any time I have to start avoiding a situation, that means I need to figure out how to TRAIN it and fix it. Not continue to avoid.

Plus this sounds like a fear issue to me. So having a dog that is constantly on guard and fearful of scary stuff continuously cropping up would be EXTREMELY stressful to my dogs. And to me!

What are they suggesting in dog classes? Does the same situation occur in class? Your instructor and classmates able to help? I know that my dogs also can act oddly the first year or so when they go thru stages and the feedback and assistance from my classes is vital.

In the meantime, I'd go back to carrying treats and work out ways to get your dog comfortable again. This is NOT protection and not something a normal confident dog would be doing. So working on re-gaining the confidence in the world (and your leadership IN that world) is key.

Lucy Dog · 10-23-2011, 10:14 PM

Get that dog with some kind of trainer or reactive dog training class ASAP before he bites someone. Give him enough opportunities with the wrong guidance and he's going to eventually bite.

This is not normal behavior for any breed.

S19977 · 10-23-2011, 11:26 PM

When he was in obedience class, he was not like this at all. Like I said, this seems to have been something that changed suddenly. It started around the same time he was neutered, not sure if there's any correlation. He's been around lots of different people since he was young. People used to walk right up to him on the street, up until 2 months ago. The trainer/behaviorist is doing a home visit next week, but I thought I would ask here first.

**MaggieRoseLee** · 10-23-2011, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by S19977

When he was in obedience class, he was not like this at all. Like I said, this seems to have been something that changed suddenly. It started around the same time he was neutered, not sure if there's any correlation. He's been around lots of different people since he was young. People used to walk right up to him on the street, up until 2 months ago. The trainer/behaviorist is doing a home visit next week, but I thought I would ask here first.

The reason many of us take much more than one or two sessions of dog classes are due to the situation you are in. It's not uncommon that people/places they were fine dealing with at 6 months suddenly become the Scourge of Death to them at 11 months. Continuing in class continues the structure and guidance for the dogs, and allows us to have instant assistance when a new issue crops up.

S19977 · 10-23-2011, 11:39 PM

Yea he's been through 2 classes. But it's been almost 6 months since his last one though. I started him very young in obedience classes.

Do you normally do the same class twice? I have been actually thinking about it recently. I have been scratching my head trying to figure out why he is acting this way. He is a much better dog in every other way. No destruction around the house, more obedient and more focused. Just new found aggression toward strangers.

Lucy Dog · 10-23-2011, 11:43 PM

Might just be a genetic thing. Where did you get the puppy from? Did you meet the sire and dam? Were they good with strangers? Can you post a pedigree so maybe some of the pedigree experts can take a look?

As dogs grow, their minds do too. Some dogs with weaker nerves tend to be more nervous and reactive with the unknown no matter how much socialization and training you do.

Not trying to put you or your dog down and assuming it's nothing medical, but it sounds like you've got a dog with weak and unstable nerves. That's why he is this way.

S19977 · 10-23-2011, 11:58 PM

I got the dog from a breeder in Virginia. I did not meet the sire or dam. I will try and scan the pedigree, but really it is mostly just pet lines. His great grandparents and on, on both sides, were almost all Sch3.

I will see what the behaviorist says, he is the one that runs the obedience class as well.

Lucy Dog · 10-24-2011, 12:01 AM

Good idea with the behaviorist. Hopefully they can find ways to help you manage this type of behavior.

Just do your best to not even have the chance to bite anyone. If it bites someone, you're at risk of being sued and the dog being put down. Based on the way you described the dog, this is a very real possibility. Just something to keep in mind.

