My dog thinks everyone loves him

[spartanrunnergirl]

To be fair, most people do love him. On most walks with me he is good, sticks near me, recalls back to me, is responsive. However we have a very local small park which he goes to daily. I think he thinks this is his back garden and he generally runs around and greets the other dogs most of whom are his friends who he sees every day and has a great time. However obviously there are some dogs on leads who don’t want him rushing up to them, I also want to be a good dog owner and not that person with a dog greeting another dog without checking first. I have a long line and I can start working on it with him, but anyone else got any other good tips on how to manage this. He is 10 months old, so also deep in adolescence! thanks

Ahh, I have a goldie too! Yours is gorgeous. Mostly everyone does love them but they're even more adorable when they have good manners and then you can relax more instead of chasing around apologising to people.

I'm afraid it's back to the short lead for him for all initial encounters. It's the only way to train that control...there isn't anything you can do off-lead, unless he will lie down on command and wait for you? He needs to know that he has to have permission from you and the other dog/owner before he can say 'hello'. It's really hard but you do need to be consistent...and I'm sure he'll drag you around at first so it will seem easier to unclip him and let him go and play. If he does that, make him sit and you stand in front of him - don't let him pull you anywhere, he must be calm and giving you his undivided attention. You will need plenty of high value treats (food and squeaky toys) and to reward him for ignoring other dogs by paying attention to you. You have to make yourself the most attractive thing in the room/space to him.

If only all the dogs were off-lead and well socialised...life is so much easier then. The trouble is, those dogs on the leads are usually stressed, and so are their owners, so no-one is happy. I tend to over-communicate with those people and be extra friendly so they don't cease up. Have still been shouted at a few times when I lost control of my girl though (mostly in the teenage phase when she malfunctioned after being beautifully trained...or so I thought) and she has approached a nervous owner/dog - usually when I didn't realise the other dog and owner was there...accidents happen and goldies are not bomb proof! We can only keep trying and you will also need to train the other people in your life who walk him.

Thank you @SpinandSing he does have a very good impulse control at the beginning of walks. I will always make him sit and stay while I take the lead off and wait for me to allow him to go - actually I think this is a really good foundation for him. Like a lot of people his early training was really intensive and now I know I need to go back to that. It just feels harder when he’s a teen! Agree that dogs on leads oftenhave stressed owners as well as the dog being stressed, which doesn’t help. But they have a right to a peaceful walk without my one barging in to say hello 🤪

Not if he rolls in filthy water and comes over to me to shake himself 🤣

I can remember when you posted just before you got the him, hasn't he turned out to be a beauty?

I wouldn't necessarily put him back on the lead as a default. Does he have a particularly high value reward that he will always recall for, or something you haven't tested yet that might work (roast beef for example)? I'd suggest using that at first.

You can also try diverting him before he catches sight of someone. Not always possible, but it's doable if you keep a good eye on him.

Other option is of course walking him elsewhere until he calms down a bit. Dogs don't necessarily need interaction every day with other dogs, so it won't harm him.

The problem with putting them back on a lead is they never learn to correct their behaviour or their impulse control, which is a real issue with Goldens. And Golden's are adolescents until they're about four, so you could be in for a long time of him being on a lead if you do leash him until you can 100% trust him again.

Consistency in training is always going to trump 'punishment' (i.e. putting him back on the lead). 😊It's easy to get complacent when they're still puppies, but a few training sessions every day on the walk, taking him to new places to work on his recall etc, will soon fix his flaws.

How did I know it would be a young retriever or labrador? He is a real beauty. Can I join his fan club?

I know it’s already been said, but I agree - you’ve got to find his golden egg!
with us, it’s a tennis ball. If he knows I have a tennis ball on hand, he’s always going to choose me.
i would allow as much off lead time around the dogs that you do know like him, so that you can practice calling him back on the most fun, exciting environment for him.

Thanks everyone @TheHungryHungryLandsharks that makes a lot of sense re punishment and your suggestion s are super thank you. He was so good initially and all these things I’ve been doing but I think I need to up the consistency and switch up the rewards.

Yes totally agree with @TheHungryHungryLandsharks re getting the chance to learn and make the right desicion.

My poodle isnt an idiot and knows when a lead/long line is attached and therefore does not even consider or attempt to do the thing (and therefore doesnt get the chance to learn/correct/make a better choice meaning I dont get the option of a training moment) .

It's a tricky part of generic dog training advice for sure!

Gorgeous dog.

Can you have some high value treats, and get him to walk alongside you with out rushing off?

He is truely wonderful!

Gorgeous pup you’ve got.

I have a Labrador and he’s the same. Thinks everyone is his best friend. What I do is if I see a dog on a lead approaching I either call him back and put him on his own lead, or if I’ve got the ball my dog will be focused on me anyway. Sometimes the owner calls to me that it’s ok to leave him off and theirs is just on the lead because they’re an escape artist or something. But if yours won’t come when called that won’t work. Agree with others that it’s about finding what he wants more than to greet others.

I think it’s nice for dogs to greet each other if everyone’s ok with that but you don’t know just by looking!

What an absolute stunner! Almost as handsome as mine. I love goldies!

I found when my adolescent lost her recall, calling "This way" and changing direction was more effective. She wanted to be close to me. Just not close enough for me to attach a lead.

Hopefully you can identify some dogs that like their space that will erm tell her she has overstepped. If you lived nearby I could volunteer mine 😆

She likes other dogs on her terms and let’s the know very sharply.

How could anybody not love him !

Look at that face.

🥰

Aaw, I love him!

Awww thanks everyone, some lovely supportive replies and I have some good stuff to try. He is my second golden and the great nephew of my late great old Goldie who died last year 💗

Beautiful dog.

My Lab is the same - assumes everyone is a friend. The thing he loves most in the world is balls so I always carry one on walks. If he starts to run over to a dog on a lead, I recall him and show him the ball then throw it in the opposite direction. If dogs are on lead I allow the meet & greet because I don’t really get this new thing of not allowing dogs to socialise. They’re mostly a very sociable bunch in my local park.