My 8-month-old Lab is scared of dogs. How can I build his confidence?

I certainly sympathize with your situation. My own 2 year old dog is the same way. The key to training him is to expose him to situations that are not too scary for him, but improve his confidence. This is not a quick or easy process, and will need to be continued long term. I have found the best method to be a desensitization and counter-conditioning system. When Max encounters something that is slightly scary for him (not too overhelming at first), ask him to sit or lie down for a treat. The goal is to get him to do something that he is comfortable with and receive a treat (positive reinforcement) for doing that behavior instead of being afraid. Do not give him any reinforcement (verbal or otherwise) for fearful behavior, but try to ignore it. Instead reward the behavior you want to see. It would be a great idea to have a trainer try to help you start this type of training program, so you might ask your vet for a recommendation on a trainer. I have been using this on my dog, and it works well, but requires a lot of work. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Dogs will gradually gain confidence and improve the shyness over time. I've had good luck improving this by taking my dogs to group obedience classes. The dogs become more confident and relaxed learning with other dogs and people present and a trainer there to supervise the interactions. This may take months to years to improve so be patient. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Spunky.

This is a hard question to answer without really knowing what is going on. If Max is becoming aggressive, growling, snarling, attempting to bite, etc, then this is a very complex and worrisome issue that should be worked with by a professional in your area. A trainer coming by in person can help observe what is going on, and provide more tailored training plans to address the issue. If Max seems nervous when you approach, you can work on getting him more comfortable with you by tossing a favorite treat to him every time you approach. Over time, he'll start to associate you with with something positive (the treat) instead of something negative. If he does growl or become agitated, moving away and giving him some time to relax before trying again is best to avoid escalation of any behaviors. If he is acting aggressively toward other dogs, separating him if things get too rough or a fight breaks out, and then reintroducing both dogs again slowly can help. Removing items of contention such as toys, bedding, bones, etc can also help reduce the possibility of a fight over these items.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Max is very cute! Max is likely afraid of you because you are a man and more dominant in appearance and stature. I would take obedience training and seek a private trainer with him alone. I would discuss anti-anxiety medications with your Vet. German Shepherds are very anxious dogs and getting on top of it now with private training and medications (hopefully temporary) will help in the long run. It will take time and one on one interactions to build trust and a relationship, it may not happen over night. I hope this helps and I wish you and Max the very best!

The best place to get Lana used to new people and dogs in a controlled environment is at a dog obedience class, There will be an instructor to observe her interactions and help her work out her behavior issues, building confidence as the classes progress. (By the way, I have your National Dog . . . the Finnish Spitz!)

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These types of behavior can improve though this does require in person training with the help of a qualified dog trainer. I would encourage you to contact a dog trainer that can work with you and Bailey in person to really take care of this behavior. The sooner these behaviors are dealt with, the more likely it is that you can improve and resolve them. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The first thing would be to start by having Cashew interact with dogs of his size first. When he gets completely comfortable in this scenario and the interaction goes well, then I would recommend perhaps starting to have him interact with larger dogs. The fact that he was bitten last time does not mean that every interaction he has with another large breed dog will be like this. I would highly recommend that there is always someone present when these interactions occur. This should help getting him socialized in general. Good luck and have a great day!