Puppy Anxiety - Nervous Towards Strangers

[sheena]

You could try the Look At That Game....but you need to take it very slowly & "set up" scenarios where you can train it in a controlled environment & gradually add the triggers. Here are some notes that will get you going...if nothing else...have a read :) LAT Game

I've started the LAT game at home :)

[thewss]

Re letting strangers lure with treats - I agree with those of you who commented on this! I wasn't too sure on this approach myself as I watched the trainer demonstrate, but I didn't know any better and now I wish I had spoken up!

I'm hoping to see a behaviourist in the next couple of weeks (pending availability). While we have some good days and bad days, the behaviour appears to be getting progressively worse. The most confusing thing for me is that there is no consistency in these behaviours. Eg barking at strangers - some days he'll bark at everything that moves, while other days he will accept people being nearby but may bark at the random person sitting alone minding their business.

In general, I've noticed off-leash behaviour is better than on-leash. The other day I went with my gut feeling and unhooked the leash as we went off track into the bushes where no one was around. We then headed back to the main path where a few people were walking towards us with their 3 dogs (also off leash). My pup was happy to greet each of the dogs (didn't care for the humans), I continued walking then called him and he came right away. This gave me a bit of faith, but I know there's still some work needed.

[Willem]

Re letting strangers lure with treats - I agree with those of you who commented on this! I wasn't too sure on this approach myself as I watched the trainer demonstrate, but I didn't know any better and now I wish I had spoken up!

I'm hoping to see a behaviourist in the next couple of weeks (pending availability). While we have some good days and bad days, the behaviour appears to be getting progressively worse. The most confusing thing for me is that there is no consistency in these behaviours. Eg barking at strangers - some days he'll bark at everything that moves, while other days he will accept people being nearby but may bark at the random person sitting alone minding their business.

In general, I've noticed off-leash behaviour is better than on-leash. The other day I went with my gut feeling and unhooked the leash as we went off track into the bushes where no one was around. We then headed back to the main path where a few people were walking towards us with their 3 dogs (also off leash). My pup was happy to greet each of the dogs (didn't care for the humans), I continued walking then called him and he came right away. This gave me a bit of faith, but I know there's still some work needed.

:D ...that should give you more than a little bit of faith!

[JulesP]

Are you starting to feel anxious about it? The dog could be picking up on this. Try singing!

[thewss]

I have actually tried singing! Moreso to see if I could get him to sing along (aka howl). But I've also tried putting soothing music on to calm him. It worked once, he fell asleep in the lounge (he usually sleeps in his crate or play pen area).

To be honest I do feel a bit stressed now when we go out (naturally). I'm aware of this and try to stay calm and in control. The only time I don't feel so bad is at training, because people who attend these classes understand that not all dogs are perfect, and it's the only place where I feel crazy behaviour is accepted - this and the fact that usually there's another dog or 2 acting even worse! Hence why I'm now limiting the socialization with humans/other dogs to these training sessions (I go 3 times a week now) until I start seeing progress.

I've done a fair bit of reading on dog behaviour, and while there are a number of different beliefs and techniques, I know that there's something we are doing (or not doing) at home that has caused this issue. I just don't know what I SHOULD be doing!

[corvus]

Might also be that letting him settle into a walk somewhere quiet before he sees strangers helps him. I am in southern Sydney if you need someone urgently. I don't usually go outside the Shire these days because the drain on my time is difficult to justify and I have to charge extra, but sounds like you need help and I'm available. I specialise in reactive dogs. The more complicated the better! :D http://www.creatureteacher.com.au I always tell clients that if it's getting worse and they can't figure out why, it's time to call help.

[Willem]

Re letting strangers lure with treats - I agree with those of you who commented on this! I wasn't too sure on this approach myself as I watched the trainer demonstrate, but I didn't know any better and now I wish I had spoken up!

I'm hoping to see a behaviourist in the next couple of weeks (pending availability). While we have some good days and bad days, the behaviour appears to be getting progressively worse. The most confusing thing for me is that there is no consistency in these behaviours. Eg barking at strangers - some days he'll bark at everything that moves, while other days he will accept people being nearby but may bark at the random person sitting alone minding their business.

