Hey so, got this 3-year-old adopted GSD Willow (most of you probably know her story by now). She's really aloof with strangers, which I guess is not super unusual for a GSD. But I've had to take her with me to work on weekends for the last 4 weekends--I'm a wildlife biologist and operate a busy big game check station during hunting season, where I have 1-5 student volunteers helping me, not to mention hundreds of hunters coming by.
Willow has been pretty good at the check station overall; has not shown any signs of aggression, but definitely barks or slinks away when she's not comfortable with people. She's just really weird though--she'll be fine with one of my volunteers petting her one second, then slinks away from them the next. I do think she's getting better and better the more she's exposed to new people, but don't know if she'll ever really "come round" to accepting strangers.
The really weird thing that I can't really explain happened for the first time this weekend. I was taking a break and tossing balls/sticks around for Willow in the field behind the check station, and she was having a grand old time. One of my volunteers came over (who had been there all day and been friendly off and on with Willow), and I gave her the ball to throw. The first time she threw it, Willow acted a bit uncertain but still went and got it, and returned the ball to me (kinda...I had to take it from her, which is normal). I handed it back to the volunteer and this time Willow immediately went bonkers, barking and barking at her, then refusing to go get the ball after it was thrown.
This happened twice, with two different people on different days.
I would think playing would be a good way to break the ice with new people, but...what the heck IS this? Possessiveness? Insecurity? Frustration? Confusion? Do you think this is something that will go away if I keep trying it, or with more time...? I've had her for about 11 weeks now (our 3-month gotcha-versary will be November 26).
I just really wish there was some way I could get her to trust people, especially because she's going to HAVE to be in other people's care when I go on vacation in a few months. And what really keeps stumping me is how easy she was with me when I first got her; she never really showed any hesitation or fear to me personally, from the moment I took the leash from her previous owner. Never barked at me, always came to me when I called, came to me for reassurance when she was scared by other things. Maybe because I was all she had, and she recognized that?
Willow has been pretty good at the check station overall; has not shown any signs of aggression, but definitely barks or slinks away when she's not comfortable with people. She's just really weird though--she'll be fine with one of my volunteers petting her one second, then slinks away from them the next. I do think she's getting better and better the more she's exposed to new people, but don't know if she'll ever really "come round" to accepting strangers.
The really weird thing that I can't really explain happened for the first time this weekend. I was taking a break and tossing balls/sticks around for Willow in the field behind the check station, and she was having a grand old time. One of my volunteers came over (who had been there all day and been friendly off and on with Willow), and I gave her the ball to throw. The first time she threw it, Willow acted a bit uncertain but still went and got it, and returned the ball to me (kinda...I had to take it from her, which is normal). I handed it back to the volunteer and this time Willow immediately went bonkers, barking and barking at her, then refusing to go get the ball after it was thrown.
This happened twice, with two different people on different days.
I would think playing would be a good way to break the ice with new people, but...what the heck IS this? Possessiveness? Insecurity? Frustration? Confusion? Do you think this is something that will go away if I keep trying it, or with more time...? I've had her for about 11 weeks now (our 3-month gotcha-versary will be November 26).
I just really wish there was some way I could get her to trust people, especially because she's going to HAVE to be in other people's care when I go on vacation in a few months. And what really keeps stumping me is how easy she was with me when I first got her; she never really showed any hesitation or fear to me personally, from the moment I took the leash from her previous owner. Never barked at me, always came to me when I called, came to me for reassurance when she was scared by other things. Maybe because I was all she had, and she recognized that?