My dog met new dogs today!

I have a success story! I took Misha to my brother's house today as we were visiting my young niece who recently had surgery.

In the past, Misha has had issues with new dogs. Mostly it's when we are walking. For some reason certain streets in my neighborhood are magnets for dogs getting loose. So, when she meets new dogs she's usually protective and ready to defend herself. Also, we have had problems with another relative's dogs. They never watch their dogs around other people's dogs. They bring them in, let them off leash, then ignore them. One is dominant and tends to get in the faces of the other dogs. She never learned boundaries. Misha has been cornered on more than one occasion and did not like it.

My brother has four dogs: two Mini Pinschers, a Yorkie, and a very big Doberman Pinscher who thinks he is a lap dog. Misha has met one of the Mini Pinhsers and the Yorkie.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Misha was friendly to everyone. She stayed in her crate for a few minutes not sure of this new house and all these strange dogs. She eventually ventured out on her own.

I kept her on leash because I wasn't sure what type of reaction she would have since there were four of them and one of her. There were a couple of growls when she got cornered, but other than that she was fine. She was a little bit afraid of the Doberman. I think that is understandable since his head is almost the size of her body. He is the biggest dog she has ever met. I'm not sure if she knew what to make of him. LOL

Anyway, I wanted to share this positive experience. It shows me that if I keep trying she will continue to improve on her behavior. It's good for her to meet other dogs. They learn quite a bit from each other.

 

That was good to know.
I think that better for dogs to have dog friends since they could play together and that can improve their behavior towards other dogs as well.

 

That is certainly good news for you, Melody and I'm glad that Misha is finally making some friends. How often do you try to let her mingle with other dogs?

 

Mystique, I try to get her around dogs every week. Unfortunately, when my Dad died, there was a period in her early development where she saw no dogs for a couple of months. I feel like I am backtracking to make up for the things I should have done with her during that time.

I take her to all family parties where dogs are welcome. I take her on visits. I am trying to counter the incidences we've had when loose dogs have run up to us and scared her (and me). When I watch the Dog Whisperer, I see that troubled dogs can get over their problems, so I still have hope for Misha.

This was the first time she's been around new dogs in some time. It was good to see that she didn't freak out.

 

That is great news. My dog is dog agressive so I know how stressful it can be to meet new dogs. We are working very hard with a trainer to learn how to best introduce him to new dogs and people. Congrats on your success!

 

I'm sure MIsha will recover from the incidents. I hope you're aware that it would take time, though. Please keep us updated on Misha's progress. I'm very interested and it would be a great story to share with my MIL since she loves dogs and cats very much.

 

MakingCents, I have been worried because of some the incidences with stray dogs that Misha was turning dog aggressive. It's a concern to have a 9 pound dog that growls and snarls at dogs ten times her size. It appears she has no problem with dogs in a controlled setting.

Mystique, I am thankful that I remember the problems I had with my Lab the first three years of her life. It helps me remember that it takes time and perseverance to work a dog through problems. I always try to remember that dog training doesn't end when your dog graduates from obedience class. That is usually the beginning.

I will be sure to update you all. It's easy to see these problems and not feel up to the task. But, I owe it to Misha to work her through it all.

 

I agree that dog training does not end when the dog graduates, which I think a lot of new owners seem to think so. It's good that you started this thread because there could be other owners that are going through the same thing, and they can learn a thing or two from your experience.

I hope all is well with Misha today

 

Yes please keep us updated. We're working on it every day with our boy and slowly but surely things are gettin better. I don't think it's ever 'too late' for a dog to get better.

 

This situation reminds me of my little Milla's "cousin" (not actually related, but she belongs to my cousins), a Jack Russell Terrier named Cookie, whic didn't socialize when she was younger! Thus, she's kind of antisocial and growls even at my little girl...Cookie has started to warm up to Milla, though, and they seem to be friends now! I think it's also because Milla is still a puppy, and Cookie is 3 years old.

 

I have heard that if you introduce a dog to a puppy they tend to be more patient and understanding because they realize it is a puppy.