I think it sounds like you have it under control. IMO part of raising a puppy is dealing with the issues other people instill in them, unfortunately. It can make walking a little nerve wracking when they're young but its good for them. This sounds like good early socialization to me. I would just be more vocal about what I am and am not ok with with others, such as them holding her harness ('please don't hold her harness, it makes her nervous') or when their dog is keying in on her in a way that makes you uncomfortable (I usually go with 'she's in training, she can't say hi').
Puppy people introductions
We've been taking Echo out for walks on a fairly busy but very wide trail since we got the okay from the vet. She gets a lot of good people and dog interactions for the most part, close up and from a distance. A couple of problems have come up.
- people not reading their dog's behavior; tail down running between owner and end of lead while they focus on the cute puppy. At on point a lady grabbed echo and her dog took it as an invitation to bite her on the face.
- people holding Echo down by the harness to 'teach' her not to jump, I fear she'll bite/mouth someone because she already has issues with being restricted. I'm not sure I could fault her for it either.
- people making a big deal over her but not moving on or greeting her. One guy told me after 5 mins of cooing and getting her super excited that she wanted to bite him because she was pulling. She wasn't even lunging or jumping.
We try to minimize these interactions by;
- teaching her sit when she sees people nearby, we'll work up to walking on by but she's so excited sit is about as much as she can handle.
- moving her out of the way of people and dogs, works pretty well but sometimes she won't budge.
- being clear to people greeting her that she jumps before they say hi.
- calm on the mat at the cafe so she can chill around strangers.
Any ideas? Should we stick to exercise at home? It would be a real shame, she loves exploring. I don't want to take her on the less travelled, non paved trails until her rabies vaccine kicks in (2 weeks).
- people not reading their dog's behavior; tail down running between owner and end of lead while they focus on the cute puppy. At on point a lady grabbed echo and her dog took it as an invitation to bite her on the face.
- people holding Echo down by the harness to 'teach' her not to jump, I fear she'll bite/mouth someone because she already has issues with being restricted. I'm not sure I could fault her for it either.
- people making a big deal over her but not moving on or greeting her. One guy told me after 5 mins of cooing and getting her super excited that she wanted to bite him because she was pulling. She wasn't even lunging or jumping.
We try to minimize these interactions by;
- teaching her sit when she sees people nearby, we'll work up to walking on by but she's so excited sit is about as much as she can handle.
- moving her out of the way of people and dogs, works pretty well but sometimes she won't budge.
- being clear to people greeting her that she jumps before they say hi.
- calm on the mat at the cafe so she can chill around strangers.
Any ideas? Should we stick to exercise at home? It would be a real shame, she loves exploring. I don't want to take her on the less travelled, non paved trails until her rabies vaccine kicks in (2 weeks).
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@Chas - I agree that you have it under control. I would suggest getting a vest or harness that says, "In training, ask to pet" or something along those lines. It gives you that extra minute to settle your dog and explain your rules to strangers. I used to be worried about coming across as rude but now I don't care haha. If people can't follow my rules, they can't pet my dog. (Most people are good once you explain it to them)
That is a fantastic idea.I would suggest getting a vest or harness that says, "In training, ask to pet" or something along those lines.
Thanks! I'll definitely try and speak up a bit more. The vest is a great idea!
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