My golden retriever is scared of strangers petting her. What to do?

Question

I am having problems with my golden retriever bailey...every pet friendly store she walks into with me someone wants to pet her I have to say no because she freaks out and moves back tail between her legs and lays behind me, then some people she won’t refuse to let them pet her but she doesn’t like it. I have been working on socializing since 16 weeks I have always thought it was lack of socializing but I’m not 100% sure can u please help? Pet's info: Dog | Golden Retriever | Female | spayed | 1 year old | 61.2 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Poor Bailey! It sounds like she's quite fearful of strangers and doesn't enjoy having them pet her. This is something you can definitely work on, but since she's older and her fear is already firmly entrenched, this will be more complicated than simply "socializing" her around people. I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can evaluate her in person and help you put together a training plan. In general, treatment for fear issues like this involves teaching the dog to associate treats and other fun things with seeing people. She should never be forced to interact with strangers if she isn't comfortable, so I would stop taking her into stores and other places where people are likely to approach and try to pet her. Instead, you can try standing at a distance from people (perhaps at the park, or the parking lot of a grocery store, or somewhere else with a steady stream of people passing by) where she is comfortable. Praise and reward her with a treat every time she sees someone. Gradually, over time, you can move closer as long as she's happy and relaxed. You can search for a veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org , or a qualified trainer here: www.ccpdt.org

My golden retriever is scared of strangers petting her. What to do?

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