As Time Passes, More Need For Other Dogs?

[christinepi]

I got Tracker when he was 3 (only dog). We live in the boonies, so no other greyhounds or other dogs nearby. When we first got him, I took him to the local dog park a few times to give him a chance to socialize. He showed zero interest, so I stopped that. Then I sent him off twice a week for a few months to dog day care (ca 4-5 hours at a time). Initially he was happy to go, but after a while, he balked at getting picked up, so I took this as his telling me he had enough of this. After a while, I had him picked up by a dog walker, fun initially, then no more. Another dog walker, same thing. So I figured he's just happy by himself. For probably almost a year he seemed content by himself; then somehow, a few months ago, we got into sending him with the first dog walker again (once a week), and lo and behold, now when he sees her coming, he is BESIDES himself with joy, he nearly explodes (I never get this kind of treatment...), and consistently so. And she tells me that he really seems to enjoy his walks with her dogs (they often vary, so maybe that's especially fun for him, too). I'm planning to start sending him with her twice a week now.

 

He's almost 6 now. Have others experienced this with their dogs, too, this seeming change in desire to be with other dogs? I doubt it's age related per se; more likely he's so settled in that any change of routine is desirable? I take him in the car quite often within a 10 mile radius, but it's always within this radius, since I don't have any reason to go further, and I don't want to be my dog's chauffeur all the time, but it seems to me what he enjoys is other dogs right now, not necessarily other (new) places. Any guesses?

[JohnF]

It's probably something to do with your anxiety and energy levels when taking and sending him off before. Dog's kind of don't like people having expectations of them.

 

Read the short article on Calming Signals in the link and you may get a better handle on his true state of mind http://www.canis.no/rugaas/onearticle.php?artid=1

 

As any of my dogs got older the only reason they'd baulk at being taken out was arthritis and/or bad weather. Apparently snow is nice, so is dry cold winter, rain is awful, hail is a total no-no, fall/spring sunny weather is wonderful, hot summer not.

 

Peggy has 4 regular places she likes to be taken to: the park nearly every day but the woods and the sea need to be seen a couple of times a month, and on moonlit winter nights she likes a walk around the nearby (safe) streets of our little town.

[sobesmom]

When we first got Sobe, and then Diana, I tried really hard to give them "socialization" time with other dogs. There are no other greys around here, so I enlisted my friend's dogs. Sometimes it was leash walks with the friends and their dogs - in which the dogs all sniffed each other, then the greys studiously insisted the other dogs didn't exist. But lots of times it was friends bringing their dogs to my big fenced yard (one friend had a tiny fenced potty-yard, the other had no fenced yard so it was WOOO-HOOO FREE RUN TIME TREAT for the visiting dogs) and my greys would do the initial sniff, then studiously insist the other dogs didn't exist. They just had NO interest in interacting.

 

Throughout his life - Sobe never had any interest in another dog. Diana, however, a few years later - now shows an interest in other animals. Maybe it's because she's now an only-dog, maybe it's because she's older, maybe she doesn't get enough exercise, maybe who knows.... but she's now VERY interested in other dogs. We dog-sit my friend's basset hound occasionally, and they're buddies. (Take a seond to put that picture in your head - the grey and the bassett) They patrol the yard together, sleep near-ish each other, and are quite friendly. At the vet's office - she's now Miss Social Greeter! Diana works the waiting room. Greeting every critter there. She's especially excited about puppies and kittens! (Did I mention she's super high prey drive?)

 

As for the dog-walker aspect - If a serial killer in a Jason mask with blood dripping off his mouth and fifteen hounds from hell showed up a my door with a LEASH!!!!! in his hands - Diana would bounce off the walls to go with him! LEASH! WALKIE! LEASH! SERIAL KILLER - oh well - he has a LEASH!! WALKIE!! YEAH!!!!!!! (Sobe would've either hid under the bed or driven Jason and the hellhounds out of his Momma's house! He had NO time for "other" people or "other" dogs.)

 

We got Diana when she was 2. She's now 8 and a half plus. She started showing interest in other dogs about a year or two ago.

 

Tracker might now appreciate interaction with other dogs because he's older and mellowed, he might now just be more interested in walks, or he might be bored and just like the change, or something else. Who knows? We can't ever understand what's going on between those pointy ears.

 

Just roll with it!!! I'm glad you're open to letting your dog have an experience he (now) seems to enjoy. I'll stick to my old adage - greys are quirky! Adapt!

[JAJ2010]

Lol these guys seem to slightly change personality even 6 months. Just enjoy. :-) Rainy is starting to get cheeky! She was always my perfect angel. She's practicing for when she is 10 years old and doesn't have to have any manners.