[Silentgirl490]

So I have a 4 month old cocker spaniel/lab mix who is afraid of all other dogs. When I adopted him at 2 months he had parvo and spent week in the vet hospital, because he had parvo I was advised to try and keep him away from other pets for a month.

He just started puppy training and socialization classes last week and I have started taking him to a local dog park once a week too. He is afraid of both little and big dogs and runs from them, he hid during his first puppy day care but after a bit there he started to warm up and came out but didn't really want to play with the other puppies.

What else can I do to socialize him more so he isn't so scared? my trainer said it will just take time for him to warm up in puppy day care because he is intimidated and nervous about other dogs, am i doing everything i can do?


I don't have any friends with dogs so I can't bring him around them. He will get better right?

 

[hanksimon]

In his case, see if you can find some smaller Goldens, or Labs or other puppies that can't run as fast as he can. And let him explore just one pup at a time. Normally, you wouldn't expose him to other dogs until he was fully vaccinated, so you still have time to get him exposed and acclimated to lots more dogs... but start out with slowly... He'll catch up in a month or so.

 

[Hambonez]

I'd stick to "safe" places with other dogs now, like supervised puppy groups, or having friends with friendly dogs come over. My dog is super social but I won't take him to the dog park because he's small and I don't know the dogs there. I'd hate for him to have a bad experience and become fearful.

 

[Setayharas]

Hi, my little man was exactly the same when we got him(he was the tiny of the little and a bit bullied) but we took him to puppy classes three times and week and I feel u what the first few weeks during play time he hid in the corner as whimpered. It was heartbreaking but we were told not to approach him as we would be telling him it's ok to be afraid. You know what within a month he was out there playing with the other puppies and now we can hold him back from other dogs in the park. Keep socialising him and it'll all be worth it.