puppy wants to play with other dogs

hi I just would like a little advice regarding my 4 month old pup.  I take him out on the lead and he's a puller so im working with him on that and he's getting a little better but there is still some  work to do lol!  I use a lead on a harness as i feel i have more control over him than with using the collar.  I cant believe how strong he is lol!

I have not let him off the lead yet as i've only had him 2 weeks and have not had a chance to do any proper recall training with him outside the house.  so basically all his exercise has so far been on the lead having plenty of opportunities to run and walk on the lead in fields and walks on the street.

now in the fields there are plenty of dog owners that have dogs that come on and off the lead and he has had opportunities to meet them.  he gets very excited and jumps on them and most dogs seem to understand that he is only a pup and their owners are happy to meet him.  whilst he is jumping on these dogs i pull him away and say 'sit' he sits and I stroke him and say 'calmly'. he's calm for a bit then gets all boisterous again.  Am i handling it right?

do i keep letting him meet dogs and eventually he'll 'get it'?  I always explain to the owners he is boisterous and excited when meeting dogs and also explain that i'm trying to get my doggy to be good with other dogs they all seem to understand and are happy for there dogs to meet him. when dogs approach him  he doesn't get aggressive and when dogs are aggressive towards him he just looks at them.

I intend to get him to puppy classes soon and maybe that will help, though i'm sure him meeting older calmer dogs may teach him to behave? my neighbour has an older dog who he has met and jumping on him. he didnt like it much and wanted to go home. I  don't know any other dog owners that i could go for walks with to help me ith wispa.   I know he is only 17 weeks old so expect him to be excited i just wanted to know am i handling it right really or is there anything else i could do thanks.  i just want to work towards wispa having fun playing with other dogs without being so rude

Sounds as though you are being positive, patient and consistent - the most important techniques to use when training!! I am sure with time added to the mix you and Whispa will get it sorted

Off lead, Chiquito used to jump up at other dogs who ignored him (usually older dogs) to get them to play with him. I would put him on lead and walk him away to calm down before letting him try again .. he soon learnt that jumping meant play stopped and decided to use his nice manners instead.

On lead I found that the behaviour was worse, and I would either let him off (if safe) or ask the other owner to hold their dog while I settled him before they were allowed to say hello. Despite lots of training he still lunges sometimes on lead if he wants to meet another dog, a strong 'leave' or 'watch' command have proved the best method for him in these situations.

Socialisation is a really important part of puppydom, and you will find the more time he spends with other dogs the more his manners will improve. Do keep up your explanation in the mean time .. most owners will let you know (once you have spoken with them) if their dog would react poorly to a jumpy puppy ... just keep an eye on them and intervene as needed

Had exactly the same with Bacchus and found that the older dogs would "tell him off" and he learned doggy manners that way but we had lots of understanding owners on our walks. It is essential to let him mix with different breeds of dog as socialisation is very important. With regard to recall, practice this as much as possible where there are no distractions, at home, in the garden, on walks etc. I also reward Bacchus when he comes to me on walks without being prompted, as this reinforces the idea that coming to me is a pleasant experience. If you meet someone who's dog has a strong recall, ask if it's ok for him to play off lead. That way if you are anxious about him coming back he will return to you with the older dog when it comes back.

Typical pup Get yourself and Wispa enrolled in a good puppy class, all the vets normally have a book with details in, the sooner the better. Get yourself a long line and find a quiet securely fenced field, there you can practice the recall, let him wander out, keep the line loose, call him, keep your legs apart and arms open.. when he comes loads of praise and a good high value treat, (cheese, sausage etc) treat it like a game, he's still a baby so learning should be fun.. keep changing directions and don't get cross if he doesn't come first time, even if it takes 5-6 attempts to get him in always praise him for coming back. Don't try and practice in a field full of dogs, the less distraction to start with the better. When you do let him off around other dogs, ask people if their dogs are ok with a pup around, people will always help and advise you, don't ever feel embarrassed to ask. Also try not to stand in one place, keep walking, this helps stop dogs getting to focused and intense on the spot. In my opinion the sooner you let him off the better, most young dogs have more of a natural inhabition and reaction to follow you, the older they get the braver and bolder they get. Good luck, i'm sure you and Wispa will have lots of fun!

thankyou so much!  I believe I've been given some great advice here.

Kell I actually do think wispa being on lead when playing with other dogs may make him worse as he so badly just wants to play lol!

I have been fortunate enoughto meet some nice dog owners who i believe will help me implement this advice.

Reuben I love the idea about him being off the lead with an older dog who has a great recall as he gets to play and is a great way to get him back!  

Thankyou kelpie for the great recall advice im definately going to invest in a good recall lead. didnt think of of cheese or sausage, will try that. is that raw sausage? sorry  i assume it is...

Thanks again so much  

mazzyboo wrote:thankyou so much!  I believe I've been given some great advice here.

Kell I actually do think wispa being on lead when playing with other dogs may make him worse as he so badly just wants to play lol!

I have been fortunate enoughto meet some nice dog owners who i believe will help me implement this advice.

Reuben I love the idea about him being off the lead with an older dog who has a great recall as he gets to play and is a great way to get him back!  

Thankyou kelpie for the great recall advice im definately going to invest in a good recall lead.  didnt think of of cheese or sausage, will try that. is that raw sausage? sorry  i assume it is...

Thanks again so much  

I find hot dog sausage is a favourite.

thanx for that reuben! hot dog sausage it is lol! oh and i had him off the lead for the first time with a 10 month old staffie with good recall and he loved it! he came back to me following other dog lol!

i still have work to do with my recall but going to work hard with it because its so good for him to feel free to play without me having him on the lead all the time. so i will be putting into practice some of the great advice I've been given on this thread, thanx again

Great advice above! I also use a long training lead around 150ft, I found that great for recall training as well as I could get him further and work on the recall a bit better, also really helpful when you are in busier situations and you prefer to keep a lead on, he will still get the freedom and you will still have the control in case of any unwanted situations

thank you for your advice maria although i was thinking for recall i can see what you mean about busy places  I'm looking forward to getting started with a training lead and saw a few on ebay. Actually I saw a few on this site that a few members were using.  I should hopefully get one soon

They really are great! Im sure Wispa will do great in no time! x

Puppy class is a great place for puppy and owner to learn. We went to our first one last saterday and I found it very helpful. Only one owner had a slight negative remark about Tip but I choose to ignore narrowminded people.

It sounds like your laying a sound foundation. Good luck and hope you have lots of fun at the puppy class  

nicolene Iveson wrote:Puppy class is a great place for puppy and owner to learn. We went to our first one last saterday and I found it very helpful. Only one owner had a slight negative remark about Tip but I choose to ignore narrowminded people.

It sounds like your laying a sound foundation. Good luck and hope you have lots of fun at the puppy class  

thankyou nicolene  that was nice of you to say... and hear lol! I really hope so because i really care about my pup and want to do my best for him. Im glad you enjoyed your first puppy class despite what was said and i should be starting one in the beginning of next week.