meeting new dogs..."normal" behaviour vs warning signs

[Nina&Bill]

We're taking Amber on an outing this weekend, the rescue that I volunteer with is having a BBQ & of course all dogs are welcome :). The thing is that Amber isn't very well socialized. She doesn't have many dog friends & doesn't really have contact with other dogs (obedience classes are contact free, control your dog & keep him or her focused). So the BBQ will be a great time for Amber to meet some other dogs in a relaxed surrounding fileld with rottweiler & rescue savvy people.

What I'm curious about is when introducing her to other dogs, what should I watch out for in order to avoid a potential problem before it happens (just in case...I'm paranoid). What's usual dog meet -n- greet behaviour and what are any warning signs that I should watch out for? Amber's a recue and has had a pretty crappy time of it before we got her, her dog and people socialization skills were pretty much nil. She's come a long way since we've had her & her confidence has positively rocketed but I haven't been able to get her out & about with other dogs. She's pretty much oblivious to the other dogs in class, is that a good thing?

Thanks in advance,

Nina

[Sharon Marples]

Keep things fun for her and don't introduce her to too much at one time.

Keep an eye on her for posturing at other dogs, do not let her have prolonged eye contact. Watch for her to raise her hackles. If any of the above start to happen, take her off quickly with a "Amber, come, let's heel" or some other fun exercise with good treats.

You don't want her to become defensive or take any posture that looks as if she may become defensive. Stay on the outside of things until you see how she is starting to react to the other dogs. Keep lots of treats handy so you can get her mind on you if the need arises.

Hopefully she will have a great time, but most of that will depend on how YOU monitor her activities and look for her warning signs. Since she has not had much dog interaction in the past, be very careful you don't overdo it with her and lose control.

And, most important, don't just monitor her......monitor the other dogs that come up to her at the same time! She may not be the one to start anything, but you don't want anyone else to start something with her either.

Have fun!

Sharon

[Rott-Wiley]

Also keep an eye on sharp darting movements from her. Will the dogs be on lead? It's a good idea to not allow another dog to sneak up on her and sniff her rear. If she does interact with other dogs there, watch that no one tries to put their head over the others back (to establish dominance), that could be the start of something bad. And also, try not to be too paranoid cause she'll pick up on that too. Hope you both enjoy yourselves.

[Nina&Bill]

Thank you both :).

As far as I know all of the dogs will be on lead & it has been suggested that people bring X pens or crates for their dogs to hang out in (Amber will have her Cabana crate ). The past two times that a dog has approached Amber uninvited & started in on some enthusiastic sniffing she promptly sat down. Is this indicative of anything?

I will do my best to take things easy with her & not have her get overwhelmed. And I'll be sure to pack plenty of yummy treats for distraction purposes.

I really hope that Saturday goes well & that she has fun!

Nina

[Rott-Wiley]

I'm sure she will enjoy herself. About the sitting down thing, she no doubt did that so the other dog could not keep sniffing her. That was a good thing cause see just ended that without getting into any trouble (with you or the other dog). If this happens in the future, I would not allow the other dog to get that close to her. I would put myself between her and the dog and or tell the person handling the dog to keep it under better control. In doing that, your dog will realise that you are in charge and will take care of her. She also will cue off your lead and act accordingly. Hope all goes well on Saturday, keep us posted.

[RottiMomCT]

Yeah Nina - You guys are going to the BBQ!! I'll have Ben with me, and if Thelda is feeling good, I'll bring her up for a bit (BBQ site is about a mile from my house).

There is plenty of shaded space for her crate and it can be put out of the way of any other dogs if she needs a quiet time out spot.

Bring lots of treats and let her approach dogs if she wants to, but be very watchful of the body posturing of her as well as the other dogs. All of the dogs will be on lead (at least they all should be for their own safety!), so hopefully there will be no surprise intorductions . If she starts to get an attitude, take her for a quick walk and 'remind her' with a quick obedience lesson that you are in charge, and her snotty behavior will not be tolerated.

Amber has come a long way from the day I met her last September...you're doing great things with her!!

[Sharon Marples]

This bar-b-q sounds like a wonderful outing, I just hope that there is someone there in charge to make sure people keep their dogs on leash at all times. If a couple of them want to take them off lead, things can escalate and problems arise before people are aware of them.

Have fun and please post photos in chit chat when it's over!

Sharon