How Best to Socialize an Unsocialized Dog (4iC)

Hi Ixas_Girl! Good to see you! Thanks for answering! Very good point! I am making sure I'm in a position with B'asia that I can watch her face constantly. And I agree with you 100%. When I saw that little "stiffening" I gave a leash correction and redirected her attention to me and the task at hand.

DPU, I believe we're talking about the desensitization process outside the dog park. Once we were in the dog park it was too late to do anything about it and yes, we had to leave. But I'm talking about the reintroduction now to being around dogs and ignoring them.  

FourIsCompany

DPU, I believe we're talking about the desensitization process outside the dog park. Once we were in the dog park it was too late to do anything about it and yes, we had to leave. But I'm talking about the reintroduction now to being around dogs and ignoring them.  

Oh, ok...sorry....I know for a fact I am an extremist when it comes to dog safety. 

Today's session was very good! There were many dogs in the dog park and we walked around the outside of the entire park, sometimes getting quite close to the fence and the other dogs. There were a few incidents where B'asia started jumping and barking before I could catch her, but overall, I would say it was a 90% success.

Interestingly, there was a GSD in there and she had NO problem whatsoever with him. He could run right up to the fence and she just watched him. She either thought he looked like Jaia or there's some sort of breed recognition going on.

So... we're making progress.  

I'd let her pick a fight with a big bad, well-socialised dog and get beaten up.

Just kidding. No, I would do that with Penny because she IS well-socialised and bloody knows better, but with a dog aggressing out of nervousness or anxiety, it's just gonna make it worse.

But you know, our new friend LCK had some interesting exercises to do with dogs that had a little trouble adjusting in social situations.
 

corvus

I'd let her pick a fight with a big bad, well-socialised dog and get beaten up.

Actually, not knowing how she'd be, I did let her "experiment" with Rosco. But when he told her to knock it off, she didn't, but instead went after him with more intent and he got more serious, I began to see that it was only going to escalate. He only matched her aggression. I tried several times, getting her calmed down between times and then letting her off leash to see if she would behave, but she didn't. She was afraid of him and the only way she knew to deal with that was to attack.  

Background: When we first got B'asia, she was like this with our dogs. Very aggressive-sounding through the crate door. One day, I just let her out and her aggression turned into submission and everybody's been fine since. I was HOPING that would happen with other dogs and that's why I let her loose in the dog park in the first place. But I see now, it's going to require some finesse...