11 Weeks Old Pup

[Tambaqui]

Hi all, I have a GSP and I need to hear what everyone views are to deal with this situation.

Now I have taken my pup to a socialisation class recently, and this is where it gets interesting.

At home, she gets on well with 8 months old GSP, a retired racing greyhound and the cat.

When we took her out to a socialisation class, she was nervous and all and I am sure that is normal.

But when she started her socialisation session with some other pups, she got really snappy and aggressive towards her GSP littermates (But was ok with some others). I got a little worried about her attitude that night and was extremely unexpected.

Now we were told by two different people, one told us to pull her away and tell her "No" and the other told us to reward her food by tempting her away from the situation.

Now what I need to know is how do most of you deal with a situation like this?

Just recently I've started walking her and taken her to my work to socialise with my workmates and say hello to them (I was on annual leave and needed her to get out and about with such confident). Also I've confiscated all the toys off both GSP as they tend to not share and get snappy or pushy when it comes to sharing them.

I am also starting to think she has separation issues when she is separated from the older GSP either way (When she is taken out and about, or vice versa), and she starts to whine and howl.

I am intending to join Mornington Obedience this weekend as suggested by someone for good socialisating (and eventually Obedience and Agility) and KCC on Thursday night again.

So I am appealing to find out whats the best way to get her over this attitude and be more confident and joyful around other dogs.

[becks]

Let her make friends at her own pace, don't force her to 'chat' to another pup.

keep her away from litter mates, if she is feeling stressed, she will know how the familiar pups will react and who she can take it out on. The new dogs are unpredictable if she tries it.

How are the dogs socialised? Is it all off lead and a big mass of pups leaping about or just one or two at a time with space to make up their own mind if they want to say hello?

[Tambaqui]

Thanks for advice! I will try that.

They are socialised on lead using food to uhm "lure" probably the word the dogs to meet the other dogs.

I have a rough idea of how Mornington does their socialisation based on what someone has told me, so I think it probably will be the best option for her (Doing part obedience and then off the lead and do socialisation off lead).

[kyliegirl]

sounds like shes using fear aggression, you don't want to be rewarding that.. give her a correction when she does it, give her a tap on the side to divert her attention and snap her out of it (tap as in, like you tap a persons shoulder for attention). This will only escalate and be more dangerous if you dont start fixing it now..

while treat luring may work, you want her to lose the aggression first before luring her to meet new pups.. But even aggression against her own littermates is not normal.. Puppies are supposed to be very social at that age, not scared and aggressive to their own family..

Edited February 9, 2009 by kyliegirl