Socialising

[lynyona]

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I'm a bit concerned that puppylet isn't get socialised enough. I don't know anyone who has a dog I could socialise her with and we don't have a lot of visitors(sound such saddos lol) so when we do she just wants to fuss and lick them to death or excitedly wee on them usually the ladies. When she gets up and I take her out for her morning walk there isn't many people about . On the off chance we meet another dog she is quite good she doesn't try to attack or anything she just wants to play and pulls a bit until they have gone past then she stands staring after them until she is ready to move on .The kids go back to school next week and I live fairly close to a senior school should I maybe take her out when the kids are going to school when there s plenty of them about . She doesn't chase cars or people on bikes etc she s quite happy to just walk all be it curious only thing she didn't like was the bin truck and a passing bus one day made an hissing noise she wasn't sure about

 

[JoanneF]

Remind me what age she is again please?

 

[Kara 1]

Does your vets run puppy socialising classes ....

 

[lynyona]

Remind me what age she is again please?

she is 7 months on wednesday

 

[lynyona]

Does your vets run puppy socialising classes ....

The puppy socialising classes closest to me only take puppies up to 5 months I had only found out about them recently unfortunately to late

 

[JoanneF]

Ideally most socialisation takes place before 16 weeks. That said, she is friendly and keen to meet other dogs so at least she isn't afraid of other dogs so that's good. I like dogs to be dog neutral - not scared but not space invaders either. She won't have long before she loses her puppy license (where adult dogs are more tolerant of pups) so in your position, I would start working on calm greetings.

Of course socialisation is about people and situations too - has she met men, women, children etc.?

 

[lynyona]

Ideally most socialisation takes place before 16 weeks. That said, she is friendly and keen to meet other dogs so at least she isn't afraid of other dogs so that's good. I like dogs to be dog neutral - not scared but not space invaders either. She won't have long before she loses her puppy license (where adult dogs are more tolerant of pups) so in your position, I would start working on calm greetings.

Of course socialisation is about people and situations too - has she met men, women, children etc.?

 

[lynyona]

Yes she has, she has interacted with delivery people Post people maybe I am not giving her the benefit of the doubt and just expecting her to be to excitable with people

 

[PWDmum]

she is 7 months on wednesday

Find a training class near to you, or take her to parks where she can meet other dogs,

 

[Violet Turner]

Puppy training/adolescence classes. The DogsTrust do them

 

[Chris Mc]

Hi. I'm in a similar position and over-eager to get socialising crammed in before 16 weeks (four weeks left). We don't get many visitors and family aren't close. I saw a list of "12 places to socialise your puppy", but as a chap, I can't hang around park swings or school gates with a puppy (it's just not appropriate in this day and age, and actually, a lot of schools don't allow dogs anywhere near their gates anyway). I enrolled in classes and she's been to two. I also paid for half a day (£17) to a doggy day care centre, where she played in the puppy room. Our vet ran a puppy party and that went wel. She's scared of dogs initially, hides until she's scoped them out, but then comes out of her shell. I'm a bit worried about her being spooked by loud dog barks, but hopefully this will get better. Just replying to let you know I know how you are feeling and there are solutions to be found.

 

[JoanneF]

@Chris McAteer , as you have other dogs I don't think dog socialisation is as much of an issue for you as it would be for others. But socialisation is in my opinion a bit misunderstood. Socialisation is not about everyone and every dog meeting her. Think quality, not quantity. Letting all and sundry (people and dogs) near a puppy can be overwhelming and frightening - the opposite of what you want. Control the socialisation by being selective, especially with other dogs and kids. Look for calm role model dogs, and adults and children who can be trusted not to get over excited. Socialisation is not about plunging your puppy into every new experience, but rather allowing her to see, hear and get used to people and situations calmly and from a safe position.

 

[Chris Mc]

@Chris McAteer , as you have other dogs I don't think dog socialisation is as much of an issue for you as it would be for others. But socialisation is in my opinion a bit misunderstood. Socialisation is not about everyone and every dog meeting her. Think quality, not quantity. Letting all and sundry (people and dogs) near a puppy can be overwhelming and frightening - the opposite of what you want. Control the socialisation by being selective, especially with other dogs and kids. Look for calm role model dogs, and adults and children who can be trusted not to get over excited. Socialisation is not about plunging your puppy into every new experience, but rather allowing her to see, hear and get used to people and situations calmly and from a safe position.

