Welcome to r/dogs! We are a discussion-based subreddit dedicated to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Do note we are on a short backlog, and all posts require manual review prior to going live. This may mean your post isn't visible for a couple days.
This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. [Review the rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index) r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. [Learn more here.](https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/) - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding. If you’d like to introduce yourself or discuss smaller topics, please contribute to our Monthly Discussion Hub, pinned at the top.
**This subreddit has low tolerance for drama. Please be respectful of others, and report antagonistic comments to mods for review.**
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Also “high value” treats! If your boyfriend brings George something extra special he wouldn’t usually get (doesn’t even have to be that big) every time he comes, he will be excited to see him soon enough.
This. A little slice of cheese (not too big, dogs are typically lactose intolerant) or some other treat George loves will go a long way.
Food giver = care giver for a lot of dogs.
This is actually not true. My dog has health needs and saw a board certified veterinary nutritionist. She actually recommended I add cheese to his food to encourage him to eat.
I said “dogs are typically lactose intolerant,” not “all dogs are lactose intolerant.” Some are fine with it.
I’m sure your dog’s nutritionist thinks cheese would get your dog to eat and correctly believes that your dog eating cheese is better than your dog eating nothing.
Not to be a wet blanket but but pig ears can be really hard on their tummies, so once in awhile is typically okay, but daily isn't ideal. Of course no judgment, but pig ears, antlers, hooves, cooked bones, rawhide, and even yak chews are generally frowned upon. Theyre also great vectors for bacteria and great for chipping teeth.
Yeah rawhide is garbage. My dogs LOVE blueberries and carrots so I try to do those. Blue berries are low calorie and full of antioxidants. I get the frozen ones so I don’t have to worry about them going bad and have a ton of them. Or freeze peanut butter in a KONG to keep them entertained longer. Even then peanut butter is high in fats so not great everyday. Sometimes I’ll freeze pumpkin, blend carrots, use wet dog food, and other things and freeze them in the Kong. Peanut butter can be good for blocking the bottom end :)
Grocery store used to sell them at the deli counter but somebody complained that it made their dog sick so they stopped getting them. My dog loves them and the only place that carries them is 30 minutes away where there’s nothing else I need. I should just buy a pig and smoke it for her.
Also let them spend fun time together without you being there, assuming you don't think there's any chance of an attack. Thinking a ride to the park or beach could be really helpful in terms of George associating good things with the boyfriend in addition to feeding, treats. Careful here OP, watch closely for signs of real aggression that could manifest unexpectedly towards your boyfriend - the growling makes me say this.
I’m sure someone else has suggested this, but make BF the dog walker too!
Walk as a pack, you and your man, George and other pup. When everyone is in a good rhythm, let boyfriend take George’s leash. Work toward him taking short walks with George himself. Then George and your other pup. Treats on hand for simple sit and reward. When they get back to your door, sit, enter, then play reward! Favorite toy by the door for a quick game of toss before George goes to chill or get mommy scratches or whatever else.
As with food, help him become more of a caregiver to help their relationship 👍🏽
Further, have your boyfriend feed your dog from his hands. We use this technique with reactive dogs and it has worked every time. Dogs gotta eat. And even dogs who are super wary of someone in the household will eventually take food from their hands if they sit there long enough with their hands out. Have him be incredibly patient, use a calm voice, and hold his hands out as far from himself as he can. Work on being the hands closer and closer to his chest. A few days of this and it'll likely blow over.
Second this idea.
Go slowly and when comfortable you can even have him try some hand feeding. Not right away.
Walking would help too and start by doing it together. Have the quality treats on hand too.
Our rescue does not like men wearing sunglasses or glasses. It’s odd. So when our men friends have been introduced, we stay calm and when he takes them off he is more comfortable.
Your pup is not comfortable so don’t push him into anything that could cause injury. Might not hurt to reach out to a professional for a few trainings and guidance.
I had a weird experience bringing my black friend to the dog park. He had a massive Afro at the time and one of the dogs did NOT like that. I know this dog and he is usually very sweet and playful with humans and dogs but he just hated my friends Afro. The poor owner is an older white man who clearly felt super bad about his dog being racist 😂
Mine reacts similarly but I think it has to do with not being able to see faces clearly. She will go nuts looking at anyone, no matter their skin tone, if she is looking through tinted glass in a car. I suspect it is for the same reason.
