Originally Posted by
Bearshield
You say she's fine around your younger sister's friends, perhaps that is the difference. Dogs do distinguish between men and women, and if your friends come over and get loud it can be more intimidating to a dog than a bunch of little girls giggling and carrying on. Is the dog crate trained? Something you can do is provide a crate in your sitting room, since that is where the dog seems to feel safe and allow her to retreat to her safe haven when she feels the need to. Do not attempt to either discipline or coddle her though as you will only make the behavior worse. What you could do though if you're worried about it, is to let your friends offer her a treat and lots of praise if she will come to them one at a time and thus build a positive association between your friends and the dog. I would advise against trying this during a loud game or sporting event though as you're only going to counter your efforts if there is yelling going on lol.