Socialising problem

[Rubylove]

We, being pretty inexperienced when we got Ruby, made the mistake of not socialising her enough when she was a young pup.

She is not aggressive AT ALL, but she tends to get very overexcited when she sees other dogs, and all of her training and control goes straight out of her head. She jumps up on them and just wants to play, but it is too much, and it's very difficult to get her off once she's got going.

We obviously need to remedy this as soon as possible. I have contacted everyone I know with dogs to organise supervised play dates so that she can get more exposure and it's less of a novelty, I have enrolled her in an obedience class, and we have just got another puppy to be her friend and companion.

However, she scared the little legs off our new pup yesterday when we introduced them because she is very big and boisterous. He basically just yelped and yelped and tried to get away from her and was shaking like a leaf. It was awful!! Last night we had some supervised time when there was a gate between them. I sat with Ruby and she was very good - she sat, and just watched. So I know she can behave and be calm, it's just a matter of getting her used to other dogs so that it's not such a different thing.

She has a beautiful sweet nature, and just wants to play and love other dogs and people - she's just too rough and doesn't know her own strength.

Does anyone have any advice on remedial socialising and what else I can do to help Ruby calm down? She is being spayed next Friday, and I think that will help too...

PS - She is six months old at the end of October.

 

[SHADOW_THE_STAFF]

We, being pretty inexperienced when we got Ruby, made the mistake of not socialising her enough when she was a young pup.

She is not aggressive AT ALL, but she tends to get very overexcited when she sees other dogs, and all of her training and control goes straight out of her head. She jumps up on them and just wants to play, but it is too much, and it's very difficult to get her off once she's got going.

We obviously need to remedy this as soon as possible. I have contacted everyone I know with dogs to organise supervised play dates so that she can get more exposure and it's less of a novelty, I have enrolled her in an obedience class, and we have just got another puppy to be her friend and companion.

However, she scared the little legs off our new pup yesterday when we introduced them because she is very big and boisterous. He basically just yelped and yelped and tried to get away from her and was shaking like a leaf. It was awful!! Last night we had some supervised time when there was a gate between them. I sat with Ruby and she was very good - she sat, and just watched. So I know she can behave and be calm, it's just a matter of getting her used to other dogs so that it's not such a different thing.

She has a beautiful sweet nature, and just wants to play and love other dogs and people - she's just too rough and doesn't know her own strength.

Does anyone have any advice on remedial socialising and what else I can do to help Ruby calm down? She is being spayed next Friday, and I think that will help too...

PS - She is six months old at the end of October.

Both your dogs are beautiful.

Shadow is very much like ruby in the fact of when she see's a dog she just wants to play. 1st she'll lie low on her belly and let them sniff her, then she jumps up and jumps around them, trying to get them to play. Thing is I've been introducing shadow to dogs since she was 12 weeks, and she's the same as ruby. She could just be being a puppy. Either that or my shadow isnt socialised enough aswell. She's been meeting dogs everyweek since she was about 12 weeks, but its the same 2 dogs, cos I dont know anyone else with dogs. Shes very boisterous with one (hes a 2 yr old beagle) and she bullies him, but the other shes very gentle with (hes a 7 yr old maltese), I think she just knows what she can get away with, with each dog.

I'll be interested in what advise you're given, maybe I can apply it to shadow too.

 

[Fran27]

Go to the park (not dog park) at least twice a week, or whatever place you know people are taking their dogs to (petsmart works). Eventually, the novelty will wear off some and they won't get quite as excited when they see a dog.