Question About Bringing Missy To Petsmart

[tigerlily46514]

Fences also mess up dog communication, safety first of course, but fences mess up some dogs, too. (Maybe less so than muzzles though...)

 

[southerngirl]

running dog Great Idea and yes I can put Missy in the dog run and Lily in the big dog area, they share a fence so the two can interact with a fence separating them. Also when Missy has a muzzle on she becomes much calmer, she is usually a very excitable dog but with the muzzle on she's more chill. I will defiantly have a fence separate the two with a fence instead cause Missy really doesn't like the muzzle and I'll get a better idea of she feels about Lily than I would if she was muzzled.

 

[running_dog]

Fences also mess up dog communication, safety first of course, but fences mess up some dogs, too. (Maybe less so than muzzles though...)

True and even leashes mess up dog communication quite a lot. It is a tough one to solve - letting dogs meet without risk and without messing up their communication. Maybe the answer is to let them meet as much as possible using different safety mechanisms at different times to give them the best chance possible

 

[tigerlily46514]

well, these two dogs have already met.

she is just bringing these two dogs to the dog park now.

 

[running_dog]

well, these two dogs have already met.

she is just bringing these two dogs to the dog park now.

Exactly but always under one form of safety restraint or another. By allowing them to meet using a different safety restraint than a leash and/or muzzle it MIGHT give a better idea of whether they will get along.

Also... working with a dog in an area fenced off from a still visible distraction is a great way to desensitise the dog to that distraction - I've done the same when steadying Zac with farm animals. It can be much more effective than leash work and obviously a million times safer than having a muzzled dog loose in a field of livestock .

I think I would also give them more structure when meeting. When Missy is muzzled I would have both being worked in the same area (including crossover recalls so the dogs are moving fast and excited between you both but are not interacting directly with each other). There might well come a point when Missy does not need to be muzzled when she is working but still needs a muzzle in "free time". There are times I feel comfortable leaving Zac off leash with another dog when I am working with him but would not leave him "free" otherwise.

 

[southerngirl]

By the crossover recalls do you mean have them in a the same fenced in a area and I work with Missy staying while I walk away from her than call her to me and my friend doing the same thing. If so do we keep a lot of distance between the dogs while doing this or do we keep them fairly close?

 

[running_dog]

Yes that is what I mean.

Distance of recalls and between the dogs would depend on what you and the dogs are comfortable with, you would work the dogs closer together as you make progress. If Missy is muzzled she can't do any more harm than if she was free. Maybe you would get to the stage where you alternate which dog you call so the dogs are running between you and your friend and passing each other midway but that is an objective NOT a starting point. Once you got to that stage you MIGHT think about moving further apart again, putting Missy on a long line (fastened to an inanimate object), removing her muzzle, and playing the early version of the game with Lily out of reach.

I guess my idea is that you get Missy used to being excited and running with another dog present but in a way that is controlled and gives you a way to progress gradually.

 

[running_dog]

BTW it might be a rotten idea about the recalls... it just seemed like that is what I would do.

 

[southerngirl]

I'll try the recalls it sounds like a great idea.. I can't wait to see how it works out.