My Dog Is Too Friendly With Strangers

It is all right if your dog is a cuddle buddy when it comes to you, but if they are too friendly and trusting with strangers, it could prove to be a dangerous situation. Do you have this problem with your dog: my dog is too friendly with strangers; how do I stop it? It would help if you learned how to handle an overly friendly dog. A dog with a friendly temperament is a sign of proper socialization, something every human owner wants. But there comes the point that a dog becomes too friendly and too trusting. In some cases, your dog might run off with anyone they meet. It could be a potentially risky situation.

Why Is It Dangerous for Your Dog to Be Too Trusting?

When you have visitors over or take your dog out to the park, your dog must handle the situation. In these cases, you want your dog to be friendly and gentle. However, there is a thin line between friendliness and being too trusting. Unfortunately, dogs cannot see the distinction. Keep in mind that there are strangers out there who might take advantage of your dog’s trust. If given a chance, they could do something bad to your dog. For example, they might steal your dog to sell them to laboratory research facilities. Your dog might even be utilized for dogfights. However, when your overly friendly dog meets a stranger, they wouldn’t know that they might have bad intentions. Your overly friendly dog might suddenly rush to the stranger to make friends.

Train your dog to listen only to you

My dog is too friendly with strangers; how do I stop it? It is all right for dogs to make new friends. Keep in mind that some dog breeds are intrinsically friendly and trusting. They might not know that they are putting themselves in a dangerous situation.

Dogs theft is a common occurrence. When your dog has been kidnapped there is a slim chance that you will ever get him back. Although you don’t want a fearful dog, you don’t want him to follow or listen to the commands of every person they meet. The best way to protect your dog is to train him to follow only you. The following are some tips and tricks to train your overly friendly dog:

Train your dog to respond to obedience commands such as sit, stay, and come

Reinforce this training in your dog outdoors and in environments that are full of distraction.

Train your dog with a release command such as the stay command to have him hold a certain position until you signal to release him.

Train your dog with this release command with other people present. For example, have your dog sit and stay for several minutes when another person approaches them. Afterward, release him to greet the person.

Train your dog to stare at you when you speak his name. Repeat this often at home.

Note:

Don’t expect your dog to change his friendly temperament. However, a bit of training can go a long way in protecting your dog from risky situations. You will also find that training your dog to hold the command until you give the signal to release him has useful benefits as well.

Training Your Dog to Be a Guard Dog – My Dog Is Too Friendly With Strangers; How Do I Stop It?

Step one

My dog is too friendly with strangers; how do I stop it? It is crucial to know the difference between a guard dog and an attack dog. A guard dog sounds the alerts when there is an intruder in the territory. They start barking or growling. In essence, guard dogs are not trained to attack people on command, nor are they aggressive towards strangers. Guard dogs do not make good attack dogs.

In contrast, attack dogs are utilized by law enforcers such as the police. They are highly trained to attack when commanded to do so. They are aggressive and a real threat to intruders.

A majority of attack dogs are highly trained and will never be aggressive unless they are given the command. However, attack dogs that are poorly trained can start attacking without warning. They are a serious danger to humans as well as other pets and animals.

However, most average owners wouldn’t need an attack dog.

Step two

It is crucial to get a dog breed that can be trained as a guard dog. Although most dogs are trainable and can be adequate guard dogs, certain breeds make the best guard dogs. For example, small breeds such as Chow chows and Pugs can serve as good alert dogs. But larger breeds such as German shepherds and Doberman pinschers are excellent choices for guard dogs.

These large dog breeds can be trained both as a guard dog and an attack dog.

If you own a breed that is purebred but not a guard dog breed, or if you own a crossbreed, it is still possible to train them to be an ideal guard dog. Try to examine if they exhibit traits of a guard dog. Were they properly socialized as a puppy? If so, you can start training them to be a guard dog and protect you.

Step three

My dog is too friendly with strangers; how do I stop it? It is crucial to know the personality traits of an excellent guard dog. In contrast to popular notions, a guard dog should not be overly aggressive. Ideally, an excellent guard dog should be territorial and extremely protective of his human owner. But he must be obedient to his human owner’s commands.

The guard dog must be confident with himself and his environment. Confident dogs exhibit curiosity with people and new situations. They are never shy or timid with people. Your dog may already be exhibiting these traits, but optimum socialization can level up their confidence.

Another trait of a good guard dog is assertiveness. However, this does not mean that they are pushy or extremely aggressive. Simply, they are comfortable getting what they want. They are confident in new situations and meeting new people. They do not back away.

Another trait to look for in a good guard dog is sociability. Guard dogs that are well socialized are able to recognize strangers and wary of them. However, they will not attack or be aggressive without provocation. My dog is too friendly with strangers; how do I stop it?

Guard dogs must be highly trainable. As an example, Chow chows may become good guard dogs because they are inherently suspicious of strangers. But on the downside, they are rather independent and not easily trained.

