Took puppy out for first time today..

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Crush

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Hi!!

Well today we took our puppy to Pet Smart. He was also around dogs and strangers for the first time today. If you remember, he got his second set of shots yesterday so now we are free to take him out for walks and out in public.

I have to say, he was REALLY WELL BEHAVED!! YIPPIE!


I dind't know what to expect so we were pretty happy.

So many dogs were out of control with the owners YANKING at their dogs to back off. :nono:

Other peoples dogs were barking at ours but our dog would just back off and come by our feet! :banana:

Our little Victor never barked once.

SOOOOOO many people came over to us saying how cute our little doggy was. They called him a little snowball and such. We were so proud of him.

One of the staff came over and pet the dog and our dog didn't jump up at all.. just wagged his tail a lot and got kind of excited and then rolled on his back!! So she started laughing at him hehehe :rofl1:

And even in line when there was so many people, I was still able to give him a treat and a high 5! He was a bit distracted but always obeyed the sit command. I just show my palm and he sits.

I dont know why he's so well behaved for? :dunno:

He's been NO PROBLEM as a puppy.

 
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Dekka

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#2
I have to say I am not sure I would be so thrilled as you seem to be....

Maybe your pup was feeling low from having shots?

Other peoples dogs were barking at ours but our dog would just back off and come by our feet!
This is not a response I would want from a puppy. Your dog might appear really well behaved because he is timid.

Kat is a pup, she barks at exciting other dogs, yet focuses completely on me when asked.

Its like saying you took your kid to WOnderland and the child hung by you and never got excited or wanted to run and play.

I am not saying the barking out of control dogs are good lol. But if you haven't trained this, (and you say you don't know why he is reacting this way) then this unnatural behaviour is a potential red flag.
 

Xandra

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He does sound a bit timid! You'll have to work at bringing him out of his shell, but from the sounds of things it seems as though you'll far prefer that as opposed to toning down a more... enthusiastic animal LOL

He's 3 months, right? If he hasn't been out and about until now... wow, you've got some socialization catch up to do!

I remember something about him a bit shy/sitting on your feet at the vet's office... was that because of strange people or strange dogs or strange surroundings?

So far so good in regards to strange people but if you notice any timidness around people at all, I'd ask strangers to give him treats and affection. (lol I realize you're already doing this)

You'll also need to work with getting him used to other dogs... even the poorly trained, rambunctious ones. It'll be good for him to be confident in these situations because as he matures you don't want that fear manifesting as defensive behavior/aggression. A confident dog is much easier to board at noisy kennels when you go on vacation as well.

Good luck, I'm glad he's turning out to be a good match for you!
 

bubbatd

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#4
Personally I think this is good !! I'd rather see him going to you for his first visit than going bonkers !
 
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That's awesome that you had a great first experience out!!! BUT personally I wouldn't stand for a dog who sought me out to sit at my feet. Though it shows that he looks to you for guidance . . . it also shows that he is NOT confident in himself. I would much prefer my dog at that age to be at the end of it's leash barking and carrying on in a friendly manner than sitting at my feet. With clients one of the things I stress is that if their dog seeks them out like that, that they step away and teach the dog to deal with it, and gain their confidence.

I suggest you sign up for some local training courses just so you can get a basic foundation in dog behavior. It'll help a lot with your pup while he grows ;) But good on you for working with him through the distractions. That is key :)
 

elegy

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it's not good grammy. it's not good at all. i have a timid puppy. he's much much better than he was when he was a tiny baby but i had to do a lot of work to get him this way, and he still gets uncomfortable with certain people when they're just being normal people, not in any way threatening.

too many timid puppies grow up to become fear biters.
 

corgipower

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At his age, he should be exuberant. He should be eager to meet people and see new things. He should want to explore the world around him. That's simply what puppies do and is a critical piece of their social development.

A puppy that opts to go lie quietly at the owner's feet is worrisome. It could be that there's a health issue or it could be a matter of being shy. Shyness can easily develop into fear.

A dog who is friendly can easily be taught self-control through basic obedience. A fearful dog needs a lot of work with counter-conditioning and gradual desensitization. It is a lot more difficult and the dog may never be 100%. A fearful dog that turns into a fear biter can be extremely unpredictable and dangerous.
 

bubbatd

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#8
I respect your posting .....I've never had a timid dog , just pups who would stick to me when unsure of their surroundings the first time .
 

Dekka

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Kat sticks by me.. but she barks and looks interested. She doesn't back away from dogs.. there is a difference.

As well grammy.. your dogs weren't byb dogs. You knew you had a stable temperamented pup, so you could be patient to see if they worked out of it. The OP does not have that luxury.
 
C

Crush

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Well the dog went and touched noses with a couple of other dogs.. but then the dogs would get aggressive and bark! The owners would have to pull the dogs HARD on the leashes. They weren't using choke chains so were never properly leash trained.. a lot of mainstream dog owners with the large dogs pulling there owners.

He also got excited when a girl there said hi to her and petted her. But he never jumped up on her.. he lied on his back for some reason trying to be cure or something. I read that the Maltese will actually do that in social situations when he's excited. Hehehe.. But it did get a laugh.

Trust me so many people commented on how cute our little guy was. People were following us around the store and looking down the isles at our little fluff ball.

This one lady had a huge lab and the thing LUNGED at the puppy.. so he ran behind our feet and the lady YANKED that dog back.. like she had to do it with all her might. Then she started appologizing.

Mainstream dog owners. Family dogs.

I think he did really well for his first time being outdoors and in public. We didn't know what might happen!

