Socialisation (reluctant)

[Chewy]

Hiya guru tyoe people ;D

We took Dizzy to her first socialisation class today. I’m very happy with it and how the boss type bird ran it, really pleased (ran under Attila Szkukalek).
Small class of 6 puppies.
2 labs (confident puppys), 2 Yorkshire Terriors(one nervous the other petrified) and a miniture Duchsun (gorgous happy lil thing).
She places Dizzy being quiet and reserved with the other smaller dogs to meet eachother since the labs were very outgoing boisterous mokeys and wanted to keep it positive for the more nervous puppies.I’m more than happy with how she did it.
Dizzy didnt whine or shake, just sat between our chairs, head in paws, back legs stretched out behind her and watched the world go by.
.
But I wanted to ask, Dizzy was very reluctant to meet the other puppies and people (it never occured to me that she wouldnt want to play or investigate). I didnt push it and let her do whatever in her own time. Towards the end of the class she did stand up  and take some interest in the petrified Yorkie as it went to see the trainers calm adult dog but that was it.

As her jabs arnt finished yet we’ve been carrying her to different places to meet new people in passing and see the sights. However if a stranger offers her a treat (at our request) she isnt interested.
She doesnt whimper, whine or hide just looks bemused.
Had a few freinds round and in her own time she’ll come forward to play tug if they instigate it but it can take up to 1/2 hour for her to come out of her shell.
I always thought puppies were food/fun seeking missiles!

She came from a litter of 9 pups and was easily the most llaid back one. Not nervous since she would be at the front to say hello and took to us quickly.
If one of the other puppys kept giving her greif she’d shrug them off, barely noticing them and then after a fair while sit on them before fighting her way to the front again. ;D.

How do I not only socialise this kind of puppy in the most positve way given that she wont except food from strangers and takes such a long time for her to get used to people (ya know when your out and about, you cant ask someone to spend half an hour for your
puppy to get used to them)or will this come with time and constant socialisation?
Also, I’m going to take her into the front garden tomorrow to get used to the sounds of cars and people AND a different area since I noticed today when I tried to walk her to our car, she just couldnt make herself move off the front step, it was just too much.
She’s going to be one of those dogs that you see people DRAG on their walk, she’s so reluctant.
I do think she’s pretty laid back, but I DO know that she’s worried about strange people/places and easily spooked.

How do I get the best out of socialising her and maximising on it?

[Anonymous]

My friends CKCS was the same, didnt want to play, if any of the other pups came near she would go behind the chair, she’d come out and see what was going on then if a pup came towards her she’d be back under the chair again. By the end of the 4 weeks I think it was, she was much better, cant really give advice but it will improve, like kids when they first start school I suppose some are shy and some just get stuck right in straight away.

[GSPmad]

can’t really advise on the socialisation – but is she eating and drinking OK and house training and otherwise well?  🙂

[kizkiznobite]

give her time – let her do the greet first – tell folk to ignore her until she chooses to go to them and then they are to give her lots of attention

i have the opposite problem with cubert  ::) he seems to think anyperson anydog must be greeted enthusiastically

[SuzAndTheDiva]

honey did a good one the other day – (she teaches me a lot 😉 ) first meeting with a friends cocker, and shes the first dog hes met apart from his slightly older pack mate – he was terrified and sat and screamed  ::) I thought shed make a fuss go over and try and see him…………nope she just turned away and completely ignored him – even when he came up to her she just carried on sniffing, after a bit she said a hello and you could see he was feeling braver  :-*

[Chewy]

Brillaint, thanks guys ;D

lol@honey ;D

I guess it’s just a case of keeping at it and hopfully she’ll gain more confidence.
Had her 2nd jab today and had the lubbly vet thats dealt with our cat Smelly and the pigs. Thought she was really laid back!
Toilet trainings going well. Dry at night 😮 and for the last 4 days, well except for two wee’s in the living roon last night in quisk succession and a poo in the boot on way to vets.
Oh and one in the paddling pool, bit of no mans land that one!
Mon and tues was in reverse,she was begging to go into the kitchen from the garden to wee in the kitchen….bugger.
I spent wed in the garden the whole day (real feat considering I have a 4 yr old and an 11 month old) and crated her for her naps, by wed she had been going in the garden like a pro.
Was a bit worried that she didnt seem to eat very much but having seen how much she threw up in the back of the car, well, maybe not.
She has 3 meals a day and basically earns her 4th in short training sessions over the course of the day.
Her and the cat have settled well together now and she sits by the pigs calmly now in the garden.
Funny cos the yorkshire terr in our socialisation class look like two of our pigs (as in walking wigs), we think thats why she’s more interested in them than the other puppies ::)

[*Nick*]

At our first training class Sadie was petrified, spent much of the class with her tail between her legs because of the other dogs…..2nd class she was the life of the party and has continued to be so ever since  ::)  she takes it very slowly still…..I miss that day when she was shy  😉 😀

Give it time and let her proceed at her own pace

[kizkiznobite]

;D sadie? shy? yeah right…..

[*Lassie*]

Willow was like your pup Chewy, aloof – watching – but not getting involved except with one other pup. She still won’t let strangers pet her or take food off them and most times she’s not too bothered about other dogs. she is wary but not scared, when she does like/love someone she is really OTT with the greeting, barking whining and poking you with her nose for a fuss. ::)
Tam is like Cubert, everyone’s friend, so much so that if people are sitting on the grass having a picnic Tam has to be put on the lead because if you are not quick enough he is sitting on their laps :-[

[SuzAndTheDiva]

Lassie Willow sounds like nearly every Rough I have ever met – once they knew me I was a friend for life and got greeted totally ott – but they not take food from people, or even water – just look at it suspiciously like ok what ya posioned it with  😀

[*Lassie*]

[quote author=SuzAndTheDiva link=topic=11886.msg227607#msg227607 date=1214852616]
Lassie Willow sounds like nearly every Rough I have ever met – once they knew me I was a friend for life and got greeted totally ott – but they not take food from people, or even water – just look at it suspiciously like ok what ya posioned it with  😀
[/quote]

Yep that’s Willow ;D

[Chewy]

Thanks you guys ;D
Well yez were right.
Second class on sat an she was more outgoing. She quite likes the smaller terriors who are quieter and not so bouncy and she played with the miniture Duch afterwards in the park tho that was a bit scary. I told the owner to tell me if she was uncomfortable at all to tell me with the play since I was so aware of how much bigger Dizzy was to her Milly. She was more concerned with how much more rough and tumble Milli was with Diz! But it went well.
The trainer put Diz in with the two Labs this time for the short play session, not to great since she legged it trying to get away, would have been better with the smaller ones again this time but we’ll see next week.

Our cat got hit by a car that morning so between running her to the vet and dumping the kids I didnt have time to prep some sausage for training and such she wasnt really interested in the training, attention span like a brick!

[Anonymous]

but is your cat OK ???????

[Chewy]

Thanks for asking Piglet. Unfortunatly she had broke her pelvis in the worst possible place (socket joint and across the pelvis), also she couldnt wee/poo, all the nerves had been damaged. Even if we had been able to afford the 6 plus grand to get her pelvis/socket/and joint rebuilt she would never be able to pee/poo. Had to have her put down. Gutted since we got her and our gsd within two weeks of eachother, we’ve now lost them within two months of eachother.
Double grave in the garden where they used to wind eachother up all day.
Still a bit devastated but we wont get another cat since we live near a busy road, even tho Smelly never went near roads (feral cat) there is a path beside us that some pillocks drive their bikes down, reckon thats where she got hit.

[Sweetypye]

Attila is fab

[Author]

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