A day at the dog park

[igorsMistress]

I concur that he was a jerk. But he might have had his own dog's safety in mind when he said it and I can't blame him for that. I'll just take her earlier next time. Less dogs and less people. As she gets more familiar she will probably get less defensive. Which considering how shes acted in past interactions with dogs (nearly took me off my feet) I think she did quite alright today. Baby steps...

I totally agree with baby steps. I had a chance to see her pic, she's a pretty girl!
I think dogs are like having toddlers, they're a full time job. The rewards are so great though, and sometimes rescues can be the biggest challenge since you really don't know much about their past.

Good luck, I hope you can get to the point that she can be off leash and get out there to run and play!

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

How long have you had her?
I've found it takes a couple months until they're true nature fully emerges.

We got her the first week of June. So almost 2 months. Ive noticed she is food aggressive but she did not exhibit this until recently. She will growl if I pet her while she is eating. After I told her "you don't growl at me" she hid in her crate until I walked away. She now will sit at the bowl and wait for me to leave...but I wont. I have her eat from my hand until she lets me pet her. Then I leave her alone to eat. She is also a thief. She steals things and hides them. She stopped after I took her stuff away to sanitize it and didnt give it back...mostly because I didnt want to clean it again. She has all her things back again. The only other new thing I've noticed is stubbornness about going potty. She peed in her crate three times and is now on a strict schedule and is not given water before bed to prevent accidents. Today she didnt want to go an hour after breakfast but went an hour later. Just gotta address the new behaviors as they come

 

[aart]

We got her the first week of June. So almost 2 months. Ive noticed she is food aggressive but she did not exhibit this until recently. She will growl if I pet her while she is eating. After I told her "you don't growl at me" she hid in her crate until I walked away. She now will sit at the bowl and wait for me to leave...but I wont. I have her eat from my hand until she lets me pet her. Then I leave her alone to eat. She is also a thief. She steals things and hides them. She stopped after I took her stuff away to sanitize it and didnt give it back...mostly because I didnt want to clean it again. She has all her things back again. The only other new thing I've noticed is stubbornness about going potty. She peed in her crate three times and is now on a strict schedule and is not given water before bed to prevent accidents. Today she didnt want to go an hour after breakfast but went an hour later. Just gotta address the new behaviors as they come

Sounds like you have good skills, firmness and patience, to deal with this.

 

[AmyJane725]

I don't see anything wrong with taking your dog back to the park. Sounds like the only thing she did wrong was trying to nip that other guys dog (which you prevented).

She's never gonna learn how to behave around other dogs if she never sees any. Don't they always tell people that we learn from our mistakes? I assume the same goes for dogs.

That being said, I'd definitely invest in obedience classes. I think they're basically essential to all dogs. No reason you can't do both.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Sounds like you have good skills, firmness and patience, to deal with this.

It's taken a great deal out of me but it's worth it if she becomes "the best dog ever" which I told her she is training for. I had a puppy class with my last dog. She was a pure bred golden. She ended up being a great dog but she taught me patience. That dog bit like nobodys business. But she was worth it. I love big dogs. Always have. I like a dog I can wrestle with on the floor. Lap dogs? Just get a cat and call it. I love my cat too but if I wrestle with her she will win.

 

[AmyJane725]

It's taken a great deal out of me but it's worth it if she becomes "the best dog ever" which I told her she is training for. I had a puppy class with my last dog. She was a pure bred golden. She ended up being a great dog but she taught me patience. That dog bit like nobodys business. But she was worth it. I love big dogs. Always have. I like a dog I can wrestle with on the floor. Lap dogs? Just get a cat and call it. I love my cat too but if I wrestle with her she will win.

I'm definitely more of a little/lap dog person. Want something that can be Velcrod to me 24/7 without crushing me. Cats will only sit with you when they feel like it. No thanks.

 

[so lucky]

My pound puppy has the same coloring as yours,@Ninjasquirrel, but she is about half beagle, and has a beagle build. We think she is part Brittany spaniel, too, and has lots of those cute freckles.
I got a discount on obedience training with the adoption, so I did that. It was mostly training me, I think, but obviously I needed it. We began taking Penny back there for doggie day care about twice a month. She needs the socialization as well as the lively attention, as her humans are a couple of senior citizens.

