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Guide To Australian Shepherd Training & Care

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Australian Shepherds And Strangers

by McKenzie
(Arizona, Chandler)

I love Aussies! They are in my top ten favorite breeds... Sorry, not really much of a question, so I will hurry.

Do Aussies do okay with strangers? I really want a Aussie, and the neighborhood I live in is full of people, not too crowded, but full. There is many parks around where I live, which makes it a great place to socialize a Aussie (Or any dog!) with dogs, people, and of course loud sounds. The best park we have to drive there to. Its huge! It contains animals, like squirrels, and ducks. (I was about to get a Spaniel, but not such a good idea, if I live near ponds, lakes, (Mostly handmade, but still real.) and ducks... Lots of ducks...

I will take the Aussie to obedience class, train it new tricks often, and give it two walks daily... And lots of games to play!

Comments for Australian Shepherds And Strangers

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Stranger Friendly
by: V

My Aussie loves strangers. When we walk he wants to go play with everyone, and even cries a little when I don't let him. He does want to go chase the squirrels though, I have not let him because Im not sure what he would do if he caught up with one. I would think he would want to play with it, but the squirrel wont want to play with the dog. Back to your question, all the Aussies I know love people, the stranger the better!

My Aussie HATES strangers...
by: Anonymous

My Aussie has a big problem with strangers. She barks and growls big time at anyone we meet, see or comes over to my place. I cannot get her to stop no matter what. I have tried to socialize her and she really only acts out in places she sees as hers i.e. my jeep, my place etc but on nuetral ground like the dog park or out hiking trails she never barks at anyone. The difference is night and day. She is VERY well trained in all other aspects and basically the perfect dog apart from this aggressive behavior towards strangers.

Weary of strangers
by: Anonymous

My toy Aussie doesn't like strangers either. We've been socializing her and her reactions are getting better, but she is still very weary of any strangers or big dogs. As far as I've read of Aussies, they are naturally skeptical of strangers and have a tendency to bark, growl, or bite (if the strangers don't heed their warnings).

It's just important to read the dog's personality, every dog is different!

Aussie Cross
by: Anonymous

Hi All,
I'm thrilled to have found this page.
Our Aussie cross was a rescue. His mom and letter were rescued at about 6 weeks. We got him when he was 3 months. He was NOT socialized, a frightened, velcro fellow. We enrolled him in daycare which was phenomenal for dog socialization and human leadership. We then sent him with a professional dog walker who hiked her pack up and down mountains each day. We live in a condo in a residential neighborhood, so he is walked every two to three hours for a bathroom break and outdoor play. He is now 2 years old and still reactive with strangers. He barks, lunges and then retreats. He never behaves this way with people with dogs. It makes me crazy. I have done everything suggested by trainers, other professionals and other Aussie owners.
I'm at a loss as how to break this behavior. I've found the bigger my reaction, the worse he gets. And of course when people see me using a calm voice, a jerk and walk away, they comment that its my fault because I'm not reprimanding him. If I use a louder stern voice he barks even louder, as if competing for air space with me.
Off leash at the beach or the forest, he is happy and enjoys himself until someone comes directly at him and then the barking starts. He will run along beside people barking his head off and herding them away from me. He never giving any indication of biting. But the behavior scares the heck out of people and is just not acceptable.
I'm open to any tips or tricks to squash this behavior, We adore him, he's an awesome family pet.
I have a slight physical handicap plus a brain injury and he has given me the freedom to go out alone into the forest and remote beaches that I would otherwise not visit alone.

Wonderful dogs
by: Anonymous

Finally, other people who experience this too. My aussie is 6 months old and I have paid for multiple trainers. He is a lover of those in his "inner circle" or "pack" However, outsiders are unwelcome until he gets to really know them. Makes for a tough day at the park. But we do it anyway. I use the positive reinforcement, buy it rarely works now that he is getting older and more confident. I get the looks. I love my aussie and he loves me, so we will keep working on socializing together.

my dog hates strangers
by: Anonymous

My mini Australian hates strangers. He barks and growls at everyone that enters the house or the property. Whenever I take him anywhere he is fine until someone gets to close or directs attention at him. We've been trying to have treats on us to give to new people, but even though he'll take the treat from them he still barks.

Not good with strangers
by: Anonymous

No. Not good with strangers. I love our aussie but he is absolutely not good with strangers.

re: Wonderful dogs
by: HJK

Agreed with above comment, my 1 year old tri female is the same way. If the person is known and part of the pack she will practically piss herself with excitement when seeing him/her.

Anyone outside this circle is generally not welcome until she spends time with them in our environment BUT I instruct them to ignore her completely. Eventually her curiosity wins out. It can take a day or more but she will then lay beside them or on their feet and the next time she meets them she will remember they are part of her circle.

This makes it a challenge walking her, she's very striking looking and so many people plus kids want to meet her but I have to tell them she is curious of you however she is very shy. During these interactions she will hide behind my leg, trying to avoid being touched.

I spent a lot of time and effort socializing her as a puppy and she LOVED everyone but around the six month mark a switch went off.

My advice, if you want to get an Aussie understand the breed, and what its characteristics are. They were bred to manage a herd and make quick judgements on what's a threat and what is not. Talk to the breeders, and spend time with the sire and dame.

strangers
by: Anonymous

our aussie is very good with strangers. He wants to be pet and wants to play with strangers. He complains if we don't let him play. He can be cautious around very peppy and active people who approach him, but if they approach him calmly he is all for it.

Shy Aussie
by: Anonymous

So many of these stories sounds just like my Aussie. Beloved everyone at the dog park but doesn’t like people to approach him in the house.
He will back up and growl. The trouble is people tend to try and make friends and often don’t listen when I ask them to ignore him.

