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ambs83 · Jan 8, 2010, 11:47 PM

My dog is afraid of men and children. I have had her since she was 6 weeks old and she has never been hurt or anything by either. She warms up to females easier. She barks constantly at them and it takes a while for a man to be able to be around her without her barking and scaring them. Any ideas on how to rid or tone this behaviour?

shazamataz · Jan 9, 2010, 01:40 AM

How old is she now?

I have a female here who has always been very wary of people, especially men.
And I can guarantee that nothing has ever happened to her as my parents bred her.
Her mother had a fantastic temperament, she was afraid of nothing and no-one but her father was rather timid, it was the main reason he was pulled from the show ring.

No amount of socialising can ever cure a dog with an inherited bad temperament but it can be improved with some dogs.

I would suggest going to obedience classes or even just regular visits to the park so she can get used to being around people.

Now I'm not saying that a few trips to the park and she will be a lot better, it may take months or even years for her temperament to improve.
My girl is almost 3 years old now and she has only just started coming out of her shell.

Sariss · Jan 9, 2010, 07:35 AM

Was she around men or children as a young puppy at all?
Sometimes if they are not socialized enough with certain things, they become fearful of them.

Just Dahlia · Jan 10, 2010, 04:09 PM

I had a pup "Bob" from a puppy (Bassett) who was scared of dark people, tall people and people with deep voices. My son is tall and deep voiced, so it was always a problem. Once he came in and sat down everything was OK, but he was around the house a lot. I think it might just be the pup, not anything that happened:)

shazamataz · Jan 10, 2010, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by Just Dahlia

I had a pup "Bob" from a puppy (Bassett) who was scared of dark people, tall people and people with deep voices. My son is tall and deep voiced, so it was always a problem. Once he came in and sat down everything was OK, but he was around the house a lot. I think it might just be the pup, not anything that happened:)

Yeah mine are OK if the male comes in the house and sits down... they stop barking at them but they are still wary for a while.

When we moved into this house one of our friends came to visit and we were out in the shed, both dogs ran up and jumped all over him, they loved him.
The next time he came over they were scared of him, it was very strange.
Now that they recognise him they are fine.

Just Dahlia · Jan 10, 2010, 09:49 PM

Originally Posted by shazamataz

Yeah mine are ok if the male comes in the house and sits down... they stop barking at them but they are still wary for a while.

When we moved into this house one of our friends came to visit and we were out in the shed, both dogs ran up and jumped all over him, they loved him.
The next time he came over they were scared of him, it was very strange.
Now that they recognise him they are fine.

Yes it's very strange, can't figure it out:eek:

ambs83 · Jan 11, 2010, 07:22 PM

Thanks guys... was hoping there was more to do but just trucking I guess. She is getting a bit quicker as we learn what works best with her.

shazamataz · Jan 11, 2010, 07:29 PM

It's all a learning curve.
There is never a black and white answer with behavioural problems as every dog is different and responds to different training methods.

What works for mine might not work for yours.
We had a house warming party with about 20 people, that's what made my girl come out of her shell, just a great barrage of people.
Whereas yours might respond better to one-on-one contact, just try a few different things and see if you get a positive result from any of them.