I've posted about Callie and his stranger issues. Now I am proud of him letting the plumber and helper come in yet a third time to work in the house. But each time they come in we have to go through the introductions again. Granted we really don't have many visitors in the house, everyone works so many hours our social life is by the wayside. But are a lot of dogs like that? Doesn't he remember from sight or smell "Yeah hey I know you, c'mon in". Or does he have to go through the whole smelling and discerning a threat to his house every time? The older plumber he seems good with. The younger helper is kind of nervous and I think it shows. They came in the other day. Callie walked out to the porch for his inspection. The younger guy and Callie raised his hackles. He does that quite a bit actually. Even at neighborhood sounds in the house he'll stand facing the noise and give blood-curdling growls with back hair on end...wagging his stump. It just seems to be like a proving his manhood move on his part, not real live aggression. A better way to bring in the plumbers for the future? Suggestions?
I would continue doing what you are doing at present. I don't get very many strangers coming into my house but because my dogs would/do get very excited I would always, and still do, put them on their leads. When I have my boiler serviced each year, the dogs are put on their leads and and when the engineer comes into the house, we follow him into the bedroom ... the boiler's in the ensuite bathroom. The dogs are then told to sit whilst we watch the man working and the same again when he's in the kitchen preparing the bill. As for your query whether or not Callie recognises the plumber from previous visits, I'd say the answer is that he probably does but because the plumber's no doubt worked in other houses where there are dogs ... or maybe he has dogs of his own ... he smells slightly different from the time before, and Callie's sniffing is his way of "catching up on the news". Every week I have a visit from the district nurse who has dogs of her own, and before she calls on me she's done the rounds of several houses where they also have dogs. Gwylim and Georgie both spend a couple of minutes sniffing her clothes before they wander off, It's almost a ritual and she tells me when she get home her two dogs do exactly the same! When Georgie was partially sighted her hearing became hypersensitive and she would freak out at the slightest sound. I found the best way of coping with her and calming her down was to verbally identify the sound (mind you sometimes I lied) and whenever possible show her where the noise was coming from.For example, it took me a week of standing her in front of the TV several times each evening repeating "television Georgie" before she accepted that the strange noises were coming out of the "box"! Hope that helps.
I think that Barbara is right when she mentions that the plumber has probably been in other houses where there are dogs. The only people who come here are people Pereg knows, but she still has to have a sniff at them "just in case". She then backs away and keeps as close to me as she can as if to say "yes, I know who you are but you smell of different dogs". People like Avner and Mikhaël who deliver things, just walk straight in and through to the kitchen to put whatever it is in there, ignore her and she ignores them, but even Nir, who she has known all her life and who turns up whenever I need something done, she keeps away from him once she recognises him. Who knows what goes on in a dog's mind?
I think that non doggy people have different - stiffer - body language when they are in contact with dogs. We don't have many visitors, and the dogs do get over excited when they hear the door, so I always shut mine in the back room before I answer it. I would let them out to investigate if the person is relaxed about the presence of dogs.
Thanks folks, now I understand the sniffing thing better. And I guess that's probably on target about body language. The older guy is really relaxed and easygoing ( brave enough to have met Callie up close to begin with after hearing his growl...what a great guy). But the younger guy is obviously nervous and Callie can see it..." What human? Do you find me disagreeable looking? What might you be up to? Harumph". We'll just have to take each visit as it comes.