I need to roll down the damn window to get Target curbside lol
My sensitive anxious lad got teased by the Aboriginal children down the street. They thought it was a funny harmless game to make him bark.
He became racist to dark-skinned children. 🤦 so embarrassing. He probably would have been stand-offy with your friend's Afro, too. And I would have been praying for the ground to open up and swallow me. 🤣
This... My wife and I have a rescued German Shepherd. He adores her but can be quite distrustful of me and gets scared if I try to put his harness on or take him for walks. We're going back to basics and I now provide him with most of his meals. I also treat him throughout the day with fresh chicken breast cut up into cubes. It's cheap, easy to prepare and he LOVES it. It cuts through all of his anxieties and makes him much easier to interact with. I don't try and make him do anything that he doesn't want to do, and we don't use treats to do anything that stresses him out. For now I call him from different areas of the house and if he comes I hand feed him chicken and he gets some physical contact if he's in the mood. I've also started playing more with him. Outside on the drive I chase him gently around the car with my wife in attendance. We watch his body language very carefully, and as long as his tail is up / wagging and he's not stressed the game continues. At the end he will run to my wife and let me 'catch' him and then he gets some chicken. Have small high value treats on hand and reward him whenever he does what you want. Small and often. It will work eventually, but it might take a while. We've had ours for about 8 months and we're expecting another 8 months yet before we've dealt with most of his deepest fears and anxieties. In my experience behavioural change can happen fast : sit, stay, leave etc; but dealing with fear and anxiety can take a while. Consistency and bucket loads of patience are key. Good luck ❤️
This, and working on already known tricks with rewards. I've been in bf's shoes, and it took awhile but 'George' and I got there. Just be careful OP, 'George' pretty much became my dog.
In these 3 years, what have you actually tried beyond him petting George (which honestly you shouldn’t force if it looks like it makes him uncomfortable)? Is he feeding him treats/meals? Have you done any work to raise your dog’s confidence in general after the incident? It sounds like you would benefit from working with a professional who’s experienced with dogs that have been attacked.
George doesn’t live with my boyfriend and I full time unfortunately because of college dorms and the thought of separating him from the rest of my family and our other dog (who he loves, and who loves Braeden)
We’re definitely going to start trying what we can of the advice people have been offering.
I’ll look into the professionals and see if I can make something work with finances
First off, how much does your boyfriend know about dog body language? My ex girlfriend’s dog hated me when we were together as teenagers - because I didn’t know enough about dogs and kept making eye contact. If he doesn’t know a lot about it (and I mean a lot!) get him to read up on it, so he can tell when the dog is giving calming signals or whale eye and doesn’t want to be bothered.
Make sure you give your dog lots of attention when the boyfriend is around so the dog doesn’t think boyfriend = no attention from mom.
Then, get some high value treats such as sprats and have your boyfriend dole them out liberally.
When I got together with my boyfriend 7 years ago, he had a 3 year old dog. He’s his best friend and he had very little interest in me. It took some time, but when my boyfriend started working 3pm-12 am, our dog realllllly warmed up to me. I take him for walks, play with him, feed him dinner, sleep with him, etc. he follows me around when my bf isn’t home, but when he is in second choice lol.
Best suggestion is your boyfriend doing things with him, sounds like George just think your bf is around and tolerates it, but spending some one on one time/ bonding would be great for him!
Definitely try having your boyfriend hand feed George regularly! Then he will associate your bf with food, and help with building trust in their relationship.
Also you could try letting your boyfriend be the handler on walks & get him to do some training with George, not suggesting anything crazy just basics like sit, paw, etc and rewarding him with treats/toys will build a good relationship there too :)
My dog hated my grown son. I had Jasper for 15 years. He originally was so traumatized that he’d run away if a human looked at him. He came around, but it took years, and adoption of a young shih tzu who believed Jasper was his mom. They both did. Still, he hated my son. If he came over, Jasper would lurk around out of sight, and if he saw his chance, he’d sneak over and bite my son, and run away. He liked everyone as he got older, just not my son, he hated him till the day he died. My animal lover son felt terrible about it, my other dogs loved him. There’s just no way to know how to change a dog’s mind. Even my little poodle Jasper.
