Good Advice

[cliff]

I'm not sure where to put this. Anyway… Re Neil's note about dog parks. Today we were walking Lenny (M, rescue dog, 21 months, mostly Aussie, about 53 lbs.) with our daughter-in-law's chihuahua (They are best pals, oddly enough) when we encountered our neighbor walking her new lab mix, Belle (F).

As usual, there was much barking, leash-tugging, tangled leashes, and aggressive posturing by our dogs— really egged on by Barney. Suddenly, i said "Do you mind if we walk together?" Our neighbor (she has had other dogs) said "sure", and off we went. Soon, Lenny was sniffing Belle nicely (and, as we paused, likewise). Even Barney calmed down. In short, it was interesting to watch all 3 dogs as the walk progressed. Their behavior changed markedly, and, instead of having a bad time, we all had a nice walk together. I'm hoping that next time we meet, they'll hit it off right away and we can get right to the main goal: a fun walk.

I never would have thought to do that, so thanks Neil.

[neilsattin]

Hi Cliff -

Glad to hear that it worked for you. Definitely keep us posted on how future encounters go.

Keeping the energy moving and giving the dogs a common purpose - that's definitely the way to go.

[Lee Charles Kelley]

Originally Posted by neilsattin

Hi Cliff -

Glad to hear that it worked for you. Definitely keep us posted on how future encounters go.

Keeping the energy moving and giving the dogs a common purpose - that's definitely the way to go.

Right. And don't be discouraged if they don't automatically warm up the next time they meet. It may take a few more walks before that happens. But it will happen eventually. It always does.

I hope this helps!
LCK
www.LeeCharlesKelley.com
“Changing the World, One Dog at a Time”
http://LeeCharlesKelleysBlog.blogspot.com
http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/my-puppy-my-self
http://www.facebook.com/LeeCharlesKelley
http://twitter.com/_LCK

[cliff]

Neil, i forget where you mentioned this: That after two dogs that were usually "unfriendly" walked together, they may not be so nice about it the second time— in other words, it may take a few tries before they "get it". I was glad to learn that Lenny and his new friend, Maya, got along fine at next meeting (probably because her owner was relaxed). Anyway, all by way of saying to keep at it and the behavior will probably fall into place eventually.

(moved this post to the appropriate thread - neil)