You have three choices available (1) Wait and practice distraction behaviors (get as much distance as necessary and possible), (2) Moving Leave it! – walk past other dog (bodies between dogs) and (3) Emergency U-turns, turn into your dog and keep tension out of the leash.

This isn’t uncommon at all. Often the leash is the issue. Encourage your dog to come to your opposite side and either sit quietly or walk past appropriately. Distance from the dog is key here!

Shy, anxious, fearful dogs often need something to focus on – at least initially. Teach your pup the Look behavior and then encourage it whenever they see another dog. At first they won’t be able to do it for long but with practice most will excel.

To work on this, me and the pup go as far as we have to into the yard to be comfortable enough to take a treat when a dog walks past. The key to getting success here is to go slow and work in small increments. Also try not to let your dog get away with carrying on when you’re not there to manage the behavior. And be sure your pup is getting enough exercise.

Set up a playgroup with a mature dog who will correct the puppy – appropriately. This can actually work well for many young adult dogs who also come on too strong. The key is finding a large and appropriate dog to interact with.

Teach your dog something to do anytime a dog comes close (come to the side of your knee works great) but also be sure to intervene and not let the other dogs get too close (bodies between dogs!) Work to change your dogs association with other dogs by sitting with them in a place where they can watch but not interact with other dogs and feed them tasty treats to feel more comfortable.

Some dogs, with the right playgroups and a lot of practice, can learn proper play techniques, others need to be managed to be sure they stay below threshold. Often the age, size, history, etc will affect whether or not this can be overcome.