>> Keep going on trying to get Frankie to like men. With lots of love and patience even if he doesn't completely take to Thomas, maybe he'll tolerate him. That's progress. I'm pulling for you.
>
> Frankie needs to be fed, given treats and eventually petted a lot by a guy(s).
We had a dog years ago who was fine as a puppy, but suddenly with puberty decided not to like anyone but my (heavy-set) wife.
Gradually, over the years, the dog grew comfortable with other heavy women, then with thin women, then with thin gay men, then any gay man, then occasionally thin hetero guys.
Never liked me (overweight and bearded).
We'd have a guest over, sitting on the couch, and she would curl up with her head in their lap, and look over and *glare* at me.
> It'll help a little to begin if you skip a meal and then have male feeders, optimally more than one. If it's possible to have all human interactions to be good and male that will bring him around soonest. This is a perfect opportunity for Old B. F. Skinner's behavior modification rewards system.
We tried all these things.
With the "eat only when fed by me, or the food is taken away" we lasted about 5 days or a week, with her refusing to eat anything, before *we* gave up.
On the other hand, we provided a home for several dogs of a friend of ours after she had a stroke, including 2 that were particularly spooky, never having been properly socialized in their youth. Even starting with 10-year-old dogs, over 2+ years, I was able to get them to gradually acclimatize to me, and let me pet them.
My only interactions were to crouch down next to them (if they were in the house and couldn't run away) to pet them gently, and give brief back rubs, or help them get up, or get into bed, as they aged and got weak or arthritic.
For some dogs, tasty treats don't work, because they get stress anorexia, and when the stressor is present, they don't want to eat.
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