SociaBulls: Learning to Be Social and Have Dog Friends

We've been noticing that while we've been making friends and meeting so many great people through SociaBulls, our dogs have also been flocking to specific dogs. Mr. B is part of an 'inner-circle' of dude-dogs: Boomer, Jack, Torre and Gordon. We especially love seeing how Mr. B and Gordon are friends because Gordon's family was initially unsure if Gordon would ever have friends. Gordon is an adorably-smiley pooch--you may have spotted him in SociaBulls photos--that was unfortunately horribly abused in his past. Since he spent much of his youth healing at the vet, he missed the chance to socialize with other dogs and he was unsure what to think of them or how to react. Read Gordon's story below along with photos of our last walks:
Fun-loving, muscular, snuggly Gordon came into our lives last May through One Tail at a Time. It took me years to convince my husband to get a dog and when I finally convinced him, the first website I went to was One Tail’s, and the first dog I saw posted was Gordon-and I fell in love.
Gordon had a bit of a rough start-he was found on the side of the road in Kane County, with chemical burns covering most of his body. Thankfully, One Tail at a Time was contacted and through their rescue program Gordon was able to receive the fully-funded medical attention that he needed.

Although Gordon’s back is mostly bald with some random patches of fur here and there, his skin has fully healed! He has become quite the fashion model, having to wear t-shirts and clothes to keep him from scratching his back.
When we first got Gordon, we were unsure of how he would interact with other dogs. He spent a good portion of his puppy years healing at the vet and did not have the opportunity to socialize with other dogs at a young age. During our walks, it seemed that he didn’t know how to react to other dogs that we saw-he would bark, growl, and make insane screeching noises that led us to believe that he might not ever be a social dog.
On one of our morning walks last summer, Gordon and I passed Lola and Franklin’s person out for a run in our neighborhood. She stopped to pet Gordon, and told me about SociaBulls. It sounded like just the group for us-a way to allow dogs to be around each other, working on behavior/training, but without dog-to-dog interaction.
We’ve been walking with the SociaBulls pack since last summer, and have gotten so much from the experience. We have learned that Gordon can be a part of a pack and be around other dogs in a positive way. Although he still pulls on his leash like crazy and likes to be the pack leader, he has been able to walk side by side with other dogs-something that seemed unlikely a year ago! It’s been great to get to know other responsible dog owners in our city as well. We’ve been able to swap stories, tips, and advice-all the while walking with a pack of beautiful pooches! Thanks SociaBulls, for helping us realize our dog’s potential :)
You can also read about more SociaBulls Members: Nabi (A Shy Dog Making Sense of a "People World") Sprocket (Teaching a Dog When it's not Time to Play), Lola (Living in the City with a Dog who Fears Strangers),  Zoe (The Dog who "Loves Too Hard"),  Izzy (Being a good pitbull ambassador while working with an energetic dog) and Maize (Being social with an unsocial pup).
Plus, join our Chicago SociaBulls  Facebook page for more photos and information about group walks. And check this link from the DINOs (Dogs in Need of Space) group to read more about the benefits of dog-walking groups and to see if there is a group in your area.