Why is my Coton de Tulear unfriendly?

by Ellen
(United States)

I am very concerned about my Coton's lack of friendliness with people. With my husband and I he is very affectionate, always wanting to kiss and sit in laps. With people he meets, however, he hides behind our legs and won't come investigate someone wanting to be friendly. I would love input from anyone!

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Sep 21, 2011
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Glendale,Az.
by: Vicky

If it is hard for people to come over & help go to ur closest small dog park. Take hotdog or his favorite treats a squeaky toy if he is comfortable with them. The people at the park will help. Ask them to get down to his level to start. Start w/a couple people at a time not to overwhelm him. Even 1 pc. of hotdog per visit from 1 person is a good thing to get ur Coton started. Good luck.

Sep 14, 2011
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friendly
by: Iris Miller

Maybe your dog is fearful, not unfriendly. They pick up invisible signals from us, like when we are worrying maybe someone will harm them or maybe the dog might hurt someone? I know my dog is very protective when we are out and he is on the leash, then he acts totally different when he is off leash (in the house) around strangers.

Sep 14, 2011
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Jasmine loves company
by: Cathy

Wow, never heard of any dog being unfriendly unless they were raised this way. Jasmine loves when we get company, showers them with lots of kisses. It's funny when I first got her the women who sold her to me, said she doesn't like men? Well that is not true, loves any man who has been in my home. I recently had a chair redone and she all but sat on his lap while she showed me different fabric. Hopefully your coton will out grow this and will be more receptive to guests in your home!

Sep 14, 2011
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Treats
by: Anonymous

My suggestion would be to stage some friends to meet your dog and that they have some extra yummy treats on hand to give to him at the first hint of him coming to them or even just looking at them with interest. Repeat sessions until he no longer needs treats to be friendly. Because the down side would be that he always expects treats from people in order to be friendly with them. Goal is to have him enjoy greeting & meeting new people without the treats. Have those extra yummy treats on hand at first and then in subsequent sessions, downgrade them gradually to something mundane like cheerios. As he progresses you can also switch to giving him a treat yourself instead of the friend giving him the treat. I hope this is helpful. I don't know about your coton, but mine are very food oriented!

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