Ghillie, my 6 month old border collie dog, is just too keen to meet and play with other dogs. When we are out walking in the park he is constantly on the look out for other dogs, and will dash off to greet any within sight.

He has not developed a cautious approach, but rushes up to them and immediately starts the puppy/mother interaction of licking and nipping at the muzzle. Most older dogs try to ignore this impudence, or sometimes a warning growl is given which is usually ignored by Ghillie unless it is backed up by a warning snap as well, in which case he will try a submissive bow. If it is a young dog Ghillie may win, and the muzzle nips will lead to a game of chase, which is what he really wants, although the muzzle biting will continue to be used as an incitement during the chase.

He has had one bad experience, at a fun dog show, when he ran past a greyhound that instinctively grabbed him by the throat, he squealed pitifully while the greyhound owner prised the dog of, incurring bite wounds to his hands in the process. But within a few minutes Ghillie was wanting to lick at the muzzle of the next greyhound he met.

Keeping him on a lead does not reduce his desire to meet other dogs, and he will strain at the leash to meet them, licking at their muzzle as soon as he can reach them.
Very soon Ghillie's testosterone levels will make his scent very intimidating to older dogs, and I fear that his direct "attack" to a dogs face may result in a more serious response.

How can I teach Ghillie to be better mannered in his approach to other dogs?

I'd work on getting a really sound 'sit' at home using positive methods. When you can get it without using treats (shouldn't take too long with a smart BC <G>) Ask him to sit as soon as YOU see another dog.......... And reward him with a BIG treat...... Gradually reduce the distance between you and the other dog when you ask for the sit. Out of interest - how old was he when you got him, and how many were there in the litter? Did he attend puppy classes? Did the bitch live with other dogs? It sounds as if he may have missed out on some of his dog/dog socialisation at a crucial time.

Taking him to dog training will help as he will learn to interact with other dogs & you will learn how to teach him his"doggy"manners

My little ones are all basic obedience trained & it does make life easier

Ghillie is still a baby & will still be able to get away with it for a while yet, but you do need to have control of him

If he is off the lead then you really do need to practice recall until he is 100% perfect. Gus my 9 month Staffy also loves meeting other dogs and races off to meet them . So I can sympathise with you although he doesnt nip or anything . They usually have a sniff of each other and then he will come back to us .
You will have to be careful as one day he will meet a *not very nice* dog like with the greyhound .
It is a hard one but I really would keep him on the lead for now . I would let him meet another dog and have a sniff but tell him "NO" when he tries to nip etc .
He will probably settle down with time and the novelty of meeting others wears off.
Alo try to keep his atention while others are around . Take his favourite toy with you and get his attention with that when others are around . In other words make him think YOU are alot more fun to be around than others .
Good luck
Lel

I can sympathise! The behaviour you describe is just like my 10 month lab Emmy. She just wants to play with other dogs and can go over the top when meeting them. If a dog tells her off she just doesn't get it!! As Digger said I have worked on making her sit if another dog approaches, If the other owner is happy I will allow her a quick sniff/greet and then make her move on, using a treat as a lure. I have a long light line that I put on Emmy if we are going somewhere that she can run free, this way I can always grab the line if I see another dog, stopping her from running off towards it. It's a long road but she's getting better slowly, with consistant training and age, I hope she'll get better!
Just like to add though, I have socialised Emmy loads... taken her lots of different places and situations, she's played with friends dogs and strangers dogs!, we've attended training classes from an early age..... I don't think you can always put this behaviour down to not enough socialisation. It's as though she has always had positive experiences from playing with other dogs and meeting new people that nothing will phase her! She just sees everyone and everything as being fun!

Hi Joules,
I agree, it's not always a socialisation problem. Our dog, who is coming up to 16 months, is exactly the same - has always run up to other dogs wanting to play, and still does (though if I see a smaller dog coming, I put him on lead). If he gets growled or snapped at, he takes no notice, but carries on trying to get the other dog to play - so I just feel I have to be careful just in case it's a dog that might get aggressive. The good thing is of course that he's friendly, just loves other dogs, as well as people - and he is obedience trained, but that doesn't curb his excitement when he sees someone to 'play' with! He was socialised from young, went to dog classes twice a week, so I think it's just his character. I do expect him to grow out of wanting to play with every dog as he matures though - well, hope so anyway!
Hilda

But there's socialisation - and there's socialisation - puppies need to learn that not all dogs want to play......

I agree with Digger. My 16 yr old Border Collie cross (lost him in June this year), really did not want to befriend other dogs and was always kept on the lead. I found it very annoying therefore when other dogs rushed up and insisted on playing (often without any intervention by the owners!). This was really difficult to deal with, having a dog jumping all around him (and me!).It distressed - and worse still, angered him.

I now have an11 mth old Lab(adopted after losing my dear Collie), who is the very opposite and loves everyone and everything. However, I am very aware of the predicament some owners are in especially if they have a dog on a lead so I do tend to make sure shedoesn't annoy them. Its really no fun being on the end of a lead with a dog who doesn't want to play! No bad experiences so far with Poppy - shes just a bundle of fun but when dogs approach - even the mad uncontrolled ones - she just lays flat to the ground! Usually they have a kiss and move on, which I'm very pleased about I must say. Its a whole new experience for me, having had hassles before.

