quote:I live in Hells Kitchen and the dog run closest to my home is in a park on 11th ave and 52nd street. My little boy (Jasper) was unfortunately attacked by a 7 year old pit bull towards the end of last summer and has never bounced back from the incident, and is absolutely terrified of other dogs. I would love to socialize him more with other puppies. The trauma he experienced however leaves him still trembling after nearly 8 months each time I take him to the park. He sufferd punctures in his neck as well as one of his toenails were jammed up into his beautiful little foot. I can honestly say I have never felt such a tremendous amount of love for something other than a person in my whole life. Jasper is so hysterical. He has no sense of time at all. If I run to the store and am gone no more than 10 minutes, he is just as excited to see me as when I have been gone for a few days. He is soooo affectionate. I live in a home with 2 other people and the love and spoiling this dog gets is insane. This has also left him very needy of constant attention. ... If anyone has any good advice on how to ease him back into the realm of other dogs I would be most eager in hearing your views.
Sweetie, firstly I am so sorry that your beautiful boy had to go through that, and was curious - what was the owner's reaction and is that dog still allowed in the run?
Im not a genius at dog behavior, but would suggest the following. Dogs are very place-conscious, and perhaps if you took him to another nearby run for short visits he might not have the same reaction. I would of course suggest weekdays as weekends are stressful due to overcrowding.
To avoid interaction with another vicious large dog, you might also try one of the small dog runs, they are usually much emptier and might not be so intimidating.
And finally, if Jasper is a treat-monger, try feeding him treats inside the run so he has a good association with it.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes..