German Shepherds Forum banner

7 month old doesn't like to be chased by dogs

1K views 15 replies 4 participants last post by  cccollinnn 
#1 ·
My 7 month old is a great dog. We've socialized him since 10 weeks & he is great with animals and people. He is so gentle with the smallest of dogs & loves to play. He loves to chase other dogs but when dogs try to chase him he tucks his tail & looks very scared. Even if the dog is smaller than him. Sometimes he will even lay down & try to get the dog to just leave him alone. If the roles are reversed he will chase a dog for days. He is never aggresive even when dogs try to dominate him. I feel bad for him at times & try to keep him out of situations where he is scared. He hasn't had a real negative experience, we've always been there to protect him from bad situations. My thinking is that it's a situation where to him he feels like he is the prey when he is being chased & he doesn't like that. Any ideas? NOTE: He isn't being neutered until April.
 
#2 ·
  • Like
Reactions: MineAreWorkingline
#3 ·
exposing belly and tucking tail is very frightened and submissive

be so careful --- that situation might promote a stronger bully dog to take advantage and do harm (kick him while he's down) OR your dog might fear for his life and strike out of self-preservation

I wouldn't have the dog have that much doggy exposure . A dog that you know who has training and is obedient to call of and recall -- and get your dog into training where you can do the same .

neutering has nothing to do with it -- your dog may be better off to delay neutering until his growth plates have closed !
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the response. I didn't quite understand your sentence about another dog & training but he's graduated through intermediate & his off leash recall is great. I don't think that is the issue. He also plays with our neighbors rott, dominates him & is fairly rough with him. Dogs he doesn't know, he only likes to chase them.
 
#5 ·
translation then " A dog that you know who has training "

a dog that you are familiar with that is supervised , and controllable.

in a dog park a dog being submissive has a "sign" on his back
when when dog starts picking on him -- instantly everyone perks up and you have
a gang
no fun being underdog

we did have a forum member who experienced this dynamic
 
#6 ·
I wouldn't allow your dog to be put in the situation of being chased by other dogs. He sounds like you have put a lot of work and time into him and you don't want it to be ruined in one outing when the wrong dog decides to go after the pup who just went belly up - yours. If it were me I would avoid areas where he is meeting dogs he doesn't know, he doesn't have to play with them to be a happy dog.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the advice. Most of the time he has a great time, he goes up to every dog & plays really well. It just seems like you're saying, he likes to get to know dogs before he plays with them. Why does he play with our neighbors dog like he does & always dominates him? It does help that he is bigger than most of the dogs at the dog park. I can say he has gotten a lot better. I just found it weird that he just doesn't like to be chased. I don't know what would have made him submissive, he was somewhat the bully of his litter. Is he going to react this way in certain situations his whole life, or will he change as he grows older?
 
#12 ·
Just remember he does not have to play with other dogs to be happy. He can be quite happy with just you and your family and some known dogs. I would, personally, look for a safe place to allow him to play off leash that isn't a dog park. Also remember as he matures the dog park may or may not be a good place for him.
 
#13 ·
I understand. My question is, just because he doesn't like certain situations does that mean he doesn't like the dog park? Is he going to like dog parks regardless of his experiences & you're saying it's just not worth it because of the unknowns? We have made it a priority to socialize him since he was a pup to keep him from being aggressive. My parents dog can't be around any dogs because he was never socialized. He seems to love going there & he's always interested in meeting every dog no matter where we are. We only get him to the dog park a few times per week since we work full time. I do however take him to the field near our house on the days we don't go to the dog park. We get great off leash time there. I took him there multiple times per week since he was 8 weeks & I believe it is the reason he has great off leash recall. Why do you say the dog park may not be a great place as he matures? BTW I have extended his neutering until he is 1 year at the earliest.
 
#14 ·
"he's always interested in meeting every dog no matter where we are. "

there are so many dogs lunging and barking out of frustration who were socialized to go visit "every" dog .

socializing means knowing how to have manners in the presence of other dogs -- to be aware of them and to be neutral to them.

one day your friendly goof is going to meet the dog who will take exception to the in-your-face approach

watch for it.

also the dog is still a youth and dogs will tolerate some nonsense from them --- but as they mature ? not so much .
 
#16 ·
Yes he wants to meet every dog but he does have manners & is very nice meeting the biggest dog to the smallest dog. I would never describe his demeanor as in your face, whereas I can't say the same for a lot of other dogs I see at the park. A lot of owners of smaller dogs seem weary of him approaching but he is very gentle & if I can see they don't want him around, I can say a quick "leave it" & "come" & he's out of there.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top