Very true. I recognise I'm over-eager at the moment. Trying too hard is a trap that can do more harm than good. I made a mistake with one introduction (my friend's KC Cavalier). He was overly friendly and overwhelmed her before I could rescue. But, she met a wonderful older golden retriever today and she was far less wary.

 

[Michele83]

I'm a bit concerned that puppylet isn't get socialised enough. I don't know anyone who has a dog I could socialise her with and we don't have a lot of visitors(sound such saddos lol) so when we do she just wants to fuss and lick them to death or excitedly wee on them usually the ladies. When she gets up and I take her out for her morning walk there isn't many people about . On the off chance we meet another dog she is quite good she doesn't try to attack or anything she just wants to play and pulls a bit until they have gone past then she stands staring after them until she is ready to move on .The kids go back to school next week and I live fairly close to a senior school should I maybe take her out when the kids are going to school when there s plenty of them about . She doesn't chase cars or people on bikes etc she s quite happy to just walk all be it curious only thing she didn't like was the bin truck and a passing bus one day made an hissing noise she wasn't sure about

I was having this same problem as I don't have any friends with dogs, so my puppy wasn't getting to play with any and she was always frustrated on the lead seeing other dogs.

The two things I did was to look on Facebook for a local dog walking group. If you can find one they're great. I went for a walk with them the other day and it was fantastic. Having other friendly dogs there meant I wasn't worried about mine running off as the other dogs and humans were the most exciting thing and kept her attention. And also the walk was in the countryside, nowhere near roads etc.

The second thing I did was find my local enclosed dog park (again, IF you have one) and I asked the owners if they have any regular visitors who wouldn't mind me sharing the same slot with them in the field. That way, if you find someone, your dog can have a regular playmate (and you can also split the cost!). My local dog park found another puppy for me who was also in need of a playmate - puppy match-making basically! - and I've just come back from our first play date which was excellent.

 

[JudyN]

My dog really isn't keen on children - so although I understand your concerns, I would try to walk regularly past children's playgrounds, sit on park benches near to where children play (ideally with their parents close by), and so on. There's no need to have a child come near - it's enough that she's happy to be near them, seeing them, hearing them, while you're giving her treats and making it generally positive. If a child asks if they can pet her then you could ask them to do it nicely and calmly and make sure that your dog enjoys it - no contact at all is far better than a child squealing, leaping around, hugging her, patting her on the head and so on.

And if you get dirty looks from parents? Move on, but if approached, explain why you are there. You have just as much right to be there as a female with a puppy.

 

[Nanny71]

Dudley is well socialised and we are lucky to have an enclosed field which welcomes dog walkers.
However yesterday he met my youngest granddaughters 12 week old puppy for the first time. He growled at her, batted her with his paw and then sat on my knee and kept growling every time she came near. He wouldn't even tolerate her going anywhere near my daughter's other dog.
We are trying again today

 

[Chris Mc]

In the car with Ethel after a canal walk where she wasn't interested in ducks swans or a gannet (I think?). It was a big bird with a long beak and wingspan anyway. 3 quality interactions with dogs then further on, a big g shepherd on a barge started barking. Come, watch me etc all gone. She firework spooked off. She's not scared of meeting big dogs (timid though). It's the sound of big dogs. What do people think of being normal at home whilst playing big dog barks on a cd - Desensitisation basically?

 

[lynyona]

I was having this same problem as I don't have any friends with dogs, so my puppy wasn't getting to play with any and she was always frustrated on the lead seeing other dogs.

The two things I did was to look on Facebook for a local dog walking group. If you can find one they're great. I went for a walk with them the other day and it was fantastic. Having other friendly dogs there meant I wasn't worried about mine running off as the other dogs and humans were the most exciting thing and kept her attention. And also the walk was in the countryside, nowhere near roads etc.

The second thing I did was find my local enclosed dog park (again, IF you have one) and I asked the owners if they have any regular visitors who wouldn't mind me sharing the same slot with them in the field. That way, if you find someone, your dog can have a regular playmate (and you can also split the cost!). My local dog park found another puppy for me who was also in need of a playmate - puppy match-making basically! - and I've just come back from our first play date which was excellent.

Unfortunately we don't have any parks as such around here people usually walk their dogs in streets on tracks etc have children play areas but wouldn't be suitable to take a puppy .I know a lot of dog walkers go on a field near us I might just walk her down there and have a look see. Also not having had a female dog for many a year I get a bit paranoid about her socialising with male dogs don't want any little surprises