On our morning walk today, we met a male boxer. As I've mentioned before, Shadow isn't good with boys he doesn't know. Anyhow, this dog was pretty ambivalent about him. For a change, it was Shadow with his nose up the other dog's bum, rather than the other way around. After a short while (maybe 15-30 seconds), Shadow's body language got a bit tense - hackles up and standing on his toes, at which point I called him to me (I was only a matter of feet away anyway). When he came to me, I gave him loads of treats and attention for coming, and we walked on without a second glance. I started thinking afterwards, was this the right thing to do? I wanted to avoid it turning into "a thing", and his body language was saying to me that he might start something, even though the dog was pretty much ignoring him. Was me calling him away giving him that "flight" option when he started to feel uncomfortable? Or did I deprive him of an opportunity to learn to be around other male dogs? Overall, I was really happy that there was no noise whatsoever, no nasty faces or posturing, until he started to stiffen. At the other end of the day, we've had a fabulous long walk on snow shoes, into another valley that we don't visit often. It was wonderful - so scenic and open compared to most of the places we're restricted to more locally. The dogs were a complete delight - we came across lots of people on touring skis; we put the dogs into a sit or down by our feet as the people skied past, and they didn't flinch. At the beginning of the season, they'd have been very twitchy and would have barked at the skiers. We also saw another couple on snowshoes, who were walking with poles. They've always disliked people carrying poles, but again didn't even seem to notice. It just goes to show what a bit of hard work can achieve to desensitise your dogs to things that they were super reactive to before. Oh, oh! And the other day, we were in a bar meeting some people and a child came up to me and asked if she could stroke the dogs. As she was asking, W&S approached her, tails wagging and relaxed!! She stroked them for several minutes and there wasn't even a hint of tension in them - squeeeeeee!!!!!!
I'm no expert but think you did right. You rewarded him for greating nicely and coming back to you. My dog can be a bit growly at when greating other dogs. Last week a trainer at our dog club pointed out to me that I was pulling him away after he for once was greating another dog. She suggested I call him back with a treat. Sounds a similar situation.
Good boy Shadow. I do exactly the same with Charlie when he meets dogs and he really isn't all that interested in other dogs but we always give him treats for a good meet/greet and/or return and for walking past and ignoring other dogs. Hattie is not reactive in any way and I do the same, she looks to me immediately after we have met any other dogs for a treat whether they are nice or nasty dogs. I think it's about showing your dog they have nothing to worry about and they trust you to do the right thing. Great news about the skiers, poles but especially the children - really lovely work W & S xx
Do you mean on lead? I avoid all interaction between him and other dogs when there's a lead involved (either on him or the other dog). It changes their body language too much and is a recipe for disaster. He's only allowed to meet other dogs when they're both off lead.
I'm no expert but it didn't end up as anything negative, Shadow sniffed the boxers behind and came away when you called him, then walked off without a second glance. If he was really bothered would he not of glanced back? Sounds like it was a successful meeting and Shadow got a positive experience. His hackles may have been raised but there was no time for it to get more than that, which in my novice opinion is a step in the right direction.
Yep, you did the right thing. You ended it while it was still pretty ok, and did not give him the opportunity to rehearse tense behaviours. You avoided the risk of it escalating (very important). And he was reinforced for a great recall. There's a chance that had you not called him away they would've ended up getting over the stiffness and relaxing, but there's a bigger chance that it could've turned into a a barkfest. Sounds like it was kinda heading in the barkfest direction, given that he started out greeting the dog (a bit impolitely but whatever) and then became stiff after half a minute. At any rate, I would've done exactly the same!
Thanks Yes, he was rather impolite. It is frustrating, because he is so lovely with girls, and very polite, asking to play but being a gentleman and moving on if she isn't interested. Boys ... a completely different story. Meh. They do like to try us, don't they?
Charlie - who honestly has never 'started' anything in his life, when he gets uncomfortable he just tries to move away and if the other dog is the aggressor he still just tries to leave - can get a bit stiff around other boys. I just leave him to it, and he usually relaxes after a bit. But if the other dog (normally it's dogs - more than one - when Charlie gets troubled) also looks a bit stiff I call him away. He can be funny about moving away from a dog that's also a bit stiff, even though he clearly wants to, like he doesn't want to turn his back. Then, he'll suddenly spring away in a mad dash. Looks a bit nuts.... It all sounds like great progress with you two to me.
