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Originally Posted by SirTeddykins  Teddy likes to play with other dogs but he is scared and part of the problem (a big problem, I think) is that he's tethered to a leash when he meets other dogs who are free. Therefore, he's immediately in a defensive position which, when coupled with anxiety, makes for a very unsure and loud Teddy.
I don't have any friends with dogs and so this park is the only place I can take him to meet other dogs but these other dogs are HUGE. For example, he met with an English cocker spaniel today and two black labs who could easily step on him or bite him. Teddy is very good at turning a playful dog into a defensive, snappy dog because he can't read the signals of these dogs very well since he has been raised with a cat!
Lots of people try to be helpful by telling me that he should run free so he can socialize but I have done this before only to find him running into the field toward traffic. I know that he needs time with dogs but I feel like I'd rather have him anxious than dead cuz he ran out into traffic or he was bitten or smashed by a bigger dog because he wasn't leashed and so couldn't be removed from the situation in time.
Am I doing right by this boy?
Thanks.. |
My thoughts exactly about my boys. I think you are doing the right thing for Teddy.
I know this is not a popular opinion, but I do not believe that it is absolutely necessary for a dog to be social with other dogs. Our previous dog, an Airedale, was never social. Nor were any of our neighbors' dogs. Everyone walked their dogs and no one ever engaged. A different time, I suppose. Fewer dogs? I do not remember any dog parks either.
I think the conventional wisdom now is that dogs must be socialized otherwise they don't know how to behave when in close proximity to one another.
I like the idea of seeking out other small dog families for meetups. Something I would like to do.