# Let's try to figure out why dogs respect certain member of the family and not others.



## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

I was reading a few threads on this forum and others as well in preparation for the new pup. I noticed a theme emerging that goes along these lines.
"I do about 90% of the training for my dog, but he respects my husband and not me"
"My dog only listens mostly to my wife/husband but I do most of the training"
"All it takes is one look from my _____ and the dog stops whatever he's doing"
This got me thinking, why in some cases is it that the person doing the least amount of training with the dog gains the most respect?
I have a few theories and maybe someone can add in.
It could be that the dog respects the calmer, less bossy member of the family.
The person doing the training is usually the one giving the most praise/belly rubs, maybe the dog sees this as a sign of weakness? 
The dog might be trying to win the affection of the person he sees the least?

Now this of coarse isn't the case all the time, but I was trying to figure out some nuances that we might not even realize are happening, that are contributing in the dog being more obedient/respectful with certain members of the family. When I was a kid I had a GSD that didn't listen to most members of the family, we would yell at him and reprimand him and he would still go about his ways. My grandfather never even paid attention to the dog and for some reason the dog would respect him the most.


----------



## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Attitude.....


SuperG


----------



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Or the other person is the fun one who plays with the dog and doesn't make demands. It may not be that the dog likes the other person better, it could just be a desire to play.


----------



## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

Maybe the dog sees who is the one in charge of the family and there is where the respect comes from. Ideally everything in a marriage is a group collaboration. However, It seems that in every relationship there is someone who has the final say or is the final decision maker. Not that this person doesn't compromise and give in to the other person. But ultimately the dog may see one as leader and one as higher up than dog but not the highest. or maybe the dog just naturally has more respect for one over the other.


----------



## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

in many cases, the person who doesn't do the training and daily care gets attention and respect simply because they aren't there all the time. They are more fun and novel and "ah Mom (or Dad!) is here every day. She pays attention to me all the time."


----------



## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

We both train the dog and she loves us both the same. Although I feed her.


----------



## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

I've been there 24/7 from day one...do all the training....do all the playing.......most everything....but I don't feed the dog except on rare occasions..... I have no doubt my dog "respects" me far more than anyone else. Also...my dog doesn't solicit me for "attention"......except upon my return briefly.

SuperG


----------



## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

All my dogs seem to adore my husband. Who is a tease and a bully most often. Look closer. What looks like adoration is in fact attempts to appease and sometimes blatant submission. 
Further he feeds them junk and actively encourages stupidity.
For example he puts animal shows on tv knowing full well Shadow will react. He encourages it then yells at her for jumping at the tv. He pins her down. Teases her then gets angry at her for fighting back. 
There is a reason he doesn't live here. 
They have no respect for him they simply want him to stay calm. Fear is not respect. And in far to many relationships one person wants the dog and one doesn't. Dogs are not stupid.


----------



## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

Sounds like to the dog he is dominant.


----------



## Themusicmanswife (Jul 16, 2015)

I am my current GSD's person. I do the training. Most of the other care but my husband does feed and walk her too. But, I am the one. I am the disciplinarian. My husband is a pushover. She's my dog and I am her person. She loves all of the family members. She has a special relationship with my nine year old. I think it is because he is natural with dogs and he has focus with obedience. He loves her and they have a special relationship.

I've had three other dogs and I've been number one to them all. I am the person who has always had a majority of the pet care. None of my dogs have preferred anyone besides me. Must be my bubbly personality. ?


----------



## Freyja (May 24, 2016)

Sabis mom said:


> All my dogs seem to adore my husband. Who is a tease and a bully most often. Look closer. What looks like adoration is in fact attempts to appease and sometimes blatant submission.
> Further he feeds them junk and actively encourages stupidity.
> For example he puts animal shows on tv knowing full well Shadow will react. He encourages it then yells at her for jumping at the tv. He pins her down. Teases her then gets angry at her for fighting back.
> There is a reason he doesn't live here.
> They have no respect for him they simply want him to stay calm. Fear is not respect. And in far to many relationships one person wants the dog and one doesn't. Dogs are not stupid.


