Hi All, Long post, trying to give detail! Our 2 year old Lab would bark about once a week, however in the last 3 months barking at the door and visitors has increased to the point where he is now almost inconsolable when people come into our house. He is definitely more reactive with men. We’ve had him since a pup pre-lockdown (5 months old when March 2020 hit) but a huge chunk of his life has been spent with a very quiet house and limited visitors. He is fine out on walks with people and will say hello a little timidly but won’t bark and will scamp off to continue exploring. It seems to be ‘territory’ related as happens at home only. He had always been a little nervous in his nature and we neutered him at 18 months. I do feel this has impacted and increased his nervousness. I realise there are lots of opinions on neutering and I can’t change that we’ve done this so I’m really looking for advice on how to reassure my pup who isn’t feeling relaxed in his own home when a visitor comes in. Our downstairs is open plan, so I don’t have a room/gate to put him in when visitors come and when I’ve put him in the garden he goes berserk at the back door to get in. When people arrive, he will go to investigate the person, barking the whole time, hackles up. He seems to know when it’s a workman vs a family member. Family come sit down in the lounge and he can judge them quietly from a distance he is happy at and decide what he does next but understandably workmen go to do their job. Kind workmen who are ‘Dog people’ have tried to gently engage with him offering a hand to sniff in hope to reassure him but it doesn’t help. Those who ignore him get the same treatment. I know we are making things worse but can’t see a way forward. How can I progressively help him feel comfortable when visitors come?
Your dog and mine could be related! Toby is now nearly 4 and things are beginning to get a bit better. When family or new people come to the house I ask them to ignore him and not make eye contact or try to stroke him. He likes to have a good sniff and is then generally ok as long as they continue not to engage him. At the weekend we had 10 family members for lunch in the garden. He barked at all of them when they arrived. (With the exception of my mother in law who he is all over like a rash. He knows she brings treats!) I gave him a marrow bone which rather than run off and eat he went around showing it to everyone. He then settled down to eat it. After we had eaten everyone played fetch with him which was great. They could stroke him in passing but anyone that tried to stroke his head he backs away from. Everything is on his terms! Workmen are slightly different. Surprising how many men are frightened of a big barky dog. With them,unless they want him loose, I put him behind a stair gate or on the lead. In that case it is worse as every time they reappear or talk he barks all over again. I don’t know the answer and have asked the question on here myself. I would advise that now we are out of lockdown you get a behaviourist in to give you some advise sooner rather than later.