Man some of those large dogs BARK and are aggressive hehehe.. Not our little guy though. Didn't bark once. Sit despite all the excitement. And didn't jump up when the lady was spoiling him. He got excited then lied on his back hehe.. So funny you had to be there! We were like 'where did that come from!'

Our first cat's name is Brooke (after a soap character Brooke Logan). We gave her away to another family with children.

Our second cat's name is named Logan (after a soap character Brooke Logan)

Our puppy's name is Victor (after a soap character Victor Newman)

So I guess we'll keep naming our pets after soap opera characters.

 

MandyPug

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Laying on their back is a sign of submission. The fact that he's doing that automatically when he's not even 4 months old could lead to some very bad issues in the future since he is showing already he's not confident in himself. He could develop fear issues such as snapping, growling, submissive peeing, and destructiveness. What methods exactly are you training him with? He should be excited to be in a new place and happy, not rolling on his back and cowering at your feet.

I don't think you really know what real aggression is. The dogs were likely wanting to play and very excited, not hell bent on snapping your cotton ball of a dog in half. Real aggression wouldn't be stopped by the owner, the dog would be so dead set on getting what it was going after it would do whatever it took.

Oh and also, NEVER pick a dog up when it is scared unless it's in immediate danger of being killed. You're reinforcing fear and continuing to push down the confidence level of your dog.
 

corgipower

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They weren't using choke chains so were never properly leash trained.
Choke chains are not needed for proper leash training. In fact, proper leash training shouldn't use a choke collar at all.

He also got excited when a girl there said hi to her and petted her. But he never jumped up on her.. he lied on his back for some reason trying to be cure or something. I read that the Maltese will actually do that in social situations when he's excited. Hehehe.. But it did get a laugh.
That sounds like an appeasement gesture, which often indicates a lack of confidence. Please make sure this puppy gets lots of socialization and many positive experiences with people.
 

Upendi&Mina

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Just because a dog is barking doesn't mean it's aggressive. Dogs bark for a number of reasons.

And a dog not wearing a choke chain doesn't mean they've never been leash training. Nor does a dog wearing one mean that it has been.
 

Laurelin

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Actually there are many breeds where you should NEVER use a choke chain due to the risk of collapsing trachea. I would not use a choke chain on your puppy if he's fairly small.
 

lizzybeth727

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Well the dog went and touched noses with a couple of other dogs.. but then the dogs would get aggressive and bark! The owners would have to pull the dogs HARD on the leashes. They weren't using choke chains so were never properly leash trained.. a lot of mainstream dog owners with the large dogs pulling there owners.
That's why it's so important that your puppy is well socialized with adult dogs that YOU KNOW and that are GOOD with other dogs OFF LEASH. Pet stores are probably one of the worst places to go to meet strange dogs like this, because - as you now know and probably should've before if you had gone to the store and noticed the types of dogs that were there before you got the puppy - it's pretty much the only place that people with out of control dogs can take their dogs.

THIS is why puppy class is so important, as well as play times with, again, APPROPRIATE dogs, so that your puppy gets to have GOOD experiences with other dogs and learns that most dogs are friendly and nice to be around. Then he - AND YOU - will be able to cope when he meets the occasional out of control dog.

he lied on his back for some reason trying to be cure or something. I read that the Maltese will actually do that in social situations when he's excited. Hehehe.. But it did get a laugh.
I don't really understand what you're saying there in bold.... BUT dogs usually lay on their back when they're trying to be submissive. At this age it means that your puppy is not very confident and is trying to make sure everyone knows he's small and insignificant. I truely hope you get into a puppy training class ASAP so that you will be able to learn to recognize these signs, and your puppy gets more exposure to strangers where he can learn more confidence.


Mainstream dog owners. Family dogs.
What is your dog, if not a "family dog"??? Is he a working dog? A police dog? :confused::confused::confused:

I think he did really well for his first time being outdoors and in public. We didn't know what might happen!
I really hope you don't mean that this was his first time OUTSIDE. Like, his first time to experience fresh air.
 

Southpaw

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#16
Barking does not equal aggressive. A lot of dogs bark simply because they want to play... which, at a pet store, could very likely be the reason.

You sound very proud of your dog but IMO you have a lot of work to do...
 

Lizmo

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Oh no, his dog is definitely not a working dog. He'd never have on of those!
 

lizzybeth727

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They weren't using choke chains so were never properly leash trained..
Didn't catch that before.....

I've trained TONS of dogs, and have not used a choke chain since my first dog when I was 12 years old. My first dog is the only one I didn't successfully leash train. ;)
 

Dekka

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I compete and train dogs in Obedience, Rally Obedience, and Agility with no choke chains ever having been on my dogs (and never will)

Dekka has been in one movie so far and we have another shoot coming up.. and she has NEVER had a choke on her in her life.

Funny how much of what you "KNOW" to be true is so patently false.
 

MandyPug

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I have a dog that is a trained therapy dog and is working on her CGN title as well as agility, rally obedience, and soon to be confirmation showing (she's my practise dog) who has never had a choke collar or even heard the words "No" or "Don't" in her life. At 4 months she was 95% recall and 100% reliable off lead and loose lead. With no choke collars, prongs, shocks, martingales, or even negative words.

My other 2 were negatively trained (no chokes) with alot of old fashioned methods like "rubbing their nose in it" and shouting and negativity and guess what! They'll never be like my youngest or be able to do what she does with their tails wagging and being outgoing because they've been negatively punished in their socialization years.
 
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