Helpp!! Pleasee!! How do you train your dog to not be scared of other dogs at the dog park??!!?

Question

Ohkayy well im absolutley in LOVE! with dogs. And i got a black lab puppy mix not to long ago.She's about eleven months old and i really love and enjoy going to dog parks. But the problem is every single time i take her there she'll jump on the bench or hide behind the bench but she will not go near the other dogs. How can i teach her to play with the other dogs and to not be scared. The first few times i took her to a dog park all the dogs attacked her,plus the owners didn't care at all which really bugged me!! Alsoi think she might be traumatized from the experiences there.Of course i switched to a different dog park and all the dogs are super playful and friendly and if they get to hyper the owners control them which is the right thing to do. So please help if you can. I have no idea what to do and really enjoy going to dog parks. They would be lots of fun!If anyone can help or has any advice at all it's muchly appreciated!! Thankss a millionn!!!!

Answer 1

If you have any friends with friendly dogs, set up a play date and have the dogs play as long as their hearts desire. Do this for about 2 weeks. Then move forward to a local dog park, in an individual area for just the two. Once she gets use to other dogs, allow her to enter with all the other dogs. I did it with my dog and worked great.  

Answer 2

Talk to the other dog owners at the park that you like about your problem.  See if they might slowly introduce their dog to yours.  Make sure it is a calm dog. It may take a few trips to the dog park.  Some thing else is your dog spayed that might help keep other dogs from being aggressive to her.  

Answer 3

Sign up for some training classes and help her build her confidence. Probably allowing her to be attacked by other dogs did not help at all.. Only bring her around dogs you know, and dogs that get along well with others.

Answer 4

Go back to the friendly dog park when it is not so crowded. Your puppy may have an easier time if she is not pounced upon. Talk to the other pet owners and see if you could have a play date or something along those lines. Your dog needs to be socialized, but throwing her to the "wolves" may not be too good. Think about your first day at school and how tramatic it was (provided you did not know a soul there)...same for your puppy. It will come with time.

Answer 5

Take your dog to a "puppy class."  A lot of places have them and you're dog will get to play with other puppies.  Sometimes they take to that better than being thrown in with a bunch of adult dogs right away.

But do it quick, because she's getting to where you can't call her a puppy anymore.  Also, obedience training will help build her confidence and have her around other dogs.  That can help too.

Answer 6

A dog park is a VERY STRESSFUL environment.  For a fearful dog, there are millions of scary new smells and dozens of scary new sights, sounds, people and dogs.  It might be too overwhelming for her at this point.

If you'd like to continue going there, I suggest doing it at an extremely quiet time of day, like early morning.  Maybe you'll get lucky and no one will be there and she will feel free to investigate a little more.  Bring some treats and have her sit, paw, down, or whatever she knows to distract her and turn it into a positive experience. (Don't do this if other dogs are around, it will cause a fight over food).

If you can, arrange play dates with smaller dogs, maybe puppies.  They are less intimidating than big dogs bumbling all over a park off leash.