# Kipling and the new puppy in town



## KSC (Aug 6, 2009)

Can anyone shed light on this? Kipling is good with other dogs. On walks, if he doesn't know dogs, he is usually willing to sniff and greet and then he wants to launch into play. At times, if the dogs are bigger, he pulls back and doesn't want to interact. 

There is a new lab puppy in town. About 8 weeks old. The puppy is slightly bigger than Kipling. When he spots this puppy from 10 feet away he goes into a down position. The puppy approaches and gets right in his face..just wanting to sniff. Not overly energetic. Just curious. 

Kipling - on first encounter - gave puppy a pretty unfriendly sounding warning bark. Puppy didn't quite get it so Kipling barked again. We eventually moved on.

Today he ran into puppy again and is not at all willing to sniff him or let him near. More barking. 

Thoughts?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Hmmm, I guess we don't like everyone we met either. As long as he's just warning the puppy off, he's just doing what any adult dog who doesn't want to put up with puppy-ness does. They may get used to each other in time, but it may always be a dog he just doesn't care for for some reason.

If the dog belonged to a friend or family member, where they would HAVE to be together more, I'd work on helping them learn to get along better. But if it's just a casual acquaintance on the street, I probably wouldn't force it.


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## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

Most of the time Dizzie and Nellie are friendly to the dogs we meet on our walks, but occasionally for no apparent reason they seem to take against a dog,and then they gang up together being barky and growly,they sound quite fierce, but they always come when I call them so no harm done.


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## KSC (Aug 6, 2009)

Thank you Karen and Clare - I'm relieved to hear Dizzie and Nellie (who I see as perfect) also do this at times. 



And yes Karen - agreed - makes sense - this is not a dog we know at all. So no need to make him friends. 

He basically kind of barks/snarls and whips his head in a bit of a get away from me kind of way. So a leave me alone signal which puppy doesn't understand at all. He just happily tries again in that puppy kind of way.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KSC said:


> Thank you Karen and Clare - I'm relieved to hear Dizzie and Nellie (who I see as perfect) also do this at times.
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Well, part of puppy socialization is learning to back off when an older dog tells you to. So Kipling is just trying to teach that young whippersnapper a thing or two!


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## KSC (Aug 6, 2009)

LOL Karen - totally!


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## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

KSC said:


> Thank you Karen and Clare - I'm relieved to hear Dizzie and Nellie (who I see as perfect) also do this at times.
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Just as well you are on the other side of the Atlantic, and your illusion of Dizzie and Nellie can't be shattered!![The perfect pooches]


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## KSC (Aug 6, 2009)

Come ON now...with those faces? Nothing but perfection!


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