Puppy obsessed with other puppy

[Mumpower2017]

Have a 6 six month old cocker spaniel who is good at home has two walks a day and lots of time in the garden during the day. Is rarely on his own as I don't work so does get lots of attention and is doing well with his training. But when it comes to walks and puppy class he is a nightmare! Is get very excited whenever he sees another dog and person on our walks and jumps and pulls on the lead. I am trying to make him sit and drop treats as recommended by our trainer and it is starting to work but not all the time. My main problem at puppy class is there is one puppy he is obsessed with. Gets very excited when he plays with her and won't leave her alone the whole time! We have to be separated into different rooms so they can do their training, as he won't focus and it is if there is nothing else in the room but this puppy. Our trainer has advise us that it is because he doesn't get enough play time with other dogs. So I ended up sending him to doggie daycare for the day to get some socialisation but the some thing happened with a different puppy. He just would not leave her alone and got sent home early!! Neither of the other puppies were in heat so I don't think it was that. Amy suggestion on how to help him with his obsession!!

[BiteyShark]

I went to puppy classes and it was terrible, mine just wanted to get away to play with all the other dogs. Also mine never got picked to demonstrate anything as he just would not listen.

I have tried two group training places and gave up. I then found a gun dog trainer who understood totally how to control him and have just signed up to her group sessions as she clearly understood the breed.

I found general dog trainers want to get all dogs to play which encourages them to want to run to everyone whereas the gun dog trainer was all about trying to teach him and me how to ignore people and other dogs which makes more sense to me.

[BiteyShark]

So I feel your pain because anytime mine sees a dog or a person he pulls my arm off trying to get to them but I have every faith in the gun dog training helping him and me to learn how to ignore them.

[Mumpower2017]

Thanks! It is so stressful isn't it!! Will have a look for gun training around us. That sounds like it could work!

[BiteyShark]

I hate to say it but I was really disappointed with general dog trainers and although one tried and I really appreciated that very much the other one I went to just wanted to work with the dogs that behaved so gave up on that one very quickly.

So cockers are working dogs so you know they can, when trained, sit really still before being sent off to gather the game on a shoot so they can be trained to ignore distractions and other dogs etc.

I was so impressed with the gun dog trainer who got hold of him and made him behave when there was other dogs and distractions around him so am sticking to that kind of training now so definitely recommend it.

Plus it will mean I can give him a 'job' to do when out rather than simply walking him (have been shown how to interact with retrieve and hunting so he isn't bored and running off)

[Hoppinggreen]

We totally failed all our dog classes due to ddogs obsession with other dogs.
He's 1 now and very very slowly getting better but still unreliable off lead due to the fact that if he spots ( or even hears) another dog he's off

[BetweenTwoLungs]

I hate puppy classes in all honesty - this idea that puppies should be encouraged to all play together breeds bad habits. Puppies put up with poor behaviour which older, more sensible dogs will tell puppy to stop when they go too far. I agree with pp's dog trainer who trains to ignore other dogs. I don't want my pup running off to others thanks.

[BiteyShark]

Also recommend looking at gun dog training websites for hints and tips. For example cockers wont like being walked in a typical manner e.g. Straight line on paths etc and explains why. They also gave better advice on heel training than I got in general classes etc.

[Thewolfsjustapuppy]

I love dog training classes! But one of the first thing our trainer taught us was the three second rule when meeting other dogs on the lead - sniff nose, sniff tail, walk on briskly - we worked on this from age about 12 weeks and it has been so helpful. I have found the classes to be far more aimed at training me than my pup, which to be honest was really needed, and it has also taught me to spot the owners who haven't a clue from a long way off.
Arriving and leaving the class is mayhem though as all the pups are so excited.
I have a delinquent, adolescent, terrorist terrier.

[Mumpower2017]

Thanks everyone for replying, you have made me feel better, as I was feeling I was the only one! I was so looking forward to puppy classes and it has been a disappointment for us. But I just think we have picked the wrong class for him. Will look at gun dog training, and hopefully that will work. Thanks for all the tips!

[BiteyShark]

We did the three second rule as well in general puppy training class but in all honesty the dog thinks he can then greet other dogs and when he isn't on his lead and another dog appears I don't want his default thinking to be hey there is a dog I should go over and say hello so I now put him on the lead and am working at getting him to focus on me (whilst he wraps himself around his lead trying to get at the dog but hey you have to start somewhere).

The advice I was finally given made sense in that the dog is perfectly socialised so you should be teaching him to ignore all dogs and just focus on you and what you are telling him to do and not teaching him that he can go and say hello or play with other dogs.

The advice that you needed to get your dog playing with more dogs just doesn't add up to me when you think about it as it is just enouraging them to think that all dogs should play with each other. And yes unfortunately lots of dog owners agree with that belief because the number of times I get other dogs owners moaning I should let mine play with theirs or simply ignore their dog jumping on mine when I have put mine on the lead and an training him beggers belief.

[Mumpower2017]

Yes, the trainer has said to teach him to ignore the other dogs on the walk with treats, which does work some of the time. But then she thinks he needs another dog to run around and play with to get all the excitement out. But I think it just makes him worse. Every time we try it, he just get way too excited. One time we did go for a walk with an older dog who paid him no attention and he settled down quite quickly. But this it the only time he has done it.

I did meet a dog walker yesterday with spaniels who said the same as you, and to teach him to focus on me! If I meet him again I will be asking him if he knows any local trainers!!