Walkies!

[Dogsfevr]

Here we dont do the squeal yelp method never have never will.Never had the need to because the pups now from day 1 what the go is & without any extreme measures.

High pitch nosies to dogs can send some into a frenzy & flip out.He everything is a simple calm "vocal command"

Funnily enough even though i have gundogs which area very mouthy breed i have never had any extreme issues.

Dogs thrive on reaction there more you do or the worse you do it the more confused dogs is & the more frustrated the owner is.

Dog thinks human reaction means more or acceptable when it isnt.

[huski]

I know that some people don't let their dogs play with other dogs at all. I'd find that very hard to do, but are there reasons I should consider it?

Remember at this age it can sometimes only take one negative experience with another dog for your pup to have serious issues for the rest of its life.

I was very careful about where I took my beagle to socialise her - I would set up my own puppy play date with dogs I knew and trusted, instead of going to the dog park for a free for all, I would take her to obedience school so she could learn to interact around other dogs in a polite and well mannered way, and would take her out and about to various places - remember socialisation is not just about playing with other dogs, but interacting with new people and having new experiences. We'd take Daisy to the farmers markets, down to the local corner shop, on short walks around the neighborhood and would encourage people to pat her and meet her (she would have to sit before getting any attention though).

It can be tempting to take them into the dog park but like I said, especially at this age, it takes one bad experience to cause serious behavioral issues. I stupidly let Daisy in the dog park only yesterday to have a run - there was only one other dog in there, and it was at the other end playing fetch with its owner. I let Daisy have a run, I gave her the recall command, and as she was running over to me, the other dog dropped its ball, grabbed her around the neck and pushed her into the ground. Not a serious incident, and luckily Daisy as an adult has a nice stable temperament - but enough to damage a pup's confidence around other dogs.

[Nekhbet]

Remember at this age it can sometimes only take one negative experience with another dog for your pup to have serious issues for the rest of its life.

actually its more the owner perpetuating the problem that causes long term damage more then the experience. Pups are more resilient then you think. Technically I should have a complete social retard of a Malinois because of her critical period upbringing - its what you allow in your dog that will show down the track - in a few of weeks away from the litter she was the complete opposite of her littermates who were trying to eat each other and her little sister did have a cracking go at her.

I dont like dog parks because they are pits of disease more then anything else, and usually full of people with unsocialised, bored or uncontrolled dogs. hence puppy preschool was invented. Dogs need to learn canine body language and getting a bit rough with another pup will not scar it for life. You still have to be there to supervise and guide the pup to what is acceptable (as its mother would) and not allow your dog to be frightened.

[LoremIpsum]

Hi Botheration,

I walk my new 14 week old schnauzer puppy around the Merri creek tracks and through the big leash free park off Nicholson st. If you think having another dog around as light socialisation might help with the training perhaps we could meet up. I think I'm going through exactly the same phase as you are in regards to training.

Hi Raeviel,

That would be great! She's still got another two weeks before her shots, but I will PM you after then so we can go for a walk. I'm actually in Clifton Hill, very near Dight Falls, where Merri Creek and the Yarra meet, so Nicholson St, for example, is a bit of a hike for her at this stage. But I would love to meet up down the track so that they can socialise together. Martha doesn't know any other puppies except puppy school puppies.

Thanks for asking!

As for the rest of you, you're all bloody brilliant. I've now entirely changed my mind about how to proceed with outings once she's had her shots. Thanks for this wealth of infomation — I'm taking everything on board.

Oh, and one more thing, re yelping when she bites, I persisted with this far longer than I should have when it was clearly not working. Martha thinks the yelping is an incitement to bite harder! I'm going to persevere with stopping all play completely when she bites, and will let you know how we progress.

[huski]

actually its more the owner perpetuating the problem that causes long term damage more then the experience. Pups are more resilient then you think. Technically I should have a complete social retard of a Malinois because of her critical period upbringing - its what you allow in your dog that will show down the track - in a few of weeks away from the litter she was the complete opposite of her littermates who were trying to eat each other and her little sister did have a cracking go at her.

I dont like dog parks because they are pits of disease more then anything else, and usually full of people with unsocialised, bored or uncontrolled dogs. hence puppy preschool was invented. Dogs need to learn canine body language and getting a bit rough with another pup will not scar it for life. You still have to be there to supervise and guide the pup to what is acceptable (as its mother would) and not allow your dog to be frightened.

Oh I totally agree that the way the owner handles the pups experiences is hugely important. But for me, when I have pups, I am particularly paranoid in the 12-16 week fear period that I do everything I can to make the pup's experiences with other dogs good experiences, all the while trying to socialise them properly as much as possible.

