Agree with this. My pups have had oodles of socialisation with dogs of all ages since being tiny and they ignore dogs now for the most part. Unfortunately due to bad advice when Skye was a pup she neither ignores dogs or people on walks

I think it's important that they can feel relaxed around dogs of all ages and also understand how to interact with all sorts of dogs, coming from all sorts of mental states. My dogs generally have an idea about which dogs are a little unstable and avoid them, or calm them. Without free socialisation when pups, I don't think they would know how to read both the good and bad signals in other dogs and couldn't be trusted to respond appropriately.

couldn't have said it better myself Claire and Daisy

Have not read whole thread as request.

1, I think its important to mix puppies with adult dogs as well as other puppies. Otherwise they just learn to play and play and not back off when told.

2, I don't think you have to do lots and lots of mixing, as long as they see other dogs and get to interact on a regular basis I don't think you have to go nuts.
However ideally they should get to free run with other dogs several times a week.
I also think if this -in the context of walks its possibly better than socilising in a class type environment as its more stimulating in general and less intense.

3, When not socilising fun games and training are good, also taking the pup to busy places is helpful as it gets them more confident.

Adam

Thats more or less it as I hear it from my friends Rune. Plus Guide dogs, don't encourage contact apparently, though they now believe that their dogs appear to get "attacked" more than other dogs do.

I'm dead interested in everyone's views, so I don't want to distort anyones views by adding my own.

Thanks to everyone for their input. I am really really greatfull.

Can I further ask, when people talk of "socialisation" with other dogs what they see this as being - on lead, off lead, rough housing play, whatever they see it as...?

Thanks everyone. really interesting input! Really really greatful!

Thank you for your input vicki_ann. May I ask what you cosidered was bad advice that upset yoour dogs progress? Feel free to say no, bog off!

Mine are hardly ever on lead so socialisation is predominantly off lead, I'm happy for rough house play as long as all the dogs and owners are equally happy with it and mine will at some point be called away to continue with there walk. I also teach them to be gentle around timid dogs and to "walk on" past onlead dogs and dogs whose owners are struggling or trying to practice their dogs training. Everything is a training opportunity .

I see dog socialisation as just dogs being dogs. Leaving them be and do what they want with each other within reason (being supervised)

I think you have to allow dogs to tell each other enough is enough to an extent. For example my oldest bitch Muffin (15) would give Amber (our little 9 month old pup) into trouble when she became too excited or came into her zone while she was resting to play. I allowed this until when she was giving her into trouble just for coming near her when Amber was doing nothing wrong. Only then did I intervene. So I kind of monitored what they were telling each other. We then brought Totts into the mix. Muffin is much more leniant on Totts as she is much less excitable than Amber. Totts has taught Muffin to be more tolerant of dogs.

We personally do all sorts in training club for dog socialisation. We have puppy socialisation in class, training them they can have play time but when we give a command the attention is back on us. Helps with playing recall at a later stage. Walking on lead in a group so they understand how to walk alongside other dogs without pulling etc. And off lead running in secure parks woods and fields. The dogs love it all.

Hmm....depends on the pup.....

With nervy pups I tend to avoid pup to pup play initially - often a misplaced paw or bump can set them back, so I would start with older dogs who are a bit more body aware and will react 'correctly' to squeaks or worried body language.

As the pups get more confident, I would allow them to play with pups more around their age.

If I have 2 over confident pups - we will allow controlled play (2-3 mins then 2-3 mins of chilling together...etc)

My own pups have never had much socialisation with dogs their own age.
Zeff is really this first - although the majority of his play has been with Etta (Mums springer who is about 10 months older) and My friends deaf pointer who is about 5 months older. It was a while before he could cope with the pointer (as he cannot hear the squeaks or growls from the other dogs, his play can be very OTT) but as he has got older they play fantastically well, they are well matched and get on really well.

He is in an interesting situation as he is seeing about 3-4 new pups a week. (ranging from 12weeks to 6 months)...and he plays with them all. He is learning really well how to moderate his play to suit the dog. I do occasionally have him on a lead, if it is a pup who appears confident but is actually a bit worried - he is a bit clumsy with his paws sometimes and attempts a squish!

Etta learnt how to play from the Labs (they were about a year old)....she used to use them as climbing frames, and when she got to hard, they would hold her down and squeeze.

Siren was taught by Trip (who was 6 at the time).

Most of the 'good' players and teaching dogs I have met have been trained by an older dog.

ETA - I see socialisation as a learning experience, it is learning to be calm and also how to play nicely.

I had a client who was blind a few years back now, he had a retriever whi I trained in the basics and some guide dog work, from the time he got the dog he took the dog up the park twice a day and let the dog free run with other dogs (enclosed park). When doing some of the guide dog stuff around the streets we often encounter other dogs (some off some on/ some aggressive ones most not) His dog coped absolutely fine as he was very well versed in dog skills by this stage.
I would think not giving a guide dog lots of dog skills is akin to not showing it traffic.

Adam

When I talk of socialisation, it's usually off lead, in an open space, with plenty of supervision.
Play all the time with little pups/hyper dogs and no older dog calming influence seems to send pups into overdrive IMO.
As an example, I met my landlord's new pup just two days ago, a 10 month old, he's only ever really played with other pups, who he's grown up with. He met my welsh sheepdogs and my dogs really got hacked off with him very quickly. He wouldn't take being told to back off when he got too rough and overexcited, tried to hump incessantly and when he was told with a snarl/nip he reacted by blowing up and flooring my dogs!
That, to me, has not been a wide enough range of socialisation. He should have been socialised with older dogs who would have taught him how far it's polite to go with other dogs and when to read the signs and calm down again.

With Skye, when she was a pup, she was only allowed limited play time with my (then) OH's Mum's pup, and was not allowed to play properly with any kind of contact.
She spent also fairly limited time with the other older dogs, and where we lived was right out in the sticks so socialisation on walks wasn't great either. Saving grace was the boarders in at OH's Mum's who would play with Skye and also teach Skye to accept being told enough is enough!
I believe this regimented approach to Skye's 'play time' (with both people and dogs as I wasn't allowed to keep her in the house when I was living there - she had to be kenneled outdoors) as a pup has made her super excitable and indeed hard to control where other dogs and people are concerned, and she will ignore recall commands on walks to go and say hello to both people and dogs.

Needless to say, everything was different with the next two pups!

BUT interesting to note, as Skye's first experiences were so sheltered, she has never had any kind of reaction to any dogs. Neither fear nor aggression. She will respond to dogs as she sees appropriate but it never seems to have a negative impact if other dogs attack/run away etc. She can put a dog at it's ease better than any dog I've ever met.

The other two pups who have less sheltered first experiences both have some issues. Shiloh is very quick to get stressed and snap if cornered/humped/chased by an overexcited dog - this can and does sometimes lead to fights.
Ruby will run around crying if another dog approaches/the sheepdogs play with another dog that Ruby feels intimidated by. This is usually big dogs, but not always. There is something there she sees but I do not. She was chased by large breed dogs as a youngster in the park on two occasions.


Sorry for rambling on .... perhaps some of that babble might of some use to your research?