She Just Not Into You

[Shoney & Ruby]

Our wonderful Ruby is now 7 months old and continues to bring so much love and humor into our lives. She is a great traveler and enjoys meeting people everywhere. She loves babies, toddlers, kids of every age. She stops on the trail to say hi. She can't get enough of people.

Okay, that's fine--but she's mostly timid or uninterested in other dogs. We took her to puppy socials when she was younger and she mostly hid under a bench. We went to a doodle meet-up yesterday and she hung out with the people. On the trail she will allow another dog to sniff her but she doesn't want to play the way other dogs do. There are a few dogs, usually small and very mellow that she will initiate a sniff with but again, no play or chasing.

So will she grow into liking other dogs? Does she think she is a person--as I suspect? Will she learn to enjoy other dogs as she gets older?

We plan to continue to encourage her to play with very mellow sweet dogs and hopes she learns that a) she is a dog and b) she gets used to their rough and tumble and unrefined ways.

[Eleanor]

Wow, so interesting to read that your dog is 7 months and mellow with people and kids.  My puppy is 6 months old and crazy around other people.  Extremely hyper, jumping and running around.  I haven't even allowed her around my grandson yet because she will just barrel over him in her excitement.  I sure hope she outgrows this.  We are working so diligently with her training but nothing calms her down.

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

Libby is four and she is much the same way.  She adores children, very good with them and will play by the hours with them.  She is friendly with other dogs, but does not engage them in any way.  She is very mellow and usually just sits with the adults and watches the other dogs.  LOL   We do not go to dog parks or doggy day cares so maybe that is some part of it, not sure and we are ok with her unfriendly friendliness to other dogs.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Some dogs are not into other dogs, just as some are not into people.  It really doesn't matter if you go to a romp and your pup hangs more with you.  Love Ruby's name BTW.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

You mean they're not people?  Don't tell Finn that.  He prefers people, smaller dogs, and doodles (or any kind of poodle mix) -- pretty much in that order.  I guess he has his own radar and since I don't know what he's sensing, I've learned to respect that. After all, he's 5 and he's learned not everyone is friendly. Put him in a yard with a golden retriever, a german shepherd, or my son's Bernese Mountain Dog (who is a love, but she is a bit of a bull in a china shop)  and bet you a boatload of money he's glued to my side ignoring them as best he can.  As long as he's pleasant on the leash, we're good.  His training as a therapy dog is to ignore other dogs in a working environment but accept love and hugs from the people he meets.  That's what makes him happy.  Sounds like Ruby might love that too! 

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Ruby's behavior reminds me so much of Tara's. We took her to puppy class and she either hid behind us or wanted to be on the trainer's lap. It was as if she didn't know that the puppies were "her kind" but rather thought she was a person. We asked for a puppy that would be very people-oriented and oh boy did we get what we asked for! LOL  Now at 6 years of age she still prefers people to dogs although she is more tolerant of dogs than when she was younger. If the neighbor and his dog come to visit she makes a beeline for the man and eventually gets around to greeting the dog.  We gave and give her opportunities to interact with dogs but don't try to push her into doing something she isn't comfortable doing. I, like you, thought she would enjoy running wild with other doodles and expressing her inner (or outer) dog but she just doesn't seem to have that need. It's helpful if you learn to read dog body language (if you aren't already familiar)  then you can tell if she is getting stressed out and needs "rescued" from a dog that doesn't realize that she is a person! :)

[Robin and Libby Louise]

Libby will play with selected dogs, and more in a one on one situation.  She is sociable with the other dogs when I take her to romps, but really isn't that interested in full out playing.  She would much rather be with people.  She just turned 8 and she's always been this way.  Some dogs are just like that - it's not a bad thing!