| Hi Cookie, it looks like you got some great advice for you and "sexy man". I just wanted to touch on something early on in this thread, you mentioned that you wondered if there was a command to let Vito know that a visitor is okay. He'll know just by your reaction to the visitor. If you are happy to see them he will be too. If you aren't real sure of them he will go on alert and probably try and position himself between you and the person.
In a different thread a couple weeks ago I mentioned how Athena handled a stranger walking into our front door during a BBQ when we were all out back. My friend invited his brother over to join us on Memorial Day and told him to just walk in. I didn't know he was coming, otherwise I would have told him to come to the back gate. So this poor guy just walked in my front door and Athena heard the door open, she was out back with us, eating watermelon - big surprise, and she ran into the house and just held this guy in the entry way by barking at him. She never lunged towards him, just barked a couple times and then waited for me. As soon as I came in she looked to me for direction. I like the guy, so I ran up and gave him a hug. She wagged her nub, licked his hand and literally escorted him to the backyard. She's never been trained to do this, this is just a Dobe thing.
I will say that we worked VERY HARD to socialize her, since she had been neglected and a bit abused, so she likes people. But if you walk into my house, be prepared to be held at the front door until I clear you! |