Polmaise wrote:So we had a labrador here last year from a well known labrador breeder who has over 20 labs, and this lab had never seen any other breed in its life (18 months old), and it was in a kennel here with a cocker two springers ,three labs a collie, wee bailey (of which we are undetermined which breed of terrier), a German shepherd, and a 'Thingy'!
and all it wanted to do was be a dog!
Maybe this one never had a mirror?>, so it could recognise its self, and compare against others ?
Now we are going off topic, with the usual cascade of 'well my alfie doesn't like such and such'?...perhaps!
Labradors are too stupid to notice any difference anyhow.
MTS wrote:markcad
What is your puppy like in a park with lots of other dogs?
Hi There,
As the pup has an ear infection @ 10 weeks, he was on antibiotics for a while, which delayed his inocculations.
So he has not been out in the big world yet. He is able to go out this week.... so I need to get this sorted ASAP
Some things can't be sorted ASAP, they just have to take their time, & to force the issue in any way can make matters worse, if only be transmitting your anxiety onto the pup. It has reacted to just one dog that came bumbling into its domain while it was 'trapped' in the kitchen, and you are now jumping to the conclusion that it will react like this to all/most dogs. I wonder how it would have reacted if it had already been loose in the garden & the labrador was loose as well?
I wouldn't do anything with dogs on leads etc - can give the wrong signals from the start & constrains the pup, which won't help. You could start by taking it for runs with the young springer pup, which, providing it reacts well to other dogs will give it confidence. Better still, take it & your older dog for a run on fields or quiet woodland - neutral ground where there are no other dogs about - and take a friend with you whose dog can be relied on to get on with its own business & then leave the pup to follow on & sort itself out with the other dogs at its own pace.
The springer pup I am training had, at 4 1/2 months old , seen nothing but other springer spaniels. In fact she hadn't seen much of anything at all ! When taken among dogs of other breeds she was very frightened to begin with but I just kept on doing whatever I was doing because I knew the dogs she was meeting up with were all friendly. She very quickly came to believe that strange dogs of any size, shape or colour would be friendly and it didn't take long before she'd approach them wanting to play.
Since then I've had to gain a bit more control over her before she assumes that an approaching dog will be friendly and run up to it. Pups will learn these things for themselves ..... if you will let them. She is now just over a year old and very friendly to all other dogs, she is very playful .... to the point of being a bit of a pest and my male cockers have now started to discipline her when she gets a bit too boisterous and a bit too demanding. She also seems to be a bit of a "mummy" dog and she likes to hold down my cockers and give their eyes and ears a good cleaning.
I think a sensible introduction to dogs known to be friendly during which you remain as a background figure is the best way to socialise pups. Don't drag the pup towards strange dogs (to it) but don't pick it up to take it away from them either.
Wullie
If at first you don't succeed .....find out if there is a booby prize !
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Don't do what doesn't work - do what does.
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Polmaise wrote:Hmmm!???
and no doubt we are gonna get the 'all important', internet link !...to prove all this! , then we will definately be convinced.
I just love how jaded and cynical you are pol makes me smile
Naj wrote:Some things can't be sorted ASAP, they just have to take their time, & to force the issue in any way can make matters worse, if only be transmitting your anxiety onto the pup. It has reacted to just one dog that came bumbling into its domain while it was 'trapped' in the kitchen, and you are now jumping to the conclusion that it will react like this to all/most dogs. I wonder how it would have reacted if it had already been loose in the garden & the labrador was loose as well?
I wouldn't do anything with dogs on leads etc - can give the wrong signals from the start & constrains the pup, which won't help. You could start by taking it for runs with the young springer pup, which, providing it reacts well to other dogs will give it confidence. Better still, take it & your older dog for a run on fields or quiet woodland - neutral ground where there are no other dogs about - and take a friend with you whose dog can be relied on to get on with its own business & then leave the pup to follow on & sort itself out with the other dogs at its own pace.
Naj
If it's just a slightly worried pup this is absolutely the best way but if the pup got strong flight tendencies i prefer to have it on leash, stopping it from doing a mad rush somewhere wherever in fear. Then you have to, in best case fetch your pup in it's kennel or at your door and bring it back to the scary thing which i don't like at all. In worst case it might run very far getting itself in danger, aiming for home or the car.
If a dog is ALWAYS socialised/trained with the same breed it gets used to a particular "picture" so that when a different "picture" is presented it can puzzle the dog.
Dogs do not generalise well, so if a dog always sees say, large dogs with pointy ears and a tail, it can be startled by say a poodle.
This is exactly the same as people look DIFFERENT to dogs if they wear glasses, hats, moustaches, beards, carry a cane, are in a wheelchair, are carrying a hay bale or an umbrella etc etc
They are all PEOPLE but dogs have to be exposed to them in this way in order for them to develop the "oh it is just one of those" outlooks.
The picture is different, hence the need to get a dog out as much as possible when very young and minimise the SEC (sudden environmental contrasts).
This is why GDBA and police dogs need to get their puppies out and about asap, they would not be much good if they were not environmentally sound.
The reason a dog has so many friends is because he wags his tail more than his tongue!
Allyson Tohme MGoDT (MT)
