How is your dog with strangers?

[Picklepaige]

To say Finn loves strangers is an understatement.

I'll put it this way:

A drunk stranger came barging into my apartment one day, without knocking, and yelled "IS ANYONE HOME" at the top of his lungs. Even though it scared the **** out of me, Finn ran up to him and was all butt-wiggles and happy smiles, because this drunk stranger was now his best friend. Useless dog didn't even bark.

 

[amberdyan]

Hugo is disinterested if the person is disinterested. Like, if we're passing people on the sidewalk and they just smile at him, he'll ignore them. But if we're standing somewhere and I'm talking to a stranger he'll usually start to do a lot of tail wagging/happy dance to get them to pet him.

However, if he has met you more than twice you are no longer a stranger and he loves you.

 

[JacksonsMom]

Aloof, a tad on the skittish and un-trusting side. I don't mind the aloofness but I wish he didn't have the anxiety that he has on occasion.

In public, he's generally fine. He won't typically seek out a person but he is fine with a pat on the head or a scratch under the chin from a stranger if he must, but he'd rather not lol. He doesn't bark at people in public places or stores.

At home, he doesn't like strangers in our house. He gets over it once he sees I am accepting of them but his uneasiness doesn't let up until they are gone. For example we had a painter in our house the other day and he did his usual barking fit for about 30 seconds when she walked in. He calmed down once he saw I was okay with her but then every time she would walk into a room and he wasn't expecting it, the barking would start again. Any house really though, it doesn't have to be ours. If I am at a friends house and he's with me and we've been alone for 3 hours and then someone walks in the door, he goes crazy barking as if we're in our own home. He doesn't like being taken by surprise lol.

My family and close friends, even if he only sees them a few times a year, he seems to be able to differentiate and is more relaxed around them. Once he trusts and loves you, he will forever. Sometimes it just takes him some extra time.

 

[Snark]

Murphy will bark/growl but is accepting of strangers if we tell him it's okay. Had a neighbor come onto the property once, completely wasted and wanting to come into the house - Murphy was beside himself, wouldn't let her in the yard, and I pretended I couldn't call him off so she finally staggered back home.
Riley is aloof and ducks away from strangers - he doesn't like being patted on the head and doesn't particularly care for people he doesn't know, so he avoids them whenever possible. He's okay with dog people, even ones he hasn't met before.
Michaela likes people for the most part but she's learning from Riley and Murphy to bark fiercely and stay out of reach in the yard, which is fine with me.

Has anyone else noticed their dogs act differently with dog people? Riley seems to know the difference between John Clueless Public and people who know dogs; he's politely friendly with dog people (strangers) but avoids contact with the general public...

 

[Laurelin]

Summer wants to make out with all strangers and go from lap to lap. She absolutely adores all humans even if they give her no reason to.

Mia hates all strangers and wants to hide from them if at my house. In public she does not want them to touch her at all. Or look at her. Or exist too close to her. I think I may have graduated to being able to count the people Mia likes on two hands now instead of one.... Me, both sisters, dad, nosework trainer, one agility trainer.... I think that's it? Even my second trainer never got a hand on her even after a year. I had a party last week and Mia was miserable. It wasn't even a big one.... She is also very very afraid of children.

Hank is weird. He is friendly about 95% of the time. Certain things freak him out. Old people freak him out. People wearing large sunglasses. People with pigtails. People who are 'not supposed to be here'... wherever he's deemed it that they're not supposed to be. Usually it's things like night time or in the woods and they are 'suddenly' there. Small old people in big sunglasses walking giant dogs. People standing next to agility rings but not inside it. Bark, growl, freak a bit. He's real strange at times. Most people he runs up to and wiggles and flips over for belly scratches. He loooooooooves kids. Melts into a puddle, whines and tries desperately to go say hi. Cuddles all over them. Plays really well with them. Babies, older kids. Doesn't matter. He loves ALL of them. I often wonder if he had a kid in his first home to play with.

 

[maxfox426]

Morgan is funny. In general, I would say he's friendly.

If I take him places, he will act excited to meet new people until he is within reach to be touched, and then suddenly he is disinterested. He will tolerate attention just fine, but isn't necessarily all lovey-dovey about it.

If people come to to door, he barks super loud and I cannot stop him... unless I let them into the house. Then he sits on their feet and loves on them. (Disclaimer: I don't let strangers into the house. But sometimes Morgan doesn't know that they aren't strangers. lol)

Then, yesterday, he was outside when the meter man came into the backyard. I didn't know the guy was coming, and I have never heard Morgan bark like that before. When I looked out the window to see what the heck was going on, Morgan had totally cornered the poor guy in the backyard, fully hackled, keeping a distance of about 10ft away, barking like a savage. He disengaged and came to me almost immediately when I called him off. Honestly, I wonder if he would have just calmed down if I told him it was okay, but I guess I don't mind him reacting that way to strangers letting themselves into my yard, either.

 

[StillandSilent]

Gambit hates all living things. If you're in his circle, you're in, but it's not easy.

Gimmick is a weird mix of shy and 'I don't fear you, I just don't like you.' with strangers. I don't think he really cares for people at all, and would be happy if it was just us.

Glitch is a tramp. He loves everyone, and thinks that everyone should love him back just as much.