This sounds like my dad, when I was younger we had ACD's and being an extremely intelligent and stubborn breed, the combination of him playing these weird 'mind games' with them was terrible. My parents separated a few years ago, and one of the red heeler girls (who remains with my mum) is riddled with anxiety and strange behaviours I'm sure because of it.

In regards to OP, I've actually found as the one who trains/feeds/spends the most time at home with Rollo that he listens to me the most. It takes my partner being _very_ stern with him for him to respond (he's a bit stubborn himself), whereas for me, he'll generally listen 98% of the time as I think he's more accustomed to my training style of action-reward. I've found in more high-energy situations like going to classes and being surrounded by other dogs, he calms quicker with my partner though as I think his tenacity/strength puts him at ease.


----------



## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

There are so many factors to consider, I think: One's tone of voice, body language/demeanor, comfort level with dogs, expectations/attitude (not putting up with nonsense). As well as being calm, firm, fair, and consistent, and being able to read/interpret dog behavior. 

I've been taking classes with my dogs for the last several years, and I spend a lot of time watching people interact with their dogs. It's kind of interesting. There are a lot of inexperienced owners and badly behaved dogs. (I am glad they are there, it's good place for them to be). A lot of times the dog will misbehave (bark, growl, lunge at another dog), and the owner won't do a thing, no leash correction, no command or redirection...nothing to help the dog make a better choice). If they had been paying attention, or knew how to read their dog, they might have realized that their dog was about to react, and could have prevented anything from happening in the first place. 

I think dogs respect people with dog sense. Some people just naturally have it. Thankfully, it can also be learned, I think.

My dogs obey me better than they do my husband, though they respect us both.


----------



## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

I think sometimes its the consistency of the person that they like. The person may not do much with the dog, but the dog knows the expectations of that person and they never change. 


I think also, that just like people, different things make different dogs bond more with one person over another. For some it may be the person who feeds them, the one that plays with them, the one that trains them. Basically, the one that meets the need they need the most.


And there are some people that are just naturals with them. You've heard people say 'so and so is just always so good with dogs', or 'all dogs seem to like so and so'. Do the read a dog better? Are they more open to the dog? Show confidence the dog responds to or respects? Could be some of these or all of these. And other things.


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Dog's gravitate toward people with the right body language. Just because you spend 10-20 hours a week training the dog, doesn't mean you are projecting yourself as the confident leader the dog is looking to follow. 

I think that the person who seems indifferent to the dog, often projects to the dog a being that is naturally a leader. The one who is rushing over to see the puppy and getting down on the ground and trying to pet and play with the puppy is the one the puppy is not so sure about. The pup gravitates toward the natural leader.


----------



## melissajancie (Dec 22, 2016)

In my family (my husband and myself) the dogs and cats have always gravitated towards me. Likewise, strange dogs are always calm around me and like the attention. They "know" I am a dog person and that I love all of them.

As far as respect - I never had any problem getting the dogs to do what I have asked. My husband is the more stern one and yes....they listen to him but if it came down to whose side the dogs and cats are going to be by - that is always me. My husband gets up really early in the mornings. He feeds them so I can sleep and then comes back in the bedroom and there used to be 2 dogs and 2 cats in bed with me. Slowly due to old age - we are down to one 18 year old cat now. My GSD arrives mid february. I am curious as to which person this GSD is going to follow more.


----------



## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

selzer said:


> Dog's gravitate toward people with the right body language. Just because you spend 10-20 hours a week training the dog, doesn't mean you are projecting yourself as the confident leader the dog is looking to follow.
> 
> I think that the person who seems indifferent to the dog, often projects to the dog a being that is naturally a leader. The one who is rushing over to see the puppy and getting down on the ground and trying to pet and play with the puppy is the one the puppy is not so sure about. The pup gravitates toward the natural leader.


I like your opinion.....especially your point regarding indifference. Spending lots of time with one's dog certainly has an upside but there is the potential downside .....it can expose the human's weaknesses....such as inconsistency in emotions, temper, sensible patience, adherence to expectations, reward, corrections etc......I have no doubts that over the years...my shortcomings in the dog/human relationship have been more the hurdle than the dog itself........IMO....dogs don't "lie" and they see right through any facade presented by the human.

SuperG


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Personality. Take what Sue said. I would add that dogs will gravitate to the personality they like. It's not all about leadership but still who the dog likes. No different than humans.