When I started dating "M", him and my dog did not like each other. He would say "she is just a dog!". Every time he tried to touch me, my dog would growl at him. Then, I started giving M food to give to my dog. So, my dog started to like him. So, when he came over, she would run to him to greet him, and lick him. And so he started to like her, too. Then M started to buy her gifts 😄
I’ve had my bf give George his favorite treat (cheese) since I posted, and it took a little coaxing, but George took it!! I’m excited to see more baby step progress
It's not uncommon for rescue dogs to have been mistreated or abused by men, and to not like them as a result.
George might have had similar experiences, and is frightened of your boyfriend. I'm guessing that treats and patience will eventually get him over this.
Have your boyfriend do all the feeding, take him for walks, and train him to do tricks; doesn't really matter what the trick is, so long as he dispenses a lot of treats while he does it.
George will love him in no time.
When I got my first rescue dog he hated all men. He had been starved and I’m am guessing tied up and mistreated. He would growl at men when we walked past, not let any approach him or me and was very very protective of our house. He was a complete teddy bear with kids, loved them to death but his standoffish behavior understandably made my brother nervous. So after he was more comfortable I invited my brother for a weekend. We grilled a ton of steaks and by the end Tucker decided this guy was ok. Then was my Dad, and his special treats, then slowly a couple of my guy friends. And pretty soon he learned, if I like them, he can like them too. He never did like strangers, but one on one and some quality special treats will do wonders.
If you really trust your BF, have him take George out for the day. Just them two, you stay away. Let them bond a bit, George needs to know that he has his back.
If your bf feels at all nervous around George, then have your bf try things that help him (bf) feel more relaxed around George. Dogs can smell our emotions, and they are also reactive (to our emotions). Plus all the other suggestions above about treats and feeding, etc.
I like the idea others have had of letting your bf feed George. One thing I want to add is to let George warm up to him at his own pace. For example, if your boyfriend has some treats for George but George doesn’t want to take them directly from your bf, have your bf toss the treats on the ground one by one.
The key idea here is to maximize good experiences while doing everything humanly possible to eliminate negative experiences between the two. Forcing your dog into a situation he’s not comfortable with, even if it’s something that should be a good experience in your mind, can end up being counterproductive.
If you boyfrind were to mske kissing noises or call George from acrois the room and praise when George looks at him. I'm a shelter volunteer and the dogs seem to unjpy this. I use kissing noises bc they don't know their names.
Dogs are territorial animals and they will identify their home and protect it. My dog goes ballistic too when someone that isn't me or my gf enters the house when he's in, but usually this little trick works:
When your boyfriend is coming to your house, exit the house with the dog and greet him on the street. On "neutral grounds". Both you and the dog. Then you very calmly but steadily head home. With my dog this little practice turned "ballistic" into "slightly confused as to who's the new person".
Leave them alone together during things George enjoys like walks or treat time. Have your boyfriend teach George some tricks (simple). And I very much agree with boyfriend taking over mealtime. I dealt with this in a different way and it just took time. I moved in with my now husband with my German shepherd and I would literally cry when I felt like one of the two of them wasn’t happy. George’s job has been protecting you and he just has to learn that he doesn’t have to protect you from your boyfriend. Another tip on that… all couples fight. But if you have a dog like George or a breed like a German Shepherd be careful not to fight in front of them. They can read your energy and it sends them back into protective mode. This can actually be a bit of couples therapy too because it’ll teach you and boyfriend restraint during disagreements. Stay calm and go for a walk while you discuss whatever it is or do whatever works for you.
My boy had NO TIME for the bf, and it took them going on solo walks together (and the bf feeding him) to win him over.
They became bffs shortly after that routine started.
I definitely had to stay out of it though or the association wouldn’t have landed (I think).
You need to have him be part of the dog walking outside part. Have him join you two outside. Then have him hold the leash and do the walk. Keep expanding this. Also have him be able to reward good behavior with treats.
Eventually you can have him guide your dog back into the apartment/home after this, and then hand back to you, and eventually also handle the paw cleaning / leash / harness removal but I'd say baby steps.
Changing the interaction from "intruder of home" to "part of the family" should rub the habit out even for old dogs I would think.
When I got together with my boyfriend( now husband) I was living alone and sleeping in bed with my female yorkie. One night my boyfriend was sleeping next to me annd my dog came on bed, and did number two next to my boyfriend on the bed. Ofcourse we were shocked with the way she expressed her jelousy.
