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  1. #1
    Best Friend Retriever annkie's Avatar
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    How do you socialize your pup with other dogs?

    I brought up this topic in our training class tonight. The teacher highly DID NOT recommend dog parks. Archie is too young for that now anyway. But my plan was to take him to dog parks once he was big enough. Anyway, this is not a topic about dog parks. I'm curious about what people do when dog parks and friends with dogs are not an option. I want Archie to be a well socialized dog with every one. She recommended doggie day care once in a while. That's about it.


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  2. #2
    Senior Dog windycanyon's Avatar
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    I don't do a lot outside of my own crew here but....

    For instance. I had 2 entered in obed trials this past weekend so Pip had to go.. I have no one to feed her at noon and the crating/ car ride is good for them. Just my responsibiiity to find her a safe potty spot (deep gravel/ rock area, which I did).

    I've taken my pups same age to obed workshops. To hunt tests.... even to very small dog shows. Great socialization opps.

    I tell everyone no dog parks, no pet stores who partake in rescue adoptions, etc.. You get the pic.
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  3. #3
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    Puppy romps and playdates (maybe someone at the puppy class).

  4. #4
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    Not all dog parks are created equal. You may need to do a visit without a dog to make a decision. We have a few here I would NEVER go to and a few I love going to. And of course only after they are of age. How far were you from your breeder? Maybe a trip back to visit?

  5. #5
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    We did play dates with a couple of known dogs, older and puppies. When Oban was older and going to training and trials we saw people doing as WC above says. The owner, at training, usually let the dogs she knew well meet her pup(s) and at trials and training both the adoring other people provided lots of happy interaction, supervised by owner.
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  6. #6
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    Someone had posted an article awhile back by a obedience trainer who no longer "socialized" her dogs, I had bookmarked it but lost everything when m y old laptop crashed. I think it she made a lot of good points about what "socializing" really is. I don't do dog parks any more, as the ones around here aren't that great, and I've run into some people/dogs that were questionable. I do 2 obedience classes per week, plus make trips to stores that allow dogs, Lowes and Tractor Supply are two national chains that allow dogs. Several of the Harley Davidson dealers near me also allow dogs. There is one local pet store I'll visit, as they don't have adoptable dogs there, as I have one of Anne's dogs, and I follow her guidance and understand her rational. My vet also isn't a fan of taking the dogs to pet stores, they see a lot of issues due to this.

    To me socialization is exposing the dogs to environments which they will encounter and to teach them to be calm in these situations. Basically exposing them to the world around them. Classes allow me to expose them to other dogs in a very controlled environment, and it teaches them to maintain there composure with a lot of distractions. It also teaches them that every dog is not an immediate opportunity to play.

    If there is a doggy day care near you it would be an opportunity for Archie to learn to play in a controlled environment. Play dates with friends dogs, or your breeder are also good ideas.

  7. #7
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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  8. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to smartrock For This Useful Post:

    annkie (04-19-2017), barry581 (04-19-2017), Scoutpout (04-20-2017), windycanyon (04-19-2017)

  9. #8
    Best Friend Retriever annkie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by smartrock View Post
    Just read that article. Very interesting and contradictory to everything I've been told and read. A lot of it made sense actually. It actually makes me feel a little better. I was starting to feel guilty that I'm not exposing Archie to more environments and other dogs. Everything I read about Welsh Springer Spaniels said SOCIALIZE IMMEDIATELY to prevent timid behavior. So far we went out to a couple places. He is timid for the first 20 minutes then warms up and wants to play. But last night at training I noticed he was significantly better than the previous week (our first visit). Perhaps he's just maturing. So maybe there's something to just letting him grow up a bit before taking him EVERYWHERE.

    I was thinking of asking folks in the class if they want to set up play dates. I'm still checking out their dog's personalities though. I think there's one Golden that might be okay. I did feel awful last night though. Archie wanted to play with the other pups SO BADLY and we weren't allowed Our breeder is an hour and 20 minutes away. So it's not very convenient for an hour visit. Maybe I'll set something up in the future.

  10. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by annkie View Post

    I was thinking of asking folks in the class if they want to set up play dates. I'm still checking out their dog's personalities though. I think there's one Golden that might be okay. I did feel awful last night though. Archie wanted to play with the other pups SO BADLY and we weren't allowed Our breeder is an hour and 20 minutes away. So it's not very convenient for an hour visit. Maybe I'll set something up in the future.
    This was what we did when Kimber was little. There was another lab puppy and a lab mix we got together a few times. Although I don't recommend three at once- just like little kids, two puppies tend to 'gang up' on the third!

    Can you ask the breeder if anyone from Archie's litter lives nearby? Kimber got to play with one of her brothers a few times.

    We were also fortunate to have a neighbor who was a vet. We'd bring Kimber over to play with her dogs a lot.

    PS Our puppy k ended each class with a few minutes of free puppy play. It got a bit chaotic but it was a great way to see which puppies Kimber played nicely with, and which she was too much for (there was one little GR who was terrified of the rough labby play.)
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  11. #10
    Best Friend Retriever annkie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kimbersmom View Post
    Can you ask the breeder if anyone from Archie's litter lives nearby? Kimber got to play with one of her brothers a few times.
    That's a good idea! I think I'll ask the breeder.


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