Why do some people think their dog is perfect and mine is a delinquent? (Even if he sometimes is....!).  People seem to be so quick to judge me from their perceived behaviour of my dog. My Goldie youngster(10 months) is almost hyperactive and he loves to bounce up to people and their dogs. This morning we got a "Tut" :rolleyes:and head shake then "Thats enough" when mine greeted him and his dog bouncing up to the guy then over his terrier. I am working really hard, and I mean really hard to get him into "good" behaviour toward others. I do not like it myself when he bounces at people(he does not put paws up them, he goes vertical take off next to them!)  or at their dogs. I either call him to me when I see other dogs coming and make him wait til they run at him or go past, I have put him on his lead, run the other way, walked past and called him away. All these things work to a point. I think I have cracked it as he behaves so well then we are on a walk and he goes into delinquent mode and runs off before I can stop him and ignores me so I have to go and fetch him. He is too full of energy to have on a long lead apart from the time he nearly dislocated my shoulder he would never get any exercise and he does behave as I say most of the time. We go to training school regularly...even got second place at a grading!!
We have two good walks of an hour each a day...wears ME out.... Not sure about his diet.....Chudleys Junior with either mince, fish or chicken and any veg. left overs.
So please do not judge me as a poor owner if you meet us on a walk. I AM trying SO hard. Please give me advise not criticism.

Hi there ;)

I don't think you should be criticised at all!  You're trying and seeing some progress for your efforts :)   Bear in mind that you have a puppy there - 10 months is still VERY much the immature not really got their act together age for most medium size and upwards breeds!  Add to that your's is a particularly friendly, amiable and fun loving breed and sounds to me a pretty normal youngster you have there :)

Keep trying the distraction and reward techniques, he's reaching a "kevin stage" now anyway and even if his recall had been totally reliable before it's heading to the point where things often go awry :rolleyes:

One thing you may consider worth doing is *cutting back* his exercise a little - 2 x hour long walks are IMO more than he actually needs and you'll probably find the more you give him the more he builds up stamina to require continually increasing lengths of free running etc.  I'd try cutting both walks down to, say, 40-45 minutes maximum and spend 10-15 minutes or so pre-walks playing fun mind games with him at home or in the garden.  A mental work out is more often than not equally if not more tiring than a physical one :)

I'm not a great believer in diet being blamed for many behaviours  -  in your case (as with many IMO) I think it's down to bog standard age and breed specific traits :)

HTH, Good luck Teri 

Hi Teri
Thankyou for your support for "Kevin" and me.
To be fair to myself I would say that the walks probably average to 45mins over the two! Understand the stamina building and I can see that....shame it does not seem to be working so well for me!? I do try and do some "dummy" work with him on the walks. We stop and do several throws,or hides and searches to steady him down a bit. Thing is he gets bored so easily so even in the garden I have to try and find lots of different things to do. Any ideas?
He also gets bored with treats too...they dont do much for him. I do praise him when he does good. Even gets bored with that....he comes to me brilliantly at the end of a walk and doesnt even look to me for praise. Its like "Been there and done that before. Get the lead on and lets go."

Onward and upward though.

Hi again - you could try using his daily food ration for hunting for eg, in the house and garden :)  I think if the "edge" is off these youngsters before they go out we stand a teensy better chance of getting their attention :D  (Can't you just tell I've been known to endure several Kevins :rolleyes: )

If you have enough room, try setting up some mini agility objects in the garden - ones that are easily adaptable and wont exert or endanger him physically but make him have to think.  You could have a weave (just a few well spaced plant supports), a dog walk (literally just a plank set a couple of inches off ground on bricks), a tunnel (may need some imagination size wise :D ) and a table (again, just a few inches off the ground).   Don't keep to the same routine so he's having to watch you and listen for commands etc.

I don't think many of us are really extra especially interesting to our "Kevins" :rolleyes: so don't feel that you're alone here ;)  It takes time, the patience of a saint, total dedication and then more time, time, time - basically, we just have to muddle through as best we can and keep plodding on with basic training until they eventually outgrow the stage.  At least the fact that you're aware of it and doing your bit means that you stand an excellent chance of coming out the other end with quite a few of your marbles still in tact - unlike some of us :rolleyes: :D

Teri x

   

"... At least the fact that you're aware of it and doing your bit means that you stand an excellent chance of coming out the other end with quite a few of your marbles still in tact - unlike some of us"

Too late Teri.
Thanks for tips.

