Fear Agressive puppy

[tildog]

I have a small dog (10lbs) he is about 5 months old. I think he has fear agression.. I have two children 8 and 5, let me be clear he is in NO WAY scared or mean to them. He loves them he very excited to see them come home from school he plays with them out side he sits on the couch and watches tx with them he cuddles with them my 8 year old picks him up and hes all licks. Hes fine with my husband and I. he doesnt growl or cower at anyone in the home.
Ok that being said, here is my MAJOR problem:
I walk our dog durning the school day for at least a hour. At first he would not walk on a leash but lots of treats and praised fixed that in a few days. What is happening tho is if somone leaves him alone and just walks by hes totaly fine. However if somone stop or bends downs he is growling and cowering behind me. I do not let him cower i hold the leash so he cant get behind me but i dont know how to fix this. At the moment he is Not showing his teeth its a Low mean growl tho and he lowers his head and cowers. No one is reaching to pet him when he is doing this. It happened today when someone at least 6 big steps away from me stop to tie there shoe. I belive this is fear agression, Based of him putting his head down, the growling and the cowering. I have only had him right under 3 weeks. Im fixing him in feb. The place i got him from says to tell him bad and remove him then to treat him when he doesnt react and he is a puppy who wil grow out of it, every time someone does not completly ingore him he reacts like that. Im looking into training classes but if you have been thru this or have any idea please reply we are all very attached to him thanks happy holidays

[Lee at Delayre]

It is good that he is not shy or aggressive with your family . Training classes are good however I would also have some private lesson with the trainer . I would also opt for a smaller class (no more than 12 dogs ) If there is a conformation class (show dogs) tell the trainer what your problem is and if you can put dog that class . The reason is almost everyone in the class are dog people not pet owners . They know how to approach your dog's type of personality . The dog won't learn manners but will learn to have stranger handle his body and look at hiis teeth without shying or trying to get away . Those classes (at least in my area ) usually are large and he won't get a lot of hands on training but most dogs people are helpful and just being with a group like that sometimes can get the puppy over it's fears . If they won't let you in the class just sit with the dog and watch the class . As long as he is not yapping and disturbing the class they won't mind but it is another way for him to become less nervous around people and other dogs

[Sarah]

From what you are saying, he is not fearful, he's unsure. Dogs who are not socialized will act this way.

I believe you are doing a good job in not letting him cower behind you, this is showing him that you will protect him. What I would say to the stranger is please don't come close to my dog, but if you can crouch down, with a reached out hand and call the dog to them. This way the person is on the puppy's level, and approaching in a playful manner.

Think about it, how would you like someone to be bigger than you are bending over them to pet them. It would be pretty scary, and it's the same way you're puppy is thinking too.

I do agree however, puppy obedience classes would be great place for socialization.

[Deaf Dogs]

Sorry, this is a little late, but I have a lot of experience with fear aggression, having a very fear reactive dog of my own. Consider taking your puppy to a clicker training obedience class, or puppy socialization class. I use "Click to Calm" methods with my boy, and it's coming along very well. Your puppy hiding behind you is actually a good thing, it means your puppy trusts you to protect him. Oliver will react to any person who makes eye contact with him, but if they ignore him, he's fine. Ask people to crouch down, but sideways to your pup, not looking at him. give the people high value treats to give him for approaching him. you can have people walk past dropping treats, or dropping treats when they look at him, but don't approach. You want your puppy to learn that good things come from people. Clicker training for fear aggressive dogs is very successful. there is a book called "Click to Calm: Healing the Aggressive Dog" by Emma Parsons. It is a very good book for people dealing with fear reactivity.

[MaryAnn]

Socialize...Socialize....Socialize.... Take your puppy everywhere...stores, outside cafes, hair salons, shopping centers, etc..... Introduce him to many differents places and people daily.

Check and see if there is a Dog Training Club in your area. They will be a great support group. You can log onto the AKC website to find one in your area.