I'm very high strung. I move quickly and easily frustrated. My husband is very laid back, calm with the total "ohhhhmmmm" factor. Some of our dogs naturally go to him, some naturally go to me.


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Jax08 said:


> I'm very high strung. I move quickly and easily frustrated. My husband is very laid back, calm with the total "ohhhhmmmm" factor. Some of our dogs naturally go to him, some naturally go to me.



I'm like your husband. My dogs like to play with everyone else, but when it's time to settle, you'll find them by me. If I even whisper Russell's name, he practically breaks his neck getting to me, lol. I guess if I think about it, I'm always fair and consistent with the dogs, and they respond to that, whether it's shepherds or sighthounds.


----------



## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I'm the one that does all the training and care so Max is closest to me and so is our new pup Luna. When we first brought home Max as a pup he did gravitate more to my husband as all the animal do at first. All our dogs do love all the members of the family though and each have their own special relationship.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

dogfaeries said:


> I'm like your husband. My dogs like to play with everyone else, but when it's time to settle, you'll find them by me. If I even whisper Russell's name, he practically breaks his neck getting to me, lol. I guess if I think about it, I'm always fair and consistent with the dogs, and they respond to that, whether it's shepherds or sighthounds.



The super calm dogs and the ones with bad nerves gravitate towards my husband. Now, his idea of being a leader is moving the remote control so the dogs have a place to sit. Our Boxer has terrible nerves. If I move to quickly around her, she loses her brain and will literally run into things trying to get away. She never does that with Scott. Quick movement, loud noises....brain falls out. I think some dogs gravitate to the personality that is most comfortable and calming for them.

Just like me with people, High strung, drama filled, people create anxiety in me. Literally can feel it creeping up my back. The ones that can sit in silence and can carry on a conversation without drama are the ones I choose to be with.

They find the people that they are comfortable being around. Maybe it's as simple as they also are either Introverts or Extroverts.


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Yep. I agree. My boyfriend is loud and excitable. Sage couldn't stand him from the moment I brought her home, and he didn't much like her either. They both softened toward each other over time, but if I was in the room, no one else existed. Our temperaments just meshed.


----------



## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

selzer said:


> Dog's gravitate toward people with the right body language. Just because you spend 10-20 hours a week training the dog, doesn't mean you are projecting yourself as the confident leader the dog is looking to follow.
> 
> I think that the person who seems indifferent to the dog, often projects to the dog a being that is naturally a leader. The one who is rushing over to see the puppy and getting down on the ground and trying to pet and play with the puppy is the one the puppy is not so sure about. The pup gravitates toward the natural leader.


I agree with most of what you're saying, but how can you train the dog while being indifferent?


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Julian G said:


> I agree with most of what you're saying, but how can you train the dog while being indifferent?


With an adult dog, often people suggest a two-week shut down. 

With a puppy, I suggest not taking the puppy anywhere for a week. There is enough in learning the people in the home and the rhythms of the home for a puppy that first week. And then when the pup starts going places with you, it already has some faith in you. 

What I do with pups, is wait for the rest of the litter to go home, and then I take the pup to puppy classes. Once a week for about six weeks. That is ALL I do. We spend about 50 minutes in class doing things with the attention span and development of puppies in mind. Mostly, I am just trying to expose my pup to other people and dogs in a controlled environment -- this isn't doggy-play time. I do make sure that we start and end with something fun that we are doing good at. Lots of praise. 

Then I do nothing for a week. Sure I feed and water and play with the puppy, but I don't work on sits and downs and all that. Doesn't matter to me. That will come. In fact, if usually does quicker than the other people in the classes. The puppy is excited and remembers a lot of what we did the previous week. 

After puppy classes, there will often be a week or two, and then we get into a basic class. Again, I work the dog in class. Outside of class I do very little. Occasionally, I might go to the fridge and ask for a sit for a piece of cheese. But we work in class, and it keeps the dog's attention. Once a week, I might take the dog to a pet-oriented store or hiking trail. As training progresses, and I am going to advanced obedience classes, I might walk the dog out of classes, but I do not expect a perfect heel, and when walking, I only ask for a heel when crossing streets. The rest of a walk I try to maintain a loose lead. And as training goes on, I might take a few breaks in a walk to try finishes or sit stay walk arounds, and such. 

