Max has a date!

.....with a dog trainer. Our four yr old coonhound, Max, is a good boy. We got him from the SPCA a bit over a year ago and he has done very well. When he first came home, he would snap at you if you touched his back end, pull your arm off when on leash and was a bit nervous of people. He is now a huge suck, loves to be petted anywhere, any time, by anyone (his tummy is always available!), doesn't snap and has come very far with walking on a loose leash (though a good smell is sometimes just too much for his hound-dog nose to resist).

Max knows basic obedience commands such as sit, stay, lay down, come and quiet. He doesn't always DO it on the first try, because he is stubborn, but he knows what we're asking and if you insist, he'll oblige. He is good with the cats, though there is sometimes a bit of chasing (which the cats goad him into)....but if he catches up, he just grins at the cat in question as if to ask "well, we're here....what were we runnin' for?". He loves his kitties and the kittens, especially Addie, love him back. He is not a licker AT ALL, but we've seen him lick her

One of his only big issues is he's not socialized with other dogs. He jumps around, barks and generally gets over excited most times he sees another dog. His tail wags like crazy and I think it's just excitment and not knowing how to behave......I don't think it's aggression, but I don't want to risk another dog without someone there to help me, at least a first. He's had good interaction a few times, but they're the exception.

So, we've made an appointment for sunday with a trainer to assess Max and either help him privately for a while or (fingers crossed) be able to accomodate us in a small obedience class.

I want him to be able to come with us when we go to places where there is a dog, especially since my mom just got her first dog. I want him to have doggy friends. So, can I get some "be cool and friendly" vibes for sunday?

Sending good luck vibes your way! But, from what you describe, I don't think its aggression, I think its just excitement at seeing another dog. I agree, he needs to be calm until you say he can play, but once he starts to play, watch out! I have a chocolate lab and a pug. My MIL has a golden lab/rottie mix. She is HUGE! I was worried the first few times they played together, because there was a lot of muzzle biting, leg biting, snarling, growling....you would think they hated each other. But, then they would play for hours and are the best of friends! Dogs are pack animals, and need to know their order in the "pack".

Sounds like you did alot for your baby! Good job, and keep us posted.

I thought I was reading about our dog Fergus. He is exactly the same, knows basic commands, but is headstrong, wants to get at other dogs on leash....it all sounds the same.
I'm looking for a trainer this week also. Fergus is three and we just adopted him a week ago. He is a sweetheart, he just needs a little "fine-tuning".
The cats definitely thinks he could use a bit of obedience.
Please post and tell how it went with his assessment with the trainer. Good luck!


~Rhonda

I hope everything goes well! Good luck!!

The training session went well. Max had a lot of fun running around. We did recalls with a clicker and he was very good at it. We only had another dog come in for a few minutes and he got about 40ft from us before Max started to take notice. So, we're going to try to slowly shrink that confort distance. We made another appointment for 2 weeks from now. We're hoping it'll be successful but at least I know the dog has a blast when we go!

Glad to hear it went well. You're doing the right thing, giving him his space, & gradually reducing the distance. I'm sure the trainer will only let him asociate with bomb proof dogs that are used to over exuberant pups.
Good luck.

Originally Posted by Kalikat

Glad to hear it went well. You're doing the right thing, giving him his space, & gradually reducing the distance. I'm sure the trainer will only let him asociate with bomb proof dogs that are used to over exuberant pups.

Good luck.

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The dog she brought in was hers, an older hound mix. He's mostly deaf and old enough to be quietly dignified. I think his days of chasing and jumping are mostly behind him lol. He couldn't have cared less about Max, but Max started to get pretty interested in him. The trainer agrees that it seems that Max is just interested and excited, not agressive, but obviously we'll be taking it slow and careful just in case. In the mean time, we're going to go and invest in some clickers, because they seem to focus Max really well.