My boyfriend's dog is a cute, pitbull mix of some type.
He did not socialize her well when she was young, and now she is afraid of everything. For example, if the concrete path we're walking on has different colored or textured stones, she freaks out.
She freaks out at storm grates and cats that we pass. There really isn't a whole lot that she's not afraid of.
I guess my question is this- when she meets other dogs, she snaps at them and lifts her lip. She has never attacked another dog. She acts like she just wants to be left alone.
She won't let children pet her, and runs away when they try to approach.
My boyfriend against my advice has taken her to the dog park on several occasion, and rarely does she have a positive experience. What he considers a positive experience is when his dog doesn't try to snap at other dogs.
However, it's obvious to me that she's terrified when meeting other dogs, even if she doesn't snap. I don't think he can read her body language and so when she doesn't snap, he thinks she is happy about meeting the other dogs.
How can we make this dog more relaxed in the presence of other dogs? Is it possible?
Should we continue taking this dog to the dog park? Everyone else at the dog park encourages us to come, and says that after a summer there this dog will be much better.
The only dogs she's comfortable with are three dogs that she grew up with and occasionally she's tolerant of smaller dogs.
Is her reaction fear based or aggression based? Is it intermixed?
He did not socialize her well when she was young, and now she is afraid of everything. For example, if the concrete path we're walking on has different colored or textured stones, she freaks out.
She freaks out at storm grates and cats that we pass. There really isn't a whole lot that she's not afraid of.
I guess my question is this- when she meets other dogs, she snaps at them and lifts her lip. She has never attacked another dog. She acts like she just wants to be left alone.
She won't let children pet her, and runs away when they try to approach.
My boyfriend against my advice has taken her to the dog park on several occasion, and rarely does she have a positive experience. What he considers a positive experience is when his dog doesn't try to snap at other dogs.
However, it's obvious to me that she's terrified when meeting other dogs, even if she doesn't snap. I don't think he can read her body language and so when she doesn't snap, he thinks she is happy about meeting the other dogs.
How can we make this dog more relaxed in the presence of other dogs? Is it possible?
Should we continue taking this dog to the dog park? Everyone else at the dog park encourages us to come, and says that after a summer there this dog will be much better.
The only dogs she's comfortable with are three dogs that she grew up with and occasionally she's tolerant of smaller dogs.
Is her reaction fear based or aggression based? Is it intermixed?