Hi guys. So if you've followed my last thread at all, you're probably already a bit familiar with Charlie the Tortoise Hater. Brief update: we caught the tortoise today and my dad relocated him faaaaaaar away. We'll see if he comes back/another comes back or if they're gone for good. I'm still going to pursue clicker training with Charlie, though. Just waiting on a clicker. Lol.
I've been so preoccupied with the whole tortoise thing lately that I have completely forgotten about a recent problem that's cropped up. Point blank: Charlie's shy around strangers.
When we're out and about, he seldom acknowledges the people we walk by much. He'll sometimes look, or sniff if we come to a stop. He's not nervous--no tail-tucking, relaxed mouth, etc. But he's not brimming with excitement to go meet everyone, either. Occasionally, he WILL see someone who he really wants to meet, for whatever reason. He'll wag (tail loose and low, with his mouth happy and relaxed, so it's not aggressive wagging), and try to go over to see them. Which is all well and good. Problem is, as soon as they given him the attention he's seeking, his tail goes right between his legs. Not excessively so--you can't see the tip poking out underneath his stomach or anything. But it does tuck, and he'll sometimes lick his lips. And sometimes, they don't even have to be petting to evoke this kind of response. If we've just gotten out of the car (he gets very anxious in the car and needs a good 5 minutes to walk it off), sometimes all it takes is for someone to look over and talk to him ("You're a good boy!" or whatever).
He is not fear aggressive. He does not growl, bark, show teeth, snap, etc. He has proven to have quite a high tolerance for being pet while in this nervous state: he's been handled pretty roughly before (just because, I guess, he's a pit bull and people think they like it/can take it?? it wasn't intentionally to hurt him) and he's never once shown any sign of aggression. But our greyhound, the sweetest and mellowest dog ever, bit my dad on the face because he got too rough with him once and made him feel threatened. So I would never place my 100% unwavering faith in any dog not to bite if they really felt their safety was compromised.
Anyway, the standard rigmorale we go through when Charlie meets a stranger is: 1) Charlie gets excited to see stranger, wags his tail and runs up to them, sniffing like crazy. He is a big fan of legs and, err, groins. 2) Person begins petting him, Charlie exhibits nervous body language, tucking his tail and licking his lips. 3) Person moves away, and Charlie repeats step 1. Infinite cycle would probably ensue were it possible.
That being said, he does warm up to people if he sees them multiple times. By the second or third meeting, said stranger has probably been fully accepted as a friend. Around these people who he has grown to love and trust, he is the sweetest, most outgoing rascal ever. If he accepts you as a friend, you can do anything you want to him and he will take it. He has a BIG group of friends, including almost everyone we see on even a semi-regular basis: all my mom's family, my dad's family, the delivery men and women, my friends, my sister's friends, etc. But strangers on the street, or people he's meeting for the first time? Nervous.
Last time we went downtown, which was yesterday, I took the opportunity to try my hand at counter-conditioning for the first time. Every time he was nervous, we either powered through quickly (if it was unavoidable, like walking by the bar to cross the street) or I removed him from the situation. Every time he was confident, he got treated. I did notice improvement by the end, but I think most of it had to do with my own nerves ebbing a bit. Nobody came up to say hi to him, for which I was thankful. We just did the best we could without someone actively volunteering to help us counter-condition.
I know that this kind of behavior is not normal in pit bulls. It makes me so feel so, SO bad. I try to remind myself that all dogs are individuals, but I feel like, of all the happy, outgoing, stranger-friendly pit bulls out there, of course we got the "faulty one." I love Charlie with all my heart and I will do anything I need to ensure his safety. But I have still lost sleep over this.
If I am worrying too much, tell me. If I am right to worry, tell me. If going downtown is doing more harm than good, tell me. If there is a way to make going downtown more good than harm, tell me. I have read so much conflicting information about this subject; I just need someone who knows their stuff to read about HIM specifically and tell me what they think. Any and all input is welcome.
I've been so preoccupied with the whole tortoise thing lately that I have completely forgotten about a recent problem that's cropped up. Point blank: Charlie's shy around strangers.
When we're out and about, he seldom acknowledges the people we walk by much. He'll sometimes look, or sniff if we come to a stop. He's not nervous--no tail-tucking, relaxed mouth, etc. But he's not brimming with excitement to go meet everyone, either. Occasionally, he WILL see someone who he really wants to meet, for whatever reason. He'll wag (tail loose and low, with his mouth happy and relaxed, so it's not aggressive wagging), and try to go over to see them. Which is all well and good. Problem is, as soon as they given him the attention he's seeking, his tail goes right between his legs. Not excessively so--you can't see the tip poking out underneath his stomach or anything. But it does tuck, and he'll sometimes lick his lips. And sometimes, they don't even have to be petting to evoke this kind of response. If we've just gotten out of the car (he gets very anxious in the car and needs a good 5 minutes to walk it off), sometimes all it takes is for someone to look over and talk to him ("You're a good boy!" or whatever).
He is not fear aggressive. He does not growl, bark, show teeth, snap, etc. He has proven to have quite a high tolerance for being pet while in this nervous state: he's been handled pretty roughly before (just because, I guess, he's a pit bull and people think they like it/can take it?? it wasn't intentionally to hurt him) and he's never once shown any sign of aggression. But our greyhound, the sweetest and mellowest dog ever, bit my dad on the face because he got too rough with him once and made him feel threatened. So I would never place my 100% unwavering faith in any dog not to bite if they really felt their safety was compromised.
Anyway, the standard rigmorale we go through when Charlie meets a stranger is: 1) Charlie gets excited to see stranger, wags his tail and runs up to them, sniffing like crazy. He is a big fan of legs and, err, groins. 2) Person begins petting him, Charlie exhibits nervous body language, tucking his tail and licking his lips. 3) Person moves away, and Charlie repeats step 1. Infinite cycle would probably ensue were it possible.
That being said, he does warm up to people if he sees them multiple times. By the second or third meeting, said stranger has probably been fully accepted as a friend. Around these people who he has grown to love and trust, he is the sweetest, most outgoing rascal ever. If he accepts you as a friend, you can do anything you want to him and he will take it. He has a BIG group of friends, including almost everyone we see on even a semi-regular basis: all my mom's family, my dad's family, the delivery men and women, my friends, my sister's friends, etc. But strangers on the street, or people he's meeting for the first time? Nervous.
Last time we went downtown, which was yesterday, I took the opportunity to try my hand at counter-conditioning for the first time. Every time he was nervous, we either powered through quickly (if it was unavoidable, like walking by the bar to cross the street) or I removed him from the situation. Every time he was confident, he got treated. I did notice improvement by the end, but I think most of it had to do with my own nerves ebbing a bit. Nobody came up to say hi to him, for which I was thankful. We just did the best we could without someone actively volunteering to help us counter-condition.
I know that this kind of behavior is not normal in pit bulls. It makes me so feel so, SO bad. I try to remind myself that all dogs are individuals, but I feel like, of all the happy, outgoing, stranger-friendly pit bulls out there, of course we got the "faulty one." I love Charlie with all my heart and I will do anything I need to ensure his safety. But I have still lost sleep over this.
If I am worrying too much, tell me. If I am right to worry, tell me. If going downtown is doing more harm than good, tell me. If there is a way to make going downtown more good than harm, tell me. I have read so much conflicting information about this subject; I just need someone who knows their stuff to read about HIM specifically and tell me what they think. Any and all input is welcome.
Shyness towards strangers?
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