Quote Originally Posted by 4 Dog Mother

Pippi is scared of most strangers
and she does better if they ignore her and let her approach them.


Boy, can I relate to THAT!!

"Stranger" Phred enters the Howze to be "greeted" by BIG Dawg Dakota -
who wasn't at ALL sure I otta be IN there!

I started lettin everyone out of their crates and herding them outside ...
Dazzi was fearful and kept avoiding me - took 5 minutes to get her out the door.

Last out was Pippi - cowering in her crate *BARKING* in fear.
She finally *dashed* out of the open crate - and then began flying around
the house trying to avoid even looking at me!
Once I herded her out the back door -
I figured I wouldn't see her again till Mom came home!

I went out and sat on a chair in the garden and began passing out LOTS of treats ...
After about the third *snatched* treat, Pippi finally quit *barkin* and approached ...
A 4-paw *spring* and she was in my lap!
From then on - every time I sat down I had to be ready for Pippi's LEAP into my lap!

Most PTers don't remember, but SmokeMutt was an Abused Child - and had
a Panic/Fear of ALL "men" - myself included!
I credit my old Shop landlord, a couple of my Fire Buddies, and Ralph at Findlay
with bringing Smokey around to the Friendly, Trusting Pup he is now ...
Dave, the landlord, was a Dawg Lover and "worked" on Smokey every time he
came into the Shop ...
Dave would come in, take a few bisquits out of the Cookie Jar, sit down on
the FLOOR, and just *wait* for Smokey to sitck his nose out from behind
the desk or file cabinet he was hiding behind.
Cinder helped - since SHE was in Dave's LAP trying to mooch the bisquits ...
but the combination of soft talk, his being down low and never trying to "touch" Smokey,
eventually won Smokey over. (It took more than 6 MONTHS!)

"JP" needs to arm himself with treats that London *LIKES* ...
then get real comfortable down on the floor - and *wait* for London to approach.