# He's so scared of other dogs!



## Nikkitine (May 11, 2009)

So I took my little Pacman to his first puppy socialization class a couple months back and have been taking him back every week but he just can't seem to get used to other puppies and dogs. He gets so afraid that he cowers behind my legs and yelps whenever a puppy even comes close to touching him! The strange thing is, he is GREAT with people, hyper and unafraid even to strangers. But toward dogs, he's just a yelping little scaredy-cat! 

Has anyone had this problem before of having their pup afraid of other dogs and how would you propose to help him get used to and start playing with others? I'd really love to start seeing him acting like a real dog and playing with others! It's so sad to see him sitting in the corner while other pups are enjoying themselves =(


----------



## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

1. Find a less stressful situation. Set up a 1 on 1 play date with another small dog where the dogs can be off leash. 

2. I'm not a big fan of free-for-all classes. Puppy play group is a play group, not a class. Try a basic obedience class where the dogs must be under control. Giving him some security that being around other dogs does not mean he will get charged can be a huge help. 

3. Work one-on-one with a trainer and find a fearful dogs class. This way your dog's specific fear can be worked on instead of being in the free-for-all socialization time.


----------



## Nikkitine (May 11, 2009)

QUOTE (JMM @ May 10 2009, 09:05 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=774508


> 1. Find a less stressful situation. Set up a 1 on 1 play date with another small dog where the dogs can be off leash.
> 
> 2. I'm not a big fan of free-for-all classes. Puppy play group is a play group, not a class. Try a basic obedience class where the dogs must be under control. Giving him some security that being around other dogs does not mean he will get charged can be a huge help.
> 
> 3. Work one-on-one with a trainer and find a fearful dogs class. This way your dog's specific fear can be worked on instead of being in the free-for-all socialization time.[/B]


That advice sounds great, JMM! I've set up a couple of play dates with my friends puppy and he acted the same way each time. She was also shy at first and he started sniffing her when she wasn't looking but once she turned around, he immediately went back to cowering like a baby. haha. I plan on starting his obedience training in the next week or so, so I'll be updating his progress in the weeks to come. Thank you very much for the advice =)


----------



## ilovemymaltese (Oct 9, 2008)

My Gigi is kind of afraid of dogs when she first meets them. She shakes. We take her to a new dog place almost every weekeend since we got her, you would think she would be the world's most social dog, right? Nope, not Gigi, she hasn't changed her ways since we got her at 5 months and now she's almost a year old. I'm starting to think it may be me? But we haven't started training classes yet, so maybe that would help.
But she is more comfortable after about five minutes, completely relaxed and starts to enjoy herself exploring. She never plays with other dogs, and runs from them when they try to sniff her butt. I don't think she's really afraid of them, I think she just doesn't care for dogs much. LOL Gigi thinks she's a person, not a dog. B) 

I think your pup will get used to them eventually, he's still really young. My Gigi is just a weirdo. LOL (don't tell her I said that!)


----------



## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

It is okay for a dog not to want to socialize and play with other dogs, so long as they have good manners around other dogs.


----------



## bentleyboy (Dec 13, 2006)

I don't think puppy class is good for all doggie personalities. My Bentley who is now almost three is great with other dogs now but he was such a nervous wreck at puppy class that i had to take him out. He displayed much the same behaviour as little Pac. Brie never went to puppy class at all and is still terrified of other dogs no matter how much i socialize her. I guess you never know.

I would take him out of puppy class and rather socialise him with a smaller group. Perhaps start with one dog and see what happens. He sounds like Bentley who was so overwhelmed by that class.
Poor fluffs
:wub:


----------



## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

My rescue, YoYo, is sometimes afraid of other dogs, cowers behind me, etc. but is never snappy towards them--I think that's where a problem would be. Not for shyness. YoYo is otherwise a wonderfully friendly guy with humans (albeit sometimes a tiny bit shy at first) and he plays WONDERFULLY with his "brother" Ollie. So....I don't think I need much more than that. I'd rather live w/ shy than agressive--agressive you HAVE to deal with...good luck!!


----------



## Nikkitine (May 11, 2009)

So Pacman had a little 1 on 1 playdate today with my friends adorable little puppy pitbull, Peanut Butter. and I'd have to say it wasn't a completely pleasant experience for either of them =/ We gently coaxed him when he would try to hide and back away and kept reassuring and praising him whenever Pacman would sniff Peanut with interest but the one thing we didn't expect was when Peanut went up to Pacman to give him a kiss, Pacman snapped at his nose!!! We were so shocked as he didn't even give the slightest hint to us, not even a single growl. When Peanut left him alone, Pacman went to his bed and fell asleep so it wasn't that he wasn't calm or anything with Peanut being in the same room as him, he just wanted nothing to do with another dog it seems like. It saddens me that I think Pacman really does want to play and I know that if he came out of his shell, he'd be so great and have fun but just doesn't know how to with another puppy =(

I'm hoping to start him on some puppy classes next week but I somehow don't think that would help much since Pac-man really just does not like being around other dogs and is too freaked out that it's hard to get him to focus on anything else other than getting away as fast as he can if they came near him.


----------



## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Again, not all dogs like playing with other dogs and that is OK. Your focus should be in a basic obedience class, not a puppy class, to have him functioning in a room with other dogs. THAT is your goal. And forget the coaxing. If you must be in the situation of loose dogs around him, give him an out (place to sit where the other dogs can't get him).


----------



## Nikkitine (May 11, 2009)

QUOTE (JMM @ May 11 2009, 05:39 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=774882


> Again, not all dogs like playing with other dogs and that is OK. Your focus should be in a basic obedience class, not a puppy class, to have him functioning in a room with other dogs. THAT is your goal. And forget the coaxing. If you must be in the situation of loose dogs around him, give him an out (place to sit where the other dogs can't get him).[/B]


By puppy class, I mean puppy obedience class if that is what you meant, where all the pups are on a leash. Or did you mean an all age basic class? What I'm afraid of is that he doesn't function properly because he knows and can see the other dogs there. I just find it so funny that right when Peanut left, Pacman was his usually bouncy self again! If only he was like that with other dogs, he'd be such a great playmate haha *sigh*


----------



## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Puppy class is not always a good idea for a dog who is nervous. In a basic obedience class, the dogs tend to me under much better control.


----------



## Nikkitine (May 11, 2009)

QUOTE (JMM @ May 11 2009, 06:02 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=774895


> Puppy class is not always a good idea for a dog who is nervous. In a basic obedience class, the dogs tend to me under much better control.[/B]


ahh okay! That does make sense. I'll enroll him into a basic training class then to see how that goes. Wish little Pacman luck!


----------

