Hetty Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 (edited) Hi everyone, I have a beautiful 4 month old French Bulldog and I'm having some issues socialising him at he park because of the other dogs. I've been going to one park, and there's a whippet there that charges at my pup and knocks him over. I was worried about him getting hurt, so I quickly scooped him up and the whippet jumped on me and scratched me badly, I actually have a massive bruise and I rarely bruise. So I found another off leash park and he was attacked twice there today. One dog pinned him and bit his face and knocked him over twice, and the other dog growled and snapped at him. At the big park in Leichhardt he was knocked over several times by this huge dog who kept chasing him and smashing into him. So I'm not sure what to do. I'm really worried about him getting hurt as I've heard of frenchies who need back operations after slipping discs and that sort of thing. Lloyd does have a good back, but I know it's a good back for the breed. Also, I worry that socialisation with dogs who growl, snap and bite him isn't positive. Am I worrying too much? And any advice on what to do? Thank you! Edited June 23, 2016 by Hetty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushriver Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 I would keep to on leash walks. If it seems appropriate you can let him quickly greet other on leash dogs then continue on your walk. If you really want him to play off leash with other dogs, find a friend or family members dog that he gets along with and have a play at one of your homes. If he keeps having bad experiences he may end up with dog aggression or fear issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Socialisation is about positive experiences for your pup. Interacting with known adults or pups, attending a well run puppy school (no free for all) and simply watching dogs pass by are MUCH better options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hetty Posted June 23, 2016 Author Share Posted June 23, 2016 Thank you. I'll avoid. He has puppy school and he's starting training at a dog training club on Sunday, so I'll rely on that and walking past dogs in the area. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralPug Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Try to contact other bracy owners for free run games and keep your boy on leash when out and about.. It is not uncommon for snouted dogs to target flat-face dogs if they were not socialized to them when they (the snouted dogs) were puppies. It's like the flat faces have a doggy accent that is foreign. Hopefully., somewhere near you there will be a Frenchy meet-up group or a Pug meet-up group or similar where he can play free safely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Best Dogs! Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Go for quality interactions over quantity I think :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 My young Springer met a Bull Terrier pup a few months ago and was terrified of it. She is amazing with pups but I don't think she could read it at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diva Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Once he starts at the training club you may well find people there with safe dogs to socialise with, in more controlled situations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 (edited) A gorgeous frenchy baby!! :) As you have discovered- the form of "socialisation" you tried is not the ideal have a read here - and then make some new plans :) Dog parks can be hell . CLICK HERE Edited June 23, 2016 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 My young Springer met a Bull Terrier pup a few months ago and was terrified of it. She is amazing with pups but I don't think she could read it at all. Erik reacts poorly to BTs. By about the 4th one he met he managed to not explode in its face when it looked at him. He seems to hate the face shape and interpret their resting look as a threat. He's not great with bulldogs, either. Their short noses mean they have to get their whole face really close to him to sniff. It's uncomfortable for his personal space needs. He gives them more of a chance than the BTs were getting, though. I have a little pup at the moment. Dog parks are not really safe for her. She is fine with all kinds of dogs as long as they will back off when she asks them to, and dog park dogs are often too excited about being in the dog park to listen. She is doing well with walks around playing fields and the likes. There are often dogs, but not nearly as many and we meet them with plenty of space and often one or two at a time. Much more to her liking. Also, a lot of the dogs there are the ones that also don't like dog parks. :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PL_ Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Hetty it's not safe for a 4 month old at an off leash. Especially the Canal Rd at Leichhardt and Sydney Park. I'm assuming you're in the area? If you really need to do a bit of training on your own outside you might be able to get some quiet time at the part time off-leash (fully fenced) park behind Edgeware Rd Tafe. You can also get a quiet bench under the trees and sit him on your lap to watch the others do dog stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Do you have any friends with dog social dogs? Apart from puppy school, i would just let him meet your friends' sociable dogs, not necessarily all at once, in a safe environment where he's not going to get hurt. Puppies don't belong in dog parks. Unfortunately for anyone, going to the dog park is like playing Russian Roulette because your dog might be just fine but other people have no idea about their dogs and dog behaviour in general, what is acceptable, what isn't. Far too many like to stand gossiping and not paying attention to what their dogs are doing, you have to know dog body language and listen and watch closely, the whole time. It shouldn't be the free for all that it is, sadly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Socialization isn't about dog parks.Socializing is about the outside world which is more than just dogs. My dogs never go to do parks,never interact with dogs on walks but my dogs are very social because playing with another dog isn't a given but a privelage .They know self control & they now when there allowed to play Mine are show dogs so learning to behave sanely amongst other dogs is important to me. What we find these days with boarding dogs is you can tell the ones who have been to free for all puppy school there manners are dreadful & they have no self control when they see another dog ,they place higher value on the dogs than anything else . Plus when you go to the vets & see the dogs that can't sit there calmly because they have never been taught that sitting there calmly ignoring the world is better manners . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen15 Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 I'm in Brisbane and near me we have the best park set up. There's a special puppy + small dog only park and next to it big dog park. Not all parks have that setup, but I'm lucky my local one does. My westie puppy is a lovely player and adjusts his style depending on the other dogs. The cocker might say hi, then does her own thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen15 Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Ps don't get me started on idiots at the vets who think it's a play pen. You don't go to the vet because your dog is healthy! With my old staffy I resorted to making him dog disabled plates and attaching them to his harness. That got attention and the desired result. He had bad arthritis and that neurological issue where they lose control of their back legs. That combined with tiles made him really wobbly and unstable and dogs jumping on him was not acceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boronia Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 I'm in Brisbane and near me we have the best park set up. There's a special puppy + small dog only park and next to it big dog park. Not all parks have that setup, but I'm lucky my local one does. My westie puppy is a lovely player and adjusts his style depending on the other dogs. The cocker might say hi, then does her own thing. Westie puppy? well don't forget to go to this on Sunday 3rd (the day after voting day) The previous gathering had over 100 Westies! Hope to see you there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now