reactions to strange object

Justicemom

Justicemom

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I went to obedience class this morning with all 3 dogs in tow. In the beginners class the instructor had been working with the dogs on introducing them to kids and walkers etc. and they left the baby walker(I guess that is what its called) with a toddler sized doll sitting in it in the middle of the back room. This doll was kinda of scary looking in my opinion like a happy Chuckie doll.:lol:

I walked into the back room to work with Diva in quiet while waiting for my turn and found the doll. Diva walk in fine but when she got within 20ft of the doll she stopped and slightly lower herself to the ground and let not a low growl. I gave her a few seconds and she moved forward and I praised her and then she walked up to the walker and sniffed all around the doll and then ate treats off the tray while the doll arm petted her, tail wagging the whole time. No more issues. It was interesting as that was the first thing I've ever seen Diva act nervous about and growl at. She recovered quickly and made friends.

So I wondered how the others dogs were react. I got Justice and he did the same thing but no growling. He was a little slower to warm up and when I moved the dolls arm he jumped back but readily came back and ate treats.

So I figure Ember would be more reactive as she is the least brave of the bunch. Nope, Ember walked in, didn't bat an eye, walked right up to the doll and gave her patented "Hi baby do you have food" look and sniffed the doll and tray and put her feet on the tray and accepted petting from the doll and not one sign of nervousness. I was so proud of her. I worked so hard on her socialization as a puppy and I'm glad it paid off.:smile2:
 
I would have loved to walk in while you were feeding the dogs off the tray and having the doll "pet" them. Such a funny mental image!

Glad they got over their fear, though!
 
Cool story! Too bad there aren't any Chucky wannabees near here.. that sounds like an awesome learning moment!
 
All your babies did so well.

Meggie grumble/growls at the weirdest things, like a brown paper grocery bag on the counter! I don't know where she gets it from. She's a little scardey-cat!
 
My dogs don't like fake things. A real child is fine. A doll that looks too much like a child freaks them out. Same for animals. They are fine with other animals, but you put a life-like stuffed animal in front of them and they freak. I think it is because it is inanimate and they are expecting proper reactions.
 
Sadie reacts to strange things all the time. Things blowing in the wind scare her the most but really it can be any random object that we encounter on a walk.

One time someone was airing out a carpet on top of a fence and the end was moving slightly in the wind. Sadie absolutely freaked and wouldn't go near it. Another time she noticed a large sign that she'd walked past a million times and never noticed before. Or on garbage day there was a plastic patio chair beside the road. Things that she thinks are out of place or out of the ordinary she reacts to. But she's gotten to the point that after one of her little freak outs, she trusts me enough that she'll approach what scared her when I ask her to, since she's never been attacked by a carpet, sign or chair. I swear she often looks embarrassed when she realized there's nothing to be afraid of. :lol:

I'd hoped that it was something she'd grow out of, it's something that she has always done. But I've just come to accept that's the way she is and I just deal with it. No one is perfect, not even Sadie the Wonderdog who is perfect in every other way, as far as I'm concerned. :smile2:
 
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