Puppy with other dogs

[inappropriatelyemployed]

Our 13 week old golden retriever has a lovely nature and is very good when out and about with people coming to stroke and pat him.

Dogs are another matter. He seems to have taken to trying to jump on them.

He is only just out and about after his third jabs and he is always on a lead. But we started going to a puppy class where there are 8 other dogs. DH and the kids take him and apparently they are all let off the leads for 'socialisation' for two sets of 5 mins in the session and the dogs all end up in a free for all.

So we are not returning to those classes and are seeing a trainer who has dogs.

But does anyone have other ideas for encouraging positive socialisation with other dogs?

Not going back sounds a good idea! We go to ringcraft and socialisation sessions. We do obedience training. At that age mine wasn't off lead round lots of other dogs. (Giant breed.) We did lots of going out and experiencing new things but on lead.

I wouldn't totally write off the idea of training classes - but it does seem like you need to find one that's better run.

Some APDT and IMDT accredited trainers do puppy classes; you can always ask to go along without your dog to observe and see what you think. Dogs Trust Dog School also do some well run puppy classes.

Definitely do keep socialising him with other dogs - mine wasn't socialised properly as a pup (before he was mine) and it's only age 2, after 10 months of hard work, that something finally clicked and he seemed to grasp (most) doggy manners. It would have been much easier to do it right first time!

Thanks. I've seen another class locally but that seems to encourage 'off lead' socialisation in rather big classes.

What is the best way to approach it when we are out and about? We are approached by other dog owners. I have just kept a tight grip on the lead and let him have a little sniff and pulled him back when he starts to jump. But it lasts seconds.

How does dog socialisation work in a properly run class?

At 13 weeks this shouldn't be happening much. Walks will be VERY short. It's more a case of experiencing new things. We went to the garden centre, sat on a bench at the park, in the car park at Tesco. Yes really!

Yes we go to the local supermarket but loads of people have dogs and walk around there as it has a river walk in to the town. So it does happen. It is a case of how to address it.

Also he is a big dog. He can't really be carried around (12kg already). So socialisation does need to happen when he is down on the floor.

Teach a look at you. Treats and attention on you. Puppies want to play. He will leap on other dogs.

Thanks - so how do you socialise so he doesn't jump on dogs. A free for all in a puppy class with 8 or 10 puppies 'socialising off lead' seems like a money spinner rather than behavioural training. Yet lots offer it.

I'm glad you are showing consideration for the other puppy socialisation pups and have left. I've just abandoned a similar vet-led class (and lost money) as similar behaviour from a Lab pup was petrifying all the other pups....it was causing more harm than good. I'd definitely get one to one to sort this out. Dogs that do this really just frighten others and piss them off.
On the receiving end, It's like standing in a school yard week after week watching your small kid get beaten up!

Thanks - it was from this class that our pup seems to have picked up this behaviour! It isn't just him - all the dogs are at it and he was jumped on before he started jumping.

I'd really like to know how you deal with situations when you meet a dog out and about. Isaw someone I know today and she was out with her dog. Pup was on a lead.

She brought her dog over. He is smaller and two years of age. He was very excitable. Both dogs were on a lead so I could stop pup jumping and they could sniff each other out.

Do you think a few minutes like this but bringing pup away if he tries to jump is helpful or do they need to learn not to jump from other dogs?

Dogs Trust Dog School - doesn't matter if you don't have one of their rehoming centres near you, they run classes in various village halls and community centres around the country.

They have a maximum of 6 dogs per session and 3 instructors going round. It's set up to teach dogs to be calm around others. They start with each dog in a booth, then over the course gradually remove the sides of the booths, so that your dog learns to remain settled next to you, even with another dog a few feet away. Puppy classes include some carefully matched greeting practice, where they choose which dogs will practice walking towards each other. They teach a brief sniff and move on.

Your dog shouldn't be getting to say hello to every dog you see and should learn to walk past some. For the dogs you do let him say hello to, it needs to be kept brief so it's a quick sniff and carry on - that's good doggy manners. He'll end up with one or two well matched friends that he learns to play nicely with.

With my first pup I thought socialisation was about letting them say hello to any dog that was ok with it. He was a typically boisterous over friendly spaniel puppy and was a nightmare to keep calm around others dogs. Dogs trust dog school sorted it and things are much better now but he has never been as focused on me as pup 2.

By my second pup, I had learnt from that common socialisation mistake and taught focus on me and walking past other dogs far more. He still gets to briefly greet some dogs but I keep it very brief. Things have gone much better with second pup and I believe he enjoys his walks more than my other dog did at the same age because he doesn't have the same desperation, overexcited to and stress when he can't go up to another dog, like my first did.

I sort of think you're expecting a bit much. A few minutes? Pup will very soon get overexcited. Chat to someone. Use treats to get your pup to sit or stand and have attention on you. Quick sniff of the other dog and move on. The minute you let it get to leaping up you've reinforced this is how you greet other dogs.

I think dogs see things in a very simple way and size and physical match aren't a bad starting point. (Although of course you can get tiny feisty dogs) So maybe find a friend with a similar pup?

Alpha dogs are always keen to quickly establish a pecking order with themselves firmly planted at the top. To my mind, if you watch dogs that are really 'just playing' there can be a lot of teeth, snarling, rearing up, barking etc but generally you see both sides giving as good as they get. Also a lot of mutual wagging tails.
Where it's not 'just play' is when other dogs are grovelling constantly with tail between legs, hiding and trying to avoid landing a bite. 'Just play' has got to be two-way traffic. Perhaps see if your vet knows anyone who has a similar pup for 'playdates'?

inappropriate agree with pps but think also good for dog to have contact as per play dates. We trained ours not to get excited when on lead, and to come back off-lead. But at local dog park there are times of day that are for hard-core dog people and the people there tend to have well-trained dogs. So if a dog is similar size/age and both owners agree we let ours off to play with theirs, our terrier at play used to look terrifying but only played with other same-sized terriers of similar temperament, same for smaller dog. It must be depressing I think for a dog never to have contact with your own species. And most studies on emotional needs of dogs, which are now quite well-established, suggest contact and play with other dogs important.

SpanielsAreNuts - thanks very much. I have identified local Dog's Trust classes. They have them listed our local centre under a different county. Hopefully that will be useful. Thanks for the helpful advice too. I will definitely follow that.

Wolfiefan - thanks. It is really helpful to read what you say as I was worried about reinforcing things.

Tinkobell - thanks. I think that is an excellent point - play has to be two ways. I think this is why we were worried that a free for all at the local puppy group is not going to help!

Dottierichardson - I agree. Dogs need other dogs. So getting this part of socialisation right is so important.

Dott Sorry I don't think I made it clear enough in my post as I put He'll end up with one or two well matched friends that he learns to play nicely with. But really meant once dog is good at quiet brief greetings, you tend to find they get some doggy friends who are well matched and happy to play (which you can see in the dogs greeting) but most dogs they pass should only be a brief greeting and some no greeting - that's polite doggy manners and stops dogs getting worked up and trying to bounce over others which stops them making doggy friends.