Advice Please, Puppy barks at men

Elevelyn

My pup has started barking at men (only exception being my OH), she has only starting doing this in the last 2 or 3 weeks. she has never had a bad experience with men and she usually wags her tail but then gets scared and barks at them, she never growls, can anyone help as she is going away for the weekend where there will be men and would not like her being frightened.

She is 10 months and is a Dashchund/Westie mix if that helps in any way.

jenzz

Sorry ive no advice but weirdly enough my cat used to do that - she hissed at every single man in sight. So badly so she ran away when my partner moved in ....

star-pants

Nothing happened at all that might have given her a fright or anything?
And she's ok with your OH?

Elevelyn

star-pants wrote: »

Nothing happened at all that might have given her a fright or anything?
And she's ok with your OH?

Yeah she is perfect with him and absolutely nothing happened, anytime she goes out of the house she is either with me or my OH, it only happens when any men come to the house or try and pet her (very strange because she LOVES attention) or starts talking to me or OH outside, even if a lad she knows comes to the house she will bark.

star-pants

She might be getting territorial, and protective of you. So if a guy comes into her space, she wants to warn them, and protect you. My older dog Lily did that when any male friends would come over, I remember we went upstairs and she followed even though she was a bit unsure of him. She sat between us, with her back pushed up against me, facing him.
I guess the only way is to try and train her out of this, when males come to the house, get them to get down to her level, less of a threat if they're not as tall. Let her go to them, sniff them, you reassure her it's ok, and try little steps like that. To see if she can be ok with at least familiar guys.

votejohn

get men who enter the house to give her a treat too!

Get a man to come in, bend down with a treat until she comes to take it, and leave again. repeat again and again, once she relaxes have him include a rub on the head with the treat.

then try it the next day with a different man!

Elevelyn

star-pants wrote: »

She might be getting territorial, and protective of you. So if a guy comes into her space, she wants to warn them, and protect you. My older dog Lily did that when any male friends would come over, I remember we went upstairs and she followed even though she was a bit unsure of him. She sat between us, with her back pushed up against me, facing him.
I guess the only way is to try and train her out of this, when males come to the house, get them to get down to her level, less of a threat if they're not as tall. Let her go to them, sniff them, you reassure her it's ok, and try little steps like that. To see if she can be ok with at least familiar guys.

Thanks for that, I kinda guessed it was something like that it is just strange that it started so suddenly, she does sniff them and will let them rub her but she looks scared and jumps onto my lap most of the time. even people she was fine with before she will now bark at.

star-pants

I guess it's probably like the equivalent of babies 'making strange' when they get a certain age etc.
Your dog is now settled and knows who you and your OH are, and that this is her home and she must protect her home and you.

Allgäuerin

We have exactly the same problem with our girl (westie nearly 2)! Will try the advice!