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Anonymous
sup /an/
i have a 10 month old dog who is afraid of people.
sort of.

if she sees someone in our yard, in our house, outside our car when she's in it (like on the sidewalk or something), or around the neighborhood when she's on a walk; she'll get all antsy and run around til she can find a safe spot to bark from.
she's fine at the dog park, petsmart, and the vet, and even will wag her tail when she sees people. she might bark a little if someone stares at her, but usually she's fine in those places. she will bark at people in the parking lot though.

wtf is her problem? she was a foster puppy, and the first time she ever barked at someone she was only a month old. it's just weird.
>> Anonymous
>>203840
you're probably right, cuz we never really had strangers in the house until she was older

but the one thing that really confuses me is that she barks at people on walks. i've taken her or a walk nearly every day for a very long time now (and there's ALWAYS people outside), and she still gets skittish when she sees people then. i've tried giving her treats while she's on walks but not barking, but that didn't really do anything
>> Anonymous
>>203846
Maybe she's just unaccustomed to people outside of her immediate family in general, or she's trying to "protect" you. In either case, the issue here that you want to treat isn't the barking. If you want to solve the problem, you need to resocialize her. Google lots on socialization, and/or possibly get help from a professional. If she remains highly skittish, medication may be helpful to use while trying to get her accustomed to strangers.
>> Anonymous
>>203849
Also, don't expect miracles or quick fixes. The prime time to socialize a dog is when they're a puppy-- after that, it takes much longer and a lot more consistency. It could be months or years before you see results. Maybe weeks, but unlikely. That isn't to say an adult dog can't become un-shy, it just takes a lot of work amd time.
>> Anonymous
"but the one thing that really confuses me is that she barks at people on walks."

How is that confusing at all? They're strangers and potential threats. Frankly, you don't sound very bright.
>> Anonymous
>>203858
but then why doesn't she bark at people in the dog park or the vet? you'd think at the vet at least she'd be afraid of people there
>> Anonymous
Is dat sum poops?
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
>>203877
She may be "protecting" you. Is she on leash at the dog park? If not, then it makes sense. The vet is focusing on her, not you, so she has no need to bark there. She's probably dreading the visit. As long as she only barks somewhere where she's not getting attention of some sort, you can assume that she's just protecting you, maybe out of boredom.

Socialize. Make her do something else (a trick, a down-stay, etc.) when she starts barking. Get her a Halti or Gentle Leader so you can easily control her and the barking. DON'T give her treats to make her stop, and don't fuss at her, it will reinforce to her that it's okay to bark, because you're rewarding her with food/attention.