Socialization?

How do you? Or do you at all? Train your dog(s) to be social with other dogs or species?

I've always encouraged my dogs from puppies to meet and greet other dogs (after checking with the owners that their dogs aren't DA) as much as possible. It's backfired a bit with Kuchar because he now thinks every dog is his friend and won't walk calmly past any dog who isn't interested in meeting or greeting, or worse!

My first Dobie was brought up with cats from birth to 12 weeks, so to the end of her days thought cats were her friends and got a scratched nose several times at her attempts to say "hello". I wanted my subsequent Dobe and now Kuchar to, at best, ignore cats (and squirrels and birds) but the beggars have always awakened the chase instinct by fleeing.

How is Birdie?

Cause of living in the bum hole of nowhere i didn't really get a lot of chance to socialize until i could drive - lexi is much better but id never let her off lead with another dog, but BIlly has helped her a lot too shes definitely more aware of how a dog acts lol

As for other animals, shes always been ok. Ok she went for the cat once but it was teasing her lol and hens don't count...they are stupid

I find it so interesting as to how people socialize their pets. I think it is the most important thing in training bar "leave it". Knowing what your dog, cat, ferret etc, can accept, their limits or personal space boundary. Some enjoy rough play, some gentle play, some like distance, some enjoy time alone. I chuck my pups in the middle of everything. But that's not great if like Boo, you are mature & wouldn't react well to that situation.  I know when mine are not happy I remove them & come back (if appropriate) to gentle plays or greetings.

I let mine off till the Malamute issue. I still let Tyson run but I now know Jess will be on guard for any dog coming towards her. Something I have not watched for since she was a pup.

It really is an interesting issue. Thank you both for your replies.

 

She is goodish? Her right wing is still shizenhouzen but her left leg is much better. I think she will make it. Flying...... I'm still not sure, but she is loving the dogs & the cat.... chilli just watches her from a distance due to my flicking her on the ear. Birdie may look like food but... it bites!

Here is Miss Penelope pigstop.




Did you notice Chilli in the background? Even she knows to be gentle.

Did you ever strap up the wing? it wont come good now, its very clearly broken and possibly dislocated. I would ask an avian vet about it..

Hayley wrote:and hens don't count...they are stupid

No they're not. Mycat loves my silkie (sootie) but she wont go in the chooks pen. THEY BITE!

Hayley wrote:Did you ever strap up the wing? it wont come good now, its very clearly broken and possibly dislocated. I would ask an avian vet about it..

I did tape it up but she kept pecking at it, fell down & hurt her left leg a wk ago.
Her leg is coming good, though she flutters her wing now, I dont think it will support her in flight. We will see. She has water, food, board & rent, physio & animal friends.

I hope she flys...it is still possible! (She needs to strengthen her wing.) If not, she will live with us.

I socialise mine with people by taking them to the supermarket and making hubby do the shopping whilst I sit in the back of a car with the boot open so people can walk past and the puppy can watch. Any person that shows an interest, I invite them over, give them a treat to give the pup and hopefully they associate people with good things.
I don't have children, and never have children visitors, so I used to stand at the bottom of my garden where the local children would be passing in one direction to go to the primary school, and in the other to the secondary school. Same thing with treats apply.
I socialised Morgan by taking her up to every dog we could meet and in exactly the same manner as Lynda - with the same result! Lesson learned with Tristan, and he was socialised but also taught to ignore. They both went to two puppy training classes per week for socialisation, and had friends down the park to play with.
At around six months of age, Tristan had to be walked by a professional dog walker, as I had an operation and was unable to do it. I think he was going through his second fear phase, and as he was already almost 40 kg, the dog walker felt she had to dominate him(as I found out later). He is now very wary of people and shows it by growling and barking, so I have to start again with him.
When Tristan came to live with us, Morgan mothered him, and she felt the need to keep other dogs away from him, so she became quite aggressive on-lead. They both go for group dogs now with a large number of others off-lead and are fine, but Morgan soon figures out who is in the group and if they have to go back on lead at the end of the walk, she will then try to defend the whole pack from any dogs outside of it.

You're doing really well with Miss Penelope!

You know I always take mine to the local school zone when the kids leave on mass. Heaps of noise & fingers that want to touch, pat & yell.  
I also like the supermarket carpark for the hustle of cars, people, trolleys & trucks.

I take mine to mixed breed training just so they meet all ages & sizes of both doggies & peoples. I actually think, before class is a larger, more important learning curve than during class. Sit, drop, stay, wait, heal..... that we can do at home but the doggie greeting & playtime is really why I go there or to the school or shops.

tracyp wrote:

Hayley wrote:and hens don't count...they are stupid

No they're not. Mycat loves my silkie (sootie) but she wont go in the chooks pen. THEY BITE!

Mine are like dinosaurs. It's not hard to see the resemblance! If I put a can of cat food out they come running and will knock you over to get it lol

Yep! A can of open tuna & they all become tyrannosaurus rex!

Good going with Miss Penelope, Tracy! After all this time at least she shouldn't up and die on you.

Her wing looks like the crow's wing I mentioned, it too trails on the ground when he is on the ground but he can fly like anything! So you never know. I'm guessing she will always stick around though now she's so tame.

Ref socialising, I forgot about supermarket car-parks! My Dobes were fairly laid back about people, but it soon became apparent that Kuchar, being a Staffy, loved everybody. So I used to sit on a low wall outside the supermarket in an attempt to give him sensory overload and start ignoring passers-by. Only partially successful - he still wants to smother every person with love! He knows and generally obeys the "leave it" command, but I don't want to use the phrase around other people or dogs because they'll think I'm worried that Kuchar will attack them.

Same for Tyson. Everyone or dog he sees he likes to greet (nose butt, scratch or jump on) but I do use "leave it" in public. I use the same words wherever we are. It's what I've used in training him with people, dogs or things I don't want him to go to. + I don't care what people think. I used to... but not now. Now I just say what he understands & figure if they are worried..... they will just bugger off so... win, win either way.