Milo's 2nd Playdate - A BARK FEST

[sweetlychee]

Thanks for all the advice, guys. I know that besides the dog socializing issues, Milo is overall very good and behaves. He doesn't destroy much stuff.

[sweetlychee]

Btw, when we have a better schedule, we will arrange a time for him to go to obedience school or something. Do you guys think this warrants him to see a behaviorist or something?

[Checkers]

Debbie has given you some excellent advise. First and foremost I would keep Milo, and all dogs he is interacting with for now, on leash. Barking, raising his scruff (the hair on the back of his neck and shoulders) are aggressive signs, and based on his other reactions I would say it is a fear based aggression. What someone said about going for a walk with the other dogs is a very good idea! Even if he normally tends to lunge for other dogs on leash, walking them together in the same direction is different than meeting another dog on a walk. Give it a try... it certainly has to be less stress on him than just throwing him in with the others and "seeing how it goes". Also, keep his sessions with other dogs short for now. Later he can go to longer times, but you don't want his stress levels to build to the point where he can't handle his own emotions... and then keep him there. Kinda the same theory you would use on a person that is afraid of something. You don't just throw them in with what they are afraid of and leave them there for 4 hours and expect them to be over it... chances are they would come out worse. I would also highly recommend that he (and if possible for you to control) the other dogs go for a long walk (minimum of an hour) prior to a playdate so that they can be in a more relaxed and calm state of mind prior to the amped up atmosphere a playdate can incite. Most of all, don't ignore these issues... I did that with Cheyenne and now am being faced with a terrible decision of what to do with her because I can't trust her behavior around my son and other dogs. You will always encounter other dogs, whether you like it or not... so it is best that Milo knows how to handle himself when that does occur. The worst thing in the world is to be walking your dog and worrying about whether a stray will be waiting for you just around the next corner. You are trying your best with the knowledge that you have right now... and trying to learn... that's awesome.

As for getting a sibling... all that means is that you would have two dogs you were trying to socialize, instead of one and it would be harder! Unfortunately, I had to learn that lesson the hard way... you made the right decision! Best of luck... and if you need to, get someone that really knows dog behavior to come in an evaluate for you what is really going on. It will be worth it in the end for you guys and for Milo.

-Cheryl

[corgimom]

Originally Posted by sweetlychee

Btw, when we have a better schedule, we will arrange a time for him to go to obedience school or something. Do you guys think this warrants him to see a behaviorist or something?

Sweetly chee, Check around to see what type of classes are offered; do you trust your vet? if so, ask him for references in what would be best for your given situation. There may be some classes that are even are offered on Saturday mornings. If your schedules are too busy right now to attend any of these, then I would follow Deb's advice with possibly getting someone to come into your home at a time that would work for you to help you with Milo; this is not something I would put on the "back burner" for very long.

[Hayashi_eri]

Sweetly chee, I hope everything goes well for Milo & he can find a playmate soon. Maybe he doesn't see himself as a doggie...my sister's maltese mix cannot get along with any other dogs, she was hand fed by my sis when she was only 2 weeks old as her doggie mom pushed her out of the pack.... so naturally she is super attached to my sis, she thinks her as her real mum, thus, she will growl or try to snap at any dogs that comes near her.

[Chip's Mom]

I have a rottie mix who is a female and 10 years old. She is a very quiet lady and is friendly towards people. All the neighbors love her. In the 10 years that I have had her, she has never once growled or shown agression. BUT do not let a cat in the yard. She will turn her head similiarly as the large dog in the picture and the cat better leave or it will be no more. It is painless, quick and she will then walk away. Rotties and rottie mixes are very protective of their territory and do not allow other animals in their domain. A stray dog can come in the driveway but even her doggie friends know to stay out of the fenced in yard or she will put them down. She doesn't hurt them, she just lets them know that they are not welcome by putting them down. This large dog may very well be very friendly with you and other people, but from looking at that picture, she was threatening poor little Milo and he was very afraid. It is good to trust a dog's instincts and Milo knew she was a threat to him. Unfortunately, he had nobody to help him and he tried the best that he could to protect himself. It is so sad! I understand that you have never owned a dog before but PLEASE stay away from these pictures for a few days and then go back and take an objective look as a third person and you will see a poor little scared to death corgi and then ask yourself if you want to take him back to your aunt's again. Also reread your comments. Especially about the saliva all over your little dog. When you make a decision to bring a dog into your home, then you accept the responsibility of taking care of and protecting that dog. With owning a dog, you also have to make the time to care for his needs. Right now is the best time for you to enroll Milo in obedience class where he can learn that not all dogs are a danger to him before these 2 experiences are engrained in him. An obedience instructor can help with this. You need to find the time. Good Luck.

[corgimom]

http://www.iaabc.org/consultant_locator.htm

Sweetly Chee, I found this link in our paper tonight. There is a column "My Pet world" that appears every so often in the paper with questions and answers to pet problems. The link above was mentioned to one of the people who needed some info on finding a behavior specialist for their dog.

