We adopted this sweet girl a few weeks ago and she’s settling in well. Shes 1yr 1mos and primarily a chihuahua Boston terrier mix (embark DNA). She is sweet as can be at home and loves our 2 kids even when they’re being wild as can be. She was nervous around my husband at the shelter but warmed up by the time we got in the car to come home.
I do not believe her previous owners socialized her well as a puppy (she was adopted as a puppy and surrendered by the family due to eviction). I know it’s past the window of socialization but is it completely too late?
She barks pretty viciously when people come in the door. She’ll warm up after some patience and offering treats which is promising but still very nervous around new people. The vet was a stressful visit. She did tolerate the groomer (who was a female) after getting to know her for a bit. We have lots of family in town and would love to make it less of an anxious experience when new people come around but I’m unsure how to go about it!
Note: I am aware of the 3-3-3 rule and I know she’s not entirely settled in yet (we’ve had her 2.5 weeks) but I don’t want to encourage the behaviors she’s showing now even if full on training needs to wait a bit.
Any ideas or recommendations?