It is normal to have people over to the house – friends, relatives – and sometimes they are allergic to dog or cat hair or are actually afraid of the dog (and sometimes even the cat). But the opposite may also happen, that is, Rex and Kitty may not appreciate having unfamiliar people in the home. How can you handle this type of situation and teach puppy that your friends are his too?
When a dog is accustomed to living indoors with us, the home becomes his comfort zone, his safe and protected area. When he’s still a puppy, it may take him a few weeks to make the space his own and get used to the people that live there.
You should not worry if the new arrival is scared of his new surroundings and people he doesn’t know at first. But you should worry if this fear of people he doesn’t know continues for far longer than normal.
There can be several reasons for this type of behaviour. One of the main causes is genetic, but the most important factor that causes this fear is when the puppy has not been properly exposed to outside influences, to individuals of both sexes, of different ages and energy levels even before he is adopted by you. This sort of exposure is a healthy and fundamental part of his growing up, of his gaining in confidence. He needs to socialize with a variety of individuals. Another factor that can cause wariness of others is a traumatic experience that has not been properly dealt with.
To solve the problem we should make sure we never force him to approach a stranger he has never seen before, nor make him socialise at all costs with unfamiliar people that enter the house. This will only increase the poor animal’s fear and make the situation worse.
The first thing a dog needs to do is familiarize himself with the odour and voice of the person he doesn’t know. So even before he lays eyes on the stranger, he needs to sense his presence. To do this, put the dog somewhere he feels safe, like Ferplast’s Dog Home indoor dog house, which is closed in on all sides and well protected. It will make him feel protected too, and out of danger, but at the same time he’ll sense who is home. You can put some of his favourite things in the Dog Home to calm him down.
This type of dog house is made of TREE FRIEND wood and has a door that can be closed from the outside with a special safety latch that prevents it from accidentally opening. This is to make sure the dog can smell the odour of the unknown person from a familiar and safe spot and thus let him get gradually accustomed to the new arrival. The door on the Dog Home can also be easily removed and stored in the special compartment at the top so that the house can be used as a normal daily dog house the dog can enter and leave any time he likes.
After Rex has gotten used to the presence of the stranger in the home, try to make the actual encounter a positive experience for him, maybe with the help of a little dog snack or toy. With just a few gentle moves our puppy will easily get used to the idea of being in the company of new friends.
You should not under estimate the importance of a safe refuge for your dog, in fact, it should be a main feature in your house so that he has a special place he can call home, a comfort zone all his own in which to relax and use any time when he feels the need to feel protected and safe, or even just to get away from all of us for a nice nap!