Hi everyone,
I am looking for some help - Sam is a collie x lurcher and about 2 years old. He was rescued as a puppy and he only has 3 legs. He is fantastic, in the house he is a classic lurcher - super lazy, loving and well behaved - he is my angel. However, he turns into an altogether different animal when we are out. He is nasty to other dogs on his lead - I think I understand this, as he was attacked as a puppy while on his lead, but its when he is off his lead that it gets unpredictable. He is so OBSESSED by other dogs, its unbelievable. He just fixates on them and does whatever he can to get to them. He wil just run off and completely block me out, there is no way he will come back, I have to go and try and catch him - and believe me, he is no slower than a 4 legged lurcher! To make things worse, although I know he wants to play, the way he barges over and then jumps and spins around while barking in front of these dogs means that more than once the poor dog he has ran up to has been scared to death and then owners think Sam is attacking etc etc. I know he isnt, but he does the lurcher growling/mouthing play fighting thing. This is super stressful to the point where I now walk anywhere at anytime I can to avoid other dogs. This isnt what I want, because I think one of the main problems with him is that he wants someone to play with, and he hasnt been well socialised - its like he hasnt learned the rules, he doesnt know when other dogs have had enough etc. I would love for him to have someone to play with, but my other dog is completely uninterested in him - he is a grumpy old man
I dont have the space to take in another lurcher, but I also dont really think this is the answer either. I have honestly tried EVERYTHING! Food, recall practise for months and months and months (he is good at this when there are no other dogs there), a ball to chase...alsorts, but apparently nothing beats another dog.
When other dogs are not around he transfers this attention to my other dog and kind of lunges at nips at him while barking, the other one hates it, and is a lot smaller than sam, so I am constantly tryiing to grab hold of sam to stop him. Ive tried telling him NO, ive tried ignoring him, ive tried just putting him on his lead, but I cant seem to get passed this.
I absolutely adore Sam, but I am honestly at the end of my tether. I dont know what to do!! I have heard of a place that does socialisation for adult dogs in a big field where the dogs are all there to practise their social skills in the presence of leader dogs. I would love to take him to something like this, but im on the North West and that is in Surrey.
If anyone has any tips, can help, is in the area and has a similar problem - please help me!
Thanks so much
Kelly
I am looking for some help - Sam is a collie x lurcher and about 2 years old. He was rescued as a puppy and he only has 3 legs. He is fantastic, in the house he is a classic lurcher - super lazy, loving and well behaved - he is my angel. However, he turns into an altogether different animal when we are out. He is nasty to other dogs on his lead - I think I understand this, as he was attacked as a puppy while on his lead, but its when he is off his lead that it gets unpredictable. He is so OBSESSED by other dogs, its unbelievable. He just fixates on them and does whatever he can to get to them. He wil just run off and completely block me out, there is no way he will come back, I have to go and try and catch him - and believe me, he is no slower than a 4 legged lurcher! To make things worse, although I know he wants to play, the way he barges over and then jumps and spins around while barking in front of these dogs means that more than once the poor dog he has ran up to has been scared to death and then owners think Sam is attacking etc etc. I know he isnt, but he does the lurcher growling/mouthing play fighting thing. This is super stressful to the point where I now walk anywhere at anytime I can to avoid other dogs. This isnt what I want, because I think one of the main problems with him is that he wants someone to play with, and he hasnt been well socialised - its like he hasnt learned the rules, he doesnt know when other dogs have had enough etc. I would love for him to have someone to play with, but my other dog is completely uninterested in him - he is a grumpy old man
I dont have the space to take in another lurcher, but I also dont really think this is the answer either. I have honestly tried EVERYTHING! Food, recall practise for months and months and months (he is good at this when there are no other dogs there), a ball to chase...alsorts, but apparently nothing beats another dog.When other dogs are not around he transfers this attention to my other dog and kind of lunges at nips at him while barking, the other one hates it, and is a lot smaller than sam, so I am constantly tryiing to grab hold of sam to stop him. Ive tried telling him NO, ive tried ignoring him, ive tried just putting him on his lead, but I cant seem to get passed this.
I absolutely adore Sam, but I am honestly at the end of my tether. I dont know what to do!! I have heard of a place that does socialisation for adult dogs in a big field where the dogs are all there to practise their social skills in the presence of leader dogs. I would love to take him to something like this, but im on the North West and that is in Surrey.
If anyone has any tips, can help, is in the area and has a similar problem - please help me!
Thanks so much
Kelly
