hi, I have a 16 month old Irish setter that flat refuses to walk offlead with other dogs. He will meet and greet with no problem and will even play for a while, but if I walk with owner of other dog he just refuses to come and just sits there, this has been happening for a couple of weeks. Any suggestions as to what could be going on, he is normally the most social dog you could meet. Also since last weekend he has become much more attentive, when walking checks in more often, does not stray to far, comes when called even if busy, thought I’d brought wrong dog out.
Hi Dave, is it possible that another dog has upset him in some way. Could he have had a knock or a nip from another dog? Dogs in groups can be a bit rough sometimes. Normally this type of behaviour would indicate that something unpleasant has happened in a similar situation. You may need to restore his confidence with other dogs at a distance using lots of nice reinforcements, treats, toys etc. Or by walking with one or two selected 'gentle' dogs for a while
Thanks for the reply, it’s possible so will keep an eye on him. I noticed he was fine tonight and walked no problem. Also like to thank you for your book total recall, I have rebuilt his recall from scratch and it’s great, even got him back from stalking pheasants. People are amazed when you call him and he comes galloping over from other side of field
