My dog is scared of other dogs and won't walk. What can I do?

Hello, poor Fiddle! He seems to be very scared by other dogs. I think the best way to approach this is by introducing him to dogs that are not overtly playful and pushy in a neutral environment. That is, you may meet with a dog you know is calm and low energy in a park just to have the other dog be around Fiddle to see if he tolerates this. Obviously, avoid any situation which makes Fiddle scared or nervous and don't encourage his fearful behavior with any rewards such as talking to him, carrying him, or petting him as this may equivocally teach him that it is ok to be afraid of other pets. Ultimately, if you're having a really hard time with Fiddle, you may need to have him evaluated by a behaviorist as it is never too late to work with them on improving a behavior. Hope this helps.

This actually is not particularly unusual - while many dogs enjoy playing with other dogs, some dogs definitely prefer people. The dog park can be overwhelming even for social dogs so I would recommend avoiding it for now - if she continues to feel overwhelmed she could start to become fear aggressive. You may want to start by meeting one on one with a quiet dog friend to get her used to dogs. Make sure it is a good experience by offering treats, and if she starts to become too anxious stop and try again another day. She may never get to the point where she loves other dogs that are not familiar, but hopefully you can find a few dogs that she knows and will play with.

I am so sorry that you are experiencing these problems with biting with Ziggy. I am sure it is very upsetting for you. First of all rest assured that this is a very normal puppy behaviour. Puppies learn through play biting and it is part of our role as pet parents to help them learn limits. I would not attempt negative reinforcement such as striking Ziggy or speaking harshly as this will potentially create more serious behaviour issues such as anxiety and fear-aggression. Try some calm corrections and positive reinforcement. If Ziggy bites you, simply say in a calm voice "no" and stop interacting with him for a few moments. This over time will teach him that biting is not a desired form of play. Also try reinforcing him as he starts to play in a good way by not biting, and giver him a small training treat. If Ziggy does manage to bite hard enough to break the skin be careful of a possible infection. Monitor your wound for heat. Swelling, or discharge. Make an appointment with your doctor if this occurs. If you are struggling with the biting after a couple of weeks of the above suggested training methods, consider puppy socialisation classes or potentially a few sessions with a behaviourist. Other games which may be fun with Ziggy are hide and go seek either with you and another person, or you hide his toys and he has to find them. Or classic fetch. More stimulation and more exercise will help calm Ziggy and also help foster a strong bond between you two. I hope this was helpful!

Poor Banba! IT can be very helpful to find a buddy dog which is friendly and comforting for Banba to walk with which can help her confidence and encourage her to walk in unfamiliar places; also taking her in the car to a quiet area such as a wooded park can be less daunting. Take plenty of treats and praise her for walking with you, try to ask her to stop and sit in open spaces for praise and treats and then ask her to walk on with you at your command and not her schedule!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes dogs can get scared even when there does not appear to be anything scary in sight. Remember that they can hear and sense much better than us so he may be perceiving something that is near which you may not. This can improve but it can certainly become a bit difficult at times. I recommend that you start taking him out for longer periods but very slowly over the next several weeks. Encourage him to stay out with treats and positive words. Also, in the beginning just take him out without walking initially just to get him used to his surroundings. Eventually little by little he will learn that going outside equals getting treats and attention and will improve with time but it does require time and patience. You can consider using the Thunder shirt for him which you may find online and can help a lot in these cases. Good luck and have a great day!

I would give it some time and training. Ziggy is a young dog and his exuberance on walks around other dogs is to be expected. It would help for you to start some "learn to earn" training. This means before Ziggy gets anything desirable (like a treat, attention for play, going outside, getting a meal) he has to sit and focus on you for a second. To facilitate this you start in the home where there are minimal distractions. Use a treat to get Ziggy to sit and look at you while saying "focus" or whatever command you want. Continue to do this before Ziggy gets anything fun or desirable. Eventually you can practice this behavior on walks so Ziggy is less triggered by other distractions. As always with training time and consistency are key. Everyone in the household should practice this with Ziggy. It may take a few months for him to get it down pat. You can always contact a credible trainer to help you out if needed. I hope this helps and good luck to you and Ziggy! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Fear of men could come from a previous bad experience or even just from their larger stature and deeper voice. Things you can do to make Zayd more accepting of men are have your male friends feed, take for walks, give treats or play with a favorite toy. The idea is that they are creating a positive experience. Zayd may never be comfortable with ALL men but he will be more accepting of the ones in his life. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.