dog is stressed around people

[tricia beaver]

I talked to the guy today and he said he knew the owner he got her from. They were moving and needed a place for the dog to stay and she stayed with him for 3 months without any contact with the owners so he deciclded to sell her. When he gave her a bath after the first month, she was really skinny. He still hasn't heard from them at all. So the original owners pretty much abandoned her at his house. He came over today and she started howling and jumping on him so it is obvious that if she was abused, it wasn't by him.

[whiteleo]

Well. that is good news! She probably just is going to need some adjustment time and will take her time doing it. Just stay constant with your reinforcements and she will come around.....

[VizslaMama]

I am also an owner of a very fearful/shy dog. We have had him since, 9 weeks of age. We socialized him like we would any other dog. He's been through 3 levels of obedience. Loves all our family memeber's.

Even at 9 weeks, he was always cautious of new people and new objects, so I am wondering if genetics are playing a role.
As the months went on, he had a few bad experiences with a young girl in out town who would come running up to him. So children he is not really fond of now. : ( And our neighbour would try to get his attention through our fence which seemed to frighten him of this neighbour, so now any people he sees while in our back yard he barks at.

At 6 mths of age, he started barking at every visitor that came to our home, I should mention we have a roommate(friend of my boyfriends brother) and his one friend would just walk him. We didn't know this until a few months ago. I wasn't thnking maybe something has happened while we were not home between Copper, the roomate and his friend? He has seen this person enough to become familiar, but everytime he goes NUTS! Eventually calms down, but starts back up again when he goes to leave. Now anyone who knocks on the door or who visits he react fearful too. Low growl, barking like crazy. Even does this to people walking past our home out front. He will not approach people. Some people he will sniff and let them pet or give him a treat, others he wants nothing do to with.

In out home he is the most reactive, but out walking he usually stays quiet just doesn't approach always or let people come to him.

Copper is a love bug to us and family and so far I havn't met a Vizsla who didn't like strangers, so it is really sad to see him become stressed and react to strongly.

I will keep reading the rest of these posts but I am always looking for advice on how to help him cope and become people friendly.

I recently bought the Thundershirt, havn't noticed a difference yet though. Expecially in out home. He still goes nuts.