rescued lurcher, saluki cross

[mybutty]

i got a 2 year old lurcher bitch last november from the dogs trust in essex. she had never been socialised. and probably never been outside in the big wide world. we live alongside the canal and when we first ever took her for a walk along it she went mad. i dont think she had been out before, she has calmed down alot and now loves her walks, but when she sees another dog coming she charges up to it and barks. she does'nt do it in a agresive way. i think she's scared. if shes on the lead she's even worse. i dont know how to stop her from doing this. she's not bothered about food. but she does like her tennis ball but it's still not enough to keep her attention on me. she has made friends with a few dogs and plays with them o.k. but has no mannners when she greets them. any suggestions please

[carmalee]

with time and patience I'm sure she'll be fine. I had the same problem with a very hyper border collie I'm fostering at the moment. What I've done is introduced him to dogs I know are laid back - go for walks together, play (be careful of toys as they can be a flash point) just sit and drink coffee with the dogs around. did this for quite a while then stepped up the number of dogs and now he's very happy to play in a group. he was obliged to spend all day Saturday at a horse show I was judging at and he was brilliant - there was a dog show on as well so he got lots of exposure. You need to stay calm too - don't convey any anxiousness to the dog. all she's doing is shooting first and asking questions after. the other dogs will teach her some manners - it's a huge learning curve for her. keep us updated and good luck

[RATTER15]

if you have Sky, watch the dog whisperer, this subject is often covered also search youtube for the same.

Personally I would say to take your dog to dog training classes to socialise her and to help with her problems.

She needs to learn that you are the pack leader, she should not approach any dog without your permission, this needs to be practised on a lead, set up the scenario with a dog friend, she must walk past the dog without showing to much interest, when this has been accomplished, you can the show her that being calm around other dogs will actually allow her to meet them.

Their is actually a lot to be learned from various youtube clips but I would recommend the Dog Whisperer (Cesar Milan)

Good luck.

[RATTER15]

Try this one just for a taste.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cffj0vOBWsc