Hehe, Willow can be a bit like that, although not stiff. But if there's a dog (normally a boy) who is being impolite and has his nose up her bum too much, and doesn't respond to her telling him off, then she'll look uncomfortable for a few seconds, then ... ZOOOM!!!! Completely different to an invitation to play, and generally leaves the other dog standing there, looking dumbfounded
Benson is getting a bit tense now with other dogs, although I think it is probably the other dogs getting a bit tense with him, and these are other male dogs. It has escalated a couple of times...once on a severnside walk..it took all of us trying to block the other dogs approach to Benson. I now keep Benson away from other dogs unless I know them, I just don't think Benson needs to say hello at all really. He goes out of his way to avoid conflict, as he has matured he has got more slightly more guarded with other dogs, even a bit submissive.I can tell he is a bit uncomfortable his hackles are up, his back gets rounded and he drops his ears low. It is interesting as he is different when Casper is out walking with us, more confident, Casper will body block other dogs who approach Benson too assertively, not aggressively, but with stiff stance and upright tail, as if to say "don't mess with my bro..." I did read somewhere it is important that dogs are allowed to complete their greetings...I guess though with well socialised dogs from puppyhood this occurs anyhow?
I think in this case it was right to call shadow away as the boxer, from what you've said, wasn't particularly interested or giving off obvious body language and as Rachael has said you didn't give shadow the opportunity to carry on with tense body language. The only thing would be if the other dog was also posturing then shadow moving away could give the wrong signal to the other dog. It's a difficult one to call though if both dogs are posturing do you risk it escalating or intervene and by interrupting the greeting cause problems.
I think the most important thing really is every single time your dog greets another dog appropriately, tell him good boy and give him 3 treats. I don't miss....even though that's a lot of treats. Call out 'good boy' when he turns away from another dog looking nervous, and toss him a treat. And so on. Never forget to reward the good stuff....
Yep exactly what I do with Hattie & Charlie except for tossing the treat because the other dog(s) might go for it, but why three treats Julie?
HaHa - so you don't forget, and instead count them out to the dog - it makes it more deliberate if you have to think more about giving the treats. Plus, I think the anticipation of the treat is often as powerful, or even more so, than the treat - that time when the dog is looking up in expectation 'I've been good! What am I going to get?' - so even if you break the same treat into 3, you have more of an impact.
I see, I never normally forget and always give extra treats or a jackpot treat for extra good behaviour/training etc. I will try to remember to give 3 treats for good meets/greets to see if it makes a difference. Hattie always look at me with with that look "what am I getting, come on that was good you know it was" Thank you x
Powerful stuff, anticipation. I think it's Charlie's favourite bit. He looks at me, the treat bag, the toy bag...what's it gonna be? what's it gonna be.... Might as well have that three times.
Well, this morning , we had a grand success!! I've mentioned before that there are two not-very-nice dogs in the village. They're both very large and left to roam. They stand over Willow and make her really uncomfortable; I've growled at them to keep them away when they've approached me when I've had my two together, knowing it would end in tears. Shadow tends to go on high alert whenever he sees them. There's just something "off" about them. They're loose, no owners ever to be seen, but they always hang around on the same corner, at the same times of day, so I just avoid that bit and go the long way around. This morning, as I came back home, one of them was right in front of the door to my apartment building. Argh, I've never seen them there before! Willow immediately made a dash for the door, but Shadow approached him. "Uh oh", I thought... but, the next second, Shadow was play bowing at him!! The other dog just stood still, not interested in playing but not looking nasty, either. I called to Shadow (who was close enough to touch, anyway). He bounced towards me, and got a million treats. Not three. A million.
I hope he actually got a million treats and that you are not exaggerating! Shadow, did she really give you a million treats? Those million treats are yours, buddy!!
Good boy Shadow! It's a fine line - calling them away to prevent escalation, while allowing them to learn how to deal with unexpected encounters... Sounds like Shadow is doing just fine. Poppy is very submissive with other female dogs of her size or bigger that she doesn't know, but she can be quite fierce with male dogs if they sniff her bottom too enthusiastically. Mostly I just let her get on with it, since she is very unlikely to actually get into a scrap. It was different with the two male dogs I had before; I was often on high alert with them, keeping an eye open for other big male dogs.
