My dog is terrified of other dogs at the park. What should I do?

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.

Your best option is to have a professional trainer come to your home and evaluate her during these situations. They will be able to give you the best advice. Behavior issues are not quick fixes and if you don't know what you are doing you could make the dog worse instead of better. These types of behaviors should be handled by a professional. I don't know where you are located so just do a google search for in-home professional dog trainers (like Bark Busters or Sit Means Sit) or you can probably get a reference from your veterinarian. ( https://sitmeanssit.com/ )

I'm sorry to hear that your dog is having this problem! Behavior issues like this are quite complex, and often very difficult to handle successfully on your own if you don't have any training experience. And particularly with an aggression problem, it may not be safe to attempt to work on this without professional assistance. If at all possible, I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate your dog in person and help you put together a detailed plan to work on the problem. Although the initial visit may be somewhat expensive, in many cases owners are able to stay in contact with the behaviorist via phone or email about how things are going without the need for repeated in-person sessions - which cuts down tremendously on the long-term cost vs. working with a trainer every week. The behaviorist may also recommend medication or other adjunct treatment options that could be helpful in addition to the training plan. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist here: www.dacvb.org If your dog is mainly aggressive to other dogs when she sees them on-leash (the most common form of this problem, in my experience), I would also suggest the short book "Feisty Fido" by PhD behaviorist Patricia McConnell - it has very sound, useful advice for dealing with this issue that may help to get you started.

This is a very common problem, and one that is best solved with a trainer or veterinary behaviorist that can help you in person. Leash reactivity can be due to a number of things including fear, lack of socialization, bad experiences, etc, so a trainer that can observe the behavior and get you started on a training plan is best. If Phoebe is also blind in one eye it could be that other dogs are taking her by surprise, leading to the reactivity as well. Most trainers will utilize a technique called BAT (Behavioral Adjustment Training) that involves a combination of desensitization to the stimulus (other dogs on leash) as well as gradually getting your dog used to them from a safe distance at first, until they are gradually calmer and able to handle it. Until you can talk to a trainer, giving other dogs a wide berth and changing up your walks can help prevent any fights or upset from happening. If she does walk past a dog calmly, lots of praise and treats are good as well!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Some dogs just do not like other dogs no matter what you do. you can try training and anti-anxiety medications like Prozac from your vet to help any anxiety cause. Then it’s slow desensitization. With the dugs you do short sessions with people touching her. But also realize her walking away from them is better than her biting them. Consider spaying her to help with the dog issues. You can also try a calming collar and treats first. But no drug is going to work without training and effort on your part. Good luck! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=37239 https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=20934

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I agree with you, the discipline has not been handled correctly. There are other, better ways to discipline a dog but at this time it is going to be difficult to correct without a professional trainer. Does she have fear aggression? I don't know because I have not witnessed the behavior myself so I can't say for sure. You need a professional dog trainer to come to your house and see the dog's behavior and how the dog interacts with everyone in the house. Only then can they make recommendations on how to correct the problem. Sometimes you need to work concurrently with a veterinarian as behavior modification medications may be needed in the beginning of the re-training. I'm sorry I do not know where you are located so I can't really recommend a trainer. I suggest you call your vet for a recommendation. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I would recommend having a certified trainer work with you on these issues. They can come to your home and the dog park to help King adjust again to playing with dogs and not be so protective over you or aggressive with other animals. Your veterinarian should have recommendations for good trainers in the area. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.