Orbit understands English but not "dog"

[puppytoes]

I sent this question to the gallery by accident. Still getting the hang of this.

 

Here is the background:

I adopted Orbit from a shelter at the age of three months. He is my first puppy so i don't really have a frame of reference to go by and my eleven year old has is unlike almost any other dog - think she may be part human. He is five months old now and has been very well socialized (i think). I take him everywhere i can and he has been playing with at least a few dogs every day since i got him. He is not afraid of anything and loves everyone.

 

The problem:

He loves to play with other dogs, which is great when they want to play too. Unfortunately when they don't want to play, he doesn't seem to be able to read the signs or understand their growls/body language. There have even been a few incidents where i thought the other dog went after him fairly aggressively (and rightfully so) and he still interpreted it as play.

 

So....

Do i leave it alone and he'll grow out of it?

Do i leave the dogs to settle it themselves?

Do i remove him from situations where other dogs don't want to play?

 

As a side note, if the other dog ever appears to be in distress (as opposed to just annoyed), i leash him up and off we go. Also, i don't think it is a dominance thing ( i could be wrong) because he does not hump. He comes at them from the front with both paws up and loves to wrestle. Once they show some inclination to play he play bows, barks, growls, circles around them and on occasion nips. Is that something to be concerned about? He has an extremely soft mouth with humans and has never hurt another dog.

 

Any ideas would be appreciated. I don't want to over react but i also don't want to let things slide, that should be addressed.

 

Thank you,

Iva, Orbit and Laska

[Shetlander]

Do i leave it alone and he'll grow out of it?

Do i leave the dogs to settle it themselves?

Do i remove him from situations where other dogs don't want to play?

 

I would be very careful about letting dogs settle it themselves. If you can find an older dog who you trust to safely and at the same time effectively correct your puppy, that might be helpful. Or it might not. Some puppies are pretty dense. My concern is I don't want my puppy injured or scared so badly he develops new issues and so I want to be 100% confident that the older dog has the right temperament and ability for the job of puppy butt kicker. My Sheltie is puppy raiser extraordinaire. I will leave the room while she is in the middle of doing what others will see as very alarming. This includes muzzle grabs and my Lhasa had next to no muzzle as a puppy, but she never once got near his eyes. She's also big into rolling puppies. Despite this, puppies adore her and once she feels they are appropriately respectful, she will play with them to their immense delight.

 

I would also not hope he grows out of it. Not only is it annoying to the other dogs (and often their owners), but it puts the pup at risk of getting hurt by a dog who will over correct or simply attack, especially as your dog looks more and more like an adult. You also don't want your puppy to think that ignoring other dogs' signals is ok and learning that he can get away with riding roughshod over dogs -- again for both his sake and that of other dogs.

 

So, yes, I would remove him and/or correct him myself when other dogs didn't want to play and he wasn't getting the hint. Quinn was a rather dense puppy who was often corrected (by safe dogs) for being too in their face. Despite that, he remained dense for over the first year of his life. He did outgrow this, thank goodness He's now way more interested in playing with people than other dogs and when he does play with dogs, he is very good about finding like minded playmates. At home, he is really too rough to play with my Sheltie. I've taught him to lie down when he starts getting excited which allows their games to continue, but I also keep an eye on them because I don't want him to accidentally hurt her. I almost never allow him to play with the Lhasa for any length of time, mainly because there is too much rivalry between them and play turns into an argument in seconds.

 

There are probably a variety of opinions on this subject, but this is the approach I've learned to take after a few decades with dogs.

[Bo Peep]

I feel your pain. I have a 2 year old perpetual puppy. He has NEVER met a dog, baby, elderly person etc... that he didn't LOVE. It can be a pain, as older dogs just don't want to play and he still plays like a puppy. I have to keep a close eye on him and demand that he stay by my feet until I ask others "May I unleash my dog?" And also warn them that he is EXTREEMLY friendly. We hang out at a "doggy bar" and there are other dogs there, not so well trained, so we have to be careful. It's nice having a friendly dog, but sometimes it can be a pain in the butt.

 

By what you are saying, you are a devoted pet owner and taking all the steps in the right direction. The only suggestion I can make is teaching the "leave it" command. I can go into detail on that if you need help, but it sounds like you know what you're doing. Let me know and best of luck.

[mbc1963]

Diane, as the owner of a reactive dog, I have to say a thousand THANKS for keeping your over-friendly dog on leash until you ask the other owner's permission. My life would be so much easier if others did the same! Once over-playful dogs are around Buddy for a while, they lose that 'in your face' thing and stop being excited to be near Buddy - and then he relaxes a lot.

 

As for Orbit... I don't know the solution, but I do think time helps a lot. My dog used to walk with a boisterous lab/shepherd puppy mix. No matter how many times Buddy would snarl and drive Daisy off, Daisy-pup would bounce right back in Buddy's face, ready to play. Oy! I was afraid for a few months that I wouldn't be able to be friends with the owner anymore.

 

But... time passes... and now Daisy is 3 years old. She doesn't charge us anymore when we see her. If Buddy initiates play, she'll join in. Otherwise, she walks around with us like a mature, good girl, sniffing and looking for poop to eat. (Ugh.)

 

I don't think Daisy's owner did any specific training. I think Daisy just grew out of her clueless stage and learned that certain signals mean that other dogs don't want to play.

 

Good luck!

 

Mary

[Bo Peep]

Thanks Mary-

Just common dog manners. I've had dogs for a long time and know my dogs faults. I can pretty much read other dogs faults, but keep them to myself. I think with Orbit, basic obedience will help him out and a little growing up time. That's all it usually takes.