We got our 8 m/o Mini American Shepherd (AKC mini aussie name) from a breeder who has been breeding for 20+ years. We did a ton of research on genetic testing, AKC certification, socialization, etc. beforehand but didn't request to meet the parents due to COVID when she was born in Nov 2020. To be honest, we also just kind of trusted that the breeder would care about the temperament of the dogs she was breeding. We've since realized that if breeding for show, the breeder sometimes skimps on the temperament side of things. (Note: emphasizing sometimes; based on the comments below, I’ve learned that show dogs still need to be very calm around other stimulus. I’m wondering if maybe they’re selectively chosen based on looks/temperament or trained early on knowing the lineage challenges already. In general breeders who do breed for show do care a lot about the physical health of the dog.)
Long story short, we started seeing dog reactivity around the 15-week mark despite lots of socialization early on. She did have one poor experience where a larger dog play-chased her and her leash got caught and she hurt her paw, but the dogs were coexisting together in the same space, taking treats, doing tricks, etc. and she's always done great in puppy play groups off-leash. Just her leash reactivity or when dogs rush up to her is game over. She went over threshold a couple of times when we were first starting CC/D because two owners and their dogs rushed up to us despite us asking not to approach. (We're hoping her new DO NOT PET vest helps us to look very unapproachable, lol.)
Despite early missteps of moving too quickly, we've gone to a R+ reactivity program and are also enrolled in a separation anxiety program currently too! We feel like we have the tools to be successful, just need the right training environment. We live in an urban area with a lot of off-leash dogs, so we've been tag-teaming while one person works on CC/D and the other is on watch for dogs. We're making progress.
Long story short, we started seeing dog reactivity around the 15-week mark despite lots of socialization early on. She did have one poor experience where a larger dog play-chased her and her leash got caught and she hurt her paw, but the dogs were coexisting together in the same space, taking treats, doing tricks, etc. and she's always done great in puppy play groups off-leash. Just her leash reactivity or when dogs rush up to her is game over. She went over threshold a couple of times when we were first starting CC/D because two owners and their dogs rushed up to us despite us asking not to approach. (We're hoping her new DO NOT PET vest helps us to look very unapproachable, lol.)
Despite early missteps of moving too quickly, we've gone to a R+ reactivity program and are also enrolled in a separation anxiety program currently too! We feel like we have the tools to be successful, just need the right training environment. We live in an urban area with a lot of off-leash dogs, so we've been tag-teaming while one person works on CC/D and the other is on watch for dogs. We're making progress.