When Pinkie was just a wee one, I read over & over that Lhasas were a naturally wary breed that didn't take to strangers & children, and could easily turn bossy & snappy as they got older. I realized she needed intense socialization but I faced the problem of where & how to do that.
I lucked out and the answer fell in my lap, and now I would advise this to everyone. We had just moved my grandparents from our home (my Mom & I) to a nursing home and Mom spent the evening with them every night, so I made Mom start taking Pinkie with her every night.
Every evening for about 4 hours, she was passed around by the nurses & taken to visit the patients by them, even to different floors in the nursing home. If she wasn't out visiting everyone, she sat leashed in the room with Mom while a steady stream of workers walked in & out doing their jobs. When I was up there, I took her around to visit everyone myself. We did this for about 4-5 months, until Pinkie 'found' her voice & Mom couldn't stop her barking while she was there.
It worked so well that I actually got a little fearful of someone being able to walk away with her without a problem.
It was funny 'cus in public, she'd go straight up to senior citizens with no hesitation & her little tail wagging. LOL She didn't meet her first toddler until she was nearly a year old but, after a little hesitation, her socialization skills took over and she was soon playing with them. The same thing with other dogs when she first started going around them. She's 3 yrs old now and she loves everyone, from babies to seniors. A lot of the Lhasa people I work with are amazed at how well balanced & well mannered she is, and I know it was that intense, early socializtion that did this for her.
I would advise this nursing home thing to everyone!! You don't have to go every day like we did, but a couple of times a week should work with most dogs. Who can resist a puppy? The nurses & most of the patients were just tickled to see her everyday and it pleased me greatly to see her loving them, washing their faces & hands and the smiles on their faces. All the nursing homes require is a clean bill of health & shots certification which is very easy with puppies.
I realize some people aren't comfortable in nursing homes, so perhaps you have a children's ward at a hospital you could visit a couple of times a week? It's really a wonderful thing you're doing for both your dog and the people it's visiting; their eyes light up and the smiles on these sad, lonely & scared people's faces that a puppy brings is worth its weight in gold.
So those are my suggestions. I know a lot of other experienced people here have some good ideas, so please pitch them in here 'cus I see poster after poster struggling with this.
I lucked out and the answer fell in my lap, and now I would advise this to everyone. We had just moved my grandparents from our home (my Mom & I) to a nursing home and Mom spent the evening with them every night, so I made Mom start taking Pinkie with her every night.
Every evening for about 4 hours, she was passed around by the nurses & taken to visit the patients by them, even to different floors in the nursing home. If she wasn't out visiting everyone, she sat leashed in the room with Mom while a steady stream of workers walked in & out doing their jobs. When I was up there, I took her around to visit everyone myself. We did this for about 4-5 months, until Pinkie 'found' her voice & Mom couldn't stop her barking while she was there.
It worked so well that I actually got a little fearful of someone being able to walk away with her without a problem.
It was funny 'cus in public, she'd go straight up to senior citizens with no hesitation & her little tail wagging. LOL She didn't meet her first toddler until she was nearly a year old but, after a little hesitation, her socialization skills took over and she was soon playing with them. The same thing with other dogs when she first started going around them. She's 3 yrs old now and she loves everyone, from babies to seniors. A lot of the Lhasa people I work with are amazed at how well balanced & well mannered she is, and I know it was that intense, early socializtion that did this for her.I would advise this nursing home thing to everyone!! You don't have to go every day like we did, but a couple of times a week should work with most dogs. Who can resist a puppy? The nurses & most of the patients were just tickled to see her everyday and it pleased me greatly to see her loving them, washing their faces & hands and the smiles on their faces. All the nursing homes require is a clean bill of health & shots certification which is very easy with puppies.
I realize some people aren't comfortable in nursing homes, so perhaps you have a children's ward at a hospital you could visit a couple of times a week? It's really a wonderful thing you're doing for both your dog and the people it's visiting; their eyes light up and the smiles on these sad, lonely & scared people's faces that a puppy brings is worth its weight in gold.
So those are my suggestions. I know a lot of other experienced people here have some good ideas, so please pitch them in here 'cus I see poster after poster struggling with this.