10-23-2011, 09:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
S19977 Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 105	Does not like strangers in public places My 11 month old is great around my family, extended family and friends. My neighbors can even hop the fence and jump in the backyard and my dog does not mind, since he knows them. However, he is not nice to people he does not know. He barks, and (sometimes) growls. I pulled up to my house last week and my friend was waiting for me in the driveway. My friend has never met my dog. My dog was with me in the car and went nuts. I got out of the car and I advised my friend to stay still and ignore the dog, and I allowed my dog to go right up to my friend. He smelled him and then went about his normal business. A few days later, my friend came over again and my dog was fine with him. This is pretty much how it goes. Once he knows you, he is great. My friend worked in the yard all day along side my GSD without issue. Note that he is in doggie daycare 4 or 5 days out of the week and gets along great with the staff. I've done everything I can think of to socialize him, since I've had him at 8weeks old. However, it becomes an issue if I bring him anywhere public. I've been into the local petstore a few times. When the associates ignore him and help me, he is fine. He didn't like one of the male employees, but as soon as the male employee gave him a treat, he was fine. But if someone walks towards us too quickly, or walks towards him making a fuss ("Hi doggy!") , he does NOT like it. He gets aggressive and starts barking and lunging. I've stopped bringing him to public places for now. Is this a sign of bad nerves, bad training or both? Or is it just normal? I have walked away from people trying to approach my dog. When he was 3-8 months, people used to approach him all the time and pet him and give him treats. It seems he stopped liking strangers overnight! (around 9 months old) Is this just a phase or something to watch? I don't want him to be a liability. Last edited by S19977; 10-23-2011 at 09:52 PM.

10-23-2011, 10:14 PM	#4 (permalink)
Lucy Dog Crowned Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Connecticut Posts: 5,180	Get that dog with some kind of trainer or reactive dog training class ASAP before he bites someone. Give him enough opportunities with the wrong guidance and he's going to eventually bite. This is not normal behavior for any breed. __________________ Paul

10-23-2011, 11:43 PM	#8 (permalink)
Lucy Dog Crowned Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Connecticut Posts: 5,180	Might just be a genetic thing. Where did you get the puppy from? Did you meet the sire and dam? Were they good with strangers? Can you post a pedigree so maybe some of the pedigree experts can take a look? As dogs grow, their minds do too. Some dogs with weaker nerves tend to be more nervous and reactive with the unknown no matter how much socialization and training you do. Not trying to put you or your dog down and assuming it's nothing medical, but it sounds like you've got a dog with weak and unstable nerves. That's why he is this way. __________________ Paul

10-24-2011, 12:01 AM	#10 (permalink)
Lucy Dog Crowned Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Connecticut Posts: 5,180	Good idea with the behaviorist. Hopefully they can find ways to help you manage this type of behavior. Just do your best to not even have the chance to bite anyone. If it bites someone, you're at risk of being sued and the dog being put down. Based on the way you described the dog, this is a very real possibility. Just something to keep in mind. __________________ Paul

10-23-2011, 09:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
PaddyD Banned Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: MassaCHEWsetts Posts: 5,222	Aloof does not mean barking or growling. It means not interested. Your dog is not aloof. It is hard to tell whether it is shy/aggressive or just aggressive but it doesn't seem severe. It looks like you have it under control and it is not a concern at this time. Just keep an eye on him and tell people to approach with caution, if at all.

10-23-2011, 11:26 PM	#5 (permalink)
S19977 Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 105	When he was in obedience class, he was not like this at all. Like I said, this seems to have been something that changed suddenly. It started around the same time he was neutered, not sure if there's any correlation. He's been around lots of different people since he was young. People used to walk right up to him on the street, up until 2 months ago. The trainer/behaviorist is doing a home visit next week, but I thought I would ask here first.

10-23-2011, 11:39 PM	#7 (permalink)
S19977 Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 105	Yea he's been through 2 classes. But it's been almost 6 months since his last one though. I started him very young in obedience classes. Do you normally do the same class twice? I have been actually thinking about it recently. I have been scratching my head trying to figure out why he is acting this way. He is a much better dog in every other way. No destruction around the house, more obedient and more focused. Just new found aggression toward strangers.

10-23-2011, 11:58 PM	#9 (permalink)
S19977 Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 105	I got the dog from a breeder in Virginia. I did not meet the sire or dam. I will try and scan the pedigree, but really it is mostly just pet lines. His great grandparents and on, on both sides, were almost all Sch3. I will see what the behaviorist says, he is the one that runs the obedience class as well.

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