6 month old Kelpie x Collie

[Kelpiex]

Hey everyone,

 

First poster here. I have a 6 month old Kelpie x Collie who has such a beautiful and friendly nature. When I take him to the off-leash park, which is everyday, he becomes hyper-focused on everything. He will greet all people and play with most dogs that let him. My concern is him getting a little aggressive when he has had enough. Even though he has instigated the play for 5-10 minutes, when he has had enough he will snap and go at the other dog. I think it's his way of telling them to stop. Should I allow this behaviour or tell him off and leash it? He has never hurt another dog when doing this or has he done this to any people. 

[coneye]

6 month old , tell him NO, nows the time to teach him  , no if buts or maybees ,  he has to learn to behave . Good luck

[persephone]

IF he is being the aggressor at 6 months old , this is not wonderful, and you will need to do some work .

If he has had enough play and the other dog persists, his behaviour may well be defensive - he is still a baby and may be feeling pressured. It is your responsibility that play is monitored and controlled, that he feels safe , and that he responds to you MORE than he does to other dogs .
have a read  here, and here
Greeting all the humans  is another problem - many folks do not enjoy being approached by an unknown dog..especially if it is a bit bouncy .
What is pup like on your leash walks ? Does he try to approach people and dogs ? Does he walk along calmly , listening/watching for your voice/hand signals ? What is he like with general manners/obedience around home ? 

[sheena]

I would never take my dog to an off leash dog park.  That is not what socialisation is about & it will create issues & end in tears.  Agree with everything Persephone has said above

[Rascalmyshadow]

What your describing doesn’t sound like aggression it sounds like he’s overwhelmed and just telling other dogs he’s had enough, you need to watch more closely and end his playtime with other dogs before this happens, he is just a baby and if he continues to get overwhelmed by other dogs it could turn into serious aggression as he matures.

 

[Deeds]

I agree with @Rascalmyshadow that: "it could turn into serious aggression as he matures".

[Dogsfevr]

The problem is people think offleash park means there dog gets to run around doing what ever,saying hello to whomever with no boundaries or contraol.
Infact offleash park is a place for an owner to allow there dog offleash have effective control & the requirement is not to have every randoms dog annoy you.
So at present your teaching your dog to do what ever it wants at the park,its a herding breed that can sometimes confuse reality & real life & at an age where its brain is learning new things .
The problem is your letting a pup make adults decisions without any foundations or skills being set up .
The dog is now showing signs of reacting to a degree but the next age stage is either going to make or break how the dog is able to control itself & how much trouble you want to get into if it picks on the wrong dog .

Personally dog parks are  like a place for the village idiots that think its a free for all & that teaching bad dog manners  is what every has agreed too.

This dog need to  taught & not at the expense of the other dog new life skills.
The dog park every day actually offers no life enrichment,skills,boundaries or educating .
What it does teach is i get to an oval my leash is unclipped & i go do what i want .
Start walks onleash around the area teach skills ,teach good leash manners & more importantly teach being offleash is a privelage not a right including that mindset for yourself 
 

[coneye]

7 hours ago, Dogsfevr said:

Start walks onleash around the area teach skills ,teach good leash manners & more importantly teach being offleash is a privelage not a right including that mindset for yourself 
 

Agree 100% with this , ,  my little dog , in fact ALL my dogs    has been taught leash time is fun time , this little fella soon has he see's his leash  wants t get on it , if i let him off he runs around me  jumping up , wanting to get back on it , if he is off , i only have to hold it in the air wave it and shout  walkies , and he's back like a shot sitting down wanting it on , very very important you teach a good recall , then  you can put him back on BEFORE the play  becomes over whelming for him ,  But personaly  i would just never go to a dog park , with saying that i do go to a dog beach but   thats 3 kilometres long  and  only really really busy in summer , and i NEVER go then  , say  3pm to 7 pm , to much of what your describing going on .

[Little Gifts]

We go to meet ups at dog parks and that is pretty much the only time  mine have ever gone to one. I walk close by my dog with the leash around my neck. Off leash and dog park should not equal 'free for all', with owners sitting looking at their phone while their dog goes crazy out of their eye sight. If my dog shows signs of discomfort it is leashed and removed from that group of dogs. Simple. We just go to another empty section of park for a sniff instead.

 

So my advice is follow your dog during their park visit and really watch their behaviour. They can get overstimulated and you will be able to see when they are reaching that point. You leash and remove as soon as you start seeing it, even if that means leaving the park altogether. Even social dogs can get too much of a good thing.

 

[JulieY]

Hello!
I already have an adult dog and we have trained her to stay next to us if she is not on a leash. but when we walk in the park, the dog is always on a leash. In your case, you just need to train him to use a leash. At first, your puppy may not like the leash very much, but over time he will get used to it, encourage him with treats, buy it globy.com for example and praise him when he behaves well on the leash. he will learn to perceive the leash as something normal and even calming.))

Edited April 22 by JulieY

[batgirlbc]

We always took our collie to an off leash park - in Scarbs - and it really helped her (and our previous dog) learn social skills. Occasionally dogs would snap at each other, but generally people understood and managed it. It wasn't actually until we moved to the Wheatbelt for a while where our dog lost some of her social skills, and from the age of 5+ she definitely gets intimidated when certain breeds of dog approach her or puppies which are a little too much. Most of the time I can pick up on whether she's about to snap, although a few times it's been unavoidable - usually when a younger dog really gets in her space and the owner has no control. Maybe I'm a little irresponsible, but most of the time she's very good off the lead and will avoid dogs she doesn't like.

 

I think from what you've said, if you know your puppy will get snappy after 5 or 10 minutes, then make sure you put him back on the leash and give him time away from other dogs to settle down?