Bendog socialising

Share your experience and tell us how using positive reinforcement training methods has changed yours and your dogs' lives.

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bendog
Posts: 2188
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:42 am

Bendog socialising

Post by bendog »

Since I've been dog walking its sometimes happened that I have 6 hours of dog walks booked and by the end of that I am shattered and left with no time to walk my own dogs!

So it's really useful if I can take some of my dogs on walks with clients dogs (if they and the dog are ok with it)

Because of bens fear reactivity I am VERY selective about which walks I will take him on. (Im very selective with all the dogs actually, eg i wont take charlie to walk with extremely bouncy dogs, or very timid dogs as he can be over enthusiastic saying hello but isnt a huge fan of being bounced on) And i only take Ben with dogs that I know are friendly, but not overly bouncy or playful, and quite calm, who i know wont hassle him, and where I know I can let bendog off lead so he has plenty of space to move away if he wants too.

But, today for example, he has had a moochy pavement walk with a middle aged schaunzer, a run on the beach with a young female cairn terrier (and the rest of my crew except sash), and then another mooch around the fishing lake with a 6 year old female Doberman.

With all of them he approached by his own choice, HE approached THEM! And gave a polite sniff greeting, and then they pretty much ignored each other, but sniffed the same smells and trotted along quite happily etc.

Today was an exception as I am really busy, I wouldn't normally expect him to deal with three strange dogs in one day (although he met the cairn yesterday so she wasn't totally new) and he will be having a chilled weekend to compensate.

He also managed to walk past 3 dogs at closer range than I normally like (narrow paths) without reacting at all.
He has been fine with new Molly, and also introduced to my friends dog a few weeks ago and walked with him too.

He still hates bouncy dogs, rude dogs, dogs running past him etc and can still react at them. But it's great that we can now pass most dogs without an issue and that he can even feel able to actually approach some for a greeting.

I'm also feeling pretty pleased at my own ability now to predict which dogs he will be ok with and which he wont.
JudyN
Posts: 7018
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:20 pm
Location: Dorset, UK
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Re: Bendog socialising

Post by JudyN »

Well done to both of you! :D

What do you think is the biggest factor in his transformation? Avoiding all potentially negative encouters, rewarding on the sight of another dog, BAT, LAT, socialising with good-natured dogs... :?:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
tylerthegiant
Posts: 35
Joined: Fri May 10, 2013 3:41 am
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: Bendog socialising

Post by tylerthegiant »

Awesome job! Feels so great, doesn't it? :D
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