Anyway, check it out - Go to the right link and then click on your region and see if it comes up with any names near your area and then ask around/ starting with your vet, or someone else you may know, if they have heard of the name. There are probably other people in your area who are not listed on here, so you will have to do some inquiring.

Just passing this on

[sweetlychee]

Originally Posted by Chip's Mom

I have a rottie mix who is a female and 10 years old. She is a very quiet lady and is friendly towards people. All the neighbors love her. In the 10 years that I have had her, she has never once growled or shown agression. BUT do not let a cat in the yard. She will turn her head similiarly as the large dog in the picture and the cat better leave or it will be no more. It is painless, quick and she will then walk away. Rotties and rottie mixes are very protective of their territory and do not allow other animals in their domain. A stray dog can come in the driveway but even her doggie friends know to stay out of the fenced in yard or she will put them down. She doesn't hurt them, she just lets them know that they are not welcome by putting them down. This large dog may very well be very friendly with you and other people, but from looking at that picture, she was threatening poor little Milo and he was very afraid. It is good to trust a dog's instincts and Milo knew she was a threat to him. Unfortunately, he had nobody to help him and he tried the best that he could to protect himself. It is so sad! I understand that you have never owned a dog before but PLEASE stay away from these pictures for a few days and then go back and take an objective look as a third person and you will see a poor little scared to death corgi and then ask yourself if you want to take him back to your aunt's again. Also reread your comments. Especially about the saliva all over your little dog. When you make a decision to bring a dog into your home, then you accept the responsibility of taking care of and protecting that dog. With owning a dog, you also have to make the time to care for his needs. Right now is the best time for you to enroll Milo in obedience class where he can learn that not all dogs are a danger to him before these 2 experiences are engrained in him. An obedience instructor can help with this. You need to find the time. Good Luck.

Wow, I didn't know any of these things. Now in retrospect, I think it's a bad idea. I don't know too much about the Rottie mix. Now I feel so bad for putting Milo in that situation. I wonder does he hate me now. I never ever wanted him to feel scared and hurt.

Actually before we both changed jobs, we were going to take Milo to obedience class. Then after we changed jobs, our schedule was much harder. And now, my fiance's company is actually going downhill. So we have to make sure our finances in check. We have some stress with that but overall we're happy. I know so far overall, Milo has been very happy except the playdate. We try our best to give him everything because I treat him like a mother nurtures her young.

I really am going to read up on the links you guys give, and find him a good trainer. I will ask our vet also.

My question is: Do some dogs never get along with other dogs?

[sweetlychee]

Btw, I think his problem IS fear aggression. He has never barked or shown his fangs like that. He only does it to dogs. I think he had enough of Lucky so towards the end, he almost bit her nose. His teeth touched her nose and she ran away. If Lucky was being hostile to Milo, then Milo didn't take it towards the end. I know Milo loves going out for walks. Maybe I can find a "walk date" instead with another smaller dog.

THANKS ALL!

[Chip's Mom]

Sweetlychee:

I am not sure that Milo has fear agression (but I am not an expert) at least in this case, he was just trying to protect himself. Milo needs to be around small, mild mannered dogs that just want to play. As you can see in the one picture, Milo was doing exactly as he should, belly up, but then Milo knew the other dogs were aggressive towards him and when he had enough - his fight or flight took over. The flight didn't work so he decided to fight. I would stop worrying and start a plan of action that only includes new small pups that want to play with a similiar personality as your little dog. Keep Milo on a leash, sit on the ground with him in your lap and let a small dog approach while he is in the security of your arms and talk soothingly to him while you are doing it. Let them smell each other, etc. If he starts to bark - tell him no and give him a treat when he stops barking or change his attention to something else maybe share some treats with the two of them. I would do this often and only for short periods of time. Learn to read his body signals, if he looks stressed or scared back off and try again later. A non agressive young pup would work great. I would not take him back to your aunt's house at all. That is only going to worsen the situation. I think you want to hear that some dogs never get along with other dogs - if you train them when they are young, they will be a well adapted dog that will get along. AGAIN, if you will look into obedience classes, the instructor can help you with this. It should only be about 100 - 125 for 6 sessions. I realize that it is hard financially to spend this amount of money especially with your fiances situation, but in the long run, it will be money well spent and a much happier little corgi. If you simply can't afford it, there must be walking areas within a driving distance where you could walk Milo on leash of course and ask people if your little dog could approach their pup. Just remember you only want him to have positive experiences so choose the dog you want milo to approach carefully. Take frequent trips to Petsmart or Petco with Milo on leash. Everyone wants to talk about their dogs there and you should be able to find some pups that Milo would be able to get close too. This will further his socialization. Take treats and reward him plenty for good behavior and tell him Good Boy at every opportunity. He doesn't necessarily need to learn to play with other dogs, he just needs to learn that all dogs are not a threat.

[sweetlychee]

Bonnie: Money is not a major concern. We are all troopers and we're all here for each other.

We took Milo to Petco before. Boy, we got a run for our money. We needed to get him toothpaste and he was just barking a storm. Then, I gave him treats to calm him down and we carried him back to the car. That wasn't very bad.

