# Zoe is still afraid of men.



## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

<span style="font-family:Comic Sans Ms">Zoe has always been a little timid of men. She is around grandma & grandpa all day when I'm at work and she adores grandpa. She loves the men in my life that she knows. But most new men really frighten her and she will bark & growl at them if they try to reach down to pet her or even talk to her. I have tried to be assuring to her and introduce her to the new men by having them get down to her level and with me right there coaxing her to allow them to pet her chest, which helps with that particular situation. I've tried asking men I happen upon on walks to give her treats so she can associate new men with good treats. But when the treat is not there she is back to her old self. (Also I've had a few men think it was a pretty good pick up line!







) I've tried to have men just ignore her so she can smell them and decide to go up to them in her own time, which tends to work the best. But I want her to be over this fear of men. Yesterday at my nephew's graduation open house there were a couple of men there who wanted to make up to her so badly and she would have nothing to do with them & I can't have her barking & growling at a gathering like that. At the Memorial Day Parade it was the same thing. Any ideas? I'm really hoping there will be someone at the NMR picnic this weekend that may be able to help me as well. Oh another issue I'm having is that when she sees another dog that she wants to meet she barks & growls. Now her body language is not aggressive but other doggie mommies & daddies aren't so sure and besides, it makes for an unpleasant atmosphere when you are sitting at an outdoor cafe or someplace like that and she is whining, barking & growling because she wants to meet the other dog over there. Once she meets the dog all is well. But do I really want to allow her to behave that way and have her decide when she wants to be calm (meaning only after getting what she want by meeting the other dog)?</span>


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

Crystal I think Zoe is a smart little girl, and didn't you say your other vet is a man? Perhaps that is why Zoe doesn't like strange men too, she could relate that to a bad experience ie shots etc being administered by a man.
I know Scooby prefers men over women, maybe because he has had all female vets, he growls non stop at our first vet, yet this morning he was fine with our new one, but so far she hasn't stuck him with a needle or had to treat him for something, time will tell on that one.








I don't really know what to suggest as to how to get Zoe interested in men but I would be cautious about getting strangers to offer her treats, you never know these days who might try to entice her with a treat and perhaps her being a little cautous is better than over friendly with people you don't know, just my thoughts, personally I think if you could try some obedience training to control the barking and growling that would be what I would suggest.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

I feel your pain. Abbey's not afraid of men....but anyone who enters our home gets barked at non-stop for the first 10 minutes. there's no stoppng her. If someone was here and went outside for 10 minutes and came back in - they get it all over again!!







I can't stand it!!! 

It's hard to have her out in public because she barks uncontrollably at every dog she sees - it's like she needs an exorsist or something









Now, Tinker, my rescue, is afraid of EVERYONE - especially men. He runs away from EVERYONE ALL THE TIME. Oh my, the trials and tribulations of being a doggie mom.

I'm thinking of having a trainer come to my home (I had her when Arch was young...and he's the best dog in the world!)

If you get any help, please share it with us. And if I get help, I'll share it too.


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

> Crystal I think Zoe is a smart little girl, and didn't you say your other vet is a man? Perhaps that is why Zoe doesn't like strange men too, she could relate that to a bad experience ie shots etc being administered by a man.
> I know Scooby prefers men over women, maybe because he has had all female vets, he growls non stop at our first vet, yet this morning he was fine with our new one, but so far she hasn't stuck him with a needle or had to treat him for something, time will tell on that one.
> 
> 
> ...


<span style="font-family:Comic Sans Ms">From previous posts I know you like to take your kids out in public places too. I want to make sure I'm a good example of a well behaved little girl so that more furkids are welcomed. If I'm holding her or she is in her purse bag it is not an issue. It's a problem if she is on her lead or running free in someone's home and a strange man comes up to her. And it's not even all men. I'm not sure what it is about certain men. Wish I could figure out if there is a common denomator. I'm glad that it doesn't go on for a really long time. I can usually get her quiet within a couple of minutes. But sometimes those minutes seem to be FOREVER when you are embarrased!lol Good luck to you as well. And yes, if I do get any help I will be sure to pass it on.</span>


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

LOL -- although I know it's not funny. But, I think Zoe might just be a GREAT judge of character. Men are often JERKS.