Happy New Year.X

Hi,

If the worst you get is a tut and a head shake I would count yourself lucky :-) It sounds like your doing great at training class.  Other people may have dogs that aren't great with other dogs bounding up to them, so they won't being thinking about the fact that you've got a baby that is learning they'll be thinking about how it will effect their dog, they might be out training too?  One thing I will say is that  2 x 1 hour walks is too much for a 10 month Goldie pup, you may be storing up hip problems for him by over doing exercise now before his joints are fully formed. A better way of tiring him out would be to do 5 lots of 5/10 mins training and teaching him games like 'find it'; getting him to use his brain will tire him out quicker than lots of exercise any way, it may also help him focus better on you when your out.

Try getting him fixated on a ball or something that you only take out on walks - give him yummy treats when he does come back to you.

If you can't stop him running up to other dogs when he's off lead then maybe he should be on a long line or similar until his recall is better.  At least that way you can ask the owners before letting him go for a play.  It is a challenging time but keep working at it you will get there.

Karen

Hi Karen
No, this guy was definately being judgemental. Pep had not jumped at him just run over to say "hello" .But he is lively and bounces sideways toward when he gets close to people.  I appreciate that other dog owners may have issues and I try to be sensitive to them especially if the owner is kind enough to communicate with me so we can understand each others dogs. I am not psychic and I dont expect them to be....I try to let people know my dogs issues if I have a chance. And I apologise if I think mines behaviour has offended.

Re. the try to get him fixated on a ball or something....I have tried that but as I said to Teri he gets bored easily. He will play ball for about 5 mins. then drops it and goes off. He finds plastic bottles on the fields and plays with them for 5 mins. I have tried all sorts but he is not interested. Even treats get boring! Need some games and treat ides please.

Tried a long lead but as I said he pulled me over last time.......recall is only a problem if he has got to the stage of running off before I have seen the other dog and made him wait...need eyes everywhere. If I have to go and fetch him then he is put on lead and the walk is ended. Read that somewhere...not sure if it works?!

Hiya,

Have some extra yummy treats like, liver, cheese, hot dog sausages, pilchard cake and vary them daily so he doesn't get the chance to get bored with them.  As for the ball or any special toy, don't just give it to him to play with, maybe have a ball on a rope that you play tuggy with him out on a walk for a couple of minutes at a time then put it away before he gets the chance to get bored with it and then he'll get excited about it and playing with you when you get it out.

As for games to play, the find it one most dogs love and it tires them out having to use their brain and nose - hide some treats to start with in an easy place let him see where you put it and say 'find it' as he goes to get it then when he gets the idea hide in harder places, use the garden, hide things when you're out for a walk. Treat balls are also great for keeping a doggie entertained you can put healthy treats like carrot in or kibble.  Kongs are also great.

Most young dogs will enjoy a good game of tuggy and playing retrieve games.  My girl also like catching bubbles - which also has the added benefit of being quite amusing to watch :-)

Training strengthens the bond between doggies and their people, which in turn gets them more focussed on you - maybe try teaching hime some tricks which will be fun for both of you.  Goodluck.

Karen

I know how you feel Lyndob!
I have a 18 month English Bull Terrier, she has a lovely temprement & adores other dogs. I keep her on a lead over the local fields until the coast is clear of all dogs has Molly cocks a deafen on her recall when dogs are around! The other day she was on her lead as usual & a lady was coming towards us with 2 dogs off their leads. She saw Molly, turned the other way, then decided to put her 2 on leads. I stepped to one side, as Molly so wants to play it's easier to stop & let other dogs pass. I said to the lady to walk passed us, I explained Molly loved other dogs so don't worry...she said she'd know in future that Molly would be ok (but I didn't believe her!). As they walked passed her dogs snarled, grawled & barked at Molly (a jack russell & a highland terrier). She still looked at Molly as if she was a dangerous dog...her dogs carried on playing up way after they had walked passed us. I wish people would not judge other dogs so badly & like you say perhaps they should take a look at their own before pulling faces!

