First scuffle, should I be worried?

[Foxtrot]

Hallo, new here so apologies if I'm doing anything wrong in my posting.

Two weeks ago I took charge of a rescue pup who, though initially painfully nervous is coming on leaps and bounds by the day. About four / five months and has lived in a kennel to this point. She still gets spooked out walking, but is generally tail wagging, trotting along, she just likes to look at everything and today had a bit of a break down over a man with a stick but she got over it. Suspect she is some mix of pointer, lab, viszla, lab.....lord knows but she's currently about the size of a small springer and all bones / legs.

She sticks fairly close to me walking but is, with permission, going up to strangers now to say hello and other dogs, attempting to play but they're not puppies so frankly uninterested.

Walking her home tonight I spotted a husky pup coming the other way and went over to say hello and ask when the owner generally goes out. They started to play a bit, on lead, I know I know. He was very rough with her - ears, climbing on her, adorable little guy but she had enough and as there was someone stood behind her when she tried to back up, suddenly found she couldn't so gave a bit of a snarl and an (unsuccessful thankfully snap) to him. Ought I be worried? Or is this normal? I feel really awful for not moving her away quicker, she was doing so well.

[Erica]

That's a perfectly normal and appropriate reaction from her. I wouldn't worry! I think from your post you're already planning, if this happens again, to remove her from the situation before it gets too much for her, which is the appropriate action on your half too.

If you can find some dogs of somewhat similar size who she gets along with, it's better to set up playdates between familiar dogs than just having a play with dogs you've never met. We discourage playing on-leash in our classes, as we feel it can set dogs up for becoming leash reactive in the future - they go from playing with every dog they ever see to never playing with the other dogs, and that is very confusing and frustrating! It's easier for the dogs to learn that on leash means it's not playtime ever, and to set up playdates with other appropriately matched dogs.

It doesn't sound like the husky is a good match for her on or off leash, though.

[Annabellam]

That's a perfectly normal and appropriate reaction from her. I wouldn't worry! I think from your post you're already planning, if this happens again, to remove her from the situation before it gets too much for her, which is the appropriate action on your half too.

If you can find some dogs of somewhat similar size who she gets along with, it's better to set up playdates between familiar dogs than just having a play with dogs you've never met. We discourage playing on-leash in our classes, as we feel it can set dogs up for becoming leash reactive in the future - they go from playing with every dog they ever see to never playing with the other dogs, and that is very confusing and frustrating! It's easier for the dogs to learn that on leash means it's not playtime ever, and to set up playdates with other appropriately matched dogs.

It doesn't sound like the husky is a good match for her on or off leash, though.

I agree this is normal behaviour i wouldn't worry. I would also think of setting up play dates as a way of creating more interactions.

[Foxtrot]

Thank you I just have the puppy guilts as I feel like I make so many little mistakes and worry that they'll accumulate. She refused to go for a walk in the rain on Sunday, am hoping it was just the hefty drops battering us as she went out fine in the morning. Ger. She also barked at some poor chap stood up on the band stand because he had the audacity to wear a hoody and drop his skateboard as we walked past. Double Ger.

She's also terrible in the car, which is little surprise really given that the only other time she has been transported was from her kennel, on to a plane, into the back of a van and then driven across country with other pups defecating and what not - it must have been traumatic. Working on that by doing short trips in the car and rewarding her when we get back. She settles down if the car is off for a while and sniffs about a bit, accepts treats, but as soon as the engine is on she starts shaking and climbing on my lap (she is not cuddly, I think she needs me as a leaning post.)

I only know one other lady with a dog that lives locally at the moment, not overly interested in playing with her but not unfriendly at all. Must find me some puppies, yet all the darn puppy classes are either fully booked, not for another couple of months or miles away. Such is life.

[JudyN]

You might be better off not going anywhere in the car for a while if it's avoidable - carry on letting her have food/fun in the car sitting in the drive, start the engine and turn it off again straight away. Once that's not scary any more, drive about two feet, and stop. Then onto the road and back in again... It's a pain, particularly if it limits where you can walk her, but it's probably the fastest way of curing her fear.

The trouble with rewarding her at the end of a 'scary' trip is it won't stop her seeing the trip as scary - you really need to rewind to where it's not scary, and build from there.

I wouldn't worry too much about finding puppies to play with because, as you've seen, it can go wrong. Socialising with the adult dog who is friendly but not particularly interested in playing may actually teach her more about how to interact with other dogs. (Though this isn't good if the adult dog gets fed up of being pestered that he needs to SHOUT LOUDLY at the pup.)

