Austin! I've got a workshop coming up where we work on socializing socially challenged pups like Lily in this video in depth! Register or learn more at www.debonodogs.com!
Lily is the brindle dog & had been at a shelter for several months, was extremely reactive, & had gotten into fights whenever introduced to other dogs.
The 1st time I worked on socializing Lily I did the intro on leash, for safety. I saw that when she got close to another dog she would either lunge/bark or try to pounce on the other dog. I suspected that the leash made the problem worse so wanted to do an off-leash intro.
When introducing dogs I think in terms of space - who is likely to TAKE space & who is likely to WANT space. Lily was definitely a dog that would TAKE another dog's space very emphatically, in a way that most dogs would find threatening. In turn, they would probably respond defensively to her, & Lily would then fight. Leading to her being labeled as "aggressive" towards other dogs.
I knew I needed to get her past that very first initial nose to nose greeting, with minimal (preferably no) conflict. The first thing I needed to do was choose the right dog to help.
I was confident that this white pup Alvara could both withstand Lily's rude approaches without becoming defensive AND importantly also without becoming overwhelmed/fearful and trying to escape (GET space).
Initially, Lily was very reactive through the fence. Alvara was not too thrown off by that and kept approaching with friendly gestures. This went on for several minutes which unfortunately I did not video. At the point I started video-ing, Lily's behavior had become softer and I was starting to see more playful, friendly signals.
I kept Lily's long leash on, mainly so that I could help give Alvara space IF needed. You can see the initial approach where EVEN if Lily was being friendly, many dogs would get freaked out & try to defend themselves, which Lily would likely respond to by fighting back. But Alvara withsta
I’ve found that some dogs will learn “Rollover” pretty easily while other dogs really struggle. Usually, when they have a hard time I’ll just move on to something they find a bit more natural and easier. But Louie’s parents really wanted him to learn “Rollover”. So I kept trying. After spending AGES attempting to lure him with some damn cheese, I was convinced I wasn’t going to be able to teach it to him - it wasn’t a lack of food motivation, he LOVES cheese, but somehow the lure was just scooting him back instead of flipping him over and no adjustment I made was changing that.
Frustrated, I brought out a squeaky toy for a little play break. At some point during play, I did a sloppy little Rollover lure with the toy, and BAM, he got it, easy as pie. After maybe 4 or 5 repetitions I was able to mostly fade the toy and lure him with just an empty hand. Whole thing took maybe 5 mins.
After trying for SO freakin' long with the food lure. 🤦♂️
The Lesson: WHEN THE WAY YOU “USUALLY” DO SOMETHING ISN’T WORKING, TRY SOMETHING ELSE, STUPID.
Introducing a socially unskilled shelter dog to play group Part 2
In Part 1, I successfully introduced Lily, a shelter dog who has struggled to meet new dogs, to Alvara, a highly socially skilled "greeter" dog. Here in Part 2 I attempt to take the next step in socializing Lily by introducing her to Charlie, a shelter dog that is not quite as socially skilled. Charlie loves other dogs and is very playful, but his enthusiasm and high energy can sometimes result in other dogs responding poorly to him. Based on what I had seen from Lily, I felt that the key was just to get past the initial introduction without conflict.
I knew that Lily's tendency to overwhelm other dogs when first meeting often leads to them becoming defensive or trying to flee, which can result in conflict. So I needed a dog that I was confident would not get overwhelmed and was highly unlikely to initiate or retaliate to conflict, even if they may struggle in other areas. I had seen other dogs get annoyed with Charlie pestering them to play and his response was always to just try to play more. In the video you can see how Charlie's energetic behavior escalates Lily's inappropriate behavior somewhat, but because he doesn't overreact, their behavior is able to "even out" and they are able to coexist and play successfully.
After more successful repetitions interacting with Alvara and Charlie, I would want to continue expanding Lily's social circle. Fortunately she was adopted soon after this video was taken!