Every Aussie is an Individual
by: Alex

I have sibling Aussies from 2 different litters. The male who is 2.5yrs older is the typical temperamentsuspicious of strangers. With him I can walk by people inches away as long as they ignore him he is fine, and will walk on. If however the stranger will direct their attention towards him by bending forward, or stretching their hand out for him to sniff, he will immediately go into a defensive barking position. Sometimes he will have his back foot on my foot or sit on my foot while barking at them. However if the stranger asks to pet him and I tell them keep your hands to your side and let him come to you he is fine with meeting them and will usually push his head under their hand for a pet. If playing frisbee other people, dogs, bicycles, etc can walk past us and he will ignore them and continue to play. His sister is the opposite and will want to meet every person or other pet whimpering if I don't let her. However she will also want to chase bicycles, strollers, skate boards, scooters but not cars. I would say mostly Aussies are wary of strangers probably around 90% of them, however some can be trained to accept strangers, others can not, and a few may even like to meet strangers.

Aussie likes meeting strangers
by: Riley

My male aussie (2 years old) gets really excited to meet and lick the face of anyone he makes eye contact with. He doesn't stick around to get pet though. He isn't as jumpy as he was as a puppy but I worry a bit when he is around old people and kids.

My Aussie doesn’t like strangers
by: Mishelle

Since we got our Aussie at 8 weeks. We made sure he saw a lot of people and some even pet him, we made sure he saw other dogs because we wanted him to be socialized, we took him to the dog beach, the dog park, where people and dogs were around him, however, he’s now 1.5 years old and he still is nervous and reserved around them, and he doesn’t like when someone tries to pet him he would bark until we move away or they go away. that’s when I jump in and say "I’m sorry he doesn’t like that" or simply "we’re training" and it works. He has now learned to be in crowds, and not bark at them but when I need to introduce him to someone that will be in our circle i need to make sure that that person doesn’t go for pets immediately. What we have been doing and has been working is that we would go for a walk with that person and after around 15 min or so he will start to accept them as I also gave the stranger some treats for them to give my dog. It has improved. But not near 100%. What hasn’t improved is that he still doesn’t people to rush up to him for pets. Other than that we have been teaching him to tolerate strangers around him as long as anybody goes directly to him. Fun fact he doesn’t react this way with people with dogs still he would be cautious but would be more interested in meeting them than when is a person by itself… so. It’s tricky situation! But, good luck and curious if you got an Aussie after all!

It’s in the breed
by: Aussie Trainer

Aussies are great people pleasers and super loyal— but that’s towards their pack. By the breed standards they’re a bit stand-off’ish to strangers but it shouldn’t be to the point of aggression. More so just extra precaution and curiousness. Your Aussie may bark or sniff and follow the stranger around until their comfortable. But this is something you should work on as a puppy.
Since the breed is naturally more loyal to his/her pack— extra work in the socialization area may be needed if you’re seeking an incredibly social dog. Otherwise it’s common for Aussies to be uninterested at first or overly curious.

My aussie doesn’t like strangers either
by: Anonymous

We have always socialised him since a pup, he’s now 11 months old, on the park he loves socialising with dogs but as soon as a stranger stops to try to stroke him or say hello he barks and stands off, he’s comfortable now with the people we seen over time on the park with there dogs but it’s crazy how the one guy he knows brought his daughter one day and he was stand offish again because he had never seen the daughter before.

But the main problem is if we take him to someone’s house and there’s extra people there he doesn’t know he really doesn’t like it. He barks and takes a while to calm down. I know with anything that I wouldn’t like to be thrown into a room with strangers touching me, but is there any way to train an Aussie to calm to my command and say the person is not a threat?

He’s the most loving loyal dog to his family and loves other dogs just doesn’t like strangers especially males.

Highly Dependent on Dog
by: Anonymous

I have a one year old male Aussie who absolutely loves meeting people and dogs. He does what another individual wrote and cries (sometimes obnoxiously) to greet them. He does bark at new things (e.g., when he encountered his first kid on a scooter), but that isn't terrible for us. Training him to walk on a leash has been problematic since he wants to greet everyone he sees though...

We've also traveled with him and he is so happy to see anyone anywhere. He's not at all reserved with strangers in our house or outside of it. However, he did get nervous the first time a friend came over in a hat. He didn't growl, but anxiously peed a little.

Aussie in suburbia!
by: Anonymous

Yep, my Aussie doesn't like strangers. We did everything right since puppyhood and still do, taking him to the park with friends every single evening to this day. Doesn't matter, it's in their blood to be a pack, you are either in or you are out, even if you are in but don't live with him, you are merely tolerated/civilly respected. hehe At home, he is a total mush and will do anything to please his human pack. It helps to hear it's the breed. He really should be on a ranch working all.day.long. He would be in his glory! We will give him the best suburban life possible. :)

Scared Aussie
by: Anonymous

We got our Aussie in June of last year and he's our 2nd dog. He's great around me, my husband, my toddler and my mom (who has lived with us since we got him) and he's fine around my other dog and my mom's dog. Unfortunately, when family or friends come over or we go to visit and bring him, he gets scared and goes into offensive mode by growling, barkingand nippingankles or calves. My vet told me his behavior is because he's scared (since he was showing the same behavior towards her) and she showed me how our friends and family can help with the behavior. She avoided eye contact, made herself smaller and threw treats at him. He ate the treats and she continued to hold treats at him until he able to approach the vet on his own. Now he knows for next time he goes to the vet, that stranger gives him treats so hopefully his behavior next time we go will be a little different.

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