# Puppy Afraid of Other Dogs



## aznVampire (Jul 20, 2010)

Is there a way that I can get my puppy to not be scared around other dogs? If she sees a dog she'll usually run, but if she's on the leash and a dog walks past her, she'll start barking like crazy.

I think this is my fault because when we first got her, she heard our neighbor's dog bark and I picked her up (not knowing that showing affection was telling her that it was right to be scared).

Is there any way I can solve this problem at home (without having to go to any classes)?


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I think the key is to get her attention on you BEFORE she sees the other dog. Does she know the "sit" command, and "watch me" or "look"? Those are excellent commands, because it requires that she has her eyes on YOU. 

So, when she's on the leash, it's all about timing. Make sure YOU see the other dog before she does. That's tricky sometimes, because you constantly have to be scanning the area. Anyway, as soon as YOU see another dog, give her the "look" or "watch me" (whichever you decide), and get her attention on you. Have a treat between your fingers, so she can see, smell, and even lick at it, but don't give it to her until the other dog has passed.
If her attention is on you, and the treat, she hopefully won't react to the other dog.

If she gets good at that, you can add another step, which is letting her look back at the other dog after looking at you, and then have her look at you again. That way, she can see the other dog, but get refocused on you, and eventually get the treat, and not worry about the other dog.

I think getting her attention on you tells her that no matter what happens, or how many other dogs she sees, you will take care of her, and are in control of the situation. She will feel comfortable, and not feel like she has to bark, and react. 

Good luck!


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## aznVampire (Jul 20, 2010)

Thanks for the reply. I haven't taught her the "look/watch me" command but she does know "sit." 

Do you think this will eventually help her get over her fear? Because I don't want her to have to ignore dogs so that she won't get into a fight.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

Yes, the idea is to desensitize her to the dogs. So, at first you try to get her attention on you the WHOLE time the other dog is passing by. THEN, when she can do that, you get her attention on you, then let her look at the other dog, then get her attention back on you before it gets too close. So, she gets used to seeing other dogs, but giving her attention back to you, INSTEAD of freaking out. 

Eventually, try to decrease the time you have her attention on you, instead of the other dog. Meaning, get her attention, then let her look at the other dog, WITHOUT getting her attention back on you, see if she can do it without freaking out. If so, yay! If not, go back to getting her attention back on you. 

It might be that you can let her look at the dog when it's say, 10 feet away, but 5 feet still freaks her out, so get her attention back on you BEFORE it gets 5 feet away. The idea is, how close can it be, and she's in her comfort zone. The goal is to have her be comfortable no matter where the dog is.

And, remember, if she feels like you are in control of the situation and she doesn't HAVE to be fearful, her confidence will increase!


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

First, we want to know the breed (Husky ?) and age... as well as pictures.

Second, you may want to be a little careful about exposing her to other dogs, unless the Vet gives you the OK as far as Parvo and distemper.

Third, puppies go through fear cycles, but if you follow the advice from the previous posts - socializing her with lots of different people and then different friendly dogs and other animals, then she will get over it.

Also, at a young age, her ability to focus might not have matured yet, and she may not be clear about what she is looking at...


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## Tavi (May 21, 2010)

Ok I know you mentioned you didn't want classes...but I'm still gonna say this. If she's old enough thinking about looking at a puppy socialization class. Its not the same as a training class, its basically just a safe place for puppies of the same age to meet and greet and play. I find this a great way to introduce a shy puppies to other puppies since usually they're all pretty much on the same mental streak. Which means if your shy dog growls and says stay away! most puppies will back off and give her space with no problems, this helps give her confidence to interact with them. And I find that most of the time shy dogs will find at least one other member of a group they can trust and want to play with. LoL My poor puppy Buddy has become the shy dog companion for about six other puppies from our play group. He's not the least bit shy but he knows exactly how they want to play so he adjusts to what they need. So even outside of classes we can get together and have play dates and they know their dog won't go home more scared than excited!


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## aznVampire (Jul 20, 2010)

She's a Pug/Rat Terrier mix. And so far I've been trying to teach her "leave it" so that if we ever walk by a dog again, she'll learn to ignore them.


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## didee (Oct 18, 2009)

Please reconsider taking her to puppy class. That's the point of the class: socialization to other dogs and people. It's a really good way to do it in a controlled environment with instructors who know how to best do this without overwhelming the puppy. And this is best done before a certain age for it to be effective. Plus, it's really fun.

I agree with the advice above. Also, be sure you RELAX. Do not stress up, tighten the leash and start to express tension when you see another dog . The dog will feel it. You want the puppy to know it's totally fine and no big deal that another dog is walking by. And the treats reward the pup for calm behavior. The pup will start to associate another dog walking by with a positive experience (treat) and learn from that.


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