We don't have dog parks here so Rocky has only met other dogs while out walking on leashes. Of course he has Chelsy to interact with but she is 13 so she doesn't really count!
Today we had a small play date with a neighbor dog. Jake is a 2 year old labrador/ dobie mix that is incredibly hyperactive. This is the kind of dog the never stops bouncing up and down on the fence, on people, etc. He makes Tigger look like a sloth. The two dogs had met on leashes before and got along just fine.
Rocky went up to the fence and they sniffed noses and Rocky did a little play bow and wagged his tail and was all excited about going in to play with Jake. As soon as he got in the fenced yard, Jake leaped on top of Rocky and started to hump him.
I realize that this is natural dog park type behavior but it totally freaked Rocky out. He took off and ran around the yard with Jake after him. Jake pounced on him and started humping again and Rocky ran up to the gate and begged to be let out. After about ten minutes we put Rocky in the yard again and the same thing happened. Then my son went in and started throwning a ball for the dogs. This time Rocky asked to go back in and chase the ball. As soon as he went in the fence and ran for the ball, Jake tried to jump on him. This time Rocky puffed up all his hair and stared at Jake and growled.
Jake was oblivious to this warning and tried to jump on Rocky again and Rocky kept growling at him so we took Rocky out of the fence and on a long walk instead.
Should we have let Rocky keep growling until Jake finally got the hint and stopped the humping? I didn't want it to escalate into anything else and end up with bloody ears. Would they have eventually started playing together? They said that Rocky was the first dog Jake did that to and that he plays with the other neighborhood dogs just fine. I think Rocky projects a submissive air and is just learning how to 'be a man'.
We have had our female chows get in terrible fights with each other so we have made a point of never letting Rocky get in situations where he would be in a fight. Maybe we have made him too woosy
Today we had a small play date with a neighbor dog. Jake is a 2 year old labrador/ dobie mix that is incredibly hyperactive. This is the kind of dog the never stops bouncing up and down on the fence, on people, etc. He makes Tigger look like a sloth. The two dogs had met on leashes before and got along just fine.
Rocky went up to the fence and they sniffed noses and Rocky did a little play bow and wagged his tail and was all excited about going in to play with Jake. As soon as he got in the fenced yard, Jake leaped on top of Rocky and started to hump him.
I realize that this is natural dog park type behavior but it totally freaked Rocky out. He took off and ran around the yard with Jake after him. Jake pounced on him and started humping again and Rocky ran up to the gate and begged to be let out. After about ten minutes we put Rocky in the yard again and the same thing happened. Then my son went in and started throwning a ball for the dogs. This time Rocky asked to go back in and chase the ball. As soon as he went in the fence and ran for the ball, Jake tried to jump on him. This time Rocky puffed up all his hair and stared at Jake and growled.
Jake was oblivious to this warning and tried to jump on Rocky again and Rocky kept growling at him so we took Rocky out of the fence and on a long walk instead.
Should we have let Rocky keep growling until Jake finally got the hint and stopped the humping? I didn't want it to escalate into anything else and end up with bloody ears. Would they have eventually started playing together? They said that Rocky was the first dog Jake did that to and that he plays with the other neighborhood dogs just fine. I think Rocky projects a submissive air and is just learning how to 'be a man'.
We have had our female chows get in terrible fights with each other so we have made a point of never letting Rocky get in situations where he would be in a fight. Maybe we have made him too woosy