Socializing Tips: Meeting new dogs and puppie

[Gene]

I let Brodie meet another puppy today of a different breed (almost toy size) and I'm honestly not sure if he was just trying to play too aggressive or being mean aggressive.  He's only 11 weeks and when he sees her he bolts at her with everything he has and when I pull back on the leash he reaches out with his mouth.  At one point he got a hold of her cheek and held on for a few seconds before letting go.  I want to say he is just playing rough like he would with one of equal size, but with him being three maybe four times bigger, I'm just scared he is going to tare the little thing apart.  

What I'm looking for here is some good socializing tips that are both safe for my pup and the other.  I'm still working on the watch me command so it was too early for that to work and get his attention back on me without pulling him away.  I had the other owner pick her dog up while I had him in my arms so that they could sniff each other without lunging or running.  It didn't work because as soon as his legs hit the ground he was back at it again.

Keep in mind he has not received all of his shots so I'm trying to avoid dog parks and only socialize with my neighbors who I know are fully vaccinated.

What are your thoughts and suggestions please?

[Lisa Tiro]

My Axel does this with Oscar, a French Bull dog that he plays with. He charges him and pins him down way too rough. Oscar is pretty big for a Frenchie but he has cried out. (I think I have some pics of them on here) What I do now is I tie Axel to a pole or something in my yard and let Oscar get as close as he wants to and they calm down a bit but Oscar can escape. Then after about 5 minutes I let him off the lead. It is still quite rough for a bit but we watch them closely. Then it calms down and is more chasing and running after him. But you should be careful because this is how BB's play with each other.

~Lisa

[Jens Gunther]

A good way to do the introductions would be to hold the smaller puppy in your arms. Hold her so that Brodie can smell the back end first. There is a lot of information there; amongst others that she is still a small puppy. Boerboels that are not smell oriented sometimes need some help to 'stop and smell the roses' before they make all kinds of assumptions based on what they see... Hold the puppy safe and resist any urges to yank her away when Brodie approaches. Don't restrain Brodie, he's not going anywhere and he can't do any damage while you have the pup in your arms. Talk to him in a calm tone encouraging his curiosity and praising him for being calm himself. He should calm down pretty soon after he has established what the little wriggly thing in your arms is. Once there, put her down by your feet. It should go a bit easier from there on.

Brodie can now approach the pup within your protective space. Guide him carefully with voice and hands. Keep the encounter short and try to end it on a positive note. Repeat the exercise a bit later and if he is calm and she is comfortable, let them be, intervening only if things get rough. If things get rough, don't remove Brodie from the situation, remove the other pup - just a bit of dog psychology. The offended puppy always leaves the scene: this teaches the offender that he was too rough. Wait a short while and try again.

The lead often works like an umbilical cord. It imparts your state of mind about a situation. Tension on the lead will impart your tension and perhaps nervous energy, but it will not impart exactly what you are anxious about or why. The fact that you want to protect the pup will be the last thing to cross his mind. In 'dog language' access to something is not blocked from behind by way of a restraint. It is rather blocked physically or by extension of a personal space.

[Lisa Tiro]

Boerboels play rough. My boy Axel plays with a Frenchie and he charges him and pins him for a few seconds. Then, Oscar, the Frenchie, runs and they chase each other endlessly and bite each others necks. As Axel got bigger I became anxious that he would hurt him so because Axel is so big and I have gotten knocked down before, I chain him to our porch pole and after they calm down a bit I let him go. That way Oscar can get away from him if he needs to. I also practice calling Axel to me while they are playing. I only do this when he has his e-collar on so that I can give a correction if he ignores the command. I never correct him for playing rough because I want to encourage his positive interactions with other dogs. Axel is 19 months now and 3 weeks ago we brought home an 8 week old female pit bull. Axel had never been around puppies so I was a little nervous about his roughness. I brought him with me to pick up the puppy. I sat in the front seat with the new puppy Zoey and he was in the back seat. I let him sniff her back end and he just lied down in the back like it was nothing. We got home and I let Axel out of the car loose and I put the puppy down where I expect them to pee and poo and they both peed and that was it! They are the best of friends!

[Gene]

Jens, Lisa,

 

Excellent advice and story, I completly forgot about sniffing the rear end and I never saw the lead in that way before but it makes so much sense. 

 

Thanks,