Is Miloh Being Shy or Does He Just Not Want to Play?
 

Hello YT members, good morning to all!

I began taking Miloh to dog parks about a month ago, he's gone about 3 times since his vet told me he couldn't be out until his shots were completed. I have found that he really doesn't play with other dogs. He'll do the whole sniffing and touching noses with another dog, but when it comes to chasing them and playing, Miloh wont do it. :(

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I decided to take him and it was an overall bad experience. There was an overly-active Jack Russell in the small dog area and for some reason he enjoyed picking on Miloh. He would sniff him and jump on him (as if he were trying to hump him). What made me really angry was that his owner would just yell out "hey, be nice to the little guy". Time after time, Miloh had to be picked up for his own safety. :mad: In general, Miloh always seems to be the smallest dog.

Now, I'm beginning to question if his lack of interest in other dogs at the dog park is my fault, meaning that I overly love him. He wears shirts often (since he recently got a "summer cut"), he sleeps on the bed with me, and is pampered. :rolleyes: Don't get me wrong, there have been times when other people's dogs have came onto my yard when Miloh is outside and both dogs will chase each other. My question is if I am at fault for his behavior or if he just needs more time out with other dogs. Any advice would be highly appreciated, sorry this is too long!

It sounds like he just needs more time. He's pretty young, right? They're still unsure about the world. Also, in general, a dog park is not a great place for puppy who is just beginning socialization. They are wonderful after they know doggie language and how to approach, but it all depends on the dogs there that day really. Some dogs will connect with a certain dog more than another... those Jack Russells can be crazy! hehe. Most of the ones that come into our dog park are nutso and Jackson isn't big on a lot of them... the ones that just run alot he really likes though because he likes to chase them or get chased.

While a human can certainly be at fault for this kind of behavior, it sounds to me like he's just young and give him some time to come around. Jackson is spoiled too-sleeps on my bed, gets a lot of treats, good food, etc, but he loves to run run run and play play play with other dogs. Maybe just keep trying to take him to the dog park and there's bound to be a day he connects with a dog. Try not to pick him up unless he's getting totally bombarded, or is going to be really injured, or being humped, etc because you don't want him to learn every time a dog does something I don't like, mommy is going to pick me up! Dogs tend to be able to work it out for themselves and they need to learn how to communicate with each other. When dogs try to hump Jackson, he usually just moves away to show he doesn't want that... if the dog continually keeps trying, I will move in and physically take the dog off Jackson, and they end up just working it out for themselves.

Hey Britster,
Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it! :) Yes, Miloh turned 7 months yesterday. I agree, but felt bad as everyone moved their dogs to the big dog area. Phew, I'm glad I'm not at fault on this one! My boyfriend actually lost his patience and began to push the Jack Russell off Miloh once he began to get too aggressive. I try not to pick him up as much as possible, but that crazy dog continued to push his front paws down on Miloh's head. :( I'm going to try to set up a play date with various dogs at my house, hopefully he'll get accustom. :)

I agree with Britster, but I wouldn't take Miloh to dog parks just yet. Kaji has been punked there before. Although he is much bigger than Miloh, in both size and age, he too had to be picked up for his own protection. At dog parks, dog beaches, you get a mix of good and bad. Most of my experiences have been great! Just once in a while one dog won't leave Kaji alone, and the owner does nothing to control their dog. We've left before because Kaji was just having a horrible time.

If you can, take him out with dogs you know what their temperaments are. It helps socialize him in a controlled environment. When he's bigger, knows how to be around other dogs, and his confidence increases, then take him to doggy parks. Remember Adi and her dog Missy? Missy was pushed around at a LA dog meetup and that made her scared of other dogs. Adi worked hard to build her confidence back up, taking her to play with other dogs in a controlled environment, and now she's happy to play with any dog. :)

By the way, which dog park to do you take him to?

I totally understand, once the JR was taken into the big dog area, he began to punk a Pitbull. The dog began to get very upset as he tried to "hump" him. Is there any way we can schedule a meet-up with Adi, Priscilla as well as yourself? Omg, that's terrible, poor Adi and Missy! Some dog owners just need to discipline their dogs and if they can't do that than they should keep them at home. I take him to the Uptown Dog Park in Long Beach. Most dogs are well-behaved, but this one dog in particular certainly surprised me.

I know what you mean. There was a beautiful white pom mix at the dog park that would not stop "lovin" on Kaji. Kaji's not much of a fighter so he would run over to me for me to pick him up.

As for our play group, we pretty much meet every week. I'll see if the girls are available and I'll PM you.

That'd be great, thanks!