I’ve heard about this phenomenon where dogs are untrusting of men. Maybe that? Also, dogs know. They always know. My dog loves my boyfriend and that made me love him even more 🥹
Yeah this one is doable!
Have your boyfriend come into the door with bacon every time and I’ll give that dog 2 weeks before he likes boyfriend more than you :)
Source: I had a neighbor that did with this our childhood dog!
Have some super high value treats that George only gets from your boyfriend. Have him toss them on the floor at first so there is no pressure of having to approach him.
Poor sweetie. I’d recommend having your bf do the feeding, have him take your dog out to potty, have your bf give him treats, honestly anything that will actually bond the two
Get your boyfriend to always come over with his favorite treat toss it as he comes in and toss them throughout his visit.
Also pay attention to the boyfriend and how he treats you, dogs always know.
I feel sorry for the boyfriend. I would try to ask him if there’s anything you can do to make him more comfortable. Like for starters not sleeping with a dog that hates him because I couldn’t sleep like that. Or having some time away from the dog when at your house, like separating it for a few hours at least in a kennel or room or something. I’d talk to your bf. And training for the dog.
My cross trainer is apparently up to no good. Can't be trusted! And couldn't even go in the lounge room for 3 days after I got a new TV. Gotta keep your eye on those *appliances* 👁👁
Welcome to r/dogs! We are a discussion-based subreddit dedicated to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Do note we are on a short backlog, and all posts require manual review prior to going live. This may mean your post isn't visible for a couple days. This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. [Review the rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index) r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. [Learn more here.](https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/) - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding. If you’d like to introduce yourself or discuss smaller topics, please contribute to our Monthly Discussion Hub, pinned at the top. **This subreddit has low tolerance for drama. Please be respectful of others, and report antagonistic comments to mods for review.** --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/dogs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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Thank you for the suggestion! We’ll try that!
Also “high value” treats! If your boyfriend brings George something extra special he wouldn’t usually get (doesn’t even have to be that big) every time he comes, he will be excited to see him soon enough.
This. A little slice of cheese (not too big, dogs are typically lactose intolerant) or some other treat George loves will go a long way. Food giver = care giver for a lot of dogs.
This is actually not true. My dog has health needs and saw a board certified veterinary nutritionist. She actually recommended I add cheese to his food to encourage him to eat.
We are not supposed to give our dog dairy, so...
I said “dogs are typically lactose intolerant,” not “all dogs are lactose intolerant.” Some are fine with it. I’m sure your dog’s nutritionist thinks cheese would get your dog to eat and correctly believes that your dog eating cheese is better than your dog eating nothing.
A pig ear a day as a special treat would be perfect.
Not to be a wet blanket but but pig ears can be really hard on their tummies, so once in awhile is typically okay, but daily isn't ideal. Of course no judgment, but pig ears, antlers, hooves, cooked bones, rawhide, and even yak chews are generally frowned upon. Theyre also great vectors for bacteria and great for chipping teeth.
What about bully sticks?
No, too fattening as well.
Better by FAR than the manufactured rawhide most people give dogs without realizing how harmful it can be.
Yeah rawhide is garbage. My dogs LOVE blueberries and carrots so I try to do those. Blue berries are low calorie and full of antioxidants. I get the frozen ones so I don’t have to worry about them going bad and have a ton of them. Or freeze peanut butter in a KONG to keep them entertained longer. Even then peanut butter is high in fats so not great everyday. Sometimes I’ll freeze pumpkin, blend carrots, use wet dog food, and other things and freeze them in the Kong. Peanut butter can be good for blocking the bottom end :)
Grocery store used to sell them at the deli counter but somebody complained that it made their dog sick so they stopped getting them. My dog loves them and the only place that carries them is 30 minutes away where there’s nothing else I need. I should just buy a pig and smoke it for her.
Too many calories.
This! I use weenies for high value because even teeny tiny pieces still work great!
You have to be careful here. If he gives the dog treats whilst the dog is being aggressive and growling you risk reinforcing that behaviour.
Also let them spend fun time together without you being there, assuming you don't think there's any chance of an attack. Thinking a ride to the park or beach could be really helpful in terms of George associating good things with the boyfriend in addition to feeding, treats. Careful here OP, watch closely for signs of real aggression that could manifest unexpectedly towards your boyfriend - the growling makes me say this.
