Socialising

Having a large breed dog and a breed that gets constant bad publicity in the papers, can make opportunities for socialising a little less frequent. We are lucky that a nearby neighbour has always had larger breeds, so each new addition has had the opportunity to have it’s socialising attitude tested.

Dogs use their mouth and voices to communicate, I guess the bigger the mouth and the louder the moans, which can put smaller dog owners off. Additionally the Rottie bad press adds to this to put even larger dog owners off. When Reg and Scooby had a game together they used to sound like lions and when Reg played with his friend Buster, both would be covered in slobber from their mouth using communication of which is biting non aggressively.

George came from the dogs home with a warning of not liking male dogs. We checked this out a little for ourselves when we visited him, as much as you can in a stimulating environment. Edwood took a halty for more control and sat him by a run that had lots of dogs barking out at him and fed him treats, as they walked, he seemed unphased.

It’s very easy to over protect your large breed and pull the lead in when approaching other dogs, this only sends an alert signal down the lead giving the dog a reaction of protection. Then you have it, a reputation of having an unfriendly and even aggresive dog and your in a loop of socialising trouble.

George met Tara and Chaser very early in his resettlement, remaining calm and confident, giving them loose leads, lots of ‘good boy/girl’, rewarding them quickly with treats and then walking together gave us the signal that he has good socialising potential. The good start reinforces our confidence with him and jointly working together as dog and owner we are all happy to meet new dogs. The treats let all the dogs receive positive reinforcement of their behaviour. If we see any body language we are unsure of, we just firmly say ‘NO’ and quickly praise any good signs.

We don’t encourage that he stops to greet every dog otherwise we’ll encourage a less desirable behaviour of him thinking he can sniff every dog he sees. Walking by we treat him or praise him. George really loves to know he’s a good boy.

Georges body language has been very good, he wags his tail, his fur is flat and he doesn’t snarl. Even when he barked at Hudson the Great Dane, his fur was flat and there were no teeth showing. Just a communication of some kind – maybe ‘get your own sausage’

Sometimes it’s owners that need to feel confident, so walking together lets them see Georges temperament. Dogs do have a pecking order though and sometimes they need to rough and tumble to sort themselves out and ascertain their position with new friends. We’ll probably get George a muzzle for uncertain situations so that he is protected from prejudice and an aggressive bite and to give other dog owners more confidence. However, just like people, some personalities clash.

Timing is essential, pulling a dog in too quick before any discouraging body language can make socialising confusing. Relax and take it slowly with treats at hand. Use your voice first hand , if that fails to get their attention pull them out.