My 4mo Doodle Started Barking at Random Men

[Nikki Milonas]

Just this week, Ruby started barking at random men - first at work and now when we go walking and in the car. At work she will run behind my desk and I think she is afraid.  I feel like she is well socialized as I've been taking her to work with me since she was 8 weeks old and out and about for as long. 

 

I'm hoping this is just a stage, but am concerned this is how is going to be.  Any suggestions for me?  Currently, when possible, I have the person she is barking at approach and give her treat.  While she becomes friendly with them, she still barks at other new men approaching her.

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

try and give her the treat yourself. Have her sit, tell her to focus on you instead of the stranger, and when she stops barking, give her the treat. Dogs cannot generalize from one stranger to all strangers, but she can learn that whenever someone approaches and she sits and looks at you and not him, she will get a treat. She may be scared of hats, or coats, or style of walking even though her reaction seems random. I know my female dog is scared of people wearing baseball caps; I have no idea why, but she has learned to come to me and get a treat for not barking.

Another point: teaching your dog to take treats from strangers is not always a good idea... you never know what people may give her, not everyone is educated about what is proper food for dogs and what isn't

[Nikki Milonas]

Thank you for the suggestion - great idea. I hadn't thought about her not being able to generalize from one stranger to the next. I will give your advice a try!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I don't think this is abnormal. She has probably entered a fear stage which is common at four months. From what I have read, it is best not to correct when the behavior appears to be fear based. Instead, reward her when she shows independence in greeting strangers. I agree with Eva that giving her a treat when she politely approaches a stranger or when she reacts appropriately to their approach makes a lot of sense.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Peri went through this around that age - with people on bikes! It scared her to death when she would see anyone ride by on one. She barked like crazy and I could tell she was scared.
I just tried to keep myself calm, keep walking and say "it's okay" in a really calm, upbeat voice. She grew out of it. I know it is not exactly the same situation, but I do know this is the age where fear comes into play for these pups.

[Debbie Penny]

Great thread, I just spent the morning/early afternoon going from one pet store to the next with Teddi (15 weeks) as she has a fear of new ppl. At first she barked at the cashiers if they paid any attention and hung back as we passed people. By the third different store she had relaxed 100 percent, and then followed me and or lead the way paying very little attention to the strangers shopping in there. I think she was overwhelmed with all the bones, rawhides and toys LOL. This is going to be a regular training visits for the next few months now that she's immunized. I love the idea of treating her for not barking or retreating from the strangers. Thanks. Your puppy's behaviour is normal and so is my puppy's. : )

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Let me see if I can find the article on the fear stages of dogs. Dogs go through something similar that babies go through.

http://www.peninsulaspca.com/docs/Puppy%20development.pdf

http://dogtime.com/puppy-behavior-basics-hsus.html

This article states: A puppy experiences another fear stage at four months of age, so be prepared with positive reinforcement and introductions to objects and situations.

Do a search for more articles on the Stages of Dogs Development and save them. You will find yourself referring back to these stages as your pup develops. Enjoy and understand her. :)

[Nikki Milonas]

Great advice and thank you!

[Liza, Halle and Finn]

My male doodle will be 2 years old in March, and he also is weary of some strangers. If someone comes up to us while we are on a walk, he will sit quietly, but if they stare at him, or make a move like they want to pet him, and he's decided he's not sure about them, he will give them a warning growl. If they ignore him, he is perfectly fine. It is completely random, but its usually men, he does this with. We've done treats, we've consulted trainers... he still does it, and frankly, its embarrassing! You know how it is with these doodles, everyone wants to stop and ask about them, and now I just tell everyone that Kachi can be grouchy, so please don't try to touch him!
I've also read that dogs enter into a 2nd 'Fear Imprint' stage at 1 years old-that could last until they are 3! I hope this is the case with Kachi.

[Mrs. K]

Same thing with my Indy. He is now 1 year and 3 months old. When he was very little he wanted in EVERYONE'S face all the time. Men, women, kids, didn't matter. Now, he's scared of kids and barks at them. Men have been a problem for a few months and continue to be, although not as bad as before. He entered a fear stage around 8 months, and it comes and goes.

One thing a trainer taught us that has worked very well is the "reach and treat." We have Indy sit, and then just feed him treats as we reach into his face and pet his ears, neck, cheeks, etc. We repeat this about 10 times (we use just little pieces of a treat) per day, everyday. After a couple of weeks of this, he got used to being reached for and now he LOVES to be pet on his neck. This is a really easy training exercise that you can do anytime, anywhere, and it really works! It kind of desensitizes them to being reached for. Once they're ok with you doing it, start with other people the dog is friendly with. Then, eventually, you can go out to stores and ask strangers to do it. We've done this and it really works! Good luck!

[Liza, Halle and Finn]

Thank you, Marcie! What a great exercise! I'm going to start practicing right away! I really appreciate the tip!