Do You Trust People Your Dog Dosent Like?

[Whippetsmum]

Dogs are fast learners, a strong incident seems to over take previously learned rules, so if it's a threatening situation, evolution says to pay strong attention to anything resembling that episode, and ignore all the positive encounters experienced previously. It can take a lot to re learn to trust. It's not that they are psychic or anything.

Examples:

A relatives dog took a strong dislike for her boyfriend at the time.....just before the boyfriend had a psychotic breakdown. The dog probably had been on the receiving end of odd behaviour from him- so a learned behaviour. She never really trusted him again, even though she had been ok with him until that point.

An old GSD of ours hated anyone with a uniform, but that was definately a learned behaviour - he got kicked during a break in, the police thought the perpetrator had worn a uniform to look like they were supposed to be there, e.g a meter reader, so uniform to him meant to expect a kicking. He never trusted any uniform again- police, electricity and phone people. My dad's work overalls were Ok though.

Our dogs were fine with any kids until an incident where a few child-ferals forced their way into our house when we had ducked up the road and basically held our 12 year old son hostage........the kids ransacked the pantry and fridge, and demanded my son make them lunch (almost funny now). The dogs learned not to trust neighbourhood kids, a learned behaviour appropriate to that one stressful and threatening situation. They are hypervigilant and on edge when they meet new kids. They are slowly unlearning their hyper vigilance as they get to know the "right" kids again, they will snuggle up to kids they know well, and are fine with little kids, but not 8-12 year olds they don't know. They have a rule they apply- don't trust until proven not to be a threat.

[Lando's Mum]

I think they have a great sense about people. Lando is very stand offish with people to begin with but generally warms up to everyone given the chance. But she won't have a bar of my housemates girlfriend. We know exactly when she is here because Lando goes and hides or comes right underneath my legs. Won't go near the woman and makes sure she is always in a different room.

The girlfriend is an absolute idiot and causing so many issues for my Boyfriend and me. Not sure if Lando picks up on our reactions or it's a sense, the other dog in the house loves the girlfriend and goes straight to her as soon as she walks in the door. So we always say Lando has a great sense for bad people.

[Papillon Kisses]

My dearly departed papillon: absolutely. He had excellent instincts.

My current rescue bitza: no, not really. He has a fear of big burly men in particular and will respond by darting around and barking at them if they come toward him. He will come around if they are respectful, non-threatening and give him time and space (while I redirect his behaviour), but I wouldn't necessarily trust his initial judgement.

That said, we can easily use how people treat our dogs as a guide to their character. A person who is afraid of or allergic to dogs is one thing. A person who deliberately scares, teases and is cruel towards a dog is another. Such as when I tell someone not to, say, lunge and bark at my fearful dog because although you think it is terribly funny, you are reinforcing his fear and undoing all our hard work.

[espinay2]

I trust my dogs judgement implicitly. They have been proven right before. But then my breed is known for its excellent judgement in this respect.

What is yOur breed? Dogs are excellent at reading body language so sometimes they pick up on badies, however they often judge people with extreme fear (clanking up, staring etc) as bad sorts too.

I make decisions around who comes and goes in my house - not my dogs

In my signature block. Pyrenean Mountain Dog. Generally don't react to fear as quite a few can find them imposing and they are used to people staring (they get stared at a LOT :laugh: ) and generally ignore it. I have only seen an extreme reaction from my dogs a couple of times and there was nothing really 'different' about the people at the time that I could pin it on (my dogs meet LOT of people, both out and about and at our home). One was a person I trusted - who proved later not to be trustworthy to the point my dogs had to physically protect me from them. As I said, I have learnt to trust their judgement implicitly. Something that many many Pyr owners have learnt to do.

Edited January 14, 2012 by espinay2

[wolfies mom]

my fluff ball loves everyone but must say if he took a dislike to someone I would be wary of them.

[Little Gifts]

Our dogs seem to be good judges of character and we follow their advice about strangers to our front door or new people we invite in to our lives. In particular they seem to know if a new boyf is a dud. They simply stop bothering to waste their time on them and not long after we realise we should be doing the same! My sister's dog is in the habit of closely monitoring tradesmen. She watches them like a hawk and it doesn't matter how they try and befriend her she wont have it! If they do their job quickly and well they get to leave in tact. If not then they only have themselves to blame!

