Ok, so after a string of very unfortunate events and horrid experience Skye has taken a turn into being generally timid with people to down right afraid.

She will now bark if people come to try and pet her, she will snap (not with intention to bite as she doesnt lunge or go for the hand just snaps to warn away.

Now this is only outside the home, on the other side of things, she is fine with people who are invited into the home, she will bark but after the first few alert barks she settles down and will allow guests to pet her and play and what not.

Now my problem is I've over come this 4 times with her already but everytime we end up back here again and worse due to more bad exerience for her.

Background:
1st reason this occured - puppy socialization trainer alpha roled her and pinned her down in the puppy class, so much for 'positive reward based training'
As a result: She became shy she but didn't bark at people are any of that
2nd reason - Drunk person threw a bottle at her
As a result: She started to bark when people came to touch her and back off
3rd reason - She was surrounded by a large group of people wanting to say hello despite my saying don't touch her and trying to get out of the situlation, people grabbing and her and trying to hold her from me (ignorant people)
As a result - She growled at the people, barked and completely started shutting down
4th reason - this time she was shouted at and kicked by a stranger for trying to play with his dog even though she was being completely fine with his dog. Then on the way home drunk people stomping their feet and lunging at her.

Each time I have overcome it with getting strangers to give her treats, or inviting people over, not letting strangers touch her when we are on a walk to the park, but on the way home allowing 1 person to greet her who is willing to go down to her level, give her a bit of sausage, let her sniff them, give her some more sausage until she warms up to them and allows them to stroke her down the back.

This time it's different, with her now so afraid she is becoming snappy and not just barking, with a possibility she may bite I'm not sure now I should be going about this.

I'm so furious at the ignorance of some people, I know I can over come this with her again and hopefully this time once and for all.

I just need some idea's of this time how to go about this.

She is a lovely dog, I love her will all my heart, I don't want to see her bite someone or not be able to trust her.

I myself have let go of any fear I have about her biting people so as I am in the right state of mind to go about training her, and now I am ready to begin re-socializing her, so if anyone could offer some tip's it would be much appreciated!

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My evergrowing family

Skye - Alaskan Klee Kai, 2 years old
Echo - Alaskan Klee Kai, 7 months
Extended family:
Dascha - Heinz 57, 12 years old

There's been recent thread with High Visibility Vests available, proclaiming nerous dog, no touch, no eye contact etc.

Your dog is doing distancing behaviours, I'd keep working on it but try to exercise in places like wide open fields and parks, avoding pavements and narrow paths as much as possible, until she's more relaxed.

You may find some not so subtle signs, like a walking stick, or ready lines to use "like so sorry must dash I'm late", can help you avoid unwanted proximity with the untrustworthy.

Real shame, you can't walk her in my area, as there seems to be very little of this kind of nonsense going on. Perhaps you can grow a beard, or try to look more madly psychopathic like "Simon the DW" in a different breed?

Actually with a fit high energy dog, perhaps a cycle attachment would help, you can simply trot her past or away from ppl before they saunter over?

Heh what a coincidence I just shoved a thread on dog chat seeking some help finding a jacket like that!

Ah unfortunately I live in London so large fields and such are hard to come by, any that still exist around here have recently become planned sites for buildings .

We do tend to stick to that parks though, in terms of walking on pavements I tend to keep her on the side to which the wall is, not to make her feel trapped but so I can position myself in front of anyone who tries to approach and intervene.

Thats a great line, I'm going to have to practice that one, actually I've never thought of quick get out of the sitution lines before, thanks for that tip!!

Haha if I grew a beard it would be rather unusual being a rather short oriental woman myself - it would certainly be interesting though!!

I will certainly look into a cycle attachment though at this stage we don't do large amount of exersise with her being that she's still young.

Thank you very much for your help, green blob coming your way!

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My evergrowing family

Skye - Alaskan Klee Kai, 2 years old
Echo - Alaskan Klee Kai, 7 months
Extended family:
Dascha - Heinz 57, 12 years old

i found walking with my friend and her very people friendly lab helped with Henrick, also age paid a big part in him getting more confident, although I did ask people if they could stop and talk to me without adressing him, then we moved onto them throwing treats for him, again without adressing him. Eventually he just got over his fear, he now meets people with that usual gsd ignorance (ie youre not my mummy so Im going to virtually ignore you). They do go through a natural fear period apparently at about 7 months I think, how old is she?