As long as we do the best with our dogs that's all that counts.

OH said that our dog was absolutely brilliant yesterday.  They encountered a more than usual number of dogs and each time OH called our dog back and she stayed until he told her it was ok to take off again.  Our dog wasn't interested in the other dogs at all and this is normal for her but she doesn't like dogs aproaching her. If a dog comes running straight towards her she will run away and then as they retreat she will chase and nip their back legs.  In these situations it is difficult to get her under control and while I feel guilty that she behaves this way I also feel angry that another dog has been allowed to run up like this because I too am trying my best to avoid an unwanted behaviour.

There is always another perspective. :)

Dont you feel like you need a note stuck to them to explain about your dog to others. We are all in the same boat in that respect....I guess I too can be guilty of prejudging some dogs! Think I am becoming a little less quick to judge given mines behaviour.

Well I certainly would not tut you, I am becoming a very experienced friend to young labs and GR's:-D

We have an awful lot where I live, guess they are the ultimate country dog! Most appear to be under 3's and most of their owners tend to latch themselves onto me and my girl and my families dogs too when I have them, and they can bounce and run and play off lead with us as much as they like, I think that word got around that I do not get cross and my dog/s are really good with them too and all the lab owners seem to wait for me now I can be in a completely empty field with no-one in sight and then wham I see a lab or retriever come galloping over the hills from nowhere. I've made some really nice friends too. :-)

They all grow up to be fine young dogs in the end, we really have to forgive the young their excitement.

Oh, how I wish you lived near us!:-) You'd have 2 more joining you...;-)

I have a lady over the fields who owns a cross gsd/hound. She is the only person that lets her dog play with my ebt, Molly. They started off playing on the lead, but it became easier to let them loose. They just stand there with their legs around each other necks & sway from side to side!. Then they take it in turns to chew each others legs & ears. The 2 dogs have such a fun time, I wish more people would let their dogs be dogs! This lady takes my dog for being a dog and not the labeled scary EBT!

Hi, I'm another one trying hard but going one step forward and two back! My year old mini schnauzer is back on a long line to stop the charging at other dogs, I wondered if I'd 'over socialised' him with puppy classes and socialisation from the word go, or is this impossible? He just loves other dogs and our recall training is very, very slow. I haven't yet found anything he'll come back for, having tried everyting from still warm liver cake to running away from him calling like a mad woman! Having previously had retrievers, I'm finding this little monkey very hard work, my old Flatcoat would be back like a bullet at just the sight of his kong!

Clair
I am that "mad woman" too........You have to laugh at what you are doing dont you!   Or you could cry with frustration which I have been known to do.
Mine loves to play..he looks for other dogs to play with. Once he has played he seems to settle into his walk...and "No" I dont want to get another dog for him to play with.

DITTO.
Thats to "Carrington"......

where i walk my dogs i am lucky as all other owner are just as happy as me to let the dogs of the lead to play, we end up in a large group will all different breeds and sizes they include a rottie, jr x collie, goldie, a few labs, ess, mini and a giant schunazer (sp) and of course i of my gsds it is great fun and most of all the dogs love it.

It's great when we do see see dogs we know, as we can all let our dogs off to play. However, I'm always the one constantly scanning the horizon in case another dog appears who may be on lead, and I need to react quickly, while the other owners are relaxed, chatting...they probably think I'm paranoid but the couple of times he has legged it I've nearly had heart failure running to catch him up and he's only got little legs!!

i am quite lucky with my 3 as they wont approach dogs that are on leads, no training on my part

How lucky you are Bek! On the plus side he does get on with every dog he meets, we've met a chap a few times lately who's had a rescue Newfie for a couple of months now, apart from Dex every dog he's met has gone for him whereas Dex just tries to ride him!!

sounds like my boy he greets everyone/thing as along lost friend bless him

you can only do your best and thats what you are doing. Strangers dont know anything about you and your dog and you dont need to explain yourself to them. I  have worked very hard with my dog but he still has the odd deaf moment.
I had a more challenging dog to start with and so what I have achieved is more than someone with a very calm easy going dog, and they may have no idea of the problems to be overcome with a more challenging character.
So, be pround of what you have achieved and the fact that you have played a big part in causing your dog to grow up happy with a lovely outgoing nature, which in the end is more important than anything.
happy new year everyone..