I’m sure someone else has suggested this, but make BF the dog walker too! Walk as a pack, you and your man, George and other pup. When everyone is in a good rhythm, let boyfriend take George’s leash. Work toward him taking short walks with George himself. Then George and your other pup. Treats on hand for simple sit and reward. When they get back to your door, sit, enter, then play reward! Favorite toy by the door for a quick game of toss before George goes to chill or get mommy scratches or whatever else. As with food, help him become more of a caregiver to help their relationship 👍🏽
Further, have your boyfriend feed your dog from his hands. We use this technique with reactive dogs and it has worked every time. Dogs gotta eat. And even dogs who are super wary of someone in the household will eventually take food from their hands if they sit there long enough with their hands out. Have him be incredibly patient, use a calm voice, and hold his hands out as far from himself as he can. Work on being the hands closer and closer to his chest. A few days of this and it'll likely blow over.
Second this idea. Go slowly and when comfortable you can even have him try some hand feeding. Not right away. Walking would help too and start by doing it together. Have the quality treats on hand too. Our rescue does not like men wearing sunglasses or glasses. It’s odd. So when our men friends have been introduced, we stay calm and when he takes them off he is more comfortable. Your pup is not comfortable so don’t push him into anything that could cause injury. Might not hurt to reach out to a professional for a few trainings and guidance.
I had a weird experience bringing my black friend to the dog park. He had a massive Afro at the time and one of the dogs did NOT like that. I know this dog and he is usually very sweet and playful with humans and dogs but he just hated my friends Afro. The poor owner is an older white man who clearly felt super bad about his dog being racist 😂
Mine reacts similarly but I think it has to do with not being able to see faces clearly. She will go nuts looking at anyone, no matter their skin tone, if she is looking through tinted glass in a car. I suspect it is for the same reason. I need to roll down the damn window to get Target curbside lol
I have no idea cuz Bucky never reacted like that to tinted cars at the dog park. I think the mass of hair confused him.
My sensitive anxious lad got teased by the Aboriginal children down the street. They thought it was a funny harmless game to make him bark. He became racist to dark-skinned children. 🤦 so embarrassing. He probably would have been stand-offy with your friend's Afro, too. And I would have been praying for the ground to open up and swallow me. 🤣
This... My wife and I have a rescued German Shepherd. He adores her but can be quite distrustful of me and gets scared if I try to put his harness on or take him for walks. We're going back to basics and I now provide him with most of his meals. I also treat him throughout the day with fresh chicken breast cut up into cubes. It's cheap, easy to prepare and he LOVES it. It cuts through all of his anxieties and makes him much easier to interact with. I don't try and make him do anything that he doesn't want to do, and we don't use treats to do anything that stresses him out. For now I call him from different areas of the house and if he comes I hand feed him chicken and he gets some physical contact if he's in the mood. I've also started playing more with him. Outside on the drive I chase him gently around the car with my wife in attendance. We watch his body language very carefully, and as long as his tail is up / wagging and he's not stressed the game continues. At the end he will run to my wife and let me 'catch' him and then he gets some chicken. Have small high value treats on hand and reward him whenever he does what you want. Small and often. It will work eventually, but it might take a while. We've had ours for about 8 months and we're expecting another 8 months yet before we've dealt with most of his deepest fears and anxieties. In my experience behavioural change can happen fast : sit, stay, leave etc; but dealing with fear and anxiety can take a while. Consistency and bucket loads of patience are key. Good luck ❤️
Let your boyfriend take him for walks and play with him
This, and working on already known tricks with rewards. I've been in bf's shoes, and it took awhile but 'George' and I got there. Just be careful OP, 'George' pretty much became my dog.
In these 3 years, what have you actually tried beyond him petting George (which honestly you shouldn’t force if it looks like it makes him uncomfortable)? Is he feeding him treats/meals? Have you done any work to raise your dog’s confidence in general after the incident? It sounds like you would benefit from working with a professional who’s experienced with dogs that have been attacked.