On the other hand -- Tilly is very shy when she's out (man or woman) and she does the same barking thing as Miss Abbey whenever someone comes to the house. Yes, if that person goes out and then comes back in it starts all over again unless I pick her up and hold her and then she tries to climb around my neck.







She's still very fearful of strangers even though she goes all the time with us. I think it's still a carry over from the time she was at the puppy mill and pet store. 

Lacie loves people and believes that the universe revolves around her and that everyone she meets must love her (and they usually do).














But, Lacie does the same thing with other dogs as Zoe does. She just wants to meet them and play with them, but she barks, whines and growls until she gets to meet them. And yes, the owners aren't too thrilled about allowing their furbaby to meet Lacie. I don't know why she does this and I haven't been able to stop her. And she lives with 2 other furbabies, so it isn't because she's not around other dogs.

If someone has a answer, I would love to hear it too.


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## MySugarBaby (Jun 28, 2006)

Brownie is scared of men. We have been working with him on it and he has already improved some for the short amount of time we have had him.
Just make sure the men take slow actions and speak softly and calmly. When they do sudden fast movements it really freaks the dog out and it makes it harder for them to ever really like men. Just keep up what you are doing and have the men give her a treat. Don't have them reach for her, they can show her their hand very slowly with a treat in it but I wouldn't let them pet her just yet, even after they gave her the treat, she isn't ready for it. For now just let her come to them and have them act normal, again no sudden movements or loud voices. Just let them have a nice conversation with you and have them ignore her unless she comes up to them and when that happens take it very slow and just let her sniff him and let her take it at her own pace. If you move on too fast she won't be able to deal with it and get over her fear or disliking of men.
It takes a lot of time and patience but they will get over it. Just make sure the men that come around her are trained and know what they are and aren't allowed to do, lol. One sudden movement or wrong move towards her and you will be back at square one, you have to take it slow and easy, let her do it on her own pace, never force it!!


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## NC's Mom (Oct 23, 2004)

I have no constructive advice to give, but I'd really like to grab Mr. Grass Stain's head and rub his face in some grass.









Both of my dogs love strangers. Little C will gladly snuggle with and get pets from any man willing to do so. HOWEVER, if he has a really long and/or bushy beard, she's afraid of him. (Rarely see bearded guys out here) She is also afraid of men and women past a certain age (not sure exactly what the cut off is). I think that is because when they pet, they pet much too hard and it hurts her. So she tries her best to stay away from them. So, I know what you are going through...even if it isn't misbehavior, it's embarrassing to have your dog behave so "antisocially" right? 

Oh, I do have one idea....there are men who are anti-little dog because they view them as yappy anklebiters and they might be tensed up at the mere sight of her, which she can sense and then respond to by barking. So, when that happens, try laughing and telling her (in such a way that the man hears), "Oh don't worry; he's not a vet with a needle." or something like that. Then the man might relax a little and view her barking as more understandable and maybe she'll sense the difference in his demeanor and ease up? Maybe? I can't think of anything else.


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## Kara (Apr 29, 2007)

Milly is exactly the same with all new men. The more time she spends with them, or them being at our house, the better she gets, only with that man though. At first she wont even take treats from them, but afterwards she does. She also is alot better when they ignore her and she can sniff them and go up to them when she likes. We had to pick my aunty and her partner up from the airport as they were coming to stay for a week, and we took her in the car with us, thinking that if she sat in that close proximity with him and his smells she might bet used to him quicker, and that really worked, didnt take her long at all to become his friend.

Any man who comes to the house that she doesnt know though it takes hours, like 2 4 hours visits from my uncle, and there is my cousins husband, she has seen him so many times but she HATES him, really growels and barks at him a lot. He is so gentle too. But My other cousin, Male, came to visit and she didnt growl at him once, she loved him instantly, that was a first.


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

<span style="font-family:Comic Sans Ms">I had Zoe at the dog park yesterday and there were a couple of men there, (mostly women as usual), and the one man she was totaly fine with. However the other man she did NOT like at all. She never got used to him and every time he moved to a new location she would bark all over again. All though I do have to admit that he looked a little scary to me too! Maybe I won't worry so much about it and let her me my good person-get to know/not so great person-don't waste your time detector. She doesn't particularly care for my sister in law and well...enough said. LOL</span>


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