Pet Tip of the Week
Saturday, May 29, 2010
When Dogs ‘Hate’ Other Dogs
During the first 16 weeks of life dogs learn to get along with other dogs. In a perfect world they observe their litter-mates for about eight weeks and are then adopted by a knowledgeable human who socializes them with lots of other dogs and humans. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world.
If Fido doesn’t learn to get along with his own species in the first few months of his life chances are he will never be comfortable around other dogs. He may react fearfully or even become aggressive when confronted with one or many dogs. This will lead to further isolation because he will not be welcome in social, animal friendly situations. This problem does not get better unless active steps are taken to desensitize Fido.
If your dog reacts aggressively around other dogs here are a few steps you can take to desensitize him:
- If you are approached by a dog tell Fido to look at you and sit. Praise him if he responds
"Mason"
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- Have a friend bring her dog over for a 10 minute ‘play-date’ several times a
It will take some time but eventually, Fido may learn to tolerate other dogs.
If you have any questions please contact me privately at 856-349-2508 or simply reply to this post. There is never a fee for phone or email consultations. You can also email me at [email protected]. I will be happy to help you.
Next week’s topic will be entitled Animal Abuse: How Much is Enough? As always, Cleary’s notebook encourages dialogue so your comments are welcome!
Wado, udohiyu, (thank you very much, in the Cherokee language)
Dawn Watson
Brother of the Wolf, LLC