# Very proud of the Knucklehead



## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

We had a graduation party yesterday for our oldest daughter, lots of new people coming into our yard/garage. We just left the dogs loose to mingle with many people keeping an eye on Knuckles. He did great. Went to greet everyone, but did cower at most everyone who reached for him. We just told everyone to ignore him and he'd come when he's ready. And he did and everyone was respectful to him too. It was stimulation overload for him, but he did great. He went and laid in a quiet corner when he needed a break, but he just couldn't resist all the kids running around. He kept trying to get them all back on the driveway  Apparently he thinks they shouldn't play on the grass I guess. He would just run around them, an occasional bark but nothing threatening. But he loves kids, it's adults he doesn't care for all that much.
I left to go walk over to my parents house twice, even took our golden with once, and Knuckles stayed in the yard. He didn't run into the road at all, even when people pulled up and got out of their vehicles. 
He did so good. He was nervous with all the excitement and new people, but he was such a good boy! Got a lot of compliments on how well behaved my dogs are and how they stay in the yard so well. Many of our friends & family know Knuckles fear/nervous issues, we had a lot of them say how good he was doing!


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## Loneforce (Feb 12, 2012)

Good job Knucklehead!


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Way to go Knuckles!


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

good dog Knuckles. sounds like your testing Knuckles.
if he's nervous around people why expose him to a large
number of people for a long time. he didn't run into the street
but what would have happen if he saw something he thought
was interesting (a distraction)? circling the kids and barking at them
i'm not sure about that behaviour.


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## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> good dog Knuckles. sounds like your testing Knuckles.
> if he's nervous around people why expose him to a large
> number of people for a long time. he didn't run into the street
> but what would have happen if he saw something he thought
> ...


Why not expose him to it? How else do I desensitize the fear? Its been working for a year and a half, why would I stop now? Its all about the socialization, isn't it? I'm not going to lock him in the house and have him upset that he can't be included (and probably have a busted window from him jumping out of it to get to us). 
He had enough distractions in the yard.. not even the dog that walked by made him go out of the yard. He's trained to know that his paws are not to touch the road unless we are with him. He proved that when one of the kids threw his ball into the street... he got to the edge of the lawn, stopped, sat and turned to look at them and might as well said "OK, now YOU go get it because I can't". 
If I thought he was going over a line with the kids, I would have stopped him. He never came close.


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