"...happy with a lovely outgoing nature,"

I think you must have met my Pep, Morgan. That about describes him! With emphasis on the outgoing. "Challenging" is descriptive of him aswell.
My New Years resolution is to "take more care of myself...and Pep (goes without saying but thought I should incase anyone thinks I forget him) and "to not care as much about what others think". What do you think?

Happy New Year to you too.

>and "to not care as much about what others think". What do you think?

I think thats a wonderful idea :D What strangers think of me doesnt matter a hoot,and makes absolutely no difference to my life ;) ! The same goes for internets forums,far too many people get offended or upset by what is written,but they seem to forget that these are just words on a screen,nothing more :)

Now i have a few questions about some of the things that have been said on this thread that have peaked my interest,i hope you dont mind? :)

>One thing you may consider worth doing is *cutting back* his exercise a little - 2 x hour long walks are IMO more than he actually needs

Isnt the more we get them out of the house,the better? Would they not recieve more mental stimulation outside of their 'boring,already know every inch' garden,just by taking them out? I think outside excercise is so important,not only for the physical excercise,but for the mental stimulation of new sights,smells,dogs and experiences aswell. I take mine out 3 times a day,just to get them out of the house.

>My youngest male has been ruined because of an over exuberent youngster.  This over exuberent youngster has actually ruined  3 othr male dogs as he played to rough etc and our dogs are all now rather guardy.

How can this happen so easily,and by just one youngster? My dogs,and most of my past ones have been barged upon,and squished by many an exuberant youngster,almost on a daily basis nowadays,but i would imagine it would take a lot more than that to "ruin" them Are yours and these other 3 dogs exceptionally sensitive?I just cant understand such a strong word as ruined being used,and how a dog can become "ruined" so quickly,by just one dog.Cant this be reversed somehow? What about socialisation?Isnt this the reason we do this,to make them rock solid in any situation and to teach them to be able to read and handle other dogs body language?
My dogs are always off lead,and i expect others in my vicinity to give their dogs the same pleasure unless of course they are aggressive and want to rip my dogs apart.But i never expect any dog owner to put their dogs on lead just because they are worried i may not like their dogs coming up,that just makes me feel guilty as i do not want to be the reason these dogs walks are interupted by being restrained on a lead instead of having off lead funning and running.

Not having a go,just trying to understand a little better :)

>Isnt the more we get them out of the house,the better? Would they not recieve more mental stimulation outside of their 'boring,already know every inch' garden,just by taking them out? I think outside excercise is so important,not only for the physical excercise,but for the mental stimulation of new sights,smells,dogs and experiences aswell.

They can be out of the house without being over-exercised. Until the growth plates are closed, outings should be kept short and sweet! Three half-hour outings would be better than two one-hour outings.

It helps to get others opinions but as a typical Libran I want to do everything as I cannot choose what I think is the right thing to do.....as long as it keeps everyone happy? But when you read that everyone wants something different it just gets more confusing. I wish I had the confidence in myself that you sound like you have about not caring a hoot!
Thanks for the input I will try and take each outing as it comes.

N.B. Did not help me this morning when my lad caught a rabbit and would not let it go. Poor rabbit. Now Pep has fleas jumping around his head. I love him dearly but not so much at the moment!!

a buster cube is great for mentally simulating a dog too. I use one for my nearly 2 year old lab. All mine like their kongs too.

I am lucky mine will go towards a dog but the minute I call them they stop and look at me, then look at where they wanted to go and then come back. They know I have toys and treats in my pocket.
I have in the past spent many a time retrieving a dog from the other end of the fields etc as they have chosen to do their own thing!!!

I think that maybe a long lead would be better than you having your dog off a lead.  My youngest male has been ruined because of an over exuberent youngster.  This over exuberent youngster has actually ruined  3 othr male dogs as he played to rough etc and our dogs are all now rather guardy.

I know it's lovely being able to let our dogs off a lead but until a dog is 100% trustworthy it's just not worth it.