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gsds (Henrick and Bella), the cats (Syd, Lilly, Elvis and Dizzy), the gerbils (Honey, Lisa, crusty, Millhouse, Flanders, Bart and Homer), the rats (Valentine, Flower, Petal, Blossom, Koda, Cava, George), the mice (Minnie, Pop, Seudag, Caraid, Silver, Trouble, Athena, Pandora, Aphrodite, Meep, and Springtime)

goodvic2 a staffie rescue guy mentioned them, might help your search for the reference, they were £32 or so though

I think personally all you can do is start completely again, and work on positive experiences and making walks fun.

I had a similar thing with one of mine, though his was more, "environmental and noise phobia" more than anything.

Do you drive? I started by driving him to the park, starting with times there would be a few people, but once people were in work and kids were in school.
If she is good with dogs and likes to play, it may be an idea to actively search out people with calmer friendly dogs, and use the dogs as the intro to people. I did a similar thing but the other way round, it was a dog who was fear agressive with dogs, but by gaining his trust and feeding him treats, we then slowly introduced Nanuq, getting her nearer and nearer, then going for walks, until he gained trust and interacted with her, then we started with other dogs, with her as a role model.

If you could find people with dogs, explain and ask them to completely ignore her and let her interact with the dogs, then let her watch, as the owner interacts with his dog, and gives treats, then maybe she will then allow close contact with the owner working up, to softly speaking to her, then offering a treat, and eventually stroking etc.

Hopefully once she has had a few positive experiences over a few weeks, you can then very slowly at her pace build up the challenges of introductions to more people and slightly busier areas.

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Crucial info here: how old is she now? At what ages did all those awful things happen?

I find with work with human reactive dogs that hand feeding ups their stress. Come here and have sausage - tempting so they decrease distance and then they are stuck with this person of whom they are actually afraid.

Her escalated signaling is testament to that discomfort. So first thing is first - stop the up close contact with unfamilar people.

Next, get to know and study subtle doggie discomfort signaling.

Start working on establishing a safe working distance so that D+C and BAT work can begin. More on this here: Premack-ing for Calm | Pet Central's Pawsitive Dawgs Blog!

Teach her alternative greeting/focus behaviours such as nose touches to palms. Outstretched hands become much more pleasant if they can be touched to receive a reward and then retreated from. More here: Essential Exercises for Cerraazzzy Canines: Focus & Re-focus | Pet Central's Pawsitive Dawgs Blog!

I suggest you have a look at fearfuldogs.com (and their excellent blog) and get the book Click to Calm by Emma Parsons.

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Anne, owned by Rufus & Tripod

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"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts." - John Steinbeck

"If you don't want your dog to bite you, don't be an a**hole to him." ~ Dr. Ian Dunbar

Thank you for this, unfortunately I don't really know any dog's that are particularly 100% stable

ETA - I will definately try asking people to talk to me and ignore her and slowly just get people to throw treats to her.

My Dascha is great with people but treats them with a certain about of indifference & is also dog fearful but Skye's helped her with this.

She's now very nearly 12 months old

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My evergrowing family

Skye - Alaskan Klee Kai, 2 years old
Echo - Alaskan Klee Kai, 7 months
Extended family:
Dascha - Heinz 57, 12 years old

Thank you, unfortunately I don't drive just yet but am learning (though I'm dreading paying for insurance).

She's fantastic with dogs and now heres the little catch to her behaviour I forgot to mention - if she person has a dog she is more focussed on greeting the dog or playing with it that she normally accepts the person touching her and will even at times go and willingly say hello. So as you have said I reckon I shall go on a search for a good doggy role model for her who can help her. Most dog owners will greet her the right way rather than all the noise and fuss that drives her up the wall the 'awwwww' and clicking sounds, sucking of the teeth (don't quite know how to explain that sound I spend about 5min doing it trying to find a way to explain it ), that really get to her.

Thank you so much for the advice and I shall try and find a nice doggy role model for her around me, the only dog that springs to mind I know lives all the way in dorset

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My evergrowing family

Skye - Alaskan Klee Kai, 2 years old
Echo - Alaskan Klee Kai, 7 months
Extended family:
Dascha - Heinz 57, 12 years old

Appologies for forgetting those details.

She is now a year old (or well be on Sunday).

The 1st even happened when she was 14 weeks old, the 2nd happened at 5 months old, the 3rd happened at 5 months old, the 4th happened at 11 months old.

Thank you very much for the advice.

I will give those a read now!

That's the command we are working on at the moment 'touch' to a hand and then getting rewarded by the other.

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My evergrowing family

Skye - Alaskan Klee Kai, 2 years old
Echo - Alaskan Klee Kai, 7 months
Extended family:
Dascha - Heinz 57, 12 years old