[Foxtrot]

I suspect you're right about the car. She seems to come round fairly quickly to things so I'm hoping the car, once I make a concerted effort as you describe, will be the same.

She did get told off quickly and not very dramatically by a collie because she was sitting on her tennis balls, but pup simply rolled on her back paws in the air and the moment was over. They went back to normal. I reacted, stupid, it was more of an 'ah' flinch - I'm learning.

It's so hard not to be completely paranoid about every little thing. I grew up with springer spaniels and beagles. All very straightforward, aside from the last who was attacked by a couple of notorious yorkies as a puppy and was very dog shy from then on.

She's my first dog - and as a five month old rescue comes with a bit inbuilt that I have to unpick. Having never lived in a house before she's doing well to be 92.5% house trained in two weeks, will walk (normally) on a harness quite nicely, doesn't bark at people we pass but does still like to check everything out. Generally understands fetch inside, too much going on outside. Recall works...selectively.

She does bark at people in the house, though strangely not if she has met them first outside on a walk. She also is a bit odd in that she will be fine with someone in the house, then forget who they are and throw in a couple of barks...before going to sleep at their feet. She's a bit confused in short. Has anyone met a pup like this of roughly 4/5 months, is she likely, if we persist with the 'treat giving stranger' and just continued exposure to the sights and sounds of the world, to come round?

I keep having to remind myself it has only been two weeks.

She's playful and confident around me, my husband and even some strangers - though not keen on men in dark clothing, I suppose they look like big amorphous blobs from her point of view.

[JudyN]

She souonds perfectly normal to me (but then you don't know my dog... ), particularly given her background, and has made loads of progress already. Dogs often blow hot & cold with the same person depending on situation, and 'barky' dogs have to express their opinion. You might find you notice a pattern of barking at people, e.g. when they come in, when they move around, when they get up again. Lying at their feet might even be with a view to keeping close tabs on them if she's not sure about them.

Don't worry about the barking - view it as a communication, and try to spot what it is about the person/situation that has made her bark. It's common for dogs to show a dislike to certain types of people or clothing - and bear in mind that a lot of people react to young men wearing hoodies for no good reason either

Rather than getting other people to give her treats, it can be better for you to give her treats when the other person is there. Or get the other person to throw her treats, in such a way that she has to move away from the person to get the treat, not come closer. Otherwise, she can suddenly find herself closer to the person than she's comfortable with.

Keep her in her comfort zone, make sure she's allowed space round people she's unsure about, and - most important - relax! We all get it wrong now and again, and look back and think 'I should have...', but unless it happens all the time dogs develop just fine, just like children with less than perfect parents usually do

[Foxtrot]

Thank you Judy. She was so good on her walk today, then I accidentally trod on her paw

Poor puppy.

Today was in all a better day in all though

In the house I have strangers dropping treats as if they just fall from heaven, she does settle quite quickly so I take that as a good sign. Is she keeping an eye if she's fast asleep ?

First bath tomorrow, she's a bit scurfy still so going to just give her a quick do over with a diluted hibbiscrub- again, poor puppy, but think it has to be done, just the once, until she rolls in something...

Honestly, feel like an anxious mother.

[Shalista]

Tip about the bath? i found that its much less traumatic to just run the bath (not the shower head) and then scoop water over with a cup from the faucet then just hosing them down. Bax HATES baths but he'll tolerate scoops of water. he freaks out if i try to use the shower head.

[Foxtrot]

All done, goodness, why do dogs hate baths so much? you'd think you know water, splashing, not cold, all enjoyable things on paper poor puppy. Loved the towel mind you, I wonder if that makes it all worth it.

[JudyN]

In the house I have strangers dropping treats as if they just fall from heaven, she does settle quite quickly so I take that as a good sign. Is she keeping an eye if she's fast asleep ?

It's pure conjecture, based really on my quirky dog. There could be an element of 'If I'm right here, I'll know if this strange person does anything - so now I can relax.' Sometimes you really do have to think outside the box when sussing out why dogs do what they do and it's as well to be aware of all possibilities (e.g. not assuming a dog is 100% happy with someone just because they take treats, lie near them, and so on).

I've never bathed my dog but boy, the towel sessions after a wet walk are the most fun EVER!!

[Shalista]

Oddly enough the towel is both Bax and Ki's least fav part I tend to give em a quick once over and let them run around the house all damp. they get the zoomies post bath and like to roll on soft fluffy things to dry off on THEIR terms *sigh*

[Foxtrot]

Oddly enough the towel is both Bax and Ki's least fav part I tend to give em a quick once over and let them run around the house all damp. they get the zoomies post bath and like to roll on soft fluffy things to dry off on THEIR terms *sigh*

Dogs, enigmas