My dog used to be a friendly dog who loved other dogs now as soon as a dog is within a mile of us I have to put him straight on a lead, luckily he does listen to me :d

You are doing really well and seem to have a funloving dog and you don't want to lose this in your dog.  Good luck and I'm sure he'll calm down at some point :d :d

Just out of interest at what age would you expect a GR to mature mentally - I know it takes longer than a lot of other breeds and someone did answer this question last year but I can't remember. I think it was something horrendous like 5 years old or so

Isnt the more we get them out of the house,the better? Would they not recieve more mental stimulation outside of their 'boring,already know every inch' garden,just by taking them out? I think outside excercise is so important,not only for the physical excercise,but for the mental stimulation of new sights,smells,dogs and experiences aswell. I take mine out 3 times a day,just to get them out of the house.

Ktee

Too much physical exercise for young dogs before their growth plates are closed can store up problems for the future, that is what I assume Teri was refering to.  You can mentally stimulate plenty without over doing exercise.

With regards to dogs being ruined by other dogs bounding up to them, pups/adolescents go through sensitve periods where they are easily scared by things and if scared by something during this time it can easily have a lasting impact and how they feel about these experiences.  There can be a hundred and one influences that effect how and why dogs may not like other dogs bounding up to them such as age breed past experiences.  Maybe just their personality to be more reserved.  My girl loves other dogs but if one approaches rudely, by hurtling up or jumping straight up on me she gets protective and is very uncomfortable with it.

Karen

If it's as early as 5 years, think yourself lucky! It seems to be about 8 years with my breed!

I'm in total agreement with you perrodeagua as my dog used to love all dogs but gradually started to get a bit nippy with other dogs and now it is 50/50 whether she has a go so I hate bouncy dogs bouncing up to us when the owners have no control as despite mine going on the lead (other owners please take the hint) owners rarely take control of their own dog.  The two things most likely to set mine off are dogs rushing at her and dogs barking/being growly at her and it totally takes the fun out of walking if other people don't respect other people in the park.  This is not a go at the OP as you are trying to get control of your dog but I know that if your dog bounced up to mine missy would lose the plot.

If I see the other dog on its lead or the owner putting him on a lead then I can take the hint. I would try to respect your wishes...i do not intend to offend or upset. The fella I saw did not put his dog on a lead or call him to him, he just tutted. His dog was running around quite happy! I did nothing wrong but walked toward him with a happy dog.
Anyway it is interesting to get feedback and hope we can all learn lessons from it.

I think it's important to remember that no dog and no owner is or ever will be perfect, and to expect perfection is to set yourself up for disappointment.

I think it's important to remember that no dog and no owner is or ever will be perfect, and to expect perfection is to set yourself up for disappointment

I think though that sometimes other owners expect perfection from you :)

Anyone expecting perfection will be disappointed. If they want to live their lives always being unhappy, that's their choice. :)

But I really don't think a "Tut" and a headshake and a "That's enough" is anything to get distressed about - after all, isn't it what we say to our own dogs when they're misbehaving? I'll tell a dog (anyone's) "Ah ah, no, off" if it jumps up at me - not out of anger, but simply to back up what the owner is most likely trying to train it to do!  :)

No I agree JG but when you are a novice owner other people's reactions can make you doubt what you are doing. The thing I always had a problem with was if your dog ignored your recall and went up to another dog do you a) stand where you are and call again - will you be teaching it to ignore you if you do this? b) walk up to your dog and take hold of it - something we were told not to do at our training class or c) walk/run in the other direction to get your dog's attention and hope it will follow you?

If you do a)   it looks as though you aren't making the effort to get your dog back
If you do b)   it goes against what you have been taught at training by people well versed in dog training issues
If you do c)   You don't always then get the chance to apologise to the other owner.

It can be a bit daunting if you are not an experienced owner.

Personally I'd go for option b - but then I've never taken a dog to obedience training classes so I have no idea what they teach there! (Mine have only ever been to ringcraft.) All the books I've read say walk calmly up to your dog and control it. With (b) you can then apologise to the other owner at the same time, and hopefully make a new friend!

I go with b everytime, which Alf knows and it usually ends with me chasing him in circles around the other dog and owner :rolleyes:

All I can now say is "Phew"....so much to take in.

Live and learn folks.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.