Making friends wherever she goes!

Some dogs prefer the company of their own families.  They are not "snobs,"  it's just that they only feel comfortable around the people and dogs that they know and love.  Sometimes this can be the result of a lack of socialization when they were young pups.  Sometimes it can be the result of a canine "meet and greet" that went horribly wrong.  Sometimes it is an inherent part of their breed's personality.  And sometimes, it just is what it is...Not convinced I’m right?  Try and walk in your dog’s pawsteps for just a moment.  Just imagine that you are taking a lovely walk with your best friend.  The wind is carrying all kinds of enticing scents your way, the sky is blue, the sun is shining and all is right in your world.  Then out of the blue some strange man or woman comes running right at you!  He or she then grabs onto you, without so much as a hello, and starts humping you!  Would you be a little freaked out?  I know I would!  (ok, chances are this would never happen to you, and it’s true that your average dog reacts differently to this sort of thing than your average human.  But I think you understand my point, this could seriously scare an already fearful dog.)

We are fortunate because all our collies are very social animals.  They love to meet new people, and they love to meet new dogs.  (Providing that the other dogs are not rude, and do not skip the customary butt sniff greeting, and proceed to try and hump them...)  In most cases the collies are very friendly towards newcomers, big and small.  But our girl, Kori, has shown she possesses all the skills necessary to be considered a Collie ambassador!

When another dog is acting inappropriate or snarky, she immediately offers appeasement behaviors.  Because she is so gentle, and because she tries so hard to make other dogs comfortable, she is well-liked by almost every dog she meets.  Because of this, my daughter will occasionally take Kori with her to work.  My daughter works at a boarding kennel that also offers Doggie daycare.  And today, Kori was invited to accompany her to work, to hang out with her in the daycare.  And as usual, Kori made friends!

Hi there!

This boy, Felix, is deaf.  Kori has figured this out already, and she gently pats him with her paw when she wants his attention.  My daughter sent me these pictures and told me that Kori and Felix are now BFF's, and are now inseperable!  Way to go Kori!

But not all dogs are so outgoing and friendly.  There is even a name for these dogs, they are called DINOS.  Which stands for "dogs in need of space."  There is a movement to identify these dogs with yellow ribbons.  Have you heard of this, or have you seen a dog wearing a yellow ribbon?  Owners of DINOS ask that you please refrain from approaching their dogs with yours.  They also ask that you do not pet them or allow your children to pet these dogs without asking for permission.  And please, do not assume that just because your dog is friendly that it will be ok to let him or her run up to strange dogs.  Not all dogs are comfortable around other canines or their humans.  They deserve to have their need for space respected.  For more information, please check out this site:
http://dogsinneedofspace.com/