# She won't let other dogs sniff her - how do I help her through it?



## gills (Mar 16, 2008)

I have a problem I've never heard of before, and I need advice on how to handle it. I hope someone can help.

I have a lovely rescue dog who is super with people and kids. She's an adult but puppyish, and does like to play with other dogs, mostly puppies, smaller dogs and strangely - other rescues. But.... she absolutely won't tolerate a dog sniffing her behind, and it's causing problems. She'll sniff another dog but will keep moving away if the other dog tries to sniff her, and she'll snap and snarl if the other dog persists. Most dogs just back off and look at her like she's some kind of freak, but some take offence and snap back. 

She doesn't have a lot of confidence around dogs because the whole greeting ritual is fraught for her. She tries to avoid meeting new dogs, or deeks around them to try to get them to play without going through the whole, "hello how are you" stage. Because she's uncertain what to do, she hesitates and sometimes dogs chase her. So, I'm trying to figure out how to help her through this.

Some people tell me it's her right and to leave it be, but my gut tells me no. I want a dog who is can get along with others, and I know she has it in her. So, the approach I'm taking is to hold her and reassure her during the greetings, stop her from snapping and praise her for letting them sniff. Am I on the right track? She doesn't fight me, but she is uncomfortable. I'm hoping that I can build her confidence by being part of the greeting and teaching her it's safe to be sniffed. But I'm just not sure.

By way of background, she came from a killing station in Spain and was brought to a foster home in Munich. I adopted her last November. She had been neutered by the rescue group, and they estimate she is about 1 1/2 years old. I am working hard to find an obedience class here that I could join, as I don't speak the language. I may be able to get a group of English speakers together and hire a trainer, but this could take months. So obedience classes are part of the long range plan, but I'm looking for advice for the immediate problem when we come across dogs in the park, on walks, etc.

Thanks


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## Max'sHuman (Oct 6, 2007)

Alrite, bearing in mind that I am no certified trainer...here is my take on it:

First, if she is uncomfortable letting dogs sniff her, holding her and forcing her is probably not going to help. I think you should work to build up her confidence first and slowly work up to the point where other dogs can sniff her. When she sees other dogs and they start to approach her give her treats and praise her for being calm. But the instant she gets uncomfortable back off. The idea is pretty soon she looks forward to seeing these other dogs and will let them get closer and closer. It's a slow process. It's kind of reconditioning your dog psychologically. 

And btw, I am basing this on things I read by Patricia McConnell, particularly the pamphlet on leash aggressive dogs, because I happen to have one. So maybe you should also look into some of her work if you have the time and enjoy reading. She is a good writer at any rate.

And, yes, if you can manage to get together a trainer for a group obedience class that would probably also help build her confidence. Good luck!


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## dleggs15 (Mar 4, 2008)

My Rosie girl has a similar problem but in her case she is a spayed female also there are dogs (boys) that are fixed or not fixed at the dog parks that always try to hump her....Rosie is great most of the time with other dogs other than when they do this! Bulldogs in general are known for not being natural breeders and liking that sort of attention. She will swing around faster than what u think she can and snap at the dogs trying ot hump her....I dont blame her though i would do the same thing lol So I correct her at times but if the dog keeps on doing it and the owner does not do anything about after I have made it clear that she does not like this to the owner then I will just let Rosie snap if needed..I know some might not htink thats a good idea but I don't blame her one bit!


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## gills (Mar 16, 2008)

> if she is uncomfortable letting dogs sniff her, holding her and forcing her is probably not going to help.


That's what I'm concerned about -- I'm torn between having to correct her all the time for snapping, and showing her how to be polite. 



> in her case she is a spayed female also there are dogs (boys) that are fixed or not fixed at the dog parks that always try to hump her


Yes, that's her situation too. Very few dogs are neutered here, they're pretty much all off leash (there are no specific dog parks or leash laws like in north america), and it's spring... None have tried to hump her, but she acts like all of them will - puppies, males, females, all of 'em. So she must have to fight a lot of them off when she was living on the streets and not spayed.


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## Shanette Peters (Jan 14, 2008)

I've had this problem with Oreo, usually with dogs smaller than her.
Obviously not every training method will work for every dog or every situation for that matter. For my dog the main thing that seems to work for her 'almost' every time is I need to first make sure I've exercised her a bit so that she doesn't have all this pent up energy (which I've noticed if she isn't excerised she won't give another dog the sightest chance to say 'hi') then staying calm and still on leash I ask another person to walk past us at the same time (with the dogs on the outside)and slow down enough that the dogs can sniff each other without being right up close. 
I've also heard and read that dogs can smell each other enough to 'know them' up to four feet away. I also try to remember just like there being people I might not get a long with, same goes with dogs, there may be dogs they won't get a long with. Keep in mind my thaughts are just my own from my experiences and what I have learned, I am not a ceritfied trainer/behaviorist YET! - I am taking schooling for it though.


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## Annamarie (Oct 14, 2007)

my dog was constantly going up to other dogs' faces and snapping at them when he was a puppy. this is usually a sign of a dog that was taken from his mom too soon, but he was with her for 11 weeks. he's purely dysfunctional lol...

I did have to muzzle him and hold him nose to bum with other dogs for him to finally figure it out. Yes he was uncomfortable the first few times we did it, but he had to learn somehow. 

He still goes up to other dogs and sniffs their muzzles first, but at least he doesn't get offended when they sniff his bum now. Now he just stands completely still


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## Shanette Peters (Jan 14, 2008)

Was that with the puppy in the photo or a larger breed? I'm not sure if the size matters to how dogs react to each other but I might give that muzzle thing a try see if she responds better than the way I've done in the past. See if she 'get's the hint'? as for the time she's been with her mom - ya Oreo didn't come home to use until 12 weeks, but I also had to bottle feed her and her littermates for some of it. Then again her 'lack of trust towards other dogs didn't really take effect till she'd been attacked and pinned by our other dog (who now has a new home).


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## gills (Mar 16, 2008)

> Was that with the puppy in the photo or a larger breed?


It's the pup in the photo - she's a small- to medium-sized dog. 

I notice that she's worse after a negative incident - so I'm going to try to control all of her introductions as much as possible. But what bugs me is that when she does find a "friend" who'll put up with her bad manners, she can get kind of rough. Especially with little dogs and puppies -- she runs and knocks them over, something she would hate done to herself. It's almost like she's overcompensating. I sure hope I can get her over this - I love her to bits but no way will I put up with a dog that can't get along with other dogs, or at least be polite. (grumble grumble).


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