Very unfriendly to strangers to the house and anyone approaching at a pub/cafe

[lucybennett]

Hi all- please can you help? Bailey is now nearly three and whilst he has grown up and is more chilled and confident than he was as a pup in many ways, he is still very unfriendly to visitors (strangers) to the house or people or dogs going past if he is stationary or in a cafe/pub/sat on a bench. Such a shame as he is happy to go up to people on his walks when he is off lead and it is on his terms and so loving with people he has known all his life. We don't have many people he doesn't know to the house- partly avoidance!- so it is hard to get him used to it and it is now a real habit he is in. Not talking to him, no touch and no eye contact helps but most visitors cannot help themselves as he is so cute (until he snarls!). Throwing treats doesn't help as he is stressed/cross beyond taking treats. We have had a great trainer and behaviourist in and have some coping mechanisms like the gate and those things above but no cure. Has anyone come through this completely? He also is unfriendly to incomers at my brothers house when he is over there with us visiting making it hard for us to take him elsewhere in case they have people arrive! Please advise or do i just keep managing it and living with it? It also make having holiday pet sitters stay here a no no.... Many thanks

[lescef]

Hi. Bramble is five and I'm afraid to say that we have never managed to cure her of the same sort of problem. The trouble is it has become learned behaviour. I've been told to try and avoid her practicing the behaviour as this just reinforces it. 
When people come to the house, she barks like mad. If people fuss her the excitement tips over into growling. I'm very assertive with people who come and repeatedly  ask them to ignore them and walk past them. Once they are in and sat down she does calm down.
Sitting outside a cafe is almost a No no, going inside - definitely not.  We sat outside a cafe today, we are very careful where we choose to sit, avoiding people and other dogs, all was fine until a couple came to sit close by and a dog started barking in the distance. The barking and growling started and we made a hasty exit! I don't think she even knows what she's barking about half the time - it's just 'this is what I do in this situation'!
So we manage as best we can - at least I don't eat as much cake!

[hoover]

You could try a couple of things: 1.  Have him outside of the house somewhere when your guests arrive and get settled, then bring him in afterwards.  This might help change his assessment of the situation - instead of strangers entering a territory that he is already occupying he will be entering a territory that is already occupied by them.  (I think a lot of the time the immediate sense of occupying a space is more salient in a dog's mind rather than any notion of a long-standing territory of 'home') This shift in dynamic was enough to change Ollie's behaviour for the better on these occasions.  The other thing we did was to have him safely in his crate when people entered, leave him there for a while and then let him out after he had heard everyone and understood we were welcoming them in our home.

Treats can be a mixed bag sometimes during training, especially when others are present - for a dog that is prone to resource guarding this can be another source of stress for them as they attempt to ensure no-one else competes for the treats that are on offer.

[lucybennett]

Thanks both- very useful advice and also good to know it is not just happening to me! There is such an expectation that all spaniels are friendly all the time and i tried so hard to do everything right. I was also wondering about meeting visitors out and about for a walk first (I think Bailey would be ok as he sees so many strangers on walks) and then bringing them back to the house so we all enter at the same time and he'll be used to the person and whether that might work- a bit like your advice to have him elsewhere during the arrival....? Of course this assumes the visitors will/want to walk! Thanks again, any further thoughts welcomed

[Carolynleah]

I have a similar problem with Nerys - almost 8 now, she came to us aged 12 months. She loves the family and small children, but is very nervous of strangers, particularly men - I have found that if they ignore her, she will eventually go up to them of her own accord and make friends. The problem is so many people insist on approaching her, even when asked not to do so!

[moneypenny]

I agree with Hoover. We shut Penny inside a bedroom when guests arrive and let her out after about 10 minutes. This is very effective in stopping initial barking and jumping up on people. She is much more relaxed when they are already sitting down talking to us than when they are at the door

[ips]

Eze goes bonkers if anyone comes to the door barking and jumping about (never growls) luckily she will stay in the lounge when I tell her then I open front door. It's a territorial thing as far as I can tell but she is all bark no bight 😉