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Old April 21st, 2004, 05:08 PM
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Missy Missy is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 127
Sure, I can give you plenty of examples.

When someone new comes in, she growls, barks, snaps, her ears go back, the hair on her neck stands up and her tail goes down. Her body posture tells me she is afraid. She backs away while snapping and growling.

I make her sit, give her a treat and get her to focus on me. Then I take another treat, hand it to the other person while she is watching and tell them to give it to her. She quickly takes it and runs away. She may calm down and let them near her after some time, she may not. It depends on the person.

Also, If someone comes anywhere near the driveway or the yard, she has the same behaviour. If we pass someone on a walk, she does the same thing. These people are not looking to pet her or pay any attention to her, they will be just crossing the street or walking past the house.

She is a smaller sized dog and so while I know it is fear that is causing her to behave like that, people become uncomfortable after she snaps and growls at them and lunges.

I have done a lot to socialize her with people and will continue to do so but I thought that if I could also improve her confidence in other ways and help her to feel more secure she would not be so afraid and then perhaps not act as aggressively. Since she is a pup, I want to do everything I can to help her behaviour while she is young.
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