How do I socialize my malamute rescue?
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
How do I socialize my malamute rescue?
Sasha, a 7 year-old malamute we rescued from a shelter 2 years ago is fine with our cats, small malti-poo, children, etc. She's very laid back and not food aggressive, but is extremely reactive to other dogs. Is it too late to socialize her? She lunges at other dogs and we cannot break her focus...will not take treats, etc. We'd love to be able to attend outdoor concerts and go for long hikes without dreading to meet other dogs. Please give advice.
Re: How do I socialize my malamute rescue?
It is possible to improve things now, whether you will be able to attend outdoor concerts and things with a lot of people/other dogs around... who can say really!
Have a look through the forums, particularly in the success stories area and especially at the posts by Jacksdad about his dog Jack. 18 months ago Jack was extremely dog reactive, he couldnt walk down his own street without freaking out!
I have to go to bed now but if someone hasnt expanded further on what you can do (or if you have posted back with more questions after reading a bit more) I'll be back on in a few hours!
Have a look through the forums, particularly in the success stories area and especially at the posts by Jacksdad about his dog Jack. 18 months ago Jack was extremely dog reactive, he couldnt walk down his own street without freaking out!
I have to go to bed now but if someone hasnt expanded further on what you can do (or if you have posted back with more questions after reading a bit more) I'll be back on in a few hours!
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
Re: How do I socialize my malamute rescue?
Emma, is there an easy to way to find Jacksdad threads? When I have tried to have a look back I click on 'users posts' and I get about 130 odd pages to sift through. These aren't just Jacks threads, but other threads that Jacksdad might have commented on. Hope you don't mind me saying, its just not that easy. I've checked out success stories but it would be great to have links to some of the earlier threads of his. Hope you don't mind me asking Jacksdad, its just a bit daunting for a newbie to find them. 
Re: How do I socialize my malamute rescue?
if it helps, another member recently complied a list of links here of some of my posts and others who have worked through similar issues
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=11503
It's never too late to "socialize" her. However, it's no going to be like socializing a puppy. puppies are "blank slates", your dog already has "some programing" that needs to be over come.
The absolute first thing I urge you to do is to not hold on to "goals" like taking her to outdoor concerts and taking hikes where there might be dogs. NOT saying these are 100% out of the question for ever and ever. just if you focus on them now, you might be tempted to rush things or miss signals your dog is giving off that mean "I am not ready yet". Your first goal is simply to be able to see a dog and not react even though the other dog is yards and yards away. then build from there. There is NO way to know what the future holds, so focus on realistic and achievable goals in relation to what your dog is able to do today, and build from there. I am not getting to do some of the things I thought Jack and I would do, but on the other hand I am getting to do things I never thought we would do. so please just believe, the future isn't bleak, it is just unknown right now.
The next thing is to give your dog and your self a break for a couple weeks at least. This means doing your best to avoid dogs as much as possible. go places other with dogs don't typically go for walks or walk at times people don't generally walk their dogs. this isn't forever, but a stressed out dog isn't going to care you are waving the world best steak right in front of them if they are stressed out and the thing that stresses them out right there in their "personal space". so first step is to let your dog calm down.
Next, is to figure out how far a dog needs to be roughly and your dog know the other dog is there, but not react. then keep that distance as much as possible. it is at this distance you want to start building the new feelings about dogs by combining know the other dog is there and something special/highly rewarding. typically food, but it can also be a special toy that your dog really, really likes to play with.
there are a few ways to go at this point. the simplest is either teaching your dog to look at you when the other dog is "close" or to look at the other dog briefly and then back to you, then to the dog, then back to you kind of thing. but which to use? having your dog look at you and hold that as you move away from the other dog is good if just looking at the other dog is too much for your dog. if being able to see the other dog from a safe distance help calm your dog down, then you go with look. ultimately your dog does need to be able to look at, assess and turn away and/or do something else, but for some dogs you have to detour for a while with "pretending the other dog isn't there at all". All this need to be done at your dogs "safe distance". your dog needs to be able to KNOW the dog is there, but be far enough away to stay calm and hopefully relaxed. IF your dog needs to pretend the dog isn't there and look at you, you teach "watch" (dog looks at you until released is the ideal) BUT you really, really need to make sure your dog is safe when doing this because if the other dog is also reactive or responding to your dog's actions there is always the chance the other dog will take the opening of your dog looking away to fake "attack" (ie a little lunging and barking of their own to drive this other "crazy" dog away) or actually attack. which is another reason you really, really need to start working your dog at a safe distance from other dogs. So really start paying attention to how your dog behaves when it knows other dogs are "close" but yet still at a safe distance. if you not sure, describe for us what you see as best you can and we will take a stab at trying to help interpret. realizing of course we can't actually see your dog in action.
Other things that help are taking protective action for your dog. someone coming close with their dog, turn go the other way. ask they keep some distance. duck behind a bush, tree, dumpster, parked car anything to disrupt line of sight helps. keeping your self between your dog and other dogs is often a big help. basically you do your best to deal with other dogs for your dog. depending on the dog it make take some time for your dog to catch on what your doing for it, but when it does it helps slow down their feeling the need to react.
