Growing
Your puppy is different around other dogs
They're fine at home but a completely different animal when another dog appears. Lunging, barking, overwhelmed.
The moment
You're walking Marlowe on the long line and another dog appears at the end of the street. At home she's calm and responsive. Out here, she's locked on. Pulling, whining, ears forward, completely gone from you. You try to call her back and she doesn't even hear you. Other owners are staring and you feel like you're doing something wrong.
What's actually happening
Your puppy isn't aggressive. They're over threshold. The excitement or anxiety of seeing another dog has pushed them past the point where they can think. Everything you've taught them is still in there but they can't access it when their nervous system is flooded. This is about distance, exposure history, and arousal management. Real socialization isn't about meeting every dog. It's about learning to exist calmly near them.
What we do
We increase distance. If Marlowe can't cope at 20 metres, we work at 40. We find the distance where she can see the other dog and still respond to us. That's where the learning happens.
We reward every check-in. When she glances at another dog and then looks back at us, that's the behaviour we're building. Treat. Every time.
We don't force greetings. If she's not ready to meet another dog calmly, she doesn't meet them. A bad interaction sets you back further than a skipped one.
We practice at home first. If she can't settle in the garden with a dog walking past the fence, she's not ready for a closer encounter. Build the skills in the easy environment first.
We accept that this takes months. Socialization isn't an event. It's an ongoing process of carefully managed exposure.