Training Your Dog To Mix With Others - Help!!!!/Updated today Wednesday 15th March

HI, WENT TO CRUFTS ON SATURDAY, WHICH I HAVE TO SAY WAS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. MET THE BREEDER OF MY SHIBA (WHICH I BOUGHT FROM SOMEBODY ELSE AT 6 MONTHS OLD) FOR THE FIRST TIME. SHE WAS LOVELY AND AFTER TALKING AND SWAPPING STORIES AND SHOWING HER PICTURES OF MY SHIBA "KAI" SHE CONFIRMED THAT HE WAS GOOD LOOKING ENOUGH TO HAVE A GO AT SHOWING HIM. HER DOGS THAT WERE RELATED HAD SEVERAL FIRSTS.

THE BIGGEST PROBLEM I HAVE IS THAT HE IS NOT A GOOD MIXER WITH OTHER DOGS AND UNFORTUNATELY GROWLS AND WAGGS HIS TAIL AT THE SAME TIME. OTHER DOGS GET WORRIED AND I HAVE ALWAYS PULLED HIM AWAY BECAUSE I AM NOT SURE WHAT HE WOULD DO .

WHEN WE FIRST GOT HIM AT 6 MONTHS, HE WOULD DO THE GROWL AND WAG THING WITH US FOR ATTENTION, HAVING 2 SMALL CHILDREN WE COULDN'T LET THIS CONTINUE SO FOR A WEEK THE WHOLE FAMILY WHEN GROWLED AT WOULD TURN ARE BACK AND IGNORE HIM, THE MINUTE HE WENT QUIET WE PRAISED. THIS WORKED WELL AND HE HAS NEVER DONE IT SINCE.

I CAN TEACH HIM THE HEEL, AND THE STANDING ETC. AS HE SEEMS TO BE VERY CLEVER (SOMETIMES A BIT TOO CLEVER )BUT DON'T KNOW HOW TO START GETTING GOOD BEHAVIOUR WITH OTHER DOGS.

I JUST SPOKE TO AN OBEDIENCE TRAINER AND SHE SUGGESTED A MUZZLE AND MIXING HIM WITH FRIENDS DOGS BUT IM NOT SURE THAT THIS WILL TEACH HIM NOT TO GROWL AND IF I AM HONEST NOT A LOVER OF MUZZLES. ANY HELP GREATLY APPRECIATED.

P.S TRYING HARD TO FIND A RING CLASS IN BRISTOL, BEEN GIVEN ONE BUT IT'S NOT IN BRISTOL, ITS NEAR BRISTOL, ANYONE KNOW OF ANY!!

Yes, will give you an email to contact, as it is not mine I will send it in a PM

Thanks, Any Help Appreciated

You Gave Me The Ring Class In Whitminster, Which I Saved, But Talking To Oh Its Quite A Way From Bristol. Thank You If All Else Fails I Will Have To Travel, But Ideally Would Love One In Bristol

Oh sorry, thought it was Fishponds, if it is any consolation I do a round trip of 70miles for mine, but it is worth it. Try asking in pet food shops and at vets they may have information on a club nearer to you.

Thanks, I Will Travel If I Have To But I'm Sure There Must Be One In Bristol, Just Need To Find It!!!!

Any Suggestions On The Mixing Thing!, What Would You Do

try asking at local obedience clubs, both for info on ringcraft classes, and for info on solving the problem, it's a difficult thing to suggest help for without seeing the dog

I'm curious to know why you pull him away from other dogs when he growls. If he is on a lead and hasnt been socialised with other dogs he will growl, but its more than likely cos he's scared and being on a lead he can't escape. Does he do the same thing when he's off lead?

You need to determine why he is growling - fear, nerves, territory, pushiness, etc. To do this requires someone who knows what they are looking at to actually observe the dog and his body language.

Pulling him away before he has the chance to go through the ritual meet & greet with other dogs will only reinforce any fear etc. that he may feel. What else do you do or say to him when he displays this behaviour? Has he ever had the chance to interact freely with other dogs?