Ellie1 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 (edited) My puppy was vaccinated for C5 at 10 weeks and we were able to socialise him 14 days after this. We have benn taking him to dog parks keeping him on lead, off lead dogs always come up to him, he starts playing with them, they roll him over and he just lies there. Is this normal puppy behaviour or is he very submissive? He does not roll over in puppy class with dogs his own age. PS... some of the older dogs growl at him as well... Edited July 22, 2009 by candivw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothieGirl Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 (edited) At his age its totally normal. Young puppies will naturally be submissive towards older or more dominant dogs, its their way of saying, 'don't hurt me I'm just a baby'. Depending on his personality he may stop this, or not as he gets older. Edited July 22, 2009 by Shel72 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvsdogs Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 As Shel said it's perfectly normal. Tilba did it a lot when she was younger, I haven't noticed so much lately & she's 18 m/o now. Now she will sniff at them & wiggle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 (edited) Yes, it's normal for a pup to be submissive but not something I'd want happening with my pup with any great frequency. He's not learning a heck of a lot getting rolled and pinned. He needs to have experiences that build confidence and interactions other than submisson. I'm glad you are keeping him onlead at the dog park. Personally, I think he's too young to be there and I think he'd be better off learning to play with less dominant dogs and pups. Its good he's doing puppy pre-school. Edited July 23, 2009 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillybean Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Yes it's just your puppy showing that they're being submissive. Some puppies also pee a little when they first meet other dogs. Both behaviours will lessen once your puppy becomes more confident around other dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all that glitters Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 My 5 month old girl pees and goes submissive/low for much larger dogs, and with not so overbearing dogs she will look submissive in the face and lick them a lot but not go all the way down, it seems the larger in size the more puppyish she is lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 socialisation is better done with dogs you KNOW then random dogs in a dog park. find friends with dogs and go there in the critical period not dogs that potentially have behavioral problems or lack of social skills and pass these onto your pup in a traumatic experience. rolling over is a normal puppy thing to do but I would NEVER let a strange dog growl at mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie1 Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 socialisation is better done with dogs you KNOW then random dogs in a dog park. find friends with dogs and go there in the critical period not dogs that potentially have behavioral problems or lack of social skills and pass these onto your pup in a traumatic experience.rolling over is a normal puppy thing to do but I would NEVER let a strange dog growl at mine. My problem is that I dont have many friends with dogs as I have just moved to australia and the ones that do have dogs I dont trust their dogs not to play too rough. I kind of dont have a choice with the growling, if people dont keep their dogs on lead and control them what must I do? My yard has harldy any grass and I cannot keep him away from other dogs forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs tornsocks Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 It's hard candice, I'm a bit the same, don't have any doggies locally that I know, they're all quite a drive away so it's not really a reality, at least on a regular basis like young ones need. Candi, I am taking Archie to 'kindy' now, the next step from pup school. There are dogs up to six months, so some of them are virtually fully grown, it's giving him exposure to them in a controlled environment and he's also getting to know them. He gives the big GSD lovely likes on the nose/face and gets them back but he also has the freedom to 'escape' from them if he doesn't feel confident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 (edited) My problem is that I dont have many friends with dogs as I have just moved to australia and the ones that do have dogs I dont trust their dogs not to play too rough. I kind of dont have a choice with the growling, if people dont keep their dogs on lead and control them what must I do? My yard has harldy any grass and I cannot keep him away from other dogs forever. Join a dog club. The chances of your pup being scared or harmed by a strange offlead dog in a dog park shouldn't be underestimated. You only get one chance to give him good experiences. What he learns now will stay with him for life. He needs to learn confidence and that means controlled socialisation with dogs who's behaviour you know want be over the top. Edited July 23, 2009 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 (edited) My problem is that I dont have many friends with dogs as I have just moved to australia and the ones that do have dogs I dont trust their dogs not to play too rough. I kind of dont have a choice with the growling, if people dont keep their dogs on lead and control them what must I do? My yard has harldy any grass and I cannot keep him away from other dogs forever. I noticed your in Perth - how about signing up to an obedience club? They are a great way to socialise your pup in a controlled environment ;) We did puppy school with Daisy, but then took her to our local obedience club too and it was a great way for her to learn not only how to interact with other dogs but to be focused and behave herself around them too. There are a few DOLers who do obedience in Perth that could point you in the right direction You could also check when the next DOL meet in Perth is ETA: Damn, Poodlefan beat me! I completely agree with others who have said the dog park is no place for a pup. Edited July 23, 2009 by huski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie1 Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 It's hard candice, I'm a bit the same, don't have any doggies locally that I know, they're all quite a drive away so it's not really a reality, at least on a regular basis like young