Socializing Heidi..........

[CherylHampton]

Well didn't take long and here I am again. Heidi has me all kind of confused. Had a repairman come in and she was all tail wagging, pet me kind of greeting, then just chilled out and sat close to me as he worked. Whenever he walked by she was ok....a belly rub would be great right about now so she's doing ok meeting new people. Now for the other issue. She growled at her reflection in the door last night, no aggression or barking just growling a couple of times. Sophie came by for her morning treat and she growled at her through the door, I opened it, Sophie came in and Heidi followed her around no more growling but not overtly friendly either. When She started to leave however Heidi wanted to run after her. I'm concerned when she meets other dogs(and the opportunity is very slim where we live) she's not going to do well. She's going g to be a big girl. I thought if I encouraged a relationship with the most gentle dog I knew it would be a good start for her but she flip flops from being scared to wanting to play(she just won't commit to it ). Any suggestions on where and how  I can take her to introduce her to more canines? We don't have dog parks around us and its too cool yet to go to the lake plus she's not good enough on her leash. Another thought...she runs to me when she gets spooked which is fine, but I want her building some confidence. Am I expecting too much too soon? I'm afraid time is getting away from us as she's 10weeks old already and her socialization period is crucial and shes not had the opportunity to be exposed to some things she probably should have by now. I don't want her to be the "bully on the playground" but can see that happening if I can't get creative about finding places for her to meet other dogs. Thanks in advance for any tips or advice as I'm in a quandary.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Any suggestions on where and how  I can take her to introduce her to more canines?

Puppy classes! You don't want to go to the dog park as that may be too much for her, not to mention she hasn't completed her vaccines yet. Look for classes run by a reputable dog trainer using force-free methods. Let the trainer know about your concerns about how she interacts and fear in advance so that they can take some steps prior to ensure all measures are taken to make it all a positive experience for her. 

Also may be worthy just to play it safe and mention her behavior to the vet just in case she has some vision issues since you mention her barking at reflections and when seeing Sophie through the door. Although some pups may react that way at times (it can be almost funny), as they don't understand reflections yet and are trying to figure it out and may feel confused. It sounds like she's in the stage of 'react first, inspect later' hopefully it will be just a stage, but best to be proactive nonetheless. 

Here is a read on fear periods in puppies and how to tackle them:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-periods-8-10-weeks-6-14-months/

Confidence-building exercises: (for agility, you will have to wait until the growth plates close for high-impact things like jumps, but you can start with some basics, like letting her walk on various surfaces, and going through a small agility tunnel)

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-build-confidence-insecure-dogs/

"Look at that" exercise when seeing dogs: 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/

Treat retreat when around strangers:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/how-to-play-the-treat-and-retreat-game/

Avoid exposures that are overwhelming to her and that she's not ready yet, to prevent  negative associations. 

Watch her body language closely:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dogs-dont-bite-blue/