Overcoming a lifetime of dog-phobia.

[Groch]

Shadow is my 13 year old mini-poodle who seems perfectly balanced and happy except for what appears to be dog-phobia.

He is a new adoptee so I do not know if he was ever acclimatized to other dogs or had some sort of traumatic experience, but on our daily leashed walks when other dog walkers with friendly dogs approach he at first seems interested in making friends, but after a 1 second nose to nose initial and slight tail wagging encounter he gets scared and tries to run off the other way.

If the other dog follows and trys to sniff he will snap at them and growl. This is particularly true with dogs that are the same size or larger or with any higher energy dog (he is quite mellow).

This is not a big deal to me. He is an only dog and seems happy with that, but I would like to take him to dog parks and enjoy the company of others of his species without getting scared. I would also like to take him to obedience school but think he would not like the proximity of other dogs.

I have tried holding him still calmly and letting other dogs sniff him, but he just gets more freaked.

At 13 years, he seems happy the way he is, but I would like to know if there is a way I can gradually make him more dog friendly or should I not worry about it and let him be as he is.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
George

 

[oc_spirit]

Yes there is a way you can do it by simply starting off with very calm, mellow, well-trained dogs who will lie down and stay still and ignore his presence as you lead him up to them, let him sniff and then walk away again, praising him any time he doesn''t cower. As he gets brave you increase the interest level of the dogs from that mellow well-behaved one, to a mellow one who will show some interest, to one who might stand up when he comes over and so on. However considering his age perhaps the dog park isnt quite for him. Of course there is nothing wrong with getting him used to interaction with dogs though

 

[Giny]

I don’t have much advice, I just wanted to say kudos to you for adopting a senior dog. My mini was also adopted at an adult age and seems to have the same behaviors as your Shadow. Though I can't say I blame Tilly, she’s a retired breeder and after having puppies after puppies her entire life I wouldn’t want to be approached by any strange dogs either. Ha!
OC gave you some good tips.

 

[Groch]

OC_Spirit,

That's a great idea, I live in an apartment complex with lots of dogs and will be on the lookout for some with the temperament of that Pit and Chihuahua Caesar Millan takes with him on his house calls (I know his methods are controversial, but you have to admit those are two calm and balanced dogs).

Perhaps the owners will let me arrange regular walks together.

Gina, thanks for the kudos but none are needed. After my experiences with Shadow I am absolutely sold on adopting senior dogs.

He has all of the love and affection a young dog would provide but without the housebreaking challenges or hyperactivity.

On another thread a posted mentions some reservations about adopting an older dog because he feared the original owner would always be the dogs real "family" and that they would never truly bond. That has not been my experience at all.