My message really is, please think of other owners and dogs - they may not all want to join in the fun.

Best wishes,

Val

My cocker, normally quietly amiable with other dogs, will not tolerate enthusiastic youngsters she will snap at them or even see them off with awfull high pitched shrieking in their ears, I find it rather embarassing although she never seems to make actual contact and comes back as soon as I call and I do feel sorry for the pups but I have never yet had an owner not say to me 'good for her, that'll teach him/her a lesson' so if anyone would like to hire her............:)

Hi Digger,
Believe me, I wish our Cody would learn that not all dogs want to play, but it's also a case of something else at the moment - at 15 months he's very interested in bitches, and dives straight underneath them if he gets the chance (though sometimes he hasn't a clue, and they're actually dogs anyway!). People keep telling me he will grow out of doing this when the teenage phase passes! Anyway, what I do now - whether it's play he wants (or the other!), I make sure I spot any dogs coming the other way and put him on lead before he's close enough to race over to them. Obviously not everyone likes 25 kg of dog bouncing toward them! I must say some people ask for it though - in the past, when he was a bit of a less weighty puppy, and I didn't always put him on lead, there were quite a few people who would start feeding him treats before I could get there and say please don't! Some people just don't realise that it's not long before the dog expects food - from everyone!
Hilda

Could all these dogs be only dogs. Pups in a multidog household soon learn who and what they are allowed to do around the other dos in the family.

I have found that later litters that I have bred who have had the benefit of several other adult dogs other than Mum around from a young age, some who most definately don't want to play with pesky great grandpuppies, seem to be very aware of canine etiquete. they are delighted to play if invited by the other (usiually older dog) but are not that bothered if they get the cold shoulder, and do not pester.

Hi Ghillie, you 've got good advice so I'll just say I know where you're coming from and it does get better. Our Morse is exactly like Ghillie and when we first had him it was a nightmare recalling him but we attended classes and used the sit while other dogs approach technique out and about, and when offlead a down stay - Morse did it himself once and I used the clicker to reward the behaviour and now he does it when another dog approaches. Sitting on the path while other dogs pass really helped as it gives the dogs time to decide what they want to do. I feel a bit of training before getting out to play is a good thing for my dog and I limit his offlead time in case he stops listening to me see what works for you. He'll get there without being chewed again and retain his happy freindly nature.

Thanks for all your thoughts, and support.

In answer to some of the questions and points raised:
Ghillie came from a small litter of three pups, but was often bossed around by one of his sisters. He was whelped just off the main living area of the house, that was also the domain of ten other BCs of various ages. I took him home at 7 weeks and he settled in very quickly and easily.
He has attended puppy classes twice a week since he was 12 weeks old, and now goes once a week.

Ghillie has responded well to training, and reliably obeys all the basic commands. I have worked particularly hard on the recall, and he will now turn around mid-flight to another dog and run back to me.
This used to be 100% but is now only 99%, as his BC brain is developing Ghillie calculates that if after running 50 yards he is just a yard or two from his target, he can get in a quick greeting and then return... am working to get this back up to 100%.

If I see him about to run up to a dog on a lead I always call him back, as their is usually a good reason why the owner has their dog on a lead in the park.

Calling him back helps keeps him out of trouble, but doesn't change his manners when he is allowed to greet another dog, or meets one unexpectedly in the woods.
At training classes, after the first 10 mins, he does settle down and work alongside the other dogs, it seems to be the initial excitement, and prospect of a chase game, that makes him rush up to others.

This morning, in the park, with the help of some other dog owners, I tried some of your suggestions:
On the lead he will sit on command right up to a few feet away from another dog (this also stops him straining on the leash to meet them), he then greets the dog the only way he knows how - muzzle licking; although in a less frenzied way than usual. I also noted that as the number of interactions increased, so did Ghillies over-eagerness. So keeping his excitation level down (is this possible with a BC pup?) seems to be a way forward.

I will go back to keeping him on a long lead in the park and ask him to sit when nearing other dogs, also sitting on the sidelines while other dogs are running round, and keeping any meetings short, sounds like good advice. Although I don't think I can refuse him a few chase games with his "best friends"

Hopefully controlling and calming as many greetings with other dogs as possible will eventually show Ghillie that rushing up and muzzle licking isn't the only way, and that a little bit of circling and bottom sniffing is more polite!

One thing I forgot to suggest I call the Happy recall

Basically it is taught like any other recall except the gesture with the arm is really big form arms by your sides to fully extended then hands in front with treat in them. Different command to obedience recall can be anything but something like this is quite good "Silly Billy Ghillie" called a nice friendly way & only when you can touch his collar & put on his lead does he get his reward

It makes him WANT to come back to have his lead put on

This can be repeated as you want to reinforce the reward for putting the lead on

It does work :)