I have to say I took a real chance adopting her, as it was a (unasked for) surprise for my DH, who was going through a depression at the time, going downhill fast. He was mad at me for a while, but eventually he came to love the dog, and caters to her like he would his favorite child. He takes her for a ride in his truck every evening, so she can smell the country air, lol.

You might be able to find other opportunities to socialize your dog if day care is impractical for now. Walks in public parks, humane society events where dogs are welcome, outdoor cafes, getting a friend or acquaintance to walk their dog along with you, etc. Bravo to you for rescuing her. She's one of the lucky ones.

 

[sunrise.superman]

Giardia doesn't show up in every fecal sample so it can be hit and miss with disgnosing it and sometimes takes multiple samples. Good that you caught it.

She sounds more apprehensive than t3eally aggressive. When introducing on leash it can be even more tense. She's reading your energy...possibly you worrying ahead if she's going to be aggressive and who knows what goes on w the other person. Dog parks can be very over-stimulating too, especially the first few times, and has been mentioned, it's crap shoot what you'll find there on any given day as far as responsible owners and well behaved dogs. Usually when we were training a dog, especially iffy on greetings and possibly apprehensive, it's best to find a known quantity other dog. A dog that is confident, not aggressive, doesn't engage if another dog gets a bit cranky. If you need to find a trainer or a basic training class for a few greetings and letting her ease into being around others but not necessarily having to engage 1 on 1 that can help immensely. A trainer can help with accurately reading body language and clicker training as a reward (if not doing that already).

If you can get a little help in the beginning before this becomes a habit or a nervous issue she sounds like she can be a dog friendly pooch. Agility might be fun for her if you want something you can do together.

The shelter doesn't really get to see the "at home" version of her personality in the chaos and nervous energy of the shelter environment. Groups with foster homes have a bit better idea of true long term personality, but that's not always where you find the dog you want.

Good luck!

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Giardia doesn't show up in ever fecal sample so it can be hit and miss with disgnosing it and sometimes takes multiple samples. Good that you caught it.

She sounds more apprehensive than teally aggressive. When introducing on leash it can be even more tense. She's reading your energy...possibly you worrying ahead if she's going to aggressive and who knows what goes on w the other person. Dog parks can be very over-stimulating too, especially the first few times, and has been mentioned, it's crap shoot what you'll find there on any given day as far as responsible owners and well behaved dogs. Usually when we were training a dog, especially iffy on greetings and possibly apprehensive, it's best to find a known quantity other dog. A dog that is confident, not aggressive, doesn't engage if another dog gets a bit cranky. If you need to find a trainer or a basic training class for a few greetings and letting her ease into being around others but not necessarily having to engage 1 on 1 that can help immensely. A trainer can help with accurately reading body language and clicker training as a reward (if not doing that already).

If you can get a little help in the beginning before this becomes a habit or a nervous issue she sounds like she can be a dog friendly pooch. Agility might be fun for her if you want something you can do together.

The shelter doesn't really get to see the "at home" version of her personality in the chaos and nervous energy of the shelter environment. Groups with foster homes have a bit better idea of true long term personality, but that's not always where you find the dog you want.

Good luck!

She was good until that dog got around her neck area. Ive observed this myself with her and we have been working on "we are cuddling...no bite" im guessing a dog or person got at her neck before and hurt her. Its a naturally defensive area so I dont blame her but if I'm holding her she needs to accept I'm not going to hurt her even though I'm the boss. If she can accept me doing that she might be able to accept another dog doing that. I have instilled in her a pack mentality that i am alpha

 

[Conan]

I personally think dog parks are disastrous. People always seem to be in denial about their "friendly" dogs. I've been to several in my area, and there are always idiots with aggressive dogs off leash. Even if you are personally responsible with your dog, there are always people that aren't. There are people who have zero control over their dogs, and seem too involved with their cell phones to bother trying.

They're also usually pretty disgusting, and can be a good way to get your dog sick.
I have friendly dogs that love playing with other dogs, but I'll stick to friends, family, and work for socializing them, not those train wreck parks.

Not all dogs socialize nicely, even after years of training. Luckily, there are leashes in the world so dogs can get exercise with their humans safely.