[Just Midol]

Every bit of information I've read says that a dog being attacked in its fear period will leave a lasting impression, why risk it?

[valby]

Settrlvr-(sorry to hijack) but you could point me to resources on the best way to teach a big dog to "play nice" with the smaller ones. Do you just stop any behaviour that is to boisterous??

[Just Midol]

If the big dog does something wrong remove it (the big dog), fun is gone.

[charli73]

Hi BOtheration,

wanted to add in my bit of advice on our personal experiences...

We were so keen to socialise our German Shepherd pup that we let her off lead to run with the other pups in our off lead area so often (4-5 times a week) that she became so dog obsessed and forgot who/where we were... She now gets totally distracted and at 14 months old it is near impossible to get her to focus on us when another dog is around....

So although socialisation is terribly important I would suggest not doing it off ead as often as we did, but every pup is different I guess...

Best of luck!

[Dogsfevr]

"Settrlvr-(sorry to hijack) but you could point me to resources on the best way to teach a big dog to "play nice" with the smaller ones. Do you just stop any behaviour that is to boisterous??"

It all about manners whether it be big dogs or small.

I dont let them go overboard plain & simple.

My boys have 2 different natures.One is a player the other is a nurture BUt both are big & powerful.

It may help that we have small dogs at home but even when at shows they are rules.

Rule one is dog doest pull human,rule two play isnt expected ,when play interaction is allowed the boys MUST do so on my terms.

I teach mine to lay down when ever greeting a small dog & trust me mine arent obedience trained or anything its simply a case of being in the show world & around many dogs i dont plan to risk anything.

When they do lay down ,i am calm but always paying attention to the other dogs plus my own.If the other dog is getting over the top & mine are still calm i walk away calmly until my boys can get there praise bigtime.

I would say my boys at shows are well known amongst the small dog owners especially the toys etc etc.

Its all about being calm & in control if your dog nows what to expect they will do whats asked & reading the signs when its time over.

This is one of our dearly departed & chook killer(for those who say chook killers can never be trusted)

I will also say the below girl we aquired at 6 years of age never been around small breeds & my other large breeds bar 1 have all been adults or teenagers.

Its very easy & all about the handler.

Edited August 1, 2008 by settrlvr

[SearchJane]

Hi

This thread is very timely for me - and for Samurai too! (He's a 13 wk staffy - just gorgeous!). His energy levels are increasing to the point where we will need to walk him but the vet has put the fear of God into me in relation to Parvo virus so I'm not taking him to any parks until he's had his 16 week vacs.

Last weekend we went & stayed on a friend's property (12 acres & no dogs) and we took him for his first walks on an extendible lead. He did great but we weren't really expecting anything of him! However today I thought I'd take him down the street and back up again (we live on a hill). However we really only made it about 4 houses down as he was very resistant/keen on smelling everything and I didn't think it was a good look to be dragging a reluctant pup along behind me! But when we turned to go home he was very eager - I think the new smells were all pretty exciting on the way out and he recognised them on the way back.

I really want him to walk to heel (ie exercise) not to amble along sniffing everything. I'm not sure how to overcome the reluctance other than pulling on the leash to get him to stand up. He does look very cute when he lies down as he does the legs out front & back thing but he really needs to be walking! :p We have him in a harness as he wears that when he goes in the car, so I'm not pulling on his neck.

Any hints would be great. Should I use treats? I will redo the walk again tomorrow so he knows that we mean business. We did the same thing with the car (started off with a little bit every day) and he's just great - gets in & goes to sleep almost straight away!

Cheers

Jane

[LoremIpsum]

Any hints would be great. Should I use treats? I will redo the walk again tomorrow so he knows that we mean business. We did the same thing with the car (started off with a little bit every day) and he's just great - gets in & goes to sleep almost straight away!

Should you use treats? Hell yeah! I can't believe you attempted to teach heel without them!

I am CERTAINLY NO EXPERT, but I'm using a clicker and treats to keep her moving forward and on a loose leash. I'm basically following this process: http://www.clickerlessons.com/looseleash.htm

At the moment we kind of jerk along in fits and starts. It's certainly not smooth. And it goes out the window when we're on the street and she's distracted by smells. But, as with all training, I'm hoping it's a matter of time.

The article has a great tip in it:

If you have a very small dog or puppy, you might find it gets old bending down to deliver the treat. You can try using a long wooden spoon dipped in peanut butter or soft cheese. You just hold it up and out of the way while walking, then dip it down so your dog just has to reach up a bit for a quick lick before you continue on.

I haven't tried it yet, but I will tomorrow.