Shy of men

[Sandy Rescuer]

We have an wonderful lab mix in foster. He is very active with his foster parents and his doggy buddy. He appears to have some difficulty with men when he sees them on his walks or if they visit his home. He chooses to run in the opposite direction. Any suggestions as to how to help him with his fear of men please. Thanks much

[uberglamorous]

Dogs who are scared of people usually had bad experiences. Its sad to see a scary dog because it limits the dog and the owner to activities that both of them can do.

You can try inviting a friend over to your house so your dog can get used to the presence of other people. Joining activities where your dog can have the chance to socialize with people can also help.

Provide a comfortable place for your dog and make him feel that it is a safe environment and everything will follow.

[melody]

Do you have man on the house that he can bond with? A friend?

If there is one, I suggest that you let him feed, walk and play with your dog. Let your dog realize that he can have fun with your friend. Try to ignore your dog while he's with your friend. I know this is a bit hard but if you really want to train your dog not to run away whenever he sees a man, you will need to stop being the security blanket. This will make your dog realize that if he wants to have fun, then he needs to be with the "other" person.

At first, you may want to have your friend hold the dogs food. Let the dog approach your friend. If the dog is really hungry, he will be forced to approach your friend! When the dog approaches your friend, have him praise the dog for doing a good job and increase the intensity of the praise as the dog learns to to trust your friend.

I suggest you work on that first before asking your friend to walk or play with your dog.

Just remember, don't push your dog to the other person too quickly. Be patient.