Keep in mind that loyal dogs make ideal guard dogs. If your dog is extremely loyal to you, the likelier they are to defend and protect you. In this case, German shepherds are known to be a loyal breed.

Step four

My dog is too friendly with strangers; how do I stop it? Make sure to start socializing your dog as a puppy. Optimum socialization is crucial in training your dog to be the ideal guard dog. Once your dog is well socialized, they will feel comfortable in their surroundings. Your dog will be less fearful and feel more relaxed. These are important characteristics of an excellent guard dog. However, they must still have a certain suspicion of unfamiliar and potentially dangerous people and situations. The best time for socializing your puppy is when they are between three and 12 weeks of age.

When they are older than 12 weeks, puppies become more conscious of their surroundings. It is more difficult to socialize them.

While socializing your puppy, it is crucial that they become comfortable meeting new people and interacting in new situations and environments. Socializing your puppy is a huge undertaking. It might be easier to break down the socialization process into smaller parts. Expose your puppy to new situations within his comfort level.

It is crucial to reward your puppy with tons of positive enforcement such as petting, treats, and playtime. Do it each time he exhibits good behavior in the socialization process.

Puppy kindergarten training is the best way to socialize your puppy. It is crucial that your puppy is current with his vaccinations and deworming treatments. This is crucial to keep them healthy and disease-free during the socialization training program.

Once your dog reaches adulthood, and you have properly trained and socialized him, you are on your way to having an excellent, dependable guard dog.

Step five

Make sure that your dog follows basic commands. Before you begin the dog’s training to be a guard dog, they must know basic commands such as sit and stay. If they know these basic obedience commands, they will be able to learn more complicated defensive techniques such as alert barking and guarding.

You can train your dog to follow these commands. However, for your dog’s optimum training, you might want to sign them up for an obedience training class.

Facts About Guard Dogs From Experts

Know what a guard dog can do

My dog is too friendly with strangers; how do I stop it? It is crucial for you to know what a guard dog can do and what they cannot do. Professionals really don’t use guard dogs. Suppose there is a real threat, such as an armed criminal, a guard that cannot stop him. It is easy to kill an unprotected and unsupervised guard dog.

Professionals utilize guard dogs properly

Professionals such as police and the military use guard dogs properly. These dogs are trained to obey strict rules before deployment. The handlers of these dogs know the law. If the dog needs to fight, they fight with their handlers and never alone. These dogs are never used against armed criminals. It is crucial to use a guard dog the way professionals do, otherwise, these dogs are useless. Keep in mind that a dog’s best asset isn’t their bite. Rather the main asset of guard dogs is their ability to hear, smell, and sense danger. Professionals utilize dogs to identify and detect criminals. In these cases, the police or military will use their force rather than deploy the dog to deal with the criminal.

In the Vietnam war, trained scout dogs could detect military men hundreds of yards away utilizing their hearing and scent. These dogs are credited for saving up to 10,000 American soldiers. It might be in your best interest to have an alert dog. These types of dogs can alert you when there is trouble. They will bark if they hear a burglar breaking into your house or car. Your dog will know if there is a bomb in your property. They can alert you when someone is trying to ambush you. A dog that has these super senses is more practical than a dog that will bite. Compared to your dog, you are much more dangerous. You can arm yourself and even call for help from your friends, neighbors, and the police. In contrast, your dog cannot do those things.

Train your dog

My dog is too friendly with strangers; how do I stop it? Keep in mind that dogs bred for guarding duties must still undergo full training. This training must be reinforced for life. You cannot be careless or cheap such as not have your dog trained all. Going through training in the pet store is also not an option. You need to invest thousands of dollars in getting your dog trained by experts. It is crucial to be there with your dog as well. You cannot get your dog trained and expect it to respect you. You won’t be getting the necessary skills to get your dog to follow you.

Raise your dog well

An ideal guard dog is socialized well. They are properly raised, trained, and supervised. They must follow the highest levels of command. If you fail to do this, you might end up breaking the law. An ideal guard dog does not bite strangers. Your guard dog must protect you lawfully. Anything less than this is useless. A good guard dog that has had optimum socialization can distinguish between dangerous and harmless situations. It is never good if your dog tends to bite everyone. It might just be a lawsuit waiting to happen. If your dog is extremely aggressive, it might end up biting the wrong person.

Final Thoughts – My Dog Is Too Friendly With Strangers; How Do I Stop It?

Your dog must be able to judge situations and people. If they are over-friendly with everyone, they might just run off with them at the slightest incitement. You must train your dog when to be friendly and be wary for their own protection since they might become a victim of dog theft. However, if you want your dog to serve as a guard dog, keep in mind that they have to undergo training. But even the best-trained guard dog will have his limits. If there is a real threat, your best protection is to call the police.