[BraxtonsMom]

I have a 16 week old puppy who is afraid of men. We have had him only 3 weeks, and I am trying hard to take him on "field trips" were we encounter men (that doesn't sound good, LOL!), so he gets used to them. The other day we went to the tractor supply store and I asked a few men to give him a treat - he was scared at first, but eventually he went and took the treat from them.

I was wondering if anyone has any other ideas for how to socialize my pup. He is cautious of all new people - but he allows women and kids to pet him, but with men, he hides behind me.

 

[leahwyatt]

You are heading in the right direction. Making your dog bond with men through treats is a great idea. Couple that with plenty of praises and your puppy shouldn't be afraid of those nasty men anymore. Also, he should see that you approve of these men. Try hugging them in front of him. Ask a member of your family if you don't feel comfortable doing this with other people.

 

[ofthelogos]

You've got a good start, but one thing that will really help is to de-sensitizing your pup to men from a distance.
This is a great video on a protocol called BAT (behavioral adjustment therapy) that can be used for both fear and reactivity.
http://functionalrewards.com/

One thing I would suggest is to not force your nervous pup to interact with anyone if he doesn't want to. If he's reluctant to approach strange men (even with with food), you can simply get them to toss a treat in his direction. It's better if he can choose whether or not to interact with them. If he feels like he's in control of the interaction (i.e. if he feels like he has the ability to terminate the interaction if he feels threatened) he will be less fearful.
If you have male friends who are willing to help, you could also practice having them come over and act very non-threatening (so, no eye contact, no reaching over or approaching your pup, sitting down quietly and letting him come to them, periodically tossing treats, etc.).

Good luck

 

[BraxtonsMom]

Thanks for the advice!

I was so proud of Braxton today, I took him to my neighbor's house and he was great with her husband and two teenage sons! He was making a huge liar out of me by going right to them and climbing in their lap, etc. I wonder if the fact that he was at their house made a difference? Either way, I am happy to see his fear subsiding.