Dog Walker thinks dog is unsociable

[yabbadabbadee]

I have an almost 3 year old spaniel who goes out with a dog Walker 3 times a week when I'm
Working.
All well and good and she's been with this dog Walker since she was 18 months old.
He generally takes 5-6 dogs out together.
The problem (which I don't think is a problem) is that my dog totally ignores every other dog.
They can be sniffing her, pinning her down, chasing her, and she completely ignores them like they don't exist.
She's very ball focussed, and she doesn't bark for a ball but will just spend the entire walk waiting for you to throw a ball or trying to sniff out someone else's lost ball.
Her recall is excellent, her temperament amazing.
He always makes little comments about how she's never played with the others, that she's a loner, antisocial etc.
He's even made comments to people I know that Bella is the antisocial one of the crew.
He admits she's never so much as growled or grumbled at another dog, she just acts like they don't exist.
Is this really a bad thing?

I don’t think it’s unsociable, it’s more secure and independent.

Four of my dogs, two mixed breeds, one Soft Coated Wheaten and one GSD have been like this.

With the mixed breeds, it was just the way they were, well socialised, calm, confident and preferred their own company. They both curled up happily with our other dogs to snooze, but they were confident, independent and didn’t ‘need’ other dogs to entertain them.

We rescued the GSD when we found her in a terrible state, near death, at around the age of 7 and nursed her back to health. She happily shared a bed with our little Whippet/Sheltie mix, same with my PIL’s Rottie/GSD and Collie mix when she stayed there, but would ignore any dogs she met out and about. She was an older girl who clearly had been through hell and had had to survive on her own though.

My SCWT preferred to stay by my side and throw trick or heelwork to music moves at me, as she loved nothing more than a good training session and would choose that over a toy/ball/other dog any day. She lived with two of our other dogs, but was never one for bed sharing either really. She liked her own space. She was a proper little tart when it came to people though. She’d ignore every dog in the park, but felt compelled to ensure that every single human adored her and was most offended if someone didn’t.

It makes life much easier to be honest. I’ve had seriously reactive rescues as well and I know which ones I preferred to walk with.

My current old Lurcher lad is midway between the two. When he was younger he would say a polite hello and move on or occasionally, if the mood took him and it was the right dog, agree to play. He did love a good game of chase with our other dogs though. Now he’s an old man he prefers a quick hello and move on, but youngsters tend not to invite him to play anyway these days and we can’t have him off-lead, as his sight and hearing are poor and he tends to try and follow the wrong people home! He’s very popular with new puppy owners, as he’s always polite and gentle and it’s the perfect, meet-greet-move-on situation that helps with positive socialisation.

Having had seriously reactive rescues in the past, I would prefer an independent one every time. It makes life so much easier and walks far more relaxed and enjoyable.

My dog's the same.

She did have one or two little 'friends' she'd sort of play with when she was younger but she never played in a running around way with them, and will still, at the age of 10 years, look interested in meeting the very occasional dog but if she does it's in a very low key way.

She prefers humans to dog and is always willing to be stroked if someone asks, used to happen all the time when she was a tiny, fluffy puppy, but other than that we walk, she enjoys exploring her environment and occasionally playing with her ball.

Makes walks very pleasant and peaceful.

Not sure what happened with my post there. Thought there was a sentence missing, then it reappeared when I posted.

My springer is exactly the same. He’s ball obsessed too but we don’t generally take one on a walk as he gets too much with it. He’s fantastic to walk, just so focussed on me. My Spanish rescue spaniel ish loves other dogs, so two other ends of the spectrum!

Mine is similar - completely obsessed by balls.

It is, however, the reason why I no longer take balls out on a walk - because I worry about the long term impacts on his joints, and because when there's a ball around he won't do 'dog things' - he won't bother sniffing, chasing squirrels, sniffing bottoms and all the rest of it. If he knows you have a ball in your pocket he'll be jumping at you until you throw it for him. If you're not throwing it for him, he'll be nagging you to. He's a bit of a pest, and it's like his environment is irrelevant to him - he might be in a forest, he might be in a sterile white cell for all he cares, if there's a ball around.

Result is that he comes back physically tired but mentally very awake. It's not a mental workout for him, it's like a reflex or a compulsion.

We do still play fetch because he loves it - but it's a game limited to indoors with balls, or outdoors swimming in the river.

I don’t do fetch at all.

I carry an emergency ball just in case.

And avoid all ball throwing folk as he’d go home with them.

My last lab would completely ignore other dogs (and everything else) if there was a ball around. The solution was not to have a ball around! But Id be very concerned about my dog being walked with so many other dogs at a time anyway.

I'm another who thinks the ball obsession could be a problem.

It's not good for dogs to always be chasing balls when out - they need the chance to do other things too. Ball chasing can easily become an obsession and it causes issues with the joints too - especially if the dog is demanding the ball as soon as the walk starts.

I say all this as a dog walker. I take balls on walks but they certainly don't get the ball all the time and they're encouraged to go off and sniff, swim and just wander around without that obsession.

If a dog becomes too ball obsessed I don't take a ball as it just becomes annoying when you're constantly being pestered, especially if there are other dogs who need supervising and caring for as well

Hi there - I’m looking for a professional dog walker for my Belgian Shepherd. I live in Finsbury Park, and would need a walker every day for a few hours. He is good, but high energy and needs an experienced person. I’d really appreciate recommendations.

My patterdale x is like this , although he will react if other dogs keep haranguing him , he just wants to trot about with his ball and mind his own business . I think it’s pretty much the perfect way for a dog to be , pity there aren’t more about that are like it .

My labs are like this these days, although they both played with anyone and everyone when younger; but now they either play with each other, retrieve balls, dummies etc, or just sniff.
Much prefer them that way.
We have a dog Walker and she is pretty happy taking them out - they are friendly and non-reactive as labs should be, just without the need to run over to every other dog.

Jeez. My border terrier makes a beeline for other dogs and will play and play and play. For HOURS. When he was with a dog walker and 4 other dogs he was the ringleader, leading the chase every which way - the walker actually put a falconry bell on him for when he went out of sight. He couldn't give a shit about a ball, but he'll return for food if you call him and then dash off again.

Dogs like yours OP who want to be left alone, will be...left well alone! He doesn't want trouble.

Dogs have their own personalities don't they, they won't all be social wallflowers - my old Patterdale was a social pariah.

Sadly I've struggled to find a nearby walker or daycare since we've moved so my current goofy pup is not getting as much play as he'd like.

My dog is always desperate to get to other dogs to play or just to see them. It's very inconvenient. I wish my dog had your dog's 'problems'. Sounds like the dream dog.

I thought paid dogwalkers could only be licenced for up to four dogs.

None of my dogs have been particularly sociable in the terms your DW expects, but neither have they been entirely ball-obsessed. They generally ignore other dogs as what they do with me is more interesting. I wouldn't worry unduly about your dog but I would be concerned about the walker.

@Spanielsarepainless

I thought paid dogwalkers could only be licenced for up to four dogs.

None of my dogs have been particularly sociable in the terms your DW expects, but neither have they been entirely ball-obsessed. They generally ignore other dogs as what they do with me is more interesting. I wouldn't worry unduly about your dog but I would be concerned about the walker.

There's no legal limit, it depends on your insurance. There's also no such thing as a "dog walkers license" as such.

Some parts of London make you register and pay, but in the rest of the UK anyone can be a dog walker.

My insurance limits me to six per handler but many walkers operate without insurance and take double that. Other insurance companies will cover you for eight per handler I believe.