I have decided to NOT take him back to my aunt's place. We will enroll him in training classes. I'll just buy fewer shoes for him.

For now, we'll slowly break him in. He's still young so there's a chance to change and to accept other dogs.

I know everytime Milo gets scared/worried, I pet him and say "Calm, Milo...Calm." I rub him and kiss his little head. I think he knows so he always looks at me. I feel bad if he's ever hurt or sad. I want to do the best I can to give him a happy and stress free life. What I learn from this forum is that we all love our corgis so much. And we all care for each other's corgis so much even though they are not our own. I'm from NY so I'm more skeptical but it makes me think - there are a lot of wonderful and warm people out there. I'm SOOO glad I found this forum!

[Chip's Mom]

Sweetlychee:

I was born and raised in Northern New York - just moved to TN about 10 years ago. I am glad you found this forum too.

[corgimom]

Originally Posted by sweetlychee

Bonnie: Money is not a major concern. We are all troopers and we're all here for each other.

We took Milo to Petco before. Boy, we got a run for our money. We needed to get him toothpaste and he was just barking a storm. Then, I gave him treats to calm him down and we carried him back to the car. That wasn't very bad.

I have decided to NOT take him back to my aunt's place. We will enroll him in training classes. I'll just buy fewer shoes for him.

For now, we'll slowly break him in. He's still young so there's a chance to change and to accept other dogs.

I know everytime Milo gets scared/worried, I pet him and say "Calm, Milo...Calm." I rub him and kiss his little head. I think he knows so he always looks at me. I feel bad if he's ever hurt or sad. I want to do the best I can to give him a happy and stress free life. What I learn from this forum is that we all love our corgis so much. And we all care for each other's corgis so much even though they are not our own. I'm from NY so I'm more skeptical but it makes me think - there are a lot of wonderful and warm people out there. I'm SOOO glad I found this forum!

Sweetly Chee

It is obvious that you love Milo and want to do the best for him. If you didn't care, you wouldn't be asking questions as to what to do with him. But like everyone has suggested, training will help the situation, not make it worse(so positive step forward). Sometimes it is hard to take the first step and don't worry about what the behavorist person or whoever you choose will think aboult Milo, because they have probably dealt with all types of situations.

With your outing to Petco where you said Milo was barking up a storm so you gave him treats to calm him - what you were really doing was rewarding him for barking - kind of like buying a sucker for the kid throwing a tantrum because they want one. just a thought to remember for next time he may do this.

Bonnie,

Classes sound expensive where you are - the most I paid here for 6 to 8 sessions was $75.00 - that is really the going rate for my area; however, someone else who may come to the home for behavior modification would probably cost more.

[sweetlychee]

Hey guys,

I need to clarify my name is not Sweetly Chee. hahaha. It's Sweet Lychee. Lychee is a very juicy and sweet fruit - hence, Sweet Lychee. Just call me by my real name - Mabel! Now, no confusion! I'm using my real name. Oh dear, I'm getting very attached and addicted to this forum.

I have called a few places and Petco offers classes too. They were around $100+ for 6 or more classes. And it goes with different age groups. It was for a 6 week training - 1 training per week. And it was held mostly at 7 pm. Is that a good price, guys?

Ah, about giving him treats after his barking, that was a bad idea I see! I should give it to him when he doesn't bark.

Is it me or with other dogs but when Milo hears the door bell ring, he barks, and goes right up to the front door. Everytime! It doesn't matter if he's eating/drinking/sleeping. Once he hears *ding dong*, he runs for the door!

[corgimom]

Originally Posted by sweetlychee

Hey guys,

I need to clarify my name is not Sweetly Chee. hahaha. It's Sweet Lychee. Lychee is a very juicy and sweet fruit - hence, Sweet Lychee. Just call me by my real name - Mabel! Now, no confusion! I'm using my real name. Oh dear, I'm getting very attached and addicted to this forum.

I have called a few places and Petco offers classes too. They were around $100+ for 6 or more classes. And it goes with different age groups. It was for a 6 week training - 1 training per week. And it was held mostly at 7 pm. Is that a good price, guys?

Ah, about giving him treats after his barking, that was a bad idea I see! I should give it to him when he doesn't bark.

Is it me or with other dogs but when Milo hears the door bell ring, he barks, and goes right up to the front door. Everytime! It doesn't matter if he's eating/drinking/sleeping. Once he hears *ding dong*, he runs for the door!

Cody goes up to the door and barks also when the bell rings also - he just has to see who is there. and give them his big Corgi Welcome.

Yes, reward him with treats for "not barking" much better idea

The Petco Price sounds reasonable; you may want to check other places also.
One thing you might want to ask is where are the classes held at Petco - right in the main store? or in a back room? because then the store would be open during those hours and there may be distractions from the customers.
Ask if you can come and sit in on one class(without Milo) and see how you like it. I would check with about 3 different trainers just to get other ideas/methods and class size can be important also.

I liked my last puppy class. It was held at my vets office, by a certified trainer, after hours, and there was only a limit of 6 dogs max which was good and no outside distractions going on.