My puppy is 12 weeks old & has only been around other dogs off-leash 3 times now. Two of the three times we took her to the other dog's house & at some point, they showed aggressive behavior towards her- barked & chased in an aggressive manner. Now I feel like she's more submissive than before when we come across other dogs on our walks. Since she's so small, bigger dogs really intimidate her & when they come to sniff her, she'll roll over on her back and just lay there. Is this normal or has she been damaged by the two dogs I mentioned above? When should I expect her to be comfortable around other dogs?

Any suggestions like having dogs come to us or meeting on neutral ground?

Thanks!!

In order to ensure that she becomes comfortable with other dogs she needs to meet plenty of well socialized dog-friendly dogs. During this time its important that her experiences with other dogs are positive ones. If you have friends or family with appropriate dogs I would try to set up some meets with them.

Have you thought about signing up for puppy classes? That is a great way to socialize her with other dogs and people too.

The rolling on her back sounds normal. It seems that maybe she is giving exaggerated signals to make sure the other dogs know that she is no threat. As long as she is not trying to run and hide from every dog she encounters, I wouldn't worry too much.

what breed of dog is she? also, i agree with everything the other poster said. puppy classes, i think are great. theyre positive socialization tools, and theyre all puppies! look into the best one and the one with the best credentials.

I suggest to expose your dog to all friendly puppies. Don't isolate your dog inside the house. Bring along your dog on your jogging. for sure he will meet new friends that could influence his shy attitude. Try it.

Thanks to all for your feedback! Zig280 to answer your question, she is a mini Australian Shepherd- she'll be about 25-30 pounds when full grown. I'm glad to hear that rolling on her back isn't a bad thing. Even after those two dogs scared her, she is still very interested in other dogs when we pass them on our walks, she's just very wary & shy- she's never tried to run away or anything.

Opokki, thanks for the recommendation to enroll in a puppy class. We are starting one in a week & I had been focused more on the training aspect- I hadn't thought much about the socialization opportunity- you're right, that will be great!

Thanks again!

My dog is a big golden retriever, but she would also roll onto her back, it was never really a problem until a pitbull attacked her but she was ok thankfully and we now just no better not to go walking on that street