Building your dog's confidence with general training or even just learning silly tricks using clicker training can be helpful too.
keeping goals realistic and taking into account what your dog is able to do "today" over what you want/wish it could do "today". example. yes, your dog needs to be "socialized" to be calm around other dogs, but this doesn't mean your dog has to learn to tolerate just any old dog coming up for a sniff exchange. for your dog "socialized" might mean, just being calm in the presents of other dogs but not enter acting. just food for thought, your not yet at the point you need to try and figure that one out yet. particularly since the older a dog gets, the less likely they are going to want to play with just any old dog like puppies do. this is natural even in un reactive dogs. they often become a bit more picky about who that want to "hang" with so to speak as they get older.
right now, it's all about keeping that safe distance as much as possible, and rewarding calm and being patient. overtime the distance will reduce and your dog will learn to evaluate other dogs as "potential threats" or not much more accurately. And thus react less often progressing to hopefully almost never.
Please if you have any questions do ask, let us know if something doesn't make sense, or doesn't seem to be working as there is always another way or "tweak" that can be done. and lets us know when you have a success, even small ones because it's the 100 small success that actually get us to the ultimate goal.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=11503
It's never too late to "socialize" her. However, it's no going to be like socializing a puppy. puppies are "blank slates", your dog already has "some programing" that needs to be over come.
The absolute first thing I urge you to do is to not hold on to "goals" like taking her to outdoor concerts and taking hikes where there might be dogs. NOT saying these are 100% out of the question for ever and ever. just if you focus on them now, you might be tempted to rush things or miss signals your dog is giving off that mean "I am not ready yet". Your first goal is simply to be able to see a dog and not react even though the other dog is yards and yards away. then build from there. There is NO way to know what the future holds, so focus on realistic and achievable goals in relation to what your dog is able to do today, and build from there. I am not getting to do some of the things I thought Jack and I would do, but on the other hand I am getting to do things I never thought we would do. so please just believe, the future isn't bleak, it is just unknown right now.
The next thing is to give your dog and your self a break for a couple weeks at least. This means doing your best to avoid dogs as much as possible. go places other with dogs don't typically go for walks or walk at times people don't generally walk their dogs. this isn't forever, but a stressed out dog isn't going to care you are waving the world best steak right in front of them if they are stressed out and the thing that stresses them out right there in their "personal space". so first step is to let your dog calm down.
Next, is to figure out how far a dog needs to be roughly and your dog know the other dog is there, but not react. then keep that distance as much as possible. it is at this distance you want to start building the new feelings about dogs by combining know the other dog is there and something special/highly rewarding. typically food, but it can also be a special toy that your dog really, really likes to play with.
there are a few ways to go at this point. the simplest is either teaching your dog to look at you when the other dog is "close" or to look at the other dog briefly and then back to you, then to the dog, then back to you kind of thing. but which to use? having your dog look at you and hold that as you move away from the other dog is good if just looking at the other dog is too much for your dog. if being able to see the other dog from a safe distance help calm your dog down, then you go with look. ultimately your dog does need to be able to look at, assess and turn away and/or do something else, but for some dogs you have to detour for a while with "pretending the other dog isn't there at all". All this need to be done at your dogs "safe distance". your dog needs to be able to KNOW the dog is there, but be far enough away to stay calm and hopefully relaxed. IF your dog needs to pretend the dog isn't there and look at you, you teach "watch" (dog looks at you until released is the ideal) BUT you really, really need to make sure your dog is safe when doing this because if the other dog is also reactive or responding to your dog's actions there is always the chance the other dog will take the opening of your dog looking away to fake "attack" (ie a little lunging and barking of their own to drive this other "crazy" dog away) or actually attack. which is another reason you really, really need to start working your dog at a safe distance from other dogs. So really start paying attention to how your dog behaves when it knows other dogs are "close" but yet still at a safe distance. if you not sure, describe for us what you see as best you can and we will take a stab at trying to help interpret. realizing of course we can't actually see your dog in action.
Other things that help are taking protective action for your dog. someone coming close with their dog, turn go the other way. ask they keep some distance. duck behind a bush, tree, dumpster, parked car anything to disrupt line of sight helps. keeping your self between your dog and other dogs is often a big help. basically you do your best to deal with other dogs for your dog. depending on the dog it make take some time for your dog to catch on what your doing for it, but when it does it helps slow down their feeling the need to react.
Building your dog's confidence with general training or even just learning silly tricks using clicker training can be helpful too.
keeping goals realistic and taking into account what your dog is able to do "today" over what you want/wish it could do "today". example. yes, your dog needs to be "socialized" to be calm around other dogs, but this doesn't mean your dog has to learn to tolerate just any old dog coming up for a sniff exchange. for your dog "socialized" might mean, just being calm in the presents of other dogs but not enter acting. just food for thought, your not yet at the point you need to try and figure that one out yet. particularly since the older a dog gets, the less likely they are going to want to play with just any old dog like puppies do. this is natural even in un reactive dogs. they often become a bit more picky about who that want to "hang" with so to speak as they get older.
right now, it's all about keeping that safe distance as much as possible, and rewarding calm and being patient. overtime the distance will reduce and your dog will learn to evaluate other dogs as "potential threats" or not much more accurately. And thus react less often progressing to hopefully almost never.
Please if you have any questions do ask, let us know if something doesn't make sense, or doesn't seem to be working as there is always another way or "tweak" that can be done. and lets us know when you have a success, even small ones because it's the 100 small success that actually get us to the ultimate goal.
Re: How do I socialize my malamute rescue?
Oops sorry, I didn't see that thread. Thanks! Off to have a look.