[Jacqueline]

first of all, i'd like to put out there that my dog is not an abused or neglected dog at all, although sometimes his actions make him seem that way. we purchased him from a reputable, registered breeder and from the day we brought him home our family has taken very good care of him with walks daily/good quality food/lots of love and affection/grooming/treats/rides in the car.. he's a true member of our family. the only problem is, his behavior. it's getting embarrassing and taking him out on walks isn't as enjoyable as it used to be. when out on walks, he will be afraid of scooters, bicycles, motorcycles, air guns used for construction, loud children playing on a playground, big hyper dogs.. when around of these noises his whole body language will change. his body will cower to the ground, with his tail down low.. head to the ground..and sometimes he will be so scared that he was literally PULL himself away from the situation towards the street. once he even managed to pull out of his collar and ran across the street! thank god there were no cars or he wouldve been killed. i am now fearing for his life. other dogs will come up and sniff him wagging their tails happy to see him and he will react like this. he will not socialize with dogs, regardless if i take him to the doggy park.. or walk him daily. even if i introduce him to a nice calm dog, he will still act disinterested and turn his back.what should i do? hes 4 years old, has been exposed to plenty of situations over and over again, and you would think that after seeing that none of them an hurt him he would get the point that its safe, he still remains afraid to this day! whats wrong with my dog? i want to add a new puppy to the family, but i dont think i can anymore because of his behaviour. is it just the nature of my dog? is he abnormal? hes had such a good life...we didnt do anything wrong. you would think he was abused as a puppy. a lot of people are like ''wow, ive never seen a dog so afraid of another dog before!" and its just so embarrassing. once we took him to the pet store and the little puppies in the cages were jumping against the glass and my dog started shivering and hid in a corner.

[cigwyllt]

Poor dog - what a tough life he must have! You have my sympathy. Like you I chose my dog carefully, he had a great start in life - the breeder cared so much she was in tears as we drove away with him! He came home to a loud busy household with 5 dog savvy kids and two other happy, healthy well adjusted dogs, one a rescue, the other bought as a pup. And he has grown into a total wimp!

If I tell him to go into the kitchen he throws himself to the floor and looks like I will beat him. If someone comes into the house with new shoes on he shakes and growls - he just carries on as though he expects to be beaten by anyone who approaches him. But everything suggests he has had a background of neglect and cruelty!

I just try to ignore the silly behaviour and not reinforce it but it is hard when your dog looks so scared and unhappy.

I wonder if a puppy might be a good idea for him though? It could be what he needs to build his confidence.