we were finally able to walk our little pup and he was doing really well on his lead however when another dog came running up he tried to run the other way. We have done lots of socialisation carrying him and he was always very excited to see other dogs. Is this normal or should I be worried?
Dogs running up to a puppy is terrifying! For most puppies anyway. So its completely normal. Just pick puppy up so they don’t have to deal with it its fine
I didn’t pick him up as I wasn’t sure if that was the right thing to do. I knelt down between them and let them sniff each other like that and he did start licking the other dogs face. I know I sound silly but I’m so worried of getting things wrong with him that I sometimes can’t enjoy him. I know how important the socialisation stage is so just don’t want to get it wrong.
Thats ok i felt exactly the same! I wasn’t ready for that moment when i realized even though specific socialization had gone well, seeing dogs around out and about were still a cause for concern for her. Kneeling down is also fine though so you did great! Just allowing pup to access your body as an escape/that you will protect them is all that needs to be!
It’s perfectly normal for that to happen, as others have said. Completely cloistering your dog is the only way to completely guarantee he will never encounter something new he finds frightening. But that will only cause more problems and the risk has to be taken to some extent. The trick is to be vigilant to avoid or mitigate these traumatic situations before/as they happen, and when they do, stay positive and reassure your dog that trips outside his comfort zone of home are, on the main, wonderful experiences. Fortunately, it sounds like your dog wasn’t hurt but just spooked by the trauma. Make a point to have even more fun and exciting experiences whenever a bad one creeps in during an outing. Never end an excursion on a bad note. Try to expose him to other dogs that you have a better idea will interact positively. In my opinion, a very young dog is at least a little anxious of most every other dog. I think the most rewarding experiences are when yours is a little hesitant at first but gets over it and learns on his own that socializing is a good idea thing 99% of the time. It was satisfying for me to watch whenever my pup was able to overcome an initial fear and make a new friend with a basically friendly other dog. It makes it that much more important that you seek out playmates for him that have the temperament and discipline to be able to help him grow this way.
My puppy was like this at first too, now she just stops dead in her tracks and stares at them. Everything is new to them on the first walk so things can be a bit scary, but they’ll soon gain confidence !
