Hi i been socialising my 14 week old puppy lots but on occasions if a group of children come up to her in their group She growls and her tail is in betweeen her legs. She seems really scared. Any tips on what to do in these situations as I don't want a nervous and fear full puppy around children.
If it's possible, I would start with just one (employed/bribed ) child to start at a distance in a familiar location whilst you stream feed high value treats. Then build up to close contact, having the child feed treats (providing the fear has abated), then more than one kid, then in different locations. Not easy to do and you'll need willing volunteers but the intention is to reshape her emotional response to a positive one through the use of food.
I was going to suggest what Stew said. Carry some treats with you and if you encounter a group of kids, let them give puppy the treats and watch the friendships form! Labs and kids go hand in hand, but your puppy might just need time to get comfortable with all of the noise and movement that comes with them!
I went to children’s play grounds and gave my dogs treats for looking at children from quite a distance. I used a clicker and every time he looked at the children I clicked and gave him food. We gradually got nearer over time - a couple of weeks. I then stopped people who were walking with their dogs and children and explained my problem. I got the parent to feed my dog while the child stood near and over time I gradually got the child to stand next to the parent and put their hand next to the hand with treats. Next I got children who were walking with dogs(and therefore dog savvy) to feed my dog. The final occasion I met some people who were walking with their 3 little boys and loved dogs. The children had a competition amongst themselves to see who could put the most treats in my dog. I had no further problem after that! I found that when I explained that my dog was very scared of children people were only too happy to help, especially with a cute young dog. I would say that you must be VERY patient and go at the speed that your dog can cope.
Some really good advice above. Take it slowly and if she looks uncomfortable you have gone too quickly. Always try to finish on a positive note.
