Good day! A friend of mine, but stranger to Gustav (I think they met once a long time ago, and Gustav barked at her. We were out on a walk) came over. I brought Gustav out on a leash and he was really good. I sat down and pet him and she just ignored him the whole time. After a while he was calmly approaching her. I decided I wasn't ready to try a meet and greet, so since he didn't want to lay down by me anymore I put him in his crate with a big meaty bone. He was happy with that. Dottie got her to throw a ball a bunch, so Dottie was happy with that. I was very pleased with the calmness.
It reminded me that Gustav has actually never had a problem with anyone in the house and we used to have plenty of people over, some of whom would pet him. Well, actually, there was one person he disliked and barked at and danced around. I never figured that one out. And of course the famous bone incident that was just doomed to failure, where Gustav lunged at Justin's mom and hit her in the face because she was petting him on the head and leaning over him while he chewed a meaty bone. But that's different.
It made me want to have people over more, now that it seems pretty manageable. I don't know how I would decide to let him roam free. Any ideas? When is a dog comfortable enough to trust around visitors? Would I be able to relax a little, or would I just spend the whole time staring and feeling nervous? How do I know when he needs a break in his crate? Hmmm.
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You'll know when it's time...
ReplyDeleteMost of the time it's after you and your furry pal have pretty much shaped a meet and greet in baby steps in different places with as many people that you know or bump into that you'll notice that all of a sudden both you and your dog are relaxed and in tune. You'll be the one to have a lightbulb moment.
Normally it's the human that slows down the process. I'm a worry wart, so I totally confess to being overly cautious.