surchinmy
Ultra ALPHA
Mar 9, 2004, 8:57 PM
Post #7 of 9
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Re: [Wolfie] over excited by other dogs
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Hi ... again ... If you plan to approach "strangers & strange dogs" to help you with your mature dog ... then maybe you'd like to give this article a read ... http://www.mckaynine.co.za/on_lead_socialising.htm I believe how you & your dog handle the first few encounters with other dogs will be of paramount importance ... The first few encounters will likely set the tone and tempo for other occassions ... I would suggest that you do the following BEFORE attempting "on-leash socialisation" with other dogs ... (a) Give your dog reasonable & sufficient time to settle into his new environment and new routine ... with you and your family ... An assured dog is a calmer dog ... (b) Start your own training sessions in-house ... before venturing outside ... re-condition and re-ground all the basic commands ... the more obedient your dog is, the better your chance for successful on-leash socialisation ... Keep training sessions short and upbeat ... Try always to end on a successful note ... Short but frequent sessions are best ... repition & consistency ... with praise & reward ... are keys to successful training ... The training sessions will teach your dog about you and vice versa ... In dog encounters, the owners play a very important and essential role ... a dog that has learnt to respect and accept leadership of it's owner is more likely to behave than one that has not ... You might like to first try the re-conditioning method previous posted ... before your first encounter ... If at all you error at all ... it's best to error on the conversative side ... General Cautions: *** Learn as much as you can about dog language & signals ... search internet ... In encounters, you need to watch the dogs carefully ... if the dogs establish direct eye contact ... start moving your dogs away from each other ... don't wait for growls or snarling or raising of hackles ... When dogs (especially those who do not know each other) establish eye contact ... it's time to take evasive action ... This is one time ... we must appreciate that ... dogs will be dogs ... and dogs are not humans ... a dog's perspective is not the same as ours ... their idea of individual space, acceptable and unacceptable behaviour is quite different from ours ... *** Do not underestimate the speed or strength of your dog We almost never hear people say: "The dog is biting me" ... Mostly we hear: "I have been bitten" ... Dogs are fast ... So, you need to be on your toes, and move in anticipation (understanding dog signals will help with this) ... And dogs are strong, your fella looks quite substantial too ... *** Control & manage the first few encounters with known factors Please if at all possible ... plan the first few encounters with dogs you know, and with friends who know dogs ... If you can, do encounters with experienced dog people & experienced dogs ... you maximise benefit while reducing risk of any untoward incidents ... Plan & carry out the encounter in neutral territory. *** Exercise the dog Before each encounter ... maybe exercise your dog & tire him out first ... this can help take the edge of your dog ... making him calmer and more receptive to your lead and command ... I do believe that what happens during the first few encounters is very important ... And for that reason, I would want to prepare myself and my dog as much as I can before attempting an encounter. Cheers & ALL the best
(This post was edited by surchinmy on Mar 9, 2004, 9:06 PM)
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