Maggie is the first dog I've had since I was 10 years old (a very long time ago), and is also the first lab I've ever had. We had a dog wonder up in our yard a few weeks ago, and she went crazy...like MAD crazy! Since then, we will occasionally hear a dog or two bark (we live in the country), and she has the same reaction. Does anyone else's labs do this? Or is Maggie just one that dislikes other dogs?
Maggie doesn't like other dogs...
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How old is Maggie and how many opportunities has she had to socialize and play with other dogs? They very much need/MUST HAVE those experiences as puppies to be social adults with other dogs.
Also, it can be she's just defending her territory, her yard, against an intruder. When Puff and I walk our neighbirhood at her potty times, dogs in backyard fences or inside with windows through which they watch the outdoors ALWAYS put up choruses of barks as we pass despite seeing us do this daily.
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Also, it can be she's just defending her territory, her yard, against an intruder. When Puff and I walk our neighbirhood at her potty times, dogs in backyard fences or inside with windows through which they watch the outdoors ALWAYS put up choruses of barks as we pass despite seeing us do this daily.
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Our Lab does not like any dog except our other dog.
She's 10 months old, and doesn't have many opportunities to interact with other dogs. I live in a very small town so the only opportunity to socialize with other dogs is going camping on the river (not my thing at all) with friends. Our only park doesn't allow dogs, so I'm limited as to what I can do. But, I will start doing some play-time planning with our other friends who have dogs. Hopefully that will help. Thanks so much for your advice.
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Maybe obedience training.
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Cheerup! .. You're not the only person with this minor 'dog problem'
Laika also doesnt like other dogs, if she see's them, she realy gets 100% frustrated, and only wants to do 1 thing -ATTACK-
But .. I also must say, that she has also a few 'dog friends'. The labrador from my sister, or the other labrador in the park (Dylan), that are 4 dog legs on one dog belly
But, any other dog .. is just a no-go-area
My first Lab, Bess, came to live with us at 5 weeks age -- FAR, FAR too young I soon realized.
We had no other dogs to play with and I'm sure, as a consequence, Bess's identity became that of people -- she loved people, loved to be beside them, schmoozing them and she ignored dogs.
Other dogs would try to interest her in playing with them, say when she was retrieving training dummies I'd sling for her, and she often gave them a body slam that sent them tumbling, until they gave up on her.
Whenever another dog came near us, she often gave the other dog a glance and then looked at me quizzically as if asking, "What IS that thing? Make it go away."
If I remember correctly from Scott & Fuller's "Genetics & the Social Behavior of Dogs" -- probably the most important dog book ever written (it has much research and elucidation of early developmental critical periods in dogs) -- much of that social learning needs to take place before 25 weeks age to be most effective. But, as Felix described his Laika, perhaps your Maggie can also find some dogs she can learn to like and play with. The effort is worth it.
Having gone through that earlier experience with Bess (& having read S&F's book), when I got Puff, I was conscientious in giving her much experience as a puppy playing with other dogs.
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We had no other dogs to play with and I'm sure, as a consequence, Bess's identity became that of people -- she loved people, loved to be beside them, schmoozing them and she ignored dogs.
Other dogs would try to interest her in playing with them, say when she was retrieving training dummies I'd sling for her, and she often gave them a body slam that sent them tumbling, until they gave up on her.
Whenever another dog came near us, she often gave the other dog a glance and then looked at me quizzically as if asking, "What IS that thing? Make it go away."
That MAY help and is well worth trying.
If I remember correctly from Scott & Fuller's "Genetics & the Social Behavior of Dogs" -- probably the most important dog book ever written (it has much research and elucidation of early developmental critical periods in dogs) -- much of that social learning needs to take place before 25 weeks age to be most effective. But, as Felix described his Laika, perhaps your Maggie can also find some dogs she can learn to like and play with. The effort is worth it.
Having gone through that earlier experience with Bess (& having read S&F's book), when I got Puff, I was conscientious in giving her much experience as a puppy playing with other dogs.
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I am probably stepping away from the group with this, but, if you don't have dogs around you and there is rarely a situation where your dog will interact with another dog without you making a play date - why is her lack of sociability a concern?
As long as she is sociable and under control with people I would not go out of my way. I mean you have not socialized her with other dogs up to this point so it must not be important to you to involve her with other dogs, right?
As long as she is sociable and under control with people I would not go out of my way. I mean you have not socialized her with other dogs up to this point so it must not be important to you to involve her with other dogs, right?
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I'm not sure where exactly you are or how small your town is, but is there anywhere near you that does obedience classes? Generally they meet once a week for an hour or so and that way you can have your dog meet other dogs in a controlled, neutral environment.
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