I've had a lot of experience dealing with and correcting aggression in dogs. However, my 4 year old Golden retriever has me stumped. No matter how much I expose him to, his fearfulness towards humans, especially men, does not seem to be improving. any ideas?
How long have you had him? Was he well socialized? Abused? Scared when he was a puppy? How does he react when he sees a man or stranger? Take all of these things into consideration. I haven't had much experience with this kind of thing, but when my retriever, Sadie, is afraid of something (ex- dumpsters) I would just tell her it was okay, but not overdue it (thus encouraging the behavior), and walk her closer and closer until she is calm enough to sniff it. Sometimes it would take a while before she would pass it quietly, but eventually she got it into her head that the dumpster etc won't hurt her. Hope this helps, good luck!
Due to poor breeding practices, Golden Retrievers these days often have fearful, and shy personalities. Does he behave aggressively in his fearfulness? Is he a fear biter? If not, and he's just shy, nothing will completely rid him of this trait, it's genetic. I too have a shy dog, but she has never offered to bite anyone, she just won't let them touch her. If you worry he might hurt someone, you should consult a trainer in your area.
He's not agressive fearful, just highly fearful in new situations, but always of men when he does not meet them on his turf. I've had him since he was four months old, if I hadn't taken him, he would have gone to the pound. He's never been abused or had any reason to become fearful. In fact, he was quite brave as a puppy. His fearfulness didn't come out until he hit puberty.
As the earlier posters have pointed out, the reason for the fear is key to finding the answer. You might try picking up a great book - The Dog Who Loved too Much. It is written by a behavioralist from Tufts. Each chapter addresses a different behavior problem and the way to resolve it. Some of them address fear - including one about a dog that was fearful of men.
You might try asking friends to come over with a supply of treats (which you have provided). One friend at a time. All humans stay calm and nonchalant. Seat your friend with biscut in hand. If your pooch still won't approach, provide small treats for just coming closer...and closer... This will take some repeating.
I know this sounds weird for a Golden, but he doesn't take treats normally. He'll take them from me, occasionally from friends, never from strangers. I'd like to keep his treat habit since we live in a populated area and I worry about him getting into something poisonus.
I know that this may just be the way he is but I don't want to stop trying. He's not happy being in fear and I refuse to accept anything less than a healthy lifestyle for him. He deserves more than to be in constant fear when we step out the door.
You may have tried these suggestions being that you said you have experience, but I'll just tell you what I know and if any of it helps, well that would be great. Being that he's not into treats, you could just tell him to go into a sit while you ara in the presence of a man, say on a walk or in your house. Have him stay, and don't let the man pay any attention to him whatsoever for the entire time, also no eye contact. Have the dog at a safe distance so he doesn't seem threatened. Use a friendly tone of voice so your dog seees that you are not in trouble in any way. If you have become the pack leader, he should be relying on you to put him in safe situations and not worry. Perhaps you should go over steps and re-establish yourself as the pack leader. It makes a huge difference in your dog's reaction to situations. See, if he feels you aren't going to be in control when he feels afraid or threatened, he thinks he has to do the protecting and doesn't really have the personality for it, so it's tough on him. You could also have the men, after he's been in the room with them for awhile, and sees that nothing bad has happened, throw a ball to your dog or a toy. Being that you're not into treats. A game of fetch outside with the guy. Even if your dog doesn't go for it, just let the man throw the ball or toss the toy, then leave the dog alone. After a while, men won't seem so threatening. Also obedience training and agility training boosts dog's confidence a lot. Once your dog gains more confidence and sees you as his leader, he should improve.
Try taking him to training classes,yeah I know I say it a lot but it really does make a difference in the leadership.
If the dog is aggressive, I would do what what the previous poster has said. Do you take him for a walk daily/nightly? Take a dog for a long walk especially since it's a Golden Retriever, is a must since dogs need exercise and his behavior will change. Was he socialized with men before? Or maybe even he is possessive of you and wants to protect you and maybe even the house. Having a dog trainer come to the house and start walking on that, might actually solve the problem.
