Enormous bouncy puppy who wants to play but looks intimidating and scary?

[AtYourCervix]

BigPuppy is huge. And bounces. And barks when he gets excited.

I know he just wants to say hello and play but it is a bit scary for other people. If an unknown polar bear bounced up to me barking I'd crap myself.

So what do I do?

I'm working on recall but he is an excitable puppy and other dogs and people are much more interesting than I am. Obviously this needs more work.

Do I restrict him to a long lead until he stops?

any suggestions please?

and apologies if he has bounced near you this week.

[AtYourCervix]

I did buy the Total Recall book but he ate it before I read it

[Floralnomad]

Definitely a long line if he's likely to bounce near people or dogs on leads .

[hennipenni]

We feel your pain, we have a 8 month old lab rescue who does exactly the same, she's very vocal when she plays and can sound very scary as she barks and growls when excited. We are working on her recall and in the meanwhile we use a longline on her until we've perfected her recall and taught her how to approach dogs and people in the appropriate manner.

[AtYourCervix]

Long line it is then.

[GeeinItLaldy]

I wish you luck. Despite many years of training classes and being a dream dog to train in all other regards and otherwise exceptionally well behaved, we never managed to properly train my old giant breed out of jumping on people to say hello. She got much better with age but still had lapses. And even the most devoted dog lovers don't necessarily welcome 9 stones of hair and teeth barrelling towards them like Chewbacca crossed with Usain Bolt. Only the onset of arthritis in her later years cured her as age couldn't physically jump.

So, much as I'd love to offer words of wisdom, I can't

[AtYourCervix]

Urgh.

[Whoknowswhocares]

Awwww, he sounds lovely!
If meeting people is the problem, what you need is a couple of willing stooges to practise with. Have your dog on lead and make him sit beside you. Then your stooge can start to approach, whilst paying little attention to the dog, talking to you and making absolutely no eye contact with pup. This is important, otherwise the dog is getting mixed messages.

Th SECOND he leaps forward, stooge is to turn on their heel and walk away. Calmly and quietly replace the dog by your side.
Do this over and over. The stooge will be able to get closer over time, but no greeting should be allowed unless the dog sits quietly and calmly. The dog needs to work out by himself that the only way to get what he wants is to keep still and quiet, so don't reprimand him. Once he realises how to get what he wants by himself, your battle is won!

[GeeinItLaldy]

Just a word about long lines...always attach to a body harness, never the collar or head harness. Sorry if I'm stating the obvious.

And if you're letting the line trail and need to step on it to stop him...one foot, not both

[enormouse]

Is he a samoyed or similar?
I have one and he is still puppyish at almost 3.

I keep him on a long lead and walk him with a more sensible, older dog (DPs border collie).
His recall is still iffy but mostly because he wants to befriend everything (dogs, people, children, interesting looking trees) as opposed to being too daft to learn.

[GeeinItLaldy]

IIRC, OP's pup is a Maremma sheepdog.

[AtYourCervix]

he's a maremma. 8 months old. he is delicious and soft and silly but very bouncy.
shopping tomorrow for harness and line.

[enormouse]

Aaw I had to google. How lovely. I assumed polar bear = samoyed because that's what mine looks like.
Considering renting him out as the Snowdog over the festive season.

[mrslaughan]

I also find my giant breed was much better in company, (he's 16 months) - could you find people with sensible dogs to walk with to provide an example of how to greet?

I walk often now with a great dane pup, whose owner loves that Kai is so calm in meeting other dogs and it provides a good example for here's....it calms her down.

I still keep an eagle eye out for off lead dogs and quickly put mine on lead.

[JethroTull]

Watching this with interest as our Boxer is exactly the same. He hates being on a long lead though...

[AtYourCervix]

will organise some walks with sensible dogs too. good idea.

[LEMisafucker]

"I did buy the Total Recall book but he ate it before I read it" Best thing i have read on the dog house, ever

[GeeinItLaldy]

AYC, I'm a serial namechanger but we chatted when you posted about thinking about getting BigPuppy. Pleased to see that it's working out for you all and if this is the biggest problem you're having at 8 months, then I'd say you're doing a grand job :)

[NCISaddict]

If you're anywhere near me I'd be happy to walk with you, my 4 month old Border Collie loves big dogs, he fell in love with a pyrenean Mountain dog when he was 8 weeks old and has since met a great dane who he was besotted with.
Recall is not brilliant so it's a long line for us too atm.

[AtYourCervix]

Thanks Gee (thought it might be you - nobody else knows what a maremma is).
NCIS - other side of the country sadly. I'll rope in my dog owning mates.

He is lovely. just big and bouncy.

[sweetkitty]

Can I join the club 4 month old Ridgeback who jumps constantly. Recalls dodgy at best, great if there's no one else around, another dog or person rubbish.

[littlewhitebag]

I have an 18 mth old very bouncy lab (i know; they are all bouncy) and she would probably adore your dog. She just lives for dogs who will run with her. Her recall is seriously flawed but she is so lovely that i forgive her.

[HelgatheHairy]

I was on here not long ago looking for advice on how to get my Golden to stop jumping up - so far nothing is working. It would be awesome if we could arrange a Bouncy Dog Meetup! My Golden spent the afternoon trying to make friends with the gardeners working next door - unfortunately discovered him eating the baseball hat of one of them so I don't think it worked!

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

""I did buy the Total Recall book but he ate it before I read it" Best thing i have read on the dog house, ever"

^^This

Sorry OP.

[NCISaddict]

I would be delighted to meet people to walk naughty puppies. Everyone I know has older well behaved dogs which are nice to walk with for calm socialisation but like when you have toddlers it's nice to meet people who are going through the same trauma as you.
I'm hampshire/surrey borders if anyone is interested?

[enormouse]

I'm in northern Ireland. . I would come over to walk him NCI but it'd be a bit of a faff.