Editor’s Note: Today marks the debut of “Jack Hagerman Unleashed,” Southern California News Group’s new pet column.
After years working in animal shelters, I’ve come across more than my fair share of dogs who have an unexplained fear of men.
Even my own dog, Madeline, had an intense fear of men (ironic given that she lived for almost 20 years in a household with two men). She was always so much more at ease with women.
For the last several months, I office-fostered a dog who goes by Champ. Office-fostering is just what it sounds like. Folks like me, who work in animal shelters, will often keep shelter animals in their offices during the day to give them a break from being in a kennel.
Champ, one of our longest residents, is a giant bruiser of a dog with a head twice the size of mine. Despite his intimidating size, he has the personality of a lazy pussy cat with a cannabis habit.
He basically just lies there smiling up at me while I work, slapping me with his wagging tail, and being very protective of his favorite stuffed animal toy.
When a man comes into my office though, his demeanor completely changes. He’d get very agitated — barking and growling as if someone had just insulted his stuffed animal, or told him he couldn’t get Beyoncé tickets.
Yet, he loves all the women he encounters — and me, of course. He loves me.
Weird right? I got to thinking, Why do I always seem to be an exception when it comes to dogs who fear men? I look, smell, and sound (sort of) like a man. So what is it about me that gives me a pass?
As I often do when random questions pop into my head, I fell down a research rabbit hole.
First, I wanted to understand why gender (or the representation of gender) seems to inform a dog’s level of comfort with humans. One of the primary theories about why dogs are afraid of men is lack of socialization.
During those first 12 formative weeks of age, puppies should be exposed to many different people, dogs and…
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