reacting when new people enter a room

What is the protocol at home? Do you allow him to greet visitors that way? Granted it is a dog's natural and social instinct to greet or check out new people they also need to know there place.

For example when someone knocks on the door the dogs retreat to their beds. However I made sure they have a clear view of the door and the person so they don't have so many instincts to fight and they still feel part of the action. They often shake with anticpation, LOL but at least they cooperate.

I would remove him from  the situation until he can learn the right way to check out new people. Even though hes small I would not appreciate a dog jumping on me and barking at me, its rude.

AuroraLove

What is the protocol at home? Do you allow him to greet visitors that way?

We really haven't had any visitors that Zack doesn't already know.  But if we did, I'm sure he'd react the way he did at agility class and other places.

I would remove him from  the situation until he can learn the right way to check out new people. Even though hes small I would not appreciate a dog jumping on me and barking at me, its rude.

 It's definitely rude, not to mention embarrassing.  How exactly would I go about teaching him the right way to check out people?

tiffy

I would remove him from  the situation until he can learn the right way to check out new people. Even though hes small I would not appreciate a dog jumping on me and barking at me, its rude.

Really how would removing the dog from the situation teach him anything? Please ellaborate? Do you pull him aside and have a discussion? LOL

If you're in a public place you don't want the dog to "check out" people, you want the dog to IGNORE people as they come and go. I think you are on the right track with the distractions/getting him to work with you.

I think it might be difficult to work on this at agility class, but I would bring him other public places where there is more room.  If he starts to react rudely, he gets promptly backed up, as far as it takes for him to quit it.  When he minds you, he gets to move closer to people again and is rewarded for being curious in a calm way.  Once the reactivity starts, quickly turn around and move back again.  I am working on this with Coke on a smaller scale, he does not bark or lunge, but he's a very big dog and when he approaches someone he is so happy his entire body is wiggling and sometimes he will paw at people or bump them too hard.  I use the same technique as above for him.  If he is calm and keeps "four on the floor", we get to move closer (or the volunteer strangers are allowed to come closer to him).  The second he jumps up or gets too hyper, we back up (or I asked the strangers to quickly step back and turn their back to him).  He is rewarded with treats and praise for keeping good manners. 

mudpuppy

If you're in a public place you don't want the dog to "check out" people, you want the dog to IGNORE people as they come and go. I think you are on the right track with the distractions/getting him to work with you.

Ok, and this is what I was thinking, but what is the ultimate goal I am supposed to be striving for - to never have interaction with strange people?  I mean, what if you are in a situation where your dog needs to intereact with stragers, ie. vet, groomer, at other people's houses...than ignoring them is not an option. Shouldn't I be teaching him to accept strange people approaching and interacting with him without exploding into a barking and lunging fit?

By removing from the situation, I mean do not let him approach new people, until he can behave politely. 

tiffy

By removing from the situation, I mean do not let him approach new people, until he can behave politely. 

Ok thats what I'm talking about! Firmly gather the leash, lead him to a safe distance away from the people (but still within sight) and dont allow him to act out. If he starts to buck or be a brat firmly redirect him towards where you are going and put him in a sit until he has fully composed himself. You don't want to allow him to reach the state where he is all bug eyed and frantic. Try and stop that behavior be diverting his attention before he becomes anxious. You know what I mean......he see's peopel walking in and his posture stiffens and his ears perk up before he explodes, you gotta stop it there before it advances. When he has composed himself gradually get closer and start over when he fuss's!

Make sure you use a firm no nonsense voice. As humasn we tend to say things like "oh its ok, or oh you stop that" trying to make light of the situation but its like they have doggy headphones on, LOL. Try not to get frantic yourself, just be matter fo fact!

AuroraLove

Firmly gather the leash, lead him to a safe distance away from the people (but still within sight) and dont allow him to act out. If he starts to buck or be a brat firmly redirect him towards where you are going and put him in a sit until he has fully composed himself. You don't want to allow him to reach the state where he is all bug eyed and frantic. Try and stop that behavior be diverting his attention before he becomes anxious. You know what I mean......he see's peopel walking in and his posture stiffens and his ears perk up before he explodes, you gotta stop it there before it advances. When he has composed himself gradually get closer and start over when he fuss's!

Make sure you use a firm no nonsense voice. As humasn we tend to say things like "oh its ok, or oh you stop that" trying to make light of the situation but its like they have doggy headphones on, LOL. Try not to get frantic yourself, just be matter fo fact!

 And that's kind of what I've been doing, but what ends up happening is that we never really get to the point were we CAN approach whatever it is that he is reacting to.  As a result, he has started reacting MORE at close contact with people because he is not getting the socialization he needs where he is interacting with people and allowing people to handle them to teach him that they are not harmful.

don't approach them, don't let them handle him. Pretend they don't exist and try to convince him to act that way. He's going to have to pass-by many many many more strangers, and ignore them, than ever interact with strangers like vets. Think about how you raise a child- you teach them to not-approach or interact with strangers, to just pass-by at the mall, the fair, the zoo, school hallways. Same with dogs. They need to learn to IGNORE the comings and goings of strangers.

mudpuppy

don't approach them, don't let them handle him. Pretend they don't exist and try to convince him to act that way. He's going to have to pass-by many many many more strangers, and ignore them, than ever interact with strangers like vets. Think about how you raise a child- you teach them to not-approach or interact with strangers, to just pass-by at the mall, the fair, the zoo, school hallways. Same with dogs. They need to learn to IGNORE the comings and goings of strangers.

jenns

mudpuppy

If you're in a public place you don't want the dog to "check out" people, you want the dog to IGNORE people as they come and go. I think you are on the right track with the distractions/getting him to work with you.

 

Ok, and this is what I was thinking, but what is the ultimate goal I am supposed to be striving for - to never have interaction with strange people?  I mean, what if you are in a situation where your dog needs to intereact with stragers, ie. vet, groomer, at other people's houses...than ignoring them is not an option. Shouldn't I be teaching him to accept strange people approaching and interacting with him without exploding into a barking and lunging fit?

 

Your ultimate goal is to have a dog that IGNORES people - but if they appraoch and show an interest he knows what to do - ie, keep calm, keep quiet and keep his feet on the floor.

Now, when I teach my dogs to "stay", the VAST majority of the time (in fact ALWAYS initially) I make the dog stay and walk back to him rather than recall him.  So when he hears "Stay" he is not tempted to break it in anticipation of the recall.  When he has got that down, then I sometimes recall him from Stay.

I think you need to use the same approach here - keep at the distance you need to for him to work with you, pretty much ignore them and be calm, aiming to reduce that distance.  When he is GOOD at ignoring other people and listening to you, then SOMETIMES incorporate your meet n greet etiquette (which you should establish at home with just you and family now to give him some grounding).
 

 I get what you guys are saying.  It's just that he doesn't seem to be that interested in food treats when people appear.  He would much rather lunge and bark and forgo the treat.  I know the answer to this would be to try something tastier but everything gives him diarrhea with the exception of cheese and boiled chicken so that's what I use.

 As for the vet's office, he barks like a lunatic at the vet and the staff.  The vet commented " Well....looks like we have quite the watchdog here!".  Ugh,