My husky puppy is shy of head petting, is it teething or behavior?

Question

BEHAVIOR & TRAINING Please as many as possiable answer My Siberian husky puppy is five months old. She has been shy of strangers reaching for her to pet her head every so often, it has gotten rarer and only if she is having teething pains that day. She backs off slightly no aggression. Just started a huge group class last week. Is she hopeless? Will it pass after teething is over and all her teeth are in? Parents have no problems with temperament. Pet's info: Dog | Siberian Husky | Female | unspayed | 5 months and 10 days old | 35 lbs

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

If she's just shying away from head petting, that's not a hopeless case. Most dogs are not very comfortable with someone reaching for the top of their head, and it could just be she isn't used to it, or related to some pain such as teething, as you suggested. A good thing new people meeting her can do is to bend down and either offer their hand for sniffing, or offer her a treat, and then to gently pet under her chin instead if she'll accept that. You can also have new people meeting her offering a treat and let her approach first, and then praise and treat if she accepts petting without shying away. If she becomes too fearful or stressed, stopping all petting and giving her a chance to relax before trying again can help. Group classes are useful for socialization with other pets and people in a structured environment, so even if it doesn't address the specific issue, it can help with overall social behavior. I'd just keep up with positive reinforcement training, having new people approach her slowly, and praising and treating when she shows interest in them, without pushing her to interact if she becomes stressed or fearful.

My husky puppy is shy of head petting, is it teething or behavior?

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