Very Scared Puppy

[ragamuffin68]

We just got finished with a play date between with 7 month old pug and our friend's dogs, which is a little over a year old and 8 pounds. Bunk has a history of being bad with other dogs, so we decided to get together with someone we trust and her dog in an attempt to get Bunk more comfortable around other dogs. IT WAS A DISASTER!
Bunk was so scared the entire time. Mind you, this other dog is not only small, but very easy going and did not assert itself one bit. Bunk was freaked out from the ver beginning. When our friend's dog (Badger) came in the door, Bunk immediately began barking and growling; he ran up to Badger, barked, and then ran away. Bunk could not get anywhere near Badger without freaking out and eventually hid under the couch, where he spent most of the visit. While under the couch he refused food (which he absolutely never does) and toys.
Just before our friend left I took Bunk from under the couch and held him in my arms and allowed Badger to approach. Bunk went completely limp in a submissive position. After Badger left I noticed Bunk had a little but of urine on him, which tells me that he was so scared that he actually peed on himself.
I know Bunk is still a puppy, and I don't know the first thing about dog socialization, but I am really concerned about him and afraid of this problem persisting.
We are also supposed to pet-sit a friend's 7 year old yellow lab in about three weeks, which is starting to make me nervous considering what happened today.

Any advice or has anyone had a similar experience?

[Oregon Pug Mom]

I'm a new pug mom but I'm sure there will be good advice coming your way with more experience. But it sounds like Bunk is pretty scared. Have you thought about training classes for puppys-it's as much about socialization as training tips. She needs exposure to other dogs but maybe with the trainer in a class situation they can show you how to go about it. Good luck!!

[taffiecandy]

IMO, a puppy class would do wonders. Research wherever you decide to take him, and please don't take him to Petsmart or Petco. I have been training for many years, and I always take a puppy to puppy classes. You must find someone who knows the right way to socialize puppies, Bunk can get through this with the help of a great trainer. Also if you do pet sit this other dog meet somewhere other than Bunks home. He sounds like he is protecting his home. GOOD LUCK.

[Snifter]

I'm sorry to say that it was not at all a good idea to hold Bunk and have the other dog approach. Whatever you do, don't do that again. It will only make Bunk feel he can't rely on you to protect him from dogs he does not want to approach, and you don't want that. He's young and should bounce back OK so try not to worry about it.

Puppy training classes are a great idea - I cannot recommend them highly enough.

Training a dog like Bunk will take quite a bit of work. It should take place outside the home. The idea is that you enlist a friend with a dog. Find a big park or field and meet up there. Walk the dogs up and down FAR FAR apart from each other. Far enough away that Bunk does not pay too much attention to the other dog, if any. If he does pay attention to the other dog try distracting him with treats. If that does not work you are too close. As he gets to ignore the other dog you can move closer, but by tiny amounts. Each time you get closer, if Bunk seems hesitat, increase the treats and if they don't distract him then again you have tried to go too quickly. Once you get to the stage where he will tolerate other dogs in reasonably close proximity to him you may be able to attempt an indoor visit but it could take a long time for you to get to that stage.

Sitting the lab in your home sounds like a pretty bad idea if it is only 3 weeks away. If you absolutely have to have him in your home then do NOT force Bunk to be in the same room with him. It has to be done at Bunk's pace I'm afraid. If you don't have babygates or xpens so you can keep them apart you may need to invest in some.

Good luck.

[ragamuffin68]

I'm sorry to say that it was not at all a good idea to hold Bunk and have the other dog approach. Whatever you do, don't do that again. It will only make Bunk feel he can't rely on you to protect him from dogs he does not want to approach, and you don't want that.

I totally agree and wish I had not done this. We are thinking about getting him together with a puppy that is much younger. Is that a good idea? There is also a small dog park in our area where we want to take him. Is that a good idea?

[Snifter]

I would say that you could try him in the dog park but you must make sure he stays within his comfort zone. This could be difficult if there are any high spirited dogs there who may be off leash. You may have to pick your moment. I would suggest if you go there and find there are only a very few dogs there that you should warn the other owners that Bunk is fearful and ask them to be sure not to allow their dogs too close and to take them further away as soon as you ask them to. When you are at the dog park I would keep Bunk on leash and find a quiet corner. Take lots of treats and do some "sit" training, or something he finds easy to do. Train and reward. Train and reward. You want him to have his attention on you, not on the other dogs (yes, I know this does not sound much like you are socialising him because he is not having social interactions with the other dogs as such; what you are working on is him having other dogs in some proximity but not so that he feels threatened.)

I'm not sure about the idea of getting a very much younger puppy in at this stage and would recommend you find a trainer and ask them.

Although dogs are pack animals, remember that your household is essentially their pack. They don't necessarily need to have playdates as if they were human children. Some enjoy them, which is fine, but having a socialised dog is more about having one that doesn't overreact in the presence of others; either in fear or aggression.

Pugs really do seem to recognise their own kind. My Snifter can take an aversion to other dogs even though he was properly socialised as a pup. He has never once objected to a pug though. If you can find a local owner of another pug, preferably a calm older one, it might be worth arranging a meeting.