How is your puppy around other dogs??

So bolo is 10 months old now, and I was after some advice and experiences of how your dogs were around this age with other dogs.

The reason I ask is bolo gets a bit growly with dogs he doesn't know whilst out on a walk on lead and his hair stands on end down the middle of his back. He doesn't do it to every dog, it seems random.

He also goes out with other dogs with a walker every lunchtime during the week and she has nothing but praise with how he is with other dogs she has. He has a great time running and playing. It seems to me that maybe he needs to get to know another dog first before he realises it's ok? Maybe he is jealous of feels threatened by unknown dogs?

He is going to a home boarding place when we go on holiday in June and there will be lots of other dogs there and the last thing we want is for him to growl and seem aggressive to other dogs there.

Any similar experiences from any one else??

Thanks

Don't worry too much. Raised hackles aren't necessarily a sign of aggression. It can be concern, it can be excitement. It sounds like Bolo is getting plenty of good socialisation so I'd be surprised if you've got much to worry about.

In my experience Liz is correct about the raised hackles, you need to put the whole body language jigsaw together to come to the correct conclusion.

My Flo is exactly the same with dogs she doesn't know, I think it's a combination of excitement and wariness and once she has walked with the other dog she's fine. I'm sure the time in kennels will pass just fine

Mistys hackles are always up when she meets any dog, even her friends! I used to believe hackles up was a bad thing but after being on this forum I know it can be excitement like Liz said.

Misty always likes a little growl when she is playing. Her boyfriend the Sprocket is exactly the same. Sometimes when they are playing the sounds they make are awful!!
I wouldn't worry as sounds like Bolo is still young and excited.

Hi, Una's also 10 months and she's the same with new dogs that she's not sure of but wants to meet. She can get a bit growly and her hackles will be up - as others have said it seems to be a mix of wariness with excitement and I think she only does it with those she has a chance of getting to play with. Once we've made introductions, Una quickly goes into play mode with lots of "chase me, chase me bounces" and of course the excitement growls during playtime.

I've also noticed with some older dogs and some very not happy dogs she keeps quiet and avoids eye contact so I think she's starting to work out who is approachable and who she needs to give space to - or maybe Una had worked it out ages before and I'm only now figuring it out!

Bet Bolo has a fun time at the boarding place, making lots of new friends (while you're on holiday trying to resist phoning them every day to check on him )

I think bolos reaction when he first meets a dog is quite mixed. Yesterday we walked him and came across 6 dogs with their owners, he went over and had a sniff around and a little play then came back to us.
Then a bit later on we saw a dog with his owner and bolo went over and immediately growled and started being quite aggressive and snarly.

So he seems very picky. Something sets him off with certain dogs. It's quite worrying as we can't predict it. As soon as we got him away we sat him down told him off and waited for him to calm down.

It could well be the other dog making Bolo feel excited/wary and the need to be growly and snarly.

Una went from trying to have a full on barking/growling match with a boxer who was on lead and doing the same to her, to walking past several dogs without a peep, just tail wagging and sniffs.

I've no idea why the boxer was different and to be honest I couldn't work out if it was excitement or keep away growls, I figured Una wasn't sure either!

While I'd love her not to growl, it's good that Una does as she's telling me she's not happy/unsure/wants space and I can move her on. Mind I'm still a newbie and learning as I go, so I'm sure the others will have good suggestions for you.

My pup is 5 months old and is sometimes tail between the legs and other times jumping around like a loony. The other dogs could be big or small there is no rhyme or reason to her behaviour but overall always happy to play.

A few owners of the other dogs get a bit upset when she starts pulling the skin around their mouths wanting to play like a staffy

My Arthur is the same,he just wants to play so far.The dogs he sees on his walks are all very big and he seems fine.He had a great time with an enormous Rottweiler the other day .He does seem to submit a bit first laying down and tail low.There is one small dog he used to greet,but it won't come anywhere near him now.I think it's a bit nervous as Arthur's got older.

Spud's always friendly approaching other dogs, although he has had quite a few take a dislike to him..Usually he just keeps walking, but as he's gotten older (he's just turned 9 months) he's started to 'defend' himself irrespective of the other dog's size....The only time he doesn't like other dogs is when we're playing and another one bounds up out of nowhere, and once when a dog stole his ball. I keep him on a long line and am currently training him with a shepherds whistle (brilliant things), but all in all he's a happy chappy...
Many years ago, a previous Staffie in my family NEVER liked other dogs except for his mum..He was socialised etc etc but simply not interested...A throwback to the bad old days perhaps.

I confess to having not socialised my boy (we live rural) so whenever he sees other dogs he is VERY excited, for the most part he'll just greet them enthusiastically then sniff them then bug them until they get sick of him ! So far no bad experiences (touch wood!) other than one small dog that raced over one day off-lead and careless owners but I picked Koda up so the little one couldn't get to him, grateful it wasn't a big dog !!!