Why is my usually friendly dog suddenly terrified of a new person?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Irish Setter | Male | neutered | 9 months and 14 days old | 53 lbs
My dog recently came in from outside to discover my male cousin, Jonathan, sitting on the couch. Conan usually greets everyone excitedly, but for some reason he was TERRIFIED of Jon. Jon has never met him before, but he was extremely friendly and did nothing that would have triggered fear. Conan cowered whenever Jon stood up or went near him. He wouldn’t let Jon touch him either. Conan has met multiple people who are exactly like Jon, and loves them. He doesn’t dislike ANYONE. Why is he scared?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on February 23rd, 2019
Poor Conan! It could just have been that he wasn't expecting someone to be in the house and it startled him. Sometimes, dogs can also be fearful of people who may be "different" IE wearing hats, glasses, a different color shirt than normal, etc. Working on socialization can help with this. The next time Jon comes by, having Jon simply toss treats in Conan's direction, without interacting, can help the two of them get used to each other. If Conan approaches or permits attention, extra treas and praise can help teach him this is a good thing! This socialization technique can be used with anyone new in the house, or even out and about as well.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on April 29th, 2019
Puppies go through several fear phases and also these phases where everything they used to be fine with, suddenly isn't. A lot of it is just their mental development and they need some time to mature. It is always critical that puppies be well socialized, but there is also a fine balance of doing enough or doing too much. Sometimes we push our dogs too much and they just need a break and time to decompress. It is also unfair to believe our dogs will always like every person they meet. This lady may have appeared friendly but was telling the dog a different story. Dogs are amazing at reading body language and can pick up on even the subtle littlest things. It is possible she was pretending to be friendly but could have been hesitant or leary herself and Conan picked up on it and made himself leary too. Somtimes you just don't know what they are thinking. I would suggest taking Conan on walks and giving him space from people for a few days and see if his behavior improves. Sometimes our dogs ask us for space and we don't listen. There is no reason why our dogs need to greet every person they meet. Try this and if you feel his behavior is getting worse it would be a good idea to reach out to a local trainer who can see Conan and his reactions and offer advice based on what they determine is going on.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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