In general, I've noticed off-leash behaviour is better than on-leash. The other day I went with my gut feeling and unhooked the leash as we went off track into the bushes where no one was around. We then headed back to the main path where a few people were walking towards us with their 3 dogs (also off leash). My pup was happy to greet each of the dogs (didn't care for the humans), I continued walking then called him and he came right away. This gave me a bit of faith, but I know there's still some work needed.

your dog is now just 5 month old?...don't be confused, your dog is investigating and for him it is trial and error (he doesn't know what is wanted and what is unwanted behaviour, he just tries to interact with the world outside).

Wrt corvus' comment: ...I guess you could also get the dog in the car and drive to her or catch up in the middle or wherever it suits both. Sometimes all what's needed is some reinsurance from an experienced dog trainer / behaviourist and some ideas wrt what are the right training methods for the individual dog, and the earlier you get this guidance the less trial and error approaches from your side.

Edited June 17, 2016 by Willem

[huski]

I would try and get in to see Steve @ K9Pro or find a trainer. The earlier the better but I am sure he will have some advice as to what to do in the period before you see him. The earlier you can get onto any potential nervousness problem the better.

I would definitely be scaling back on the dog park visits though.

Here is the link for Steve - http://k9pro.com.au/

Thanks ness. I did contact them but the earliest available time slot was September! So I'm looking at a couple of other places now.

Bec from K9 Pro here! We do have options for urgent consults if you need something sooner, PM me if you'd like more info on this - unfortunately the down side of being so busy at HQ is that we do have a long wait time.

We see a lot of young working dogs with very similar behaviours to what you have described on a daily basis here. With any trainer you select, make sure they have experience with young working dogs, we see so many come in for training that have been told they need to be PTS or have severe anxiety when they don't - not saying this is the case with your dog but it's exceptionally common. Any trainer you speak to should able to make you feel confident they can assist you, ideally they should be able to show you videos of similar dogs they have worked with. Nothing you've described sounds remotely unusual or uncommon to me, but I would recommend engaging a professional ASAP. No-one here can accurately assess your dogs behaviour, best to get professional assistance as soon as you can.

Edited June 27, 2016 by huski

[thewss]

Thank you Bec for your reassurance! That really makes me feel better. I will keep the K9 Pro contact details handy but for now I'm working on a few techniques both in the home and outside.

At home my puppy jumps and bites, which was becoming a huge problem and barrier between us. And Im not talking about teething - he will bite! I didn't mention this here because I didn't think it was related, but now I see it is a big contributer to his anxiety outside the house. So I'm working on a few techniques to stop this behaviour. So far it's been effective.

Outside I'm taking it slow to densensitize him from the things that scare him (ie strangers). I've been going to training classes but have decided to use this time to work on his reactive behaviour instead of actually participating in the class. So now I sit/stand with him a distance away from other people and dogs and encourage a calm relaxed behaviour.

It will be some months before he can fully relax around people but all I'm hoping to see is the tiniest bit of improvement each time.

By the way, his confidence with dogs is really starting to grow! Mainly with smaller, less assertive dogs, but it's great to see this confidence in him.

[huski]

Thank you Bec for your reassurance! That really makes me feel better. I will keep the K9 Pro contact details handy but for now I'm working on a few techniques both in the home and outside.

At home my puppy jumps and bites, which was becoming a huge problem and barrier between us. And Im not talking about teething - he will bite! I didn't mention this here because I didn't think it was related, but now I see it is a big contributer to his anxiety outside the house. So I'm working on a few techniques to stop this behaviour. So far it's been effective.

Outside I'm taking it slow to densensitize him from the things that scare him (ie strangers). I've been going to training classes but have decided to use this time to work on his reactive behaviour instead of actually participating in the class. So now I sit/stand with him a distance away from other people and dogs and encourage a calm relaxed behaviour.

It will be some months before he can fully relax around people but all I'm hoping to see is the tiniest bit of improvement each time.

By the way, his confidence with dogs is really starting to grow! Mainly with smaller, less assertive dogs, but it's great to see this confidence in him.

I would be extremely surprised if the biting/mouthing at you is in any way anxiety related, but obviously we'd need to see him to be sure :)