Dog Community

Posted : 1/17/2007 9:09:28 PM

The other thing that may happen with your cousin, is a certain amount of anger/disappointment/disgust with her dog. I think this is normal and hopefully it won't permanently damage her relationship with her dog. I'd suggest "Bones Would Rain from the Sky" if she's having these sorts of problems with herself. Dogs are amazing creatures, but they are dogs and don't reason like humans.

lisa baker

Posted : 1/17/2007 9:16:18 PM

I have not read the thread in its entirety and first I would like to say I am very sorry for everyone involved.
My take on this and not everyone's viewpoint...If the dog or dogs are not contained to their yard by a fence or a kennel than they need to be leashed or tie out. I do not allow my dogs to go to my neighbors and I do not want their dogs at my house.

spiritdogs

Posted : 1/18/2007 7:15:38 AM

That was mentioned farther up the thread, and is advice that we hope our OP's cousin takes. I especially like agilebasenji's pearl of wisdom. And, I would add that it is hard to avoid this feeling when others share it. I would tell the cousin not to allow others' feelings about the dog to color hers. Just keep the dog safe, and remember that it's a dog.

lisa baker

Posted : 1/18/2007 7:27:03 AM

ORIGINAL: spiritdogs
I would tell the cousin not to allow others' feelings about the dog to color hers. Just keep the dog safe, and remember that it's a dog.

Probably the best advice

Tankstar

Posted : 1/19/2007 7:23:50 PM

IMO yes she could have felt thretend from them. 1 dog is a dog 6 is a pack. And they picked on her, and IMO asked for it. Any owner that lets there dogs play unsupervised with a dog they do not know that well is at fault. I dont care about size or breed. A pom can do alot of damage to a submissive dog also.

Tankstar

Posted : 1/19/2007 7:28:08 PM

ORIGINAL: spiritdogs

Also, socializing your dog is a GOOD idea, but it should be done from puppyhood. After the age of about 12 weeks, it's pretty much the end of the "socialization period" and to be safe, whatever you want your puppy to tolerate as an adult, the pup should have already been exposed to by that age.

i really dont think 12 weeks is the end of socialization, there is no end. I didnt start to socialize my dog until he was about a year old. He met other dogs. but didnt get to run and play with them up until that age. I didnt know that there was a dog park here until he was 1. And he basiclly got socialized by going there. 12 weeks is only a 3 month old puppy, somthing you would have only had about a month, so really how can you socialize potty train and train all in the one month period, or actually before that sicne you say they should be socialized by 12 weeks old.

jones

Posted : 1/19/2007 7:58:32 PM

i really dont think 12 weeks is the end of socialization, there is no end. I didnt start to socialize my dog until he was about a year old. He met other dogs. but didnt get to run and play with them up until that age. I didnt know that there was a dog park here until he was 1. And he basiclly got socialized by going there. 12 weeks is only a 3 month old puppy, somthing you would have only had about a month, so really how can you socialize potty train and train all in the one month period, or actually before that sicne you say they should be socialized by 12 weeks old.

Socialization is a psychological process that should be done at a certain time in a pup's mental development:
[linkhttp://www.bcrescuetexas.org/Training/ATM_Socialization.pdf]http://www.bcrescuetexas.org/Training/ATM_Socialization.pdf[/link]

spiritdogs

Posted : 1/20/2007 9:16:58 PM

ORIGINAL: Tankstar

ORIGINAL: spiritdogs

Also, socializing your dog is a GOOD idea, but it should be done from puppyhood. After the age of about 12 weeks, it's pretty much the end of the "socialization period" and to be safe, whatever you want your puppy to tolerate as an adult, the pup should have already been exposed to by that age.

i really dont think 12 weeks is the end of socialization, there is no end. I didnt start to socialize my dog until he was about a year old. He met other dogs. but didnt get to run and play with them up until that age. I didnt know that there was a dog park here until he was 1. And he basiclly got socialized by going there. 12 weeks is only a 3 month old puppy, somthing you would have only had about a month, so really how can you socialize potty train and train all in the one month period, or actually before that sicne you say they should be socialized by 12 weeks old.

Look, the science is the science. I didn't make it up.
Fortunately for you, you probably had a pup that was social because it got that way while still in its litter at the breeder's, or perhaps you have a dog with a less fearful personality. If that's the case, good for you, and I'm glad for you. But, others should know that age 8-12 weeks is a very critical time for socialization, and some dogs do not EVER recover from being deprived of social experiences during that period of time, and some don't recover from being frightened during a fear imprint period (around the age of nine weeks), which is why trainers tell people to bring the pup out and about, but not let anyone or anything give it a real fright during that time.

Xerxes

Posted : 1/20/2007 10:02:16 PM

I think I'm quite lucky that Xerxes absolutely adores small dogs. He is very submissive and meek with them. (And he's mr. D0minance with any other dog) He'll let my neighbor's shih Tzus crawl all over him, even rolling onto his back so they can do so.

That being said, I would NEVER allow him to interact with any dog, other than Gaia, without close supervision. The Pom could have been stepped on and had it's neck broken or a multitude of other things as well. Bottom line is the dogs should not have been out unsupervised.

When a dog kills another dog...