All my dogs/pups listen to me well enough to run to my car in my unfenced front yard without a lead. Or come back up to the house unleashed. But other than that, I am in no hurry to get them to the point of 100% without the umbilical cord. I get there, and quick enough. 

We get a new puppy and we are all excited to get started. Sometimes it is better to be a little more relaxed. We shouldn't wait until there are behavioral problems to sign up for classes. Instead, we can just go through at a relaxed pace and avoid the behavioral problems altogether.


----------



## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

selzer said:


> With an adult dog, often people suggest a two-week shut down.
> 
> With a puppy, I suggest not taking the puppy anywhere for a week. There is enough in learning the people in the home and the rhythms of the home for a puppy that first week. And then when the pup starts going places with you, it already has some faith in you.
> 
> ...


Do you really think puppy classes are necessary? Because I went to them and my dog still grew up dog aggressive. I was leaning towards the Leerburg method of no contact with other dogs. Kind of off topic but useful info.


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I take my puppies to conformation classes because I show. They learn to ignore other dogs. They don't socialize with each other. They aren't allowed to stare at each other. It does help that my puppies are raised in a grooming shop. Right now I have a 4 month old puppy, and I'll start taking her to our club's conformation classes as soon as they start back up.


----------



## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

Julian G said:


> Do you really think puppy classes are necessary? Because I went to them and my dog still grew up dog aggressive. I was leaning towards the Leerburg method of no contact with other dogs. Kind of off topic but useful info.


A stable dog with good nerves will be fine with puppy classes. Leerburg has his views. But they aren't necessarily gospel. There are good trainers out there. But the only dog that you can train is the one in front of you. Not the one a trainer tells you about.
If you want a dog to focus on you do everything with that dog. In my house there are three people and two dogs. My dog is mine, my gf's dog is hers, my daughter is respected by both. Our philosophy is, I train and spend time with my dog. She trains and spends time with her dog. Not to say hers doesn't listen to me, nor mine to her. But we separate them in that aspect.


----------



## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

Julian G said:


> Do you really think puppy classes are necessary? .


Depends on the Class. It could be crap or great depending on the trainer.

I seen a good trainer at puppy classes deal with an aggressive dog quite successfully. (9 months to 1 year). It was a start with the dog and the aggression wasn't cured within 4 classes but improved a lot. I've also seen people with nice dogs bring up the dog to be dog aggressive down the line. Personally I've dealt with dog aggressive dogs and dogs with dog aggression issues at particular stages of development. 



> my dog still grew up dog aggressive. I was leaning towards the Leerburg method of no contact with other dogs. Kind of off topic but useful info


I would put it down to your experience/inexperience, knowledge and skill set. Obviously some dogs will have more or less aggression in different situations, but how we deal with every occasion is going to determine the dogs react ion to stimuli.

How much impact a trainer has on the dog really affects the outcome. 

My dog can learn there are serious consequences if it gets dog aggressive with i am handling it and also learn there are no consequences with someone else handling it and so will act out with that person.


----------



## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

MadLab said:


> It could be crap or great depending on the trainer.


So true....I'll take responsibility for not just picking up and leaving a puppy class or two over the years.....I could cry foul and claim I was duped by some of these supposed "professional" dog trainers...but that would just be passing the buck. The benefit of the incompetent dog trainers was...it taught me how to better investigate the next trainer I hired...... Way too many crappy dog trainers.....the good ones are out there luckily.....and well worth their fees.

SuperG


----------



## angelas (Aug 23, 2003)

All the dogs preferred my parents (especially dad) over me. Why? Because he just hands out cookies without making demands. I have expectations of behavior which most of them thought were too much work for a cookie.


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Julian G said:


> Do you really think puppy classes are necessary? Because I went to them and my dog still grew up dog aggressive. I was leaning towards the Leerburg method of no contact with other dogs. Kind of off topic but useful info.


Necessary? No.

