# Barking at strangers!



## lozzibear (Sep 13, 2010)

Jake is my 2 year old cross. He is a fantastic dog, so well behaved and obedient (except when he gets the whiff of a rabbit!). He is practically perfect! 

But, last weekend I was in the park with him and some other dogs (and their owners, it's a small park and we all know each other and walk together). Jake was running around in a patch of trees, when a group of teenagers appeared with two ferret boxes strapped to them. I called Jake back, coz I knew they were going to be ferreting on the bit of trees where he was (it is covered in rabbit holes). He came running out the trees, and spotted the guys and starting doing a howling type bark, and ran around them towards me (I was behind them) keeping a good 4 feet distance. He then suddenly stopped, and ran up to one of the ferret boxes, having a good sniff... then he started the howling bark again while backing off! 

I took him away, and we carried on our walk. On our way out the park, the group of teenagers approached us and asked if we had a lighter (Jake was onlead). One of the women I was with, had one so she let them us it. While they were standing, Jake again went absolutely nuts and spent the whole time doing this howling bark. One of the teenagers was a cheeky wee bleep about it! Saying he would punch Jake  He would have to get through me first! 

Then, tonight again, we saw a group of teenagers walking towards us. Jake (onlead) watched them while they were at a distance, and as they got closer, once again started barking! Poor guys then carried on past us, and got chased by a yappy yorkshire terrier... they looked like they were running for their lives! 

I just don't know what has got into him... he has never been like this before, he loves meeting people and is always wanting a fuss of anyone who is happy to oblige! At first, I thought maybe it was him being onlead... but the first time he reacted, he was offlead. I thought maybe it was the smell of the ferret that sent him off, but there were no ferrets tonight. I thought maybe he got a fright, since the ferret people appeared quite suddenly both times, but the group today approached from a distance. I thought maybe it was because they were in a group, but he is walked regularly in crowds, and is perfectly fine... I just don't know what is triggering it... he meets people all the time, and these are the only occasions he has reacted in such a way. 

I know it can be hard, when you haven't witnessed it, but does anyone have any suggestions as to what could be triggering him? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I trust Jake, and I know he is all noise and bluster and a great big softy, but other people don't know that... 

Sorry for the long post :redface:


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Could it be that the first group of teenagers had the ferrets (which are sooo strong smelling, especially to a dog) and now he just associates all teenagers with ferrets? My BIL used to raise ferrets. The dogs really did not like the little beasties or the smell of them around. The dogs just would get tense and upset whenever the ferrets were around and out of their cages. 

The only other thing I can think of is that the teenagers asked for a lighter so I assume they were smoking. I did have one dog that would bark at anyone that smelled of cigarette smoke. Maybe the other teenagers also smelled like cigarettes or were smoking and your dog doesn't like that. 

It's kind of hard to tell without seeing it but those are some possibilities.


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## lozzibear (Sep 13, 2010)

chowder said:


> Could it be that the first group of teenagers had the ferrets (which are sooo strong smelling, especially to a dog) and now he just associates all teenagers with ferrets? My BIL used to raise ferrets. The dogs really did not like the little beasties or the smell of them around. The dogs just would get tense and upset whenever the ferrets were around and out of their cages.
> 
> The only other thing I can think of is that the teenagers asked for a lighter so I assume they were smoking. I did have one dog that would bark at anyone that smelled of cigarette smoke. Maybe the other teenagers also smelled like cigarettes or were smoking and your dog doesn't like that.
> 
> It's kind of hard to tell without seeing it but those are some possibilities.


Oh, that could be it (the ferrets). I did think with those teenagers that it was the ferrets, coz I know they can be stinky (I wanted one when I was younger and my mum said a big NO due to the stinkiness lol)... I hadn't even thought that he could now be associating a group of teenagers with the ferret smell! I'm hoping to take him for a walk to a specific busy park a few miles from me, hopefully on Monday, and there are always loads of people around so I want to see how he reacts while there. He does see people all the time, and it is only groups of teenagers that he reacts to. 

I don't think he bothers about cigarette smells to be honest, no one in my family does but he is around the woman who had the lighter who smokes (and he goes to her house everyday Monday to Thursday) and my OHs mum smokes, and he doesn't really appear to take any notice. 

Thank you for replying


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