My dog is scared of my husband and won't play fetch with him.

Question

Hello, my dog Nash (Chesapeake Bay retriever/Standard poodle mix) in the last 3 or so months has developed an issue that is becoming a real problem. My dog is a retriever by nature and loves his ball but if my husband take him out, Nash will ignore him and not get his ball. He stays as far away from my husband as possible but if I happen to be beside my husband then Nash runs and retrieves his ball and is happy to be playing. He is also a bit nervous of people and will bark. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 1 year and 9 months old | 40 lbs

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

Poor Nash! It sounds like he may be a bit fearful, or having some socialization issues. A good first step would be to have your husband carry Nash's favorite treat with him at all times. Any time Nash approaches or shows interest, your husband can then reward him with praise and a treat, helping Nash start to associate your husband with good things, even in slightly scarier places (such as outside). You can also have people approach him and toss a treat to him (without acknowledging or petting him) to help him start to associate people with positives as well. I also highly recommend working with a trainer in person that can assist you with training techniques such as BAT (Behavioral Adjustment Training) to work on the fear and barking around other pets and people.

My dog is scared of my husband and won't play fetch with him.

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