Running Scared

[mamamia1]

My girl is 4 months old and has been doing great. Especially when meeting other dogs. She's always been submissive yet playful, as she should be with larger older dogs. Last night at the beach, a neighbours dog came running up and started chasing her like she was a rabbit or something without any greeting at all. Kali went running scared like she was going to be eaten or something. The other dog wasn't growling or nipping, just chasing, yet Kali was yelping bloody murder. She ended up sticking with me for safety. I can't blame her for being scared. The other dog was quite a bit larger, the owner said he was just 6 months old but I know for a fact he's much closer to a year [border collie/shepherd mix]. Kali recovered quickly, no harm no foul. Although I do wish the other owner could control their dog, especially if they are going to have him off lead. I did allow her to come to my side for safety, I really tried not to coddle her. I calmed her down by saying easy, it's O.K. and once she calmed I clipped her back on lead and went home.

Should I have handled this differently?

P.S.: This is a private beach that we go to daily. Generally a very safe place to be, with dogs that we see regularly.

[mamamia1]

Still looking for tips on how to deal with situations when a pup shows fear. Not really sure that leaving the situation was the best thing to do here. Maybe I should have stuck it out and had her work it out?

[nancyhq]

I'm not an expert but it sounds like you did the right thing. I would have handled my four month old puppy the same way since there was no visible problem. I would have reassured her, acted like it was no big deal and went on my way with her. Maybe she got a bit spooked by the fast pace of another young dog.

[zorro13]

Originally Posted by mamamia1

Still looking for tips on how to deal with situations when a pup shows fear. Not really sure that leaving the situation was the best thing to do here. Maybe I should have stuck it out and had her work it out?

4 month old puppies shouldn't be chased by anything. I recommend keeping your pup leashed if a bigger older dog is present so you can ward off the offender.

[mamamia1]

Thanks for your responses...

Some good news, we met a dog a PetSmart yesterday that looked almost exactly like the dog that chased my girl. She showed no fear at all and greeted the other dog appropriately when allowed. So hopefully her little incident at the beach was just a minor blip on the radar. I will try to have a more watchful eye for situations like this in the future so I can better avoid them.

I think it will be interesting to see how that other dog reacts by next year when my "pup" is weighing in closer to 85 pounds.... "Pick on someone your own size" LOL