My new Sheltie hates my dad!

This is my thought...

While your new pup does not show the behavior in your dads home..it is because she is not in her home to protect you.

But while she is in your home,in her place,she feels the need to display,what I really feel is a way to show you,that she is protecting what is hers.(home & you)

I think that the next time he makes a visit,and she displays the behavior when your dad approaches,he should turn his back & ignore her.
When she displayed even the slightest bit of calmness,she should be praised & treated.

One will never know the path she has had in her life,and I'm sure she has memories.That in time with love,passion,patience,she will overcome.

Cudos to you,for opening up your home~
 
Thanks everyone! My stepdad arrived last night, he is staying with us for a couple of weeks until his new house is ready - Lucy is the same way with him. Barking like crazy, the fur on the back of her neck sticks straight up - she's wagging her tail at 'half mast', it's not straight up like when she barks at other dogs...

When he sits down on the couch, on a chair, etc. She stops barking and leaves him alone. As soon as he stands up it's chaos all over again.

I guess this is going to be my little experiment for the next two weeks, hopefully we can find a solution! I appreciate the ideas from all of you and will try them out!
 
Well it's been 36 hours and Lucy is coming around with the step dad. She was crazy for about a day and now she doesn't bark at him anymore. I tried ignoring the barking - I had him pay no attention to her at all and then when she finally had a break of no barking he gave her a treat (a special one!). It took a while of doing this but eventually she started to leave him alone. Thankfully my step dad was very patient with her and willing to work with us on this!

Now she follows him around, sniffing pockets and hands to figure out if he's storing any more of those treats :lol:

My dad will be a bit harder since he's not staying with us and only pops over once a week but seeing Lucy settle down is very encouraging!!! Thank you guys so much for helping me figure this out. :biggrin2:
 
You're moving in the right direction. Sounds like your Shelties had problems with men in the past and if you are on your own, she may well become very protective of you, given whatever happened in the past with her. It is her home and she may feel that your dad and step-dad are intruders and the home needs to be protected from them.

Keep on doing what you're doing.
 
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