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I have two English Pointer girls, a 1 y/o and a 3 y/o. We've had the 1 y/o since 8 weeks but took in the 3 y/o only 3 months ago. Things are mostly going great. The 3 y/o has always been a little on the shy end but usually warms up to new people within a half an hour, if we are not at home. We hardly ever have people over and at first she would bark at them for a few seconds. Then she started barking every time the door bell wrang or someone knocked. As time has gone on, she has started to be more worried and barking more. I've tried leaving her about the house when I answer the door and when someone comes in, as well as tried putting her in her crate in the back room, but either way she barks her head off the whole time. Now my bubbly, human loving 1 y/o is becoming more cautious around people and barking at people.
I know I need to start doing some desensitization and counter conditioning to strangers and probably start out on the street and so forth but we have a few times coming up when I will need to have someone come into my home to do some work around the house, where I need to be there to give instruction. I'm not really sure how to manage the situation. She doesn't like to be anywhere I am not (we are working on that as well) so I can't just stick her outside as that would be more along the lines of punishment to her. What have you others with shy, fearful dogs done to manage a situation like this?
I know I need to start doing some desensitization and counter conditioning to strangers and probably start out on the street and so forth but we have a few times coming up when I will need to have someone come into my home to do some work around the house, where I need to be there to give instruction. I'm not really sure how to manage the situation. She doesn't like to be anywhere I am not (we are working on that as well) so I can't just stick her outside as that would be more along the lines of punishment to her. What have you others with shy, fearful dogs done to manage a situation like this?