Hunter had a very busy socialising weekend and I’m pleased to report did very well. I was really happy with how it went. Saturday we went to my auntie’s. My cousin and his family were visiting and wanted to meet Hunter. I decided we’d go there to give him a ride in the car and go somewhere new. He did a little bit of whinging in the car but I think if it had been further he’d have settled. When we got there he wasn’t phased at all by being in a strange place and meeting four strangers. He loved the attention and getting to root around new smells. It was commented on how calm he was.
They have a two year old fox red lab so they do have something to compare him to. Yesterday afternoon we called in on my cousin who lives down our lane. They had visitors. Another four strangers for Hunter to meet plus a Pug ! Well he decided he loved the pug. It did cross my mind he might think it was some sort of cuddly toy
. The pug is used to mixing with other dogs as it used to go to doggy daycare so when they sniffed each other she wasn’t pushy and very quickly lost interest in Hunter which of course made her irresistible to him. He bowed, he bounced, he yapped, he barked she was not interested so he would go and give her a lick and sniff every so often incase she’d changed her mind.
I know what I need to train myself to do keep the lead slack when we meet dogs. I realised yesterday when we met a couple of cockerpoos walking that I keep Hunter’s lead tight. It’s a habit from Scott and Scout. I was always ready to move them if I noticed them getting stressed if they decided to say hello to another dog, which was rare, usually given away by a slight lip curl. I also always kept my eye on the other dog for signs so I could move my dog away quick. That’s what I’m doing with Hunter watching the other dog for a reaction like the giant alsation had. Old habits die hard