See the full video, as well as Part 1, on my YouTube Channel! What dog behavior questions do you have for me?
https://youtu.be/0TrJ6T09DpI
Introducing a socially unskilled shelter dog to play group - Part 1
Lily has struggled to meet dogs in the past. Usually, she will get nose to nose with another dog and pretty quickly either begin lunging/barking or will pounce on the other dog aggressively. This seems to be worse when she is on a leash. Here, I introduce Lily to Alvara, another shelter dog that I often used as a "greeter" dog.
Greeter dogs are highly socially skilled dogs that are able to adapt to inappropriate or unskilled social behavior from other dogs. Lily is very forward and pushy at introduction - less skilled dogs are likely to get overwhelmed and either try to "correct" or escape Lily, which would likely lead to conflict. Instead, Alvara withstands this inappropriate behavior and navigates the introduction in a way that makes her more comfortable and relaxes Lily, leading to some good chase play.
The next goal is to get a few more successful sessions in with Alvara, before I introduce her to another new dog - one who is also skilled socially, though perhaps not to the level of Alvara - which you can see In Part 2.
Take a look at the full Lily interaction on my YouTube Channel. https://youtu.be/YVlB0V4g7iE
Shelter dogs get vertical and over-stimulated when playing
These two very playful dogs have trouble with self-modulating their emotional arousal - you will notice this by their increased vocalization and getting "vertical" when they play. Eventually they "tip over" into a mild scuffle. This type of play needs to be monitored and the humans need to help force interruptions and breaks. I compare it to two kids play wrestling, getting increasingly rough and starting to hit each other a little bit harder - eventually one gets mad and then they start fighting (or crying!). After the scuffle they continued to play and their behavior evened out. 3 stars!
See more playgroup analysis videos on my YouTube Channel!
https://tinyurl.com/nme6yrz4
Shelter dog getting comfortable with group and giving correction
Not a bad group - Marnie was let into this group of playful, outgoing dogs and handles it well - you can see her want to engage but then getting a little overwhelmed at times when the dogs increase speed or converge on her. One dog named Alton won't stop pestering her and she eventually gives a correction, bordering on an "over-correction" - fortunately nobody overreacts and they are able to continue without incident. Overall the group is good, but I think Marnie would enjoy it more without Alton in the group, I give this 3.5 stars.
See this full session on my YouTube Channel, and follow along to see exactly what I'm thinking and doing to create harmonious playgroups of unknown shelter dogs.
https://youtu.be/TEk-mGQ8-zg
A dog nicely handling excessive vocalization and pestering from another
This shows two "physical", rough players engaging in chase play. The dog doing the chasing tends to pester and nag dogs with his barking. The dog being chased does a nice job of slowing the play down and reducing the vocalization. I rate this interaction 4 stars!
Do you see the same behaviors I see? Check out my YouTube Channel for a full playlist where I walk you through exactly what I'm seeing, thinking, and doing to create harmonious playgroups of unknown shelter dogs.
https://tinyurl.com/nme6yrz4
Dog Play Analysis - Physical Chase Play Analysis
When socializing dogs it is important to look at play-style compatibility. Some dogs are more "physical" players - they tend to move fast, get rough, wrestle, and make noise. This can be overwhelming for some dogs so you want to make sure that these physical players have appropriate playmates. This short video shows an example of two well-matched physical shelter dogs engaging in "chase" style play. The black dog doing the chasing gets slightly "over-aroused", which you can notice by the increased vocalization, but the dog being chased handles it like a champ. Because I know these dogs well and the dogs know each other well, this elevation of arousal does not concern me and I give this play 4 stars.
To see more videos like this, watch the full playlist on my YouTube Channel! What questions do you have about dog behavior and play?
https://tinyurl.com/nme6yrz4
Dog Play Analysis: Multiple dogs fixating on a single dog
When you let a new dog into a group, the group will often fixate on the new dog, especially if the new dog is excited and playful. This can be overwhelming for the new dog entering - just because they are excited does not mean they want multiple dogs all over them - and that may put them on the defensive. Here, an excited dog is added to the group and the group fixates - the new dog is slightly overwhelmed, leading to a mild kerfuffle. They were able to settle after that and get along well.
I've been adding playgroup analysis videos to my YouTube Channel. Check out the full playlist here: https://tinyurl.com/nme6yrz4
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