I'm forwarding some recent pictures of Rocket. He's very much loved by the whole family and has felt very much at home from day one. As a young dog, Rocket is much more agile than our previous 12 year old Schnauzer. He's well behaved in the house and, thankfully, doesn't bark at squirrels! He alerts us to doorbells and distinguishes friend from stranger.
Outside, Rocket was initially nose to the ground acquainting himself with all the new smells, but he is now much more familiar with his new neighbourhood. He is comfortable being on a lead and takes directions well. In the specified off-leash area of the nearby municipal park, Rocket can be easily encouraged to do wind sprints for exercise.
We have recently noticed that Rocket can sometimes be quite assertive (dare I say aggressive) with other dogs. Generally, this occurs in one-on-one situations, often with seemingly friendlier breeds like Labradors or Retrievers, both when he is on-lead and off-lead. In a situation with a group of dogs, however, Rocket is much better behaved and more wary of larger animals. I'm not sure whether Rocket's reactions are purely circumstantial or whether he would benefit from even more socialization with other dogs on his walks.
We would welcome any recommendation you might have for Rocket, and his human handlers, to receive training for adult dogs (rather than puppies).
Happy New Year
Posts
3 comments:
How about just taking him to obedience classes? Sounds like he's a candidate for agility, too.
-HTG
He looks cute and happy.
Happy New Year Rocket and to everyone else.
He is very handsome. I find it very common for dogs to have a certain "type" of dog that they are more reactive to. Mine, in particular, doesn't like Huskies. It could be something in Rocket's past that led him to be this way. A past fight or issue. One good exercise is, when you see Rocket being reactive to another dog, ask the owner if it would be ok to walk Rocket next to the other dog with no interaction. The more you do this, the less he will react. Always keep Rocket on a short leash when doing this exercise and maybe a meter or 2 apart from the other dog. Never let Rocket meet other dogs face to face, especially when he is being overly assertive. And always remember that dogs sense another dogs energy and "vibe" more than anything else. So a dog that looks great and friendly to you may not seem so to Rocket
Good luck
Susan
P.S I watch a lot of the "Dog whisperer" with Cesar Milan for tips
Post a Comment