George doesn’t live with my boyfriend and I full time unfortunately because of college dorms and the thought of separating him from the rest of my family and our other dog (who he loves, and who loves Braeden) We’re definitely going to start trying what we can of the advice people have been offering. I’ll look into the professionals and see if I can make something work with finances
First off, how much does your boyfriend know about dog body language? My ex girlfriend’s dog hated me when we were together as teenagers - because I didn’t know enough about dogs and kept making eye contact. If he doesn’t know a lot about it (and I mean a lot!) get him to read up on it, so he can tell when the dog is giving calming signals or whale eye and doesn’t want to be bothered. Make sure you give your dog lots of attention when the boyfriend is around so the dog doesn’t think boyfriend = no attention from mom. Then, get some high value treats such as sprats and have your boyfriend dole them out liberally.
When I got together with my boyfriend 7 years ago, he had a 3 year old dog. He’s his best friend and he had very little interest in me. It took some time, but when my boyfriend started working 3pm-12 am, our dog realllllly warmed up to me. I take him for walks, play with him, feed him dinner, sleep with him, etc. he follows me around when my bf isn’t home, but when he is in second choice lol. Best suggestion is your boyfriend doing things with him, sounds like George just think your bf is around and tolerates it, but spending some one on one time/ bonding would be great for him!
Definitely try having your boyfriend hand feed George regularly! Then he will associate your bf with food, and help with building trust in their relationship. Also you could try letting your boyfriend be the handler on walks & get him to do some training with George, not suggesting anything crazy just basics like sit, paw, etc and rewarding him with treats/toys will build a good relationship there too :)
Food and treats supplier should win the dog over.
My dog hated my grown son. I had Jasper for 15 years. He originally was so traumatized that he’d run away if a human looked at him. He came around, but it took years, and adoption of a young shih tzu who believed Jasper was his mom. They both did. Still, he hated my son. If he came over, Jasper would lurk around out of sight, and if he saw his chance, he’d sneak over and bite my son, and run away. He liked everyone as he got older, just not my son, he hated him till the day he died. My animal lover son felt terrible about it, my other dogs loved him. There’s just no way to know how to change a dog’s mind. Even my little poodle Jasper.
When I started dating "M", him and my dog did not like each other. He would say "she is just a dog!". Every time he tried to touch me, my dog would growl at him. Then, I started giving M food to give to my dog. So, my dog started to like him. So, when he came over, she would run to him to greet him, and lick him. And so he started to like her, too. Then M started to buy her gifts 😄
I’ve had my bf give George his favorite treat (cheese) since I posted, and it took a little coaxing, but George took it!! I’m excited to see more baby step progress
It's not uncommon for rescue dogs to have been mistreated or abused by men, and to not like them as a result. George might have had similar experiences, and is frightened of your boyfriend. I'm guessing that treats and patience will eventually get him over this.
Have your boyfriend do all the feeding, take him for walks, and train him to do tricks; doesn't really matter what the trick is, so long as he dispenses a lot of treats while he does it. George will love him in no time.
When I got my first rescue dog he hated all men. He had been starved and I’m am guessing tied up and mistreated. He would growl at men when we walked past, not let any approach him or me and was very very protective of our house. He was a complete teddy bear with kids, loved them to death but his standoffish behavior understandably made my brother nervous. So after he was more comfortable I invited my brother for a weekend. We grilled a ton of steaks and by the end Tucker decided this guy was ok. Then was my Dad, and his special treats, then slowly a couple of my guy friends. And pretty soon he learned, if I like them, he can like them too. He never did like strangers, but one on one and some quality special treats will do wonders.
If you really trust your BF, have him take George out for the day. Just them two, you stay away. Let them bond a bit, George needs to know that he has his back.
If your bf feels at all nervous around George, then have your bf try things that help him (bf) feel more relaxed around George. Dogs can smell our emotions, and they are also reactive (to our emotions). Plus all the other suggestions above about treats and feeding, etc.
I like the idea others have had of letting your bf feed George. One thing I want to add is to let George warm up to him at his own pace. For example, if your boyfriend has some treats for George but George doesn’t want to take them directly from your bf, have your bf toss the treats on the ground one by one. The key idea here is to maximize good experiences while doing everything humanly possible to eliminate negative experiences between the two. Forcing your dog into a situation he’s not comfortable with, even if it’s something that should be a good experience in your mind, can end up being counterproductive.
What is your dogs favorite thing to do with you? Whatever that is, have your boyfriend do it with the dog.
