hiya all
could you please give your opinons on this --
as you may know murphy is 11months old and his big problem is thst he gets so excited when he sees another dog ,he is desperate to get to it wherever it may be . Now I'm completley sure he wants to play - but if I'm walking him and we see another dog he goes nuts
we got him at three months old -still with mum,dad and 3 other pups -kept him in for about 3weeks while he had his jabs and then I started classes with him .the classes i took him to included a socialisation time at the beginning and the end . But when he hit 6months he just lost his marbles !!!! he can't concentrate when there are other dogs around .I don't want to isolate him from dogs and I know he's freindly but he's giving off the wrong signals and it is spoiling the dog we wanted I dont feel inclined to take him to places where there are dogs around as it is just a battle to keep him under control -- and because he's big people assume the worst . I am still taking him to training ( not the same one ) and I work him in a small class for a short time with steady dogs .Is this normal - answers on a postcard please
liz
;)

Welcome to my world :D :D

Melody

you just worry about your sofa !!!!!!!!;)
Liz
yesterday was self doubt--today is dog doubt :D

What sofa?

:(

Melody

At least if you haven't got the sofa Hudson can't ruin it :D Small comfort I know!

Fiona
x x x

Look on the bright side-- it will stay cleaner longer :D
liz

And mine as well!

at least I know I'm not alone -you don't know what a comfort that is !!!!!!
or should I be more worried ?
Liz

More worried about what? The dog or Melody not having a sofa :-D
Anne

WAAAAH!

:D

Melody

Don't really know I'm getting a bit twitchy about both :D
Liz

Hi Liz

Welcome to the world of the Dobermann!!

You say he lost his marbles - has he still got his b...... - is he still entire?

If so he will be have lots of testosterone surgeing around his body soon, if he hasn't already (I beleive this up to 15 times more than an adult dog) and adults males can detect this and he will not be at all welcome around them.

I would suggest you really work on your obedience with him and drum it into him that you mean it.
Sit means sit there until you say he can move, and if it takes all day then so be it.

Down means down, NOW, and again, stay there until he is told to move.

Let him romp with other dogs but practice your recalls as well. Do you have anyone with a lively dog/bitch that you can walk with - if so when you are out together spend much of the time doing recalls and sit or down stays. If you don't get the reaction you want then he goes back on the lead until he does his recall, sit or whatever. When you are satisfied then he can go and play again. Many dogs will do these exercises in the garden but are incapable of them when out because they have never been made to do them outside with other dogs.

HTH

Christine

thanks Christine
yes he's still got them and unfortunatley no I don't have anyone for him to romp with ! .Iused to let him play in the woods with another dobe but he wouldn't come back so I stopped .I'll keep on with the obedience he's very good------- untill we see a dog !!!!!!!!:)
liz
ps what's HTH?

Hope That Helps

;)

HTH

Melody :D

Hi Liz

Why not mention in your local pet shop that you want someone to walk with - I don't mean put a note up as you could get anyone - but pet shop owners get to know their clients and might be able to act as a introduction for you?

Christine

Hi Liz,
I would gladly walk with you as Cava is going thro' a similar stage but as I am in Scotland I don't think it would be easy to arrange. It is soul destroying and sooo embarassing when they do the wah hey I'm running and running bit. Cava is esp bad when we meet strange dogs and also when we go to a particular grassy area, he hasn't got an aggressive thought in his head just wants to play. I can't remember if you said you went to training classes but if you do is there not someone there who you could meet for play/training sessions.
I have been taking Cava to the area where he goes doolally most days and trying to keep him more under control by calling him back praise treat and sending away again, also asking him to down at a distance all of which he is doing much better, next step is to go to area with another dog and try the same. I have my other dog with me but that isn't the same, he is quite happy to lie down loose while I play with Una so I have faith that if I work hard enough it will work out. Does Murphy like toys another thing I do is play with a toy Cava likes fling it make him wait send him and call him back before he gets to it but I always have an even more favourite toy to reward his return. I have also started working on making him go slowly to get a toy and he is getting the idea. I think things like this are great for getting the dog to attend to you and mine find them fun. Hope this helps and remember you are not alone I bet most people on here can remember being black afronted by their dogs
Anne

Hi Anne
It's a relief to know he's normal ( ish ) we're working on the favourite toy and trying to get him to look at me .I'm sure it's a stage and we'll all come out of it soon (2--3--maybe 4 yrs ;) ) .He's just soo big ! I think also because when we got him we got quite a lot of negative reaction that I'm trying to prove them all wrong and feeling pressured .At least he wants to play and not to fight ( yet :D )Maybe I've over socialised him ( can you do that do you think ?) it's like he's got no manners and he sees a dog and thinks ' wheey piley on in !!!!!!!
thanks for the reply
TTFN
liz :)

Hi Liz,
Yes I think you can oversocialise a bit. A couple of my Boxers were none too good with other dogs so when I got Una I was determined to make sure she was OK and I think I oversocialised her in that she will go to another dog if I don't see it before her and say no. I can get her back but have to be quite firm which I think makes people think she is going to attack their dog. She has mixed with all sorts of dogs and if there is any aggro she just comes away. When I got Braid I was very concious of the Border collie bit and was damned if he was going to be hyper like some I had seen so I put in a load of work and he was the most reliable and well behaved of all the dogs I have had. Sorry if I tend to go on about Braid a bit but to me he was perfect in every way and I just wish I hadn't lost him so early. I would like another just like him but sadly it ain't that simple. Hand in there and keep me posted how things go
Anne

Liz ..if you ask anyone who was at the Malamute CLub Show last Sunday they would describe Hudson exactly as you just described your mutt :D He is SO in your face the whole time except when there are only a few dogs ..then he is just excitable

;)

Melody

might try that :)
thanks ;)
liz

Hi Liz,
How has your weekend been? Cava seems to be making progress so I decided to go somewhere we were more likely to meet other dogs this morning, to see if his learning had transfered to other locations, isn't that a posh phrase :-D Sounds much better than see if he could remember to behave someplace else!! Well he could and did did all the usual control things fine met a lovely friendly Staffie and a GSD had a play but came away when I walked on this is all I ask. I would like to do competition obedience with him but would much rather have good everyday control. So I am feeling quite uplifted
Anne

Hi anne -- don't ask !
we took him out on saturday evening met aman with his two dogs- they didn't give us a second look . Murphs was turning himself inside out!!!!!-having said that we walked away before letting him off and he didn't run back to them ,at training class he did very well untill the other dogs showed up .The chap who runs it says the same as Kerioak practise the obedience -day in day out ,he's still young .So I'll keep plodding on and one day who knows !!!!I tried him on small agility and he seemed to quite like it so maybe thats an avenue to explore he responded well to commands .I'm glad you had a good time with Cava -well done and well done for having the courage to try somewhere new ,sometimes it's easier just to stick with what you know
I'll let you know how thing go ;)
Liz

Steve,
A possible reason he is not concentrating on you is because you may not have been taught to develop his pack and rank drives, (I say that because you did not mention them). His stimulation threshold is too high, and you need to be taught how to lower it. Once that is started, you will find no matter what he is doing, one word from you and he is there with you. If your class is teaching you to utilize your dog's drives, just be patient it will come quickly. If the class is not teaching you that, then find a course which does. A class with drive tuition is what you may really need.