My husband and I have a 5 month old chihuahua border collie mix. She is full of life, love and energy. She loves my husband and I and has bonded very well with us. However…she is healthy terrified of strangers. Usually when we have friends over, she will pick a corner and hide there until they leave. It wasn’t until they started giving her treats that she began to warm up to them.
So here’s my idea, but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. I live near a college campus. What I would like to do is go to a public bench in the middle of campus and set up a sign that says “Give My Puppy Treats”. I’ll have a bag of treats that I usually give her and if someone is interested, they can come up and give her a treat. I wouldn’t allow anyone to touch her, only hold out their hand and let her take the treat. I would only allow someone to touch her if she was ok with it. She hasn’t bitten anyone…yet. But I know the potential is there, so I would rather she come to them for attention and treats instead of being forced into it.
The outcome I’d like to have as a result of this experiment is she will associate strangers with positive interaction. (A side benefit would be giving a bunch of students the opportunity to give a puppy treats during mid term season.) Additionally, in the unfortunate event that she gets lost, I’d like for her to seek help from strangers instead of running away from them. That way it increases the chances she is found safe.
I’d like to know some thoughts and possible drawbacks. I haven’t done this yet, but I would really like to give this a try!
submitted by /u/BionicleC4
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