Brea is 2, she is generally well behaved in the kind of loopy way that labradors can be. She sits, waits, comes and walks on the lead fairly well but she has always been a bit boisterous with other dogs when she is out. She just wants to play and until recently she mainly rolled over in a submissive way but on my last 2 walks with her she has barked and even growled at a couple of other dogs. I told her off with a NO and a quick tug on her lead like i was taught at puppy training but I am concerned at this new behavior. One of the dogs she growled at was a cairn terrier who has always barked and growled at her. I suspect that it is partly down to the fact that I have not had her out as much over the winter months and she is now encountering more dogs than she is used to, and being older she feels more inclined to assert herself but I want to stop this behavior before it gets to be a real problem. Can anyone suggest anywhere I can take her to meet other dogs socially in the Glasgow area I don't really want to get involved in Obedience classes because I tried that before and didn't enjoy the experience although I could give it another try if there is no other option, I would prefer to find a way for her to meet other dogs in a safe place where she can actually get a bit of play time with them. Thanks PS All of my friends are either cat people :'( or don't have pets because of work
Re: Socialising Can't help with doggie areas in Glasgow But, if you come across another dog on your walks it's best to get Brea to sit for a treat (i.e. ask for an alternative behavior to staring at the other dog). Get her attention on you and reward it. You might need more distance between you and the other dog in order to be able to get her attention. This is better than a jerk on the lead. A jerk on the lead will tell her that bad things happen when she sees other dogs. A sit and treat will tell her that good things happen when she sees other dogs, plus, if she's sitting and looking at you she's not making a fuss at the other dog. I would say that she is not being naughty or aggressive at the other dogs - she is probably a bit anxious and revved up. A jerk will exacerbate this while sitting for a treat will tend to calm things down. Remember to increase the distance if you need to and use treats she really loves. When she has off-lead interactions also ask for a 'sit and look at me' before she's allowed off the lead to play.
Re: Socialising Thanks Rachael I generally do try to get her to sit when I see another dog approaching and try to reward her but until now I have also let her say hello and it has been ok but the last 2 walks she lunged at another dog who was passing and growled the jerk on the lead was to correct the growling and in both cases it was not possible to get more room between her and the other dogs as we were on a walk home from school with my daughter and would have had to cross a road which was busy with people driving home from school. Will keep trying though Just thought if there was anywhere she could meet other dogs locally it might help and she could let off some steam.
Re: Socialising Where abouts in Glasgow are you? I'm not really sure, but I mentioned a dog park that I passed in Bellahouston Park, which is the first I have really come across. Our experience wasn't brilliant as the other dog was a bit aggressive (although the owners did explain before I let Lilly off lead that theirs was a new dog, a rescue, they had only had it a month or two. I was in full knowledge of this from the start! And Lilly can be a bit cranky too. I don't know if there are other dog parks around and about in the larger parks, but it might be an option for you to consider. I think maybe sitting out somewhere in a park where there are loads of dog/children with a pocket of treats would be a good start though. jac
Re: Socialising We are in Hamilton. but Bellahouston is do-able didnt know there were any dog parks but will look into it further. Thanks
