Is it normal for my puppy to be scared of men in winter jackets?

Dog parks are pretty awful places to practice socialization as many dogs there can have "bad" manners or all crowd a scared or nervous dog which can make things worse. I highly recommend working one on one with socialization with friends who have calm, relaxed dogs in a quiet, neutral environment that may be easier and less scary for Teddy. I also recommend speaking with a trainer or behaviorist in person that can work on desensitization training techniques to help him feel more comfortable. As for with the new puppy, slow, monitored introductions with plenty of time outs if anyone gets too nervous or agitated, and plenty of time may help ease the transition.

It sounds like Finn is fearful towards unknown people, which can happen for various reasons: sometimes there was a scary event early in life that conditioned him to be fearful, or sometimes fear can develop when there wasn't enough socialization early in life. His level of fear sounds pretty severe if your dad can't even touch him. I would recommend seeing a behaviorist as soon as possible to help determine what might be triggering his fear and to come up with a plan for how to help him. Your veterinarian should be able to make some recommendations for behaviorists in your area.

Fear of men could come from a previous bad experience or even just from their larger stature and deeper voice. Things you can do to make Zayd more accepting of men are have your male friends feed, take for walks, give treats or play with a favorite toy. The idea is that they are creating a positive experience. Zayd may never be comfortable with ALL men but he will be more accepting of the ones in his life. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Dogs do go through a second fear period during adolescence - this can happen anywhere from 6 months of age all the way up to a year or even older. It usually lasts about two weeks. During this time, it's best to simply keep her away from anything she seems nervous about rather than trying to "work through it" and get her to overcome her fear. If this is the problem, she should be back to her normal self in a couple of weeks or so.

What a cutie! It could be that Bear is a bit undersocialized with men and that is why he is a bit more hesitant around them. If this is happening around your house it could also be that he is feeling a bit protective of it. Working on some socialization training by having any men or visitors to the house toss Bear a treat every time they see him (without any interaction unless Bear wants to) can help him start to associate them with good things instead of scary. Getting Canine Good Citizen certified (which is usually part of training for therapy dog certification) can also help with manners, greeting behavior, and socializing as well.

Oh dear, poor Axel! Some dogs have innately anxious and nervous personalities, and German Shepherds (it appears that Axel has a fair amount of Shepherd in him from the pictures!) are known for anxiety issues. Continue gently trying to socialize Axel with new people and surroundings, and offer small treats and gentle encouragement as he is introduced to a new situation. Some dogs also benefit from thunder shirts ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=24037 ) for anxiety, as well as calming pheromone collars or diffusers ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=33000 ). If all else fails, consider consulting a veterinary behaviorist to discuss behavioral modifications to try at home, and possible anti-anxiety medication. I hope that all goes well!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes dogs can get scared even when there does not appear to be anything scary in sight. Remember that they can hear and sense much better than us so he may be perceiving something that is near which you may not. This can improve but it can certainly become a bit difficult at times. I recommend that you start taking him out for longer periods but very slowly over the next several weeks. Encourage him to stay out with treats and positive words. Also, in the beginning just take him out without walking initially just to get him used to his surroundings. Eventually little by little he will learn that going outside equals getting treats and attention and will improve with time but it does require time and patience. You can consider using the Thunder shirt for him which you may find online and can help a lot in these cases. Good luck and have a great day!