ones need.Candi, I am taking Archie to 'kindy' now, the next step from pup school. There are dogs up to six months, so some of them are virtually fully grown, it's giving him exposure to them in a controlled environment and he's also getting to know them. He gives the big GSD lovely likes on the nose/face and gets them back but he also has the freedom to 'escape' from them if he doesn't feel confident. I will try see if there is puppy kindy here in WA but i must say I have not heard of any. At our club where we belong the pups go to pup school until 16 weeks and then go to obedience class 1A. There is no kindy there but I will google it and find out. If the dogs are on lead, he is fine with them, its just the offlead ones he has a problem with, and not all of them he rolls over for, some he has no issues with. I personally feel if people have their dogs off lead if they call them they must come back, if the dogs are disobedient they must stay on lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 (edited) they roll him over and he just lies there. PS... some of the older dogs growl at him as well... Are you saying that the other dogs roll your puppy over or does he do it of his own accord? I wouldn't take the puppy to the park if the other dogs are forcing your puppy to roll over, pinning him to the ground or growling at him. Be aware also that not all dogs are tolerant of puppies and if he meets the wrong dog it may attack him regardless of whether he rolls over or not. I don't think it's a good idea to take baby puppies to dog parks, why don't you join an obedience club where he can socialise with other dogs in a controlled environment? ETA that I've just read your last post and see that you already go to a club, I'd give the off leash parks a miss if I were you. Edited July 23, 2009 by Miranda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs tornsocks Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 It's hard candice, I'm a bit the same, don't have any doggies locally that I know, they're all quite a drive away so it's not really a reality, at least on a regular basis like young ones need.Candi, I am taking Archie to 'kindy' now, the next step from pup school. There are dogs up to six months, so some of them are virtually fully grown, it's giving him exposure to them in a controlled environment and he's also getting to know them. He gives the big GSD lovely likes on the nose/face and gets them back but he also has the freedom to 'escape' from them if he doesn't feel confident. I will try see if there is puppy kindy here in WA but i must say I have not heard of any. At our club where we belong the pups go to pup school until 16 weeks and then go to obedience class 1A. There is no kindy there but I will google it and find out. If the dogs are on lead, he is fine with them, its just the offlead ones he has a problem with, and not all of them he rolls over for, some he has no issues with. I personally feel if people have their dogs off lead if they call them they must come back, if the dogs are disobedient they must stay on lead. okay, well obedience 1A sounds fine too, I realise there will be a period between end of pup school and when he's old enough for obedience, this is where the kindy filled a great hole for us and there's sure to be junior/kindy schools in Perth. Otherwise re-enrol him in the next puppy school if there's no transitional school. At least this will give him exposure to more dogs, even if it's small-ish ones. When you get a new batch of pups, it's quite possible that there will be others more submissive than him especially as he grows in confidence. From the vetwest site:- http://www.vetwest.com.au/pps.htm How old should my puppy be? Puppies should be between 6-12 weeks of age. This is the optimal time for training and ensures all puppies in the class are socialised in a safe environment which is appropriate for their age and size. If your puppy is older than 13 weeks then please contact us for our recommendations on Junior dog training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs tornsocks Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 I personally feel if people have their dogs off lead if they call them they must come back, if the dogs are disobedient they must stay on lead. Totally agree, unfortunately though not as many dog owners are as responsible as you !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 ETA: Damn, Poodlefan beat me! I completely agree with others who have said the dog park is no place for a pup. Great minds Huski.. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs tornsocks Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 ETA: Damn, Poodlefan beat me! I completely agree with others who have said the dog park is no place for a pup. Great minds Huski.. ;) guys just out of interest, what age do you think is an okay time to intro a young dog to a dog park ? Or is it not about age, is it about maturity ? In which case our labs won't be there until aged 3 !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 IMO never ... I dont like them or the idea of them and i dont take my dogs to them at all. dogs dont have to meet every strange dog in the world in order to be happy. More harm comes from dog parks then good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie1 Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 ETA: Damn, Poodlefan beat me! I completely agree with others who have said the dog park is no place for a pup. Great minds Huski.. ;) guys just out of interest, what age do you think is an okay time to intro a young dog to a dog park ? Or is it not about age, is it about maturity ? In which case our labs won't be there until aged 3 !! I will just keep Mason at home then, pity he wont get any other dog interaction except at training. Maybe I will get another dog so that he doesnt miss out on socialisation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 guys just out of interest, what age do you think is an okay time to intro a young dog to a dog park ?Or is it not about age, is it about maturity ? In which case our labs won't be there until aged 3 !! ;) I take my dogs to the park, but dogs are allowed off leash at any park in this shire providing they are under effective voice control. It's a huge park and it's perfectly possible to avoid another dog if necessary. I would never take a dog to one of the smaller, fenced off leash parks, there are just too many morons with out of control dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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