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Hounds => Wolfhound Discussions & Pictures => : maxsmom November 26, 2007, 01:04:25 AM
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Have any of you noticed a personality change in your IW as they mature? Max will be 1.5 next month and has gradually gotten to the point that he is still friendly and outgoing but will walk away in the middle of someone petting him. Not a family member, but casual acquaintances and strangers. It is like he is just not interested in them touching or fawning over him. I know noone has hurt or hit him and he is not handshy, just doesn't seem to care about anyone outside the famiy loving on him. He has also recently began cowering when in large crowds of people wanting to pet or love on him and in strange surroundings. He used to be happy go lucky, no matter who was around or where he was. As long as he was with one of us, all was right with his world. I don't understand. This is my first IW and I am just wondering if this is a breed trait, the aloofness or what? I don't think the cowering is, but we are trying to take him more places in crowds and expose him to more. He is cowering in places that 6 months ago, he would have been prancing around without a care in the world. His personality at home has not changed one bit. He is stil our loving, goofball that he has always been.
Kathy
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While I personally don't own an IW and don't claim to know tons about the breed, I have been through a puppy or 3. ;) I would say at 1.5 years old, your boy is settling into his real personality. He is no longer the frolicking, care free pup he was. He is growing into a dog. A noble dog. A dog who doesn't need strangers to fawn over him and doesn't want crowds fawning over him either. He wants to be a dog and choose who he wants to pet him and choose when he wants to be done with pets. I wouldn't be too concerned. That age is just right for you to start seeing a change in him as he matures from pup to dog. But I would make sure to comfort him if he does cower with lots of people around. Reassure him that he is okay. We don't want him to become too fearful in situations like that.