Rachel was worried about Hettie. On several walks recently, Hettie had started barking, mainly at men and nearly always men with beards.
The barking was getting worse. Hettie was getting more and more wound up and her barking was frenzied – Rachel was worried.
She felt embarrassed by Hettie’s behaviour – people were looking at her in disapproval as she struggled to drag Het-up Hettie away.
She’d recently left 16 month old Hettie in kennels while they’d been away for a short break.
They got Hettie from rescue when she was 6 months old.
Had Hettie been treated badly by a man previously?
Or was it something the kennels had caused?
Perhaps your pup has men on his must-be-barked-at list?
Rachel had done all the right things with Hettie in letting her see and meet lots of different people since she got her.
But she hadn’t seen men with beards much.
It’s quite common for dogs to be scared of men, especially rescue dogs.
It’s almost never that they have “been abused”, or that being in kennels causes it.
It’s because the dog missed out on that vital socialisation with all sort and types of people, including men with beards, during that crucial socialisation period between 3 and 16 weeks of age.
If your puppy is causing you concern, why not look into booking a House Visit designed especially for you and your pup?
Or you can buy a copy of my Pesky Puppy to Perfect Pet book through Amazon or our website.
Keep training and keep socialising your dog,
Carol