Misha had a major breakthrough with strangers

I've written here about the different problems my dog, Misha, has had in the last two years. I had to share with you all the wonderful experience we had today.

A few months ago, I caught on to the fact that I might be adding to her stranger fear. When we were on walks, if a neighbor wanted to talk, I would pick her up. If we were at parties, I'd do the same so she wouldn't bother people. I made a point to stop doing it so that she could meet new people on her own terms.

Today, I had one of those experiences you can't plan for. A cousin from Hawaii I had never met in person drove up behind us on our walk. He had lost my phone number so was coming to the house to see if I was home.

We got in the car. Misha was nervous, but she didn't bark. When we got to the house, she was fine until we got the porch. She realized they were following us and barked a bit.

We went inside. I decided to leave her on the ground, but on leash. I wasn't sure if this was the best choice, but I figured if I put her in the room she'd bark the whole time. So, I warned them that she was afraid of people and stayed close enough so that I could react if need be.

She was nervous and afraid. She sat at my side for a minute or two. But, curiosity got the best of her and she inched over to my cousin's wife. Within 10 minutes, she was trying to jump on her lap. She wouldn't let her pet her, but they were making friends. She wasn't too sure of my cousin though. She stayed away from him.

By the end of the visit, my dog (the problem one) was asleep by my chair. She had let a stranger pet her. She was in the room the entire time and did not bark, growl, or show any fear or aggression whatsoever.

I am fairly sure that by keeping her on the ground, I made things much better. I think part of the problem is she tries to protect me--a habit I am breaking. But, it gave her a chance to meet the people like a dog, with her nose first.

Anyway, I had to share this with you guys. I had a 2-3 hour visit with strangers in my house and my dog was good! What's funny is she exhausted now. Being on her good behavior was really difficult for her.

 

That's a lovely story. She socializing with other dogs in your home. You reassured her that everything was fine by insisting she stayed on the ground and then she wanted to enjoy the company as you were. But not the male cousin so much.

 

I'm glad you are breaking the stranger cycle. It seemed by your story, that although it was time consuming, the end result was worth it. Maybe more short visits by others will help to totally ease her of her fear of strangers. Good luck!

 

This is excellent to hear! Thank you for sharing this story with us. My step-sister has a small dog that is really afraid of strangers. When my step-sister moved in with us, it took the dog three weeks to warm up to me. Now, after reading this, I wonder if it was because she always picked up the dog whenever someone new was around.

 

Thanks everyone! It was such a relief that she didn't bite my guests. LOL

Shepherd, some dogs need more time than others. Misha was fearful when I got her. She's always been reticent about people. But, after my Dad died and we moved, it seemed her problems were amplified.

My approach has been to go slowly and consistently. Even though she barked at everyone we met and growled at neighbors, I refused to keep her housebound. I read enough to know she needed interaction to feel comfortable. It used to be terrible taking her for a walk. Even if we were on the other side of the street, she'd bark at passersby and pull on the leash. I am sure people thought I was strangling her because she would be all that way at the end standing on two legs. Today, we passed a family and the only thing she did was look back.

Picking up a small dog is so tempting. I know I did it with Misha a lot. I've come to realize that it reinforces her desire to protect me when others are around. Being afraid and protective is a bad combination for a dog. It's too easy to treat a small dog like a baby or child. I need to let her be a dog and meet people on her own terms. My cousins were very accommodating, so I didn't have to make them understand the situation.