When I was growing up, no one took their dogs to classes. Never heard of classes. Dogs were kept chained in the back yard to a dog house and if they looked like dying, they might be taken to the vet. When you went on vacation, you asked the neighbor to give the dog food and water every day. The dog never went anywhere. And if it was below zero, the dog might be kept in a back hallway or kitchen at night. There were dog shows back then, and I expect some people kept their dogs differently. But if we ever tried to take the mongrel on a walk, it dragged us a round the block. We learned obedience from books and not very well. 

It is not necessary for dogs to go with you to friends and relatives' homes.
It is not necessary for dogs to go with you to parks or on vacations. 
It is not necessary for dogs to sleep in the house. 
It is not necessary for dogs to go to pet stores or groomers. 
It is not necessary for dogs to be accustomed to going to the vet. 
It is not necessary to feed them dog food, or an appropriate raw or homemade diet. 

Puppy classes, where all the puppies run around and play with each other are stupid and are likely to produce dog-dog issues, especially if the trainer isn't very on top of everything. 

When I say puppy classes, I mean basic obedience classes geared toward puppies. Puppies have a short attention span, the class should cover things, try each thing one to three times and then move on. Puppies should be managed with the focus on communicating what the puppy did right, and with praise and treats and excitement make it fun and rewarding for the puppy and the owner. Puppies can benefit from exercises that make the puppy move its body, its back legs, get used to where his body is. We have the puppy walk over a horizontal ladder, and through hoops. There should be fun stuff, a tunnel, tricks with puppies. And we sometimes have each puppy handed off and rewarded by the other owners in the group -- not dog-dog socialization, but some puppy-person socialization. If it appears to be difficult for a pup, we stop. It is an opportunity for you to work with your dog around other people working with their dog with exercises that are easy to train, good to know, build confidence, build communication and trust. And, puppy classes have a cut-off. Usually, the pups have to be 10-16 weeks old at the beginning, and they last 6 weeks. Some places will have a puppy 2 class for pups under 6 months at the beginning. The last thing your 10 week old puppy needs is some 9 month old puppy barking and lunging toward it, and the clueless owner on the other end of that lead to let it get right up to your puppy. You cannot prevent every bad thing from happening to your puppy, but you can practice in such a way that the likelihood of something nasty happening is greatly reduced. 

The point of puppy classes is not to have a puppy ready for doggy day care or dog parks. It is to begin the process of developing a dog that is comfortable in most situations that it will likely be in, i.e.: the vet's office, and outdoor marketplace, perhaps a pet store. Most of us are looking for dog-neutral, so we do not allow our dogs to socialize during classes. It is an opportunity for our dogs to learn that there are other dogs and other people in the world and we do not have to worry about them. At the end of the day, we have a dog we can take many places, and not be embarrassed by their behavior. 

For a beginner, I think a good puppy class is incredibly beneficial. And those of us veterans keep coming back because it is fun and we see the benefit to our dogs. We can teach them to sit and to stay at home, no problem, but we can't conjure up other people and their dogs in a safe environment as easy as joining a well-run puppy class. 

But necessary, no. Some people would rather learn everything the hard way and do it all on their own. For me, it's the best $80 to $110 dollars I spend with each pup, well worth it.


----------



## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

selzer said:


> Necessary? No.
> 
> When I was growing up, no one took their dogs to classes. Never heard of classes. Dogs were kept chained in the back yard to a dog house and if they looked like dying, they might be taken to the vet. When you went on vacation, you asked the neighbor to give the dog food and water every day. The dog never went anywhere. And if it was below zero, the dog might be kept in a back hallway or kitchen at night. There were dog shows back then, and I expect some people kept their dogs differently. But if we ever tried to take the mongrel on a walk, it dragged us a round the block. We learned obedience from books and not very well.
> 
> ...


I remember going to puppy classes in one of those big corporate stores, when the pups would act up with one another the trainer would spray water on the dogs. At the end of the class she would let them all socialize, and that was that. Pup grew up dog aggressive. I have been a part of many threads about socialization and I am honestly leaning towards Leerburg's advice (over 40 years of breeding 350 litters) to not let the pups socialize with any people or dogs. 
I do like what you're saying about having the pup be comfortable in most situations but I am housing my brothers dog at the moment, big GSD male, he is also a bit dog aggressive (not nowhere near my old female GSD) but I still see it. He was also brought around many dogs as a pup. I forge who on here said it, but it could be that GSDs are a small pack animal. Like, they are very loyal and protective of their humans and don't like many other dogs.