[halfthewords]

My dog isn't great with people, but anyone he growls/barks excessively at, I'm wary of. He's a great judge of character and I definitely trust him.

[Leelaa17]

I absolutely trust max's judgement on people. Not Jenna's - she loves everyone.

I was walking down my street where I used to live with max during the day... walked past a guy (who I didn't realise was there) and max immediately started growling. this was when he was much younger. he had never done that to anyone else before - not even strangers. and every time max see's that guy he growls. so i don't trust that guy. don't know why, but i trust max.

he was always good with people who he hadn't met... barked a little but once he sniffs a new person he's fine after that. except for one guy who came over to our house once to visit a friend, he was cooing max and trying to be nice and coming over very slowly and max was going insane... he wouldn't sniff... and when the guy tried to put his hand out for max to sniff max immediately tried to nip him. there was other people there too that he had never met but didn't have a problem with, it was just this once guy. I had never met him either. I immediately didn't trust him.

I choose to trust max. even if it might seem silly to others

[Mags]

Our grey likes everyone, regardless of species, she has on a couple of occasion when we were out walking swung herself around in front of me and defensively barked at a person (such a shock as it is not something I expect from her)- I take this warning very seriously.

[RubyBlue]

My dog is usually fairly aloof with people until she gets to know them, some of the people she meets can be a bit full on for her and she usually if anything hides behind me, but there is this one guy she absolutely hates. She does the full show: growling, barking, charging after him the moment he turns his back. She has done it to him and him alone on several occasions now.

He is in my opinion an absolute saint. Really gentle and generous and I am really embarrassed by her behaviour. He is always interested in the animals that I have brought in but to me, on closer scrutiny, doesn't seem to be able to relax around them and whilst she has encountered people who are nervous around animals before I doubt anyone of them has really wanted to approach her... I dunno ....this is the best explanation I can come up with.

I respect her opinion on other dogs far more than her opinion on other people.

[Perry's Mum]

Perry likes most people but if she does not like someone I am fairly cautious. One person who gets barked at a lot is our postman who seems to me to be a perfectly nice man but I think she is picking up on the fact that he is terrified of dogs.

[Shazzapug]

Yes our Anatolian shepherd Gustave no matter what we say to him does not like a long time friend of ours...I think he is picking up all the smells on Neil like his bucks and other peoples farm smells. So I would agree with our Gustave and trust him within reason lol.

[~Anne~]

My pugs like everyone although Boof will bark incessantly at one of my brothers. I am not sure why it started but my brother now enjoys encouraging him. :rolleyes:

I rarely see my brother and yet when he does walk through my door Boof immediately reacts.

Edited January 15, 2012 by ~Anne~

[Bubitty]

Bitty likes everyone so is not a particularly good judge of character! :laugh:

She even tried to make friends with a group of dubious looking youths! I think the more dubious they are, the more determined she is to be buddies!

[whiskedaway]

Akira hates OH's best friend. No clue why, she just decided she hates him. I think it's because he's tall and quite big, and she's always been wary of men. He's a dog person (has even come out to shows with us), and has never treated her badly in any way. Halo on the other hand loves him and it's been funny to watch Akira turn the corner with him a bit because she thinks she might be missing out on something that Halo's getting!

[SparkyTansy]

I don't really - spartan likes everyone, and the two weimaraners are typical of their breed and wary of strangers, and are ok to exciteable to anyone they have met and got used to more than once.

James is the interesting one - he's mostly friendly with people, more indifferent... but there is one guy who he really doesn't like who is a good friend of ours. In fact he grew up knowing this guy and never had an issue with him when he was a puppy. Because of this, I generally take his exception to him with a grain of salt.

[iBoz]

Perry likes most people but if she does not like someone I am fairly cautious. One person who gets barked at a lot is our postman who seems to me to be a perfectly nice man but I think she is picking up on the fact that he is terrified of dogs.

:laugh: Oh, the poor postie! If ever a cliche was true... ;)

I'm yet to meet someone my dog doesn't like.... I'd probably suss them out a bit more than usual if he didn't like someone though.. hehe.

[Sheilaheel02]

I may be anthropomorphic, but what the hell, I think that several of my animals (past and present)are fantastic judges of character. They've been proven right too many times for me not to take notice.

S