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Cause for Concern?

1K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  Moriah 
#1 ·
Yesterday we went on a family walk (wife, kids, nyla) and a little girl about the age of 9 said "aww a german shepherd may I please pet your dog".. No one has ever asked before and I told myself if someone did ask I would say no but this little girl asked so politely I just had to say yes (and also was curious to see how Nyla would respond to it).. so as the little girl extended her hand to pet Nyla... Nyla lunged away from the girl and the let out 2 really loud barks

I apologized to the little girl

she is 15 weeks is this normal gsd behavior at that age?

I read a post on here titled "I should have never let anyone pet my dog" or something like that.. so I guess my question here is.. should I start letting strangers pet her so she won't respond that way? or not
 
#2 ·
she is 15 weeks is this normal gsd behavior at that age?

I read a post on here titled "I should have never let anyone pet my dog" or something like that.. so I guess my question here is.. should I start letting strangers pet her so she won't respond that way? or not

It's not been normal behavior for any of my GSDs. They have always been friendly as puppies, and then ignored people as they got older, which is exactly what I want. Your dog never needs to have strangers pet her, but she does need to learn to be neutral. The barking is fear.
 
#3 ·
I would say "not normal." How much exposure to kids has your pup had so far? I would say there needs to be more, but obviously you have to find a way to do it safely.

When I take my puppy out, I always let people pet her. I make her sit calmly and then they can pet her. My dog is a family companion so I want her to be social to some degree.
 
#6 ·
How much exposure to kids has your pup had so far? I would say there needs to be more, but obviously you have to find a way to do it safely.
I have 4 kids.. ages 7, 4, 2, and 1... and they are all around her... how many stranger kids is she around? none.. I take her for walks often every day... no one ever asked to pet her until yesterday... she is fine with my own kids though

and she is fine with the groomers & cashiers at petsmart

we go for walks often but she don't interact with ppl other than the ones living in my house and the groomers at petsmart
 
#4 ·
For the time being don't force her to endure a stranger's touch.She may begin to fear anyone walking toward her and bark,growl,jump back defensively.Then it could progress to lunging at them to drive away what makes her afraid.

My Samson was exhibiting the exact behavior as your Nyla at the same age.At first I simply ignored it hoping it would fade away on it's own as he learned strangers would hand him treats and pet him.Big mistake!Then it took twice as long as it should have to teach him neutrality regarding strangers.
If I could have a do over I wouldn't let anyone touch him.Starting with the very first time he was reactive he would receive praise or treats for remaining calm and relaxed in the presence of strangers.
 
#5 ·
I would say it isn't ideal, but its what you've got. That whole don't pet or pet gets overly complicated sometimes. I just go by what the dogs temperament tells you. Your pup is on the insecure, intimidated end. Keep things comfortable for her, but don't avoid having her out and around stuff. Let her see the world and get used to it. At some point maybe she'll change her mind about attention from strangers, but you saw what overwhelms her, so I wouldn't try to force it.
 
#10 ·
This is a great idea for many dogs.But some dogs get tense at any attention from a stranger and will refuse treats.Just a heads up in case you give it try and she becomes even more uncomfortable.Hoping it works for you!
 
#12 ·
I did not want my puppy to pay attention to strangers out in public. But, I wanted him to have a positive experience seeing them in the park. So, when he saw another person, I threw treats on the ground. He looked at the person, then turned away looking at the ground for food. A very happy experience.

He is very good at the park now ignoring people, which is good, as parents are wary about GSDs, etc. He gives everyone a glance and looks away to continue his sniffing and tracking of wildlife smells, etc. Makes people relax to see that behavior of ignoring them.

Maybe throw treats on the ground and skip meeting people?
 
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