Hey every one :)

Just had a thought really and wondered what peoples thoughts on this were too...

With socialisaing dogs we all know that dogs which are untrained should be on lead, shouldnt be let off till recall is certain, shouldnt let your dogs run up to other dogs on lead or even off lead.....so how ARE we supposed to socialise our dogs and let them let their ears down and have some dog on dog fun?

If we dont let our dogs run off (Not far obviously but a safe re-callable distance) to say hello to other dogs who are also on free roam, how do you incorporate other dogs into your dogs life as we know dogs are very social and love nothing more then a good play with other dogs, so how do you socialise yours while keeping safe?

Do you let your dog off lead at all time regardless of whos around... or only when no ones around so they dont meet any dogs which isnt really socialising.
Do you keep them on lead until close enough to the other dog/s to ask ''Are they friendly'' and if so let them off to say hello and have a play..
Do you only let your dog say hello on lead?

Just some ideas and just wondering on how we all do it!

With Mitzy and Turbo I will have them off lead having a good play and if we spot a dog in the distance we will put them on lead without making it obvious the dog is the reason and carry on having a play, if the dogs come up too us we will ask the owner if they are safe and if they are we will let them off for a good ole play!
Also we have a dog park which is enclosed and we know all the dogs there so they can have a free run in a safe space with anything upto 10 dogs!!
I love socialising our 2 as its great fun and so important for their breed too :)

So how does eveyone else make your doggys walks sociable while remaining safe?

Short quick reply: at training class. :)

call back you dog, let the other owner call back theres, shout to them if its ok to come up, if they say yes go up, have a calm onlead intro then if they like what they sniff let them off for a play.

hi, our dog training class hold a coffe morning every saturday.  all the dogs are off lead in a large outdoor fenced off area,  gill limits it 10 dogs, it great for them and us as well as we get to know like minded people and discuss lots of doggy issues.  it's got so popular she has added a later class.  it has helped me read dog language and charlie as well.  when walking i keep charlie on lead but still let him greet other dogs of owner and dog ok. only let him off in safe area's as his recall isn't brilliant.

Yes I always put my dogs on the lead unless the other owner says its ok otherwise.  And when they are learning the recall I took them to where there was masses of space but nowhere for them to hide or be distracted by.

Hi Rach85

I have pups off lead from the outset - in the early formative weeks in their new home they are more likely to stay close by and so recall can be better trained IMO.  I wouldn't want them to meet just 'any dog' - only those which I already know to be safe - failing that they would have a lead on and if the oncoming dog was not suitably attached to it's owner then I'd go the other way.   Early socialisation is important - but so too is avoiding negative experiences.

Training classes serve a much needed purpose, especially ones designed specifically for pups and youngsters :)  That said, we never know how reliable our recall is until we have it tested by a situation we didn't see coming LOL.  I think training re-call and also ongoing socialisation are pretty much life time commitments for our dogs (or is that just mine :-D ).  No sooner do I think I've perfected something than one of them finds a way to make me look like a fool.

As a general rule however I'd say it's important for safety purposes to ask another dog owner if our dogs can meet up close on lead whether to just say hi or have a game :)  Not every dog of course is happy to be restrained by a lead with an approaching dog so we each have to be aware of our own dogs' comfort zone - some dogs would get on much better if simply allowed to read each others body language and decide for themselves if they'd rather give the greeting a miss ;)

in short (oh how I try :-D ) now't comes easy!  Teri

I have probley done it all wrong being as first dog i have had in 23 years.  But most of the time i let him of the lead and he goes and says hello and if all ok they have a play and that is so good to see and i feel just what he needs to do.  Perhaps i have been lucky as so far we have met only dogs that love to play and any dogs that are not so friendly are kept on the lead anyway.  That said i do take him to the same place most days so i know most of the Dogs and there owners.  If i go anywhere that i have not been to before then i keep him on the lead untill there are no dogs around, if i see one in the distance i put him back on the lead.  I'm so glab that connor is the kind of dog that loves to say hello to other dogs and people as to have a dog that you are not sure about would make walking them stressful. 

I do take him to training classes but i feel its everyday experiences that teach you and your dog to socialise.  Also dogs seem to know when another dog is not friendly well at least my dog does and he keeps away.

I have always let my dogs run off the lead as i dont have to worry about them running into roads... there are acres and acres of woodland and fields to seperate us... however when they are about 5-16 months the labs tend to jump up at everyone so if i see a child in the distance i put the pup on the lead. Luckily i live in an area where most of the children in the area come from homes with working dogs and horses etc, so know how to behave with them.

I have always let mine run offlead in a safe park - I think they are more likely to stick close from a young age. If I can't trust the dog in an individual place / situation I have them on a flexi lead so they can get some free running but I still have control if they ignore the recall. If I see a dog on lead coming I usually put my boy on the lead to be safe, specially if it's one where the owner looks worried or panicky about anything.

i take my dog to work each day, as do most of the staff members, so at lunch time theres always dogs around for a play. theres a few i walk with the majority of the time and my workplace is situated on a large estate with river, woodland and lawns, all away from roads, so perfect! They get let off for a good run around. However, when i walk him at home or at weekends, hes off lead in areas where i can see for a distance, and if i see people coming with dogs he goes back on, as unfortunately he will run up to play with every dog he meets, and hes a 9month old 43kg ridgeback who is very boisterous and rough. if people say its fine, i will let him off to play, but i always warn them he is very rough when playing, never aggressive but boisterous and bouncy!
generally if the dog is older or a lot smaller i wont let him off as im worried about "breakages!".

> i take my dog to work each day, as do most of the staff members

I would love to be able to do that, aww it would be brilliant to spend the working day with my dogs :)

Thanks everyone for replying to my post its been really intresting to read about how different people socialise in different situations, we have the same view as most of you which is off lead when alone and on lead when a dogappears until proven safe lol

My youngest pup is just 14 weeks old, she's been off lead since her first walk, so far she's been excellent, her re-call is good (I know this will probably change as she gets older) she approaches other dogs slowly until she's certain they are friendly!  Yesterday on our walk she met a MASSIVE GSD, she ran up to him (he was on lead) I called out to her to sit, she dropped straight to her bottom and sat and waited for me.  The owner of the GSD said he was fine to approach, so our 14 week old cocker practically crawled on her belly to him, once she realised he was friendly started doing the play dance around him.

Having just cockers in our house I think it's important that they meet dogs of all shapes and sizes.

i met a woman with a cocker pup a few weeks ago who looked horrified at the sight of my pup (who was on lead and fully under control) i called over to her that he was fine, very playful and just a pup himself. at this point she stood in front of her pup and said "oh but she doesnt like other dogs" poor wee thing muct have only been 3-4months old, and was looking around her owners legs trying to see and play withmy dog. silly woman is going to end up with a dog that IS scared of others if she wont socialise her properly, poor wee thing.

rach - i know, im really lucky to be able to take him into work with me, he loves coming in with me, and theres about 20 dogs in total that come in ranging from a cairn and a CKCS at the small end to labs and GSDS at larger end (and my boy) so hes very well socialised, sometimes too much, he thinks all dogs are his friends and there to be leapt at and ran about with. oh dear...