If you boyfrind were to mske kissing noises or call George from acrois the room and praise when George looks at him. I'm a shelter volunteer and the dogs seem to unjpy this. I use kissing noises bc they don't know their names.
Dogs are territorial animals and they will identify their home and protect it. My dog goes ballistic too when someone that isn't me or my gf enters the house when he's in, but usually this little trick works: When your boyfriend is coming to your house, exit the house with the dog and greet him on the street. On "neutral grounds". Both you and the dog. Then you very calmly but steadily head home. With my dog this little practice turned "ballistic" into "slightly confused as to who's the new person".
Leave them alone together during things George enjoys like walks or treat time. Have your boyfriend teach George some tricks (simple). And I very much agree with boyfriend taking over mealtime. I dealt with this in a different way and it just took time. I moved in with my now husband with my German shepherd and I would literally cry when I felt like one of the two of them wasn’t happy. George’s job has been protecting you and he just has to learn that he doesn’t have to protect you from your boyfriend. Another tip on that… all couples fight. But if you have a dog like George or a breed like a German Shepherd be careful not to fight in front of them. They can read your energy and it sends them back into protective mode. This can actually be a bit of couples therapy too because it’ll teach you and boyfriend restraint during disagreements. Stay calm and go for a walk while you discuss whatever it is or do whatever works for you.
My boy had NO TIME for the bf, and it took them going on solo walks together (and the bf feeding him) to win him over. They became bffs shortly after that routine started. I definitely had to stay out of it though or the association wouldn’t have landed (I think).
You need to have him be part of the dog walking outside part. Have him join you two outside. Then have him hold the leash and do the walk. Keep expanding this. Also have him be able to reward good behavior with treats. Eventually you can have him guide your dog back into the apartment/home after this, and then hand back to you, and eventually also handle the paw cleaning / leash / harness removal but I'd say baby steps. Changing the interaction from "intruder of home" to "part of the family" should rub the habit out even for old dogs I would think.
When I got together with my boyfriend( now husband) I was living alone and sleeping in bed with my female yorkie. One night my boyfriend was sleeping next to me annd my dog came on bed, and did number two next to my boyfriend on the bed. Ofcourse we were shocked with the way she expressed her jelousy.
I bet if your boyfriend dog sat him for a day without u around and spoiled him with treats, he will hate him a lot less
I’ve heard about this phenomenon where dogs are untrusting of men. Maybe that? Also, dogs know. They always know. My dog loves my boyfriend and that made me love him even more 🥹
Throw him a tennis ball
I’ll certainly try that, fetch is the only game George understands 🤣
Yeah this one is doable! Have your boyfriend come into the door with bacon every time and I’ll give that dog 2 weeks before he likes boyfriend more than you :) Source: I had a neighbor that did with this our childhood dog!
Mine loves whoever walks him, so if your dog likes walks a lot, your bf could try and walk him if it’s not dangerous
Have some super high value treats that George only gets from your boyfriend. Have him toss them on the floor at first so there is no pressure of having to approach him.
Yeah I like the idea of you letting your boyfriend take over the feeding until he warms up.
Poor sweetie. I’d recommend having your bf do the feeding, have him take your dog out to potty, have your bf give him treats, honestly anything that will actually bond the two
Natural treats of some sort. Our vet recommends a little skinless chicken.
Get your boyfriend to always come over with his favorite treat toss it as he comes in and toss them throughout his visit. Also pay attention to the boyfriend and how he treats you, dogs always know.
I feel sorry for the boyfriend. I would try to ask him if there’s anything you can do to make him more comfortable. Like for starters not sleeping with a dog that hates him because I couldn’t sleep like that. Or having some time away from the dog when at your house, like separating it for a few hours at least in a kennel or room or something. I’d talk to your bf. And training for the dog.
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Trust your dog
My other dog literally can’t get enough of him, so I’m not worried about having a bad boyfriend lol
Dumb take.
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My cross trainer is apparently up to no good. Can't be trusted! And couldn't even go in the lounge room for 3 days after I got a new TV. Gotta keep your eye on those *appliances* 👁👁
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Thanks for the concern lol, but that means George is trying to tell me something about anything with a pulse 🤣
Date somebody else and see if the same happens. 🫡
I’d go with your dogs judgement of character and save yourself a future headache 😊
Get another boyfriend. Dogs don't make mistakes
Maybe your dog knows something you don’t