We recently rescued a gsd puppy almost 2 months ago and she is about 4-4 1/2 months old. She gets along great with our other dog (11 month old female pit/lab mix) and even my parents dog whenever I bring him over. After she had her rabies shot we tried taking her to the dog beach but she had an 'anxiety attack' everytime other dogs/people approached her & she cried the entire time we were there, we assumed this reaction was normal and would fade away once she got used to all the other dogs & realized they weren't going to hurt her, but the behavior not only persisted it got worse. We've tried taking her to the dog park but this last time my boyfriend had to leave me there with our other dog so he could take her home. At first she was just scared but once I picked her up she started reacting 'agressively'(barking,nipping, snapping) towards the dogs that were on the ground trying to smell her. So how can/should I go about socializing her so that these negative experiences are replaced with ones that allow her to feel comfortable & enjoy the company of other dogs in unfamiliar places like the dog park? We have every intention of getting her into obedience classes immediately but now I'm not sure if group classes would be the best thing for her right off the bat. How do I know if her fear/defensiveness toward other dogs will go away? Is there anything I can do, aside from training, to help her become more confident?

 Quote: meighan deckert

We recently rescued a gsd puppy almost 2 months ago and she is about 4-4 1/2 months old. She gets along great with our other dog (11 month old female pit/lab mix) and even my parents dog whenever I bring him over. After she had her rabies shot we tried taking her to the dog beach but she had an 'anxiety attack' everytime other dogs/people approached her & she cried the entire time we were there, we assumed this reaction was normal and would fade away once she got used to all the other dogs & realized they weren't going to hurt her, but the behavior not only persisted it got worse. We've tried taking her to the dog park but this last time my boyfriend had to leave me there with our other dog so he could take her home. At first she was just scared but once I picked her up she started reacting 'agressively'(barking,nipping, snapping) towards the dogs that were on the ground trying to smell her. So how can/should I go about socializing her so that these negative experiences are replaced with ones that allow her to feel comfortable & enjoy the company of other dogs in unfamiliar places like the dog park? We have every intention of getting her into obedience classes immediately but now I'm not sure if group classes would be the best thing for her right off the bat. How do I know if her fear/defensiveness toward other dogs will go away? Is there anything I can do, aside from training, to help her become more confident?

Why do your dogs have to go to dog parks?

I think that off-lead dog parks are a disaster. I think you're going to find that many people here agree.

But even more strongly, I think that forcing a puppy to interact with strange uncontrolled adult dogs is completely inappropriate.

She does NOT need to "feel comfortable & enjoy the company of other dogs in unfamiliar places like the dog park" at all.

I'll dig up some links for you about socializing (which I think we might have different definitions of).

OK, here you go:

http://www.leerburg.com/puppytraining.htm

I'd start with these (scroll to each one):

Dog Parks - Why you don't want to take your dog to one!

Who is Allowed to Pet My Puppy

and

The Ground Work to Becoming Your Puppy's Pack Leader

I would read those while I was waiting for delivery of this video (same page) #302:

QUOTE: Basic Dog Obedeince - 4 hours - I always recommend new puppy owners get this dvd at the same time as the 8 week to 8 months dvd. New puppy owners have more to learn than their dogs. The material in this dog training DVD will not be used until the dog is 4 to 5 months old but I recommend puppy owners start to study now and not when their dogs are 6 months old. I compare that to a school teacher who prepares lesson plans the night before having to teach. END

I hope I don't sound overbearing. Please consider the tone as being concern for the puppy, because it is.

I agree, don't take her to the dog park at all. Your dog is probably seeing threats from the other dogs that you are missing.

A professional trainer once told me that there is a BIG difference between SOCIALIZING and PLAYING. Dog parks are NOT for socializing.

Socializing a dog means to get it used to different environments and feel safe there, trusting you as a pack leader to protect it if necessary. By allowing your dog to be frightened and threatened at the dog park, you are not protecting your dog!!!

The dog should be EXPOSED to the outer world, but not interact with it. Take him to parking lots, supermarkets, public places and he should learn they are not threatening because he doesn't have to interact there or worry about defending himself or worry about being attacked.

When I am with my dog in a public place I want her to focus on me, and not the distractions.

I took her to dog school so she could learn to be around other dogs in a CONTROLLED setting - i.e. the other dogs are leashed and are not allowed to approach my dog. In this way she learned not to be nervous around other dogs. Ed would disagree with me here and he thinks that obedience classes aren't good for puppies, well I think they may not be the greatest for obedience (too many distractions) but that they are good for socializing.