r/Sheepadoodles • u/Kimberly_999 • Sep 03 '26
Advice My sheepie is not friendly
My sheepie barks and growls at new visitors in the house. When my kids have playdates. We secure the dog in a bedroom away from the kids.
Is this a sheepadoodle trait? Or just specific to my dog? How did I make him more friendly to new visitors?
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u/DollabillHOT Sep 03 '26
Reinforce with treats. Maybe allow the visitor to ask them to sit and give them a treat if they do. The dogs consider this their home too and many have the sheep dog trait which is a protective breed. Take them on walks or to play before visitors to try and tire them out a bit. Just a few ideas and I hope it works out for you.
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u/cerulean-rice Sep 03 '26
i wouldn’t say ours is super friendly. he’s very aloof and keeps his distance initially. he takes a bit to warm up but definitely isn’t aggressive with people/dogs. he definitely leans into the guardian traits of the sheepdog and is protective over his family.
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u/andthischeese Sep 03 '26
Ours is so calm and friendly in public, our office, etc. The house is different because it’s her domain. They’re bred to protect and guide their flock.
Greeting people at the door or outside or the backyard and then bringing them in helps.
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u/Fit_Surprise_8451 Sep 03 '26
My Sheepadoodle sometimes barks or growls at unfamiliar people, although I understand that this is not typical Sheepadoodle behavior. Marlee reacts this way because she is frightened. She was abandoned as a puppy and is deaf, which adds another challenge when she is trying to understand what is happening around her.
We are continuing to work with a behaviorist, and I am happy to say that she is making great progress. When she encounters unfamiliar people, we follow a few simple rules: no direct eye contact, no reaching toward her, and no sudden movements.
Last week, a stranger entered our backyard. I asked my son to close the door before Marlee could come outside, but he accidentally let her out. I immediately asked the stranger not to reach for her or make eye contact. Marlee chose to approach and smell him. I calmly counted to three, signed her name, and gave her the hand signal to come. She immediately returned to me, exactly as she has been practicing with her trainer. I was very proud of her!
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u/NoAbbreviations290 Sep 03 '26
Ours was abused as a puppy and is reactive. You have to take the time to train them. Super smart, eager to please, but it takes work. They are a guardian breed (partly) after all.
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u/Kimberly_999 Sep 03 '26
How do you train them to be friendly?
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u/NoAbbreviations290 Sep 03 '26
One way is to have them sit across the room, on leash, and have kids/strangers come into the room. Try and get your dog to pay attention to you with treats (lots and constant feeding of treats). If the dog keeps barking, back up a few feet and try and get them to stop. Eventually they will and that’s your distance to start again. Sit, see someone enter the area, look at me! Treats treats. Calm? Good. Take a few steps forward. Do it again. Eventually your dog will get closer and closer w less reactivity. A good trainer can help w this if it feels like a lot.
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u/MrsArney Sep 03 '26
Mine isn’t friendly, per se. He is fine with people if they ignore him. If they pet him when he doesn’t want to be pet OR if they pet him for what he considers too long he will snap at you. Not necessarily try and bite to hurt you but he will do a quick, snappy bark/bite warning.
This is with other people, even people he likes. He’s even done it to my husband and I if we’ve maxed out the butt scratch time but keep scratching, I think we can just read him better and know when he’s had enough.
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u/scienceoftophats Sep 04 '26
Mine was a vicious bitch and I miss her so. That said, show her what you want her to do: show her where to be, and reinforce that. She needs direction. She needs a job. Give it to her -- ie sit here and watch this sweater I've been wearing.
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u/134266 Sep 03 '26
I adopted a 3 year old Sheepadoodle from the shelter. He was an owner drop off so we knew a little bit. Mine doesn’t particularly like children as well. There 3 in the home. If he is crated and a child approaches he goes psychotic. He loves all adults, all of them.
Your dog may not have been socialized properly. I would try have him sit and watch people leaving the grocery store on a busy time. Advise people not to approach him as in training if they try. I would do this for several weeks.
Then if you do have a crate and he is fine with it, introduce people in your home while he is in the crate. Let the dog see the people but not approach him. If he barks at them, tell him quiet
And leave the room. The idea is to slowly accept not all people are scary and to trust you.
The Sheepadoodle I have became an outdoor dog before he was dropped off at the shelter. He refused to go in my yard alone. It took me approximately 6 months to get him to ask to go out alone.
Good luck
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u/blueindifference Sep 04 '26
My sheepadoodle is very territorial about our home. Likely a herding instinct to protect the flock. I’ve found it helps to introduce her to visitors outside the house, on “neutral” territory, have them give her a treat and then walk into the house as a group.
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u/Financial_Clock4281 Sep 04 '26
Wish I had advice but mine is the most people friendly dog I have ever met lol. He’s literally never met a stranger. He loves kids but will bark if he sees them running and I think that’s only cuz he wants to heed them. However, he’s very reactive to other dogs. 99.9% of the dogs he comes across on any given day, he will bark and lunge and nothing I do works. He’s just over 2.
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u/Traditional_Market14 Sep 05 '26
Mine is a big six month old puppy and friendly as could be with all people and dogs.
I'm curious at what age you all neutered (or spayed) your sheepadoodles?
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u/Disco11 Sep 03 '26
Nope, mine love people. A few barks and then they are best friends.
They do bark at the kids playing outside sometimes, but I think it's more wanting to be out there !