3 year old Collie scared of being sniffed

[Bird]

We have a three year old Collie - he was rescued as a very young puppy (we brought him home from the dogs' home when he was four months.) He's always been a little apprehensive of other dogs, and we've always taken him to dog parks to get him used to being around other dogs, though we read him and if he wants to walk away when he sees a dog coming, we don't force the issue. He's OK walking alongside dogs, and if he feels brave enough to sniff a dog, he will; but if dogs sniff him, he gets so frightened. His tail goes down, he backs away, his ears go down; and, that works if the other dog reads him. But if the dog doesn't read him and persists - or, if it's a bouncy dog that bounds over and wants to play (which I know is natural and I always think is so lovely - I'm not knocking playful dogs!) he will very often turn on them. It's so horrible to watch; he's never hurt a dog but still, it sounds and looks so awful.

When we got him from the dogs' home, they told us that he's very aggressive and possessive about food; although we've never found that at all, and in fact, he stands back while we put his food down, and only comes over when we walk away. I'm wondering whether, when he was in the dogs' home (with a lot of other puppies), they told him off when he tried to get to the food, which is why (a) he's so ... polite about approaching food, and more importantly (b), why he doesn't like dogs coming up to him, particularly from behind.

Is there any way that we can help him? Have we left it too late? (I'm fearful that we have, and pretty cross with myself too. I hadn't made the connection about food shyness and fear of dogs before, and feel like an idiot for not seeing what's obvious! I know there's no point beating myself up about it, and if we can do something now, then we will!)

Many thanks

Bird

[mansbestfriend]

Hi. Some dogs (for whatever reason) just aren't comfortable around other dogs. Some like to be around other dogs but not necessarily interact with them. Some like to be around some dogs but not some others (the majority I think). Some don't particularly like to be around other dogs, but do tolerate them. Some seem to want to play with everyone and everything and don't (or haven't learned to) respect the personal space of others. Some want to play, but do respect the personal space of others.

Dog parks can be very volatile, especially when bouncy bounding disrespectful dogs are allowed to mix with ones that aren't particularly social, and/or tolerant. I usually take my dog to the dog park at off-peak times, and it's even better if the park is empty, or maybe has one or two other dogs of known temperament. We just walk on past if the mix is unsuitable for my dog, or we leave the park if the mix/'energy' isn't right. There's always another game of fetch to be had, or a swim in the creek, or walk through the forest, or training/practice, or patch of grass to sniff, or whatever.

[Dibbythedog]

Bird , dont beat yourself up about this .

Theres not much i can add to Mansbestfriends answer except to say its ok to stop other dogs approaching too close to your dog. I often block dogs coming up to my small ones.
These sort of scuffles go on all the time at parks, they look worse than what they are .

[Nettle]

Hi and welcome.

Forget the dog park - that is equivalent to shoving you in a prison exercise yard and expecting you to become sociable with the lags. Some of them threaten you, go through your pockets or try to push you over. Some grin at you and wave hypodermic needles at you. That is what is happening to him at the dog park.

Instead, concentrate on stress-free walks so that you build his confidence in you. He does not need and does not want to "play" - check out the pinned thread "He only wants to Play" for explanation. One day he might have some dog acquaintances he likes to hang around with, or he may not - it isn't essential for his wellbeing to have dog meetings but it IS essential for him to see you as his protector.

He's a collie with a fabulous brain. Check out our Exercise the Mind thread for lots of things you and he can do together. These activities will build his confidence and develop your relationship in a lovely way.

[WufWuf]

Here you go

"He only wants to play" https://positively.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=6123

"Exercise the mind" https://positively.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1135