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Julian G said:


> I remember going to puppy classes in one of those big corporate stores, when the pups would act up with one another the trainer would spray water on the dogs. At the end of the class she would let them all socialize, and that was that. Pup grew up dog aggressive. I have been a part of many threads about socialization and I am honestly leaning towards Leerburg's advice (over 40 years of breeding 350 litters) to not let the pups socialize with any people or dogs.
> I do like what you're saying about having the pup be comfortable in most situations but I am housing my brothers dog at the moment, big GSD male, he is also a bit dog aggressive (not nowhere near my old female GSD) but I still see it. He was also brought around many dogs as a pup. I forge who on here said it, but it could be that GSDs are a small pack animal. Like, they are very loyal and protective of their humans and don't like many other dogs.


Darn it, I just zipped out a newsy response to this and my internet needed to recover the page. 

I think this is a common mistake. You have had a problem doing something that was actually a pretty extreme social puppy class, and now you want to go to the other extreme and not socialize the puppy at all. Your puppy will not learn to be comfortable in circumstances where other dogs exist if his only experience is with a dog aggressive dog. 

First of all Leerburg has experience, they are a high volume breeder -- 350 litter in forty years is an average of 8.75 litters per year -- that's a lot of litters, and not necessarily something to be proud of. Read, but don't necessarily take everything as gospel. Not everyone is a fan. 

There is a thread, re-thinking socialization. Worth a perusal. Use the search engine. 

It isn't hard to call or e-mail classes around you and find out whether they will be having a puppy free-for-all playtime or not. If they are, pass. Find a real class. 6 or 7 puppies, on leash with their owners is not a flooding experience. 

Some yayhoo suggested 100 persons, 100 places, 100 things by 16 weeks. That nutter ought to be neutered. Most people work during the week, so people are out there on the weekends between week 8 and week 16 trying to take these puppies through 100 different people, places and things. Insanity. Yes, if the pup has a stellar temperament he doesn't need socialization, and he won't be harmed even at this level of intensity. But there isn't a huge line where dogs are split between good nerve and bad. It's more like a spectrum or bell curve. And you don't know at 8 weeks if your dog is going to have consequences by being sequestered for this 8 weeks of development. Take the puppy out, be confident, meet someone, keep it light and lacking in expectations, leave, and go home with a puppy that has more confidence in you and more in himself. If you don't do anything more this weekend, it is still better than the fool trying to get through 37.5 experiences this weekend. There are 56 days between week 8 and week 16, and even if you are going out every day, and staying out until the pup has met two separate new people, been to two different places, and seen two different things every single day -- yeah that might be ok, but completely unnecessary and the chances of one of those people or things doing something bizarre and counter-productive is increased (i.e. small kids screams in the pup's face, throws up arms, and runs across the store -- this did happen to me). During this period good socialization experiences are very good, bad ones are very bad. 

Good luck.


----------



## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

selzer said:


> Darn it, I just zipped out a newsy response to this and my internet needed to recover the page.
> 
> I think this is a common mistake. You have had a problem doing something that was actually a pretty extreme social puppy class, and now you want to go to the other extreme and not socialize the puppy at all. Your puppy will not learn to be comfortable in circumstances where other dogs exist if his only experience is with a dog aggressive dog.
> 
> ...


I worded my previous response wrong. I didn't mean not to socialize the pup at all with other people or dogs, I meant to not let them interact with other dogs and people. "Just walking by other dogs and people is socialization enough" (Michael Ellis). 
Thanks for the advice.


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Julian G said:


> I worded my previous response wrong. I didn't mean not to socialize the pup at all with other people or dogs, I meant to not let them interact with other dogs and people. "Just walking by other dogs and people is socialization enough" (Michael Ellis).
> Thanks for the advice.


 
Michael Ellis is cool. I agree. That is what a good puppy class is. They're there, their dogs are on leash, but you do not interact with the other dogs, and you can with the people or not. The dog does not have to. It is your best opportunity for having a positive experience and avoiding a negative experience. 

Wow, I used "they're", "there", and "their" all next to each other in a sentence.


----------

