Posted by
-sa
19 yrs ago
Hello Puppy/ Dog parents,
I recently got a 5 month boxer type mix puppy from HKDR. He has been in isolation till now because he had not finished his vaccinations. He is done with them now. He is very very friendly but needs to socialize/ exercise really soon. He does not have much experience with other dogs- he got very scared of a very gentle calm 5 yr old retriever today. Its confusing because he was in a 'not so friendly' dog's face at the vets's office yesterday who growled but it did not faze this fellow to want to lick him.
He is more than ready to explore and I would love for him to start socializing with other puppies first if possible. If there are other puppies I can introduce him to, that would be fantastic and I would appreciate it. Please give me tips on how I should introduce him and where.
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Devon
19 yrs ago
The most important thing you need to do is NOT react when your dog is nervous/scared of other dogs, and give heaps of praise (treats) when he's being friendly and wanting to play. ENCOURAGE playful behaviour and IGNORE nervous behaviour. It worked a treat with my timid dog. If he doesn't want to interact with other dogs don't force him, by dragging him towards the other dog because that will make things worse. Just be calm and wait for him to socialise with the other dogs in his own time. The more you give out the treats when he's NOT showing fear, the better he will become. One word though, your dog is now 5 months and studies have shown, dogs (pups) that haven't been habituated to things like other dogs, people etc, by 16 weeks, then the likelihood of the dog always being nervous of certain stimuli (the things he's not used to) is high. But like I said, encourage playful behaviour and ignore fearful behaviour and things should improve. Another thing to do is when he's being introduced to other dogs, don't have a taut leash. Let it loose because dog's feel threatened on a tight leash and they become nervous and might react accordingly (aggression) because of their limited area in which to move. Always have a slack leash. Dog's won't fight by choice, only if they feel trapped and on a tight leash, some dogs feel just that.
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The puppy socialisation coure at the SPCA is great. We had Nicola as our teacher and she taught our dog and more importantly us how to act in all kind of situations. I would highly recommend you contact them for advice.
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D-Man
19 yrs ago
You could always take him to the Peak or to the Dog park in Wan Chai (opp the SPCA). He will be able to meet many other dogs there.
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-sa
19 yrs ago
Thanks, everyone.
Very useful advice Devon. I will surely try, but its so hard to ignore him. I am looking into the SPCA socialization class. I had no idea it fills up so fast, Chwaer. But will do so as soon as I can join in. Thanks, Dman and timklip. I plan on taking him to the peak tomorrow- one dog park at a time:) Wish him luck!!
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Bring your puppy to the dog beach between Repulse Bay and Deepwater Bay. Best time is mornings between 7:30 and 9:30 -- lots of dogs but enough space so that a shy one doesn't feel pressured.
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Devon
19 yrs ago
-sa, the one big thing a lot of people find so hard is ignoring their dog, but I can assure you, ignoring the dog is mimicking wolf behaviour. The alpha wolf ignores the subordinate individuals constantly, and ignoring the dog, which is not giving him attention at all, the dog will relax. A dog which gets a lot of attention (especially when he demands it) sees himself as "pack leader" and may become aggressive as a result. I'm not suggesting for one moment you dog is (or will be) aggressive, just helping you on how to "be" with your dog.
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-sa
19 yrs ago
Hi Devon, today when he got introduced to dogs on the peak... I took your advice of keeping the leash loose. It definitely helped with some pups out there. He calmed down after initial reticence. But with a few others, he started moving backwards and pulled on his leash himself. In any case, I was friendly with the other dogs (when he was not pulling) to show him that I am comfortable, so he could be too. But, I was very happy and I am sure so was he, that he made 2 new friends!
Ignoring has worked for me most of the times, but not for my husband. He starts play biting when he wants attention specially when we are ignoring him ie cooking, reading or watching tv. We are a bit at our wit's end how to stop him from biting. Hopefully, with his new exercise regimen (in isolation till now) it will help to calm his puppy energy.
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Devon
19 yrs ago
-sa, if you are sitting down and he is demanding attention by biting, stand up straight away, and don't say anything to him or have eye contact. Have some treats handy (not in a pocket but near where you can reach them) and the minute he has all four feet on the floor, give him a treat and praise him. He'll quickly learn that having his feet on the floor and not jumping all over you is rewarding. Don't reprimand him for biting because hitting a dog does cause aggression in some dogs and he may relatiate. Just praise & treat when he's NOT jumping and biting. The more you say no and push him away the more he'll do it because he's getting the attention he wants and to him it doesn't matter if the attention is negative, it's still attention.
With him pulling away on the leash, only let him go so far then stop him, and the minute he steps forward, give him a treat. He'll learn that going towards other dogs (or at least not running from them) gets him a treat. Everything you do with him has to be a pleasant experience, otherwise he may become frightened. You can PM me if you want if you need more help.
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-sa
19 yrs ago
Devon, Please check your inbox.
-sa
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