I would like to say that it is also possible that the woman who owned the dog before taught the dog to be hostile to men - I think it is wrong to blame men for the problem without knowing the entire history. People very often teach or transfer their own fears/phobias onto their animals, and if a woman shows fear of men when she is walking her dog, the dog will learn that men are not to be trusted. Some women are more paranoid than others, and I have seen this happen in such cases. I think it is more likely that the owner is to blame for the phobia than that the dog was treated badly by a man. If a dog is treated badly by one man, that is not enough to cause a general phobia, but if a woman shows fear of all men that she encounters while walking her dog, then that is a very strong case to make for the phobia coming from the owner. There are lots of dogs who have been trained to be hostile to people of different races, and this is also taught by the owners. I personally think that there are a lot of women who get large dogs primarily because they have a fear of strange men, and this fear may be justified for the women, but when it gets transferred to the dog, it becomes more irrational, since most men are harmless and should not be singled out as untrustworthy people. The men I have known have treated dogs equally as well as women, and yet I have encountered many hostile dogs that were owned by women. My boss has terriers (I forget which type), and one day she asked me to come to her office when she had one of them (I'll call the dog Surrey) in her office and had me wait at the threshold. Surrey barked wildly as I stood at the threshold, but after I entered the office, the barking stopped. Then I took Surrey for a walk. As it turned out, Surrey had a fear of men only at thresholds but was otherwise fine with us. I think this is a fear that could have been learned, but Surrey died a tragic death in the Northridge Earthquake before the dog psychiatrists could determine the cause of the phobia. I think people should be very mindful of what fears and phobia they may unconsciously be transferring to their pets. I also want to say that I think most women do not train their dogs to be hostile to men, but I do strongly believe that there are plenty of women who do. I personally have a phobia of large dogs, due to having been bitten by at least three of them on separate occasions when I was fairly young, but I do appreciate the Great Dane next door that has reduced to squirrel population in my immediate vicinity.

Question, Do you know for a fact he is terrified of cars or is that just what the kennel people said?? Was it because of the experience the dog was having going to the kennel?? Could you give him a wakl on the leash around the car, then go back inside and try and do a bit more each time you take him out and get him use to just the look of the car?? I know if my husky mix had his way he would never leave the house or the car....He has issues with everything and things can turn from carefree to get me in the car right now in a matter of minutes. If I dont push him every now and then he would be fat and lazy and never go anywhere. The other day while hiking he heard an airplane go overhead, and took off for the car. I kept walking, knowing he has seperation anxiety I used that to my advantage, eventually as soon as I disappeared behind some bushes he came up to me. I talked to him and whistled for him the whole time. Sounds like this pup needs some bonding - do you talk to him alot while you are there?? How do you feel about taking him for a walk near the car - will the shelter let you do that?? I think this poor dog might not be wired right to start off with, and I think the shelter people have put alot of limits on the dog - I mean I would be afraid of a car too if someone noosed me and tossed me in, and yet given the right situation and the right person I think you might be able to overcome some of this shyness. Do you know anything about the dogs history before he got to the shelter or how old it might be??

I agree to neuter your dog first then take it to meet the potential new dog. I also would like to add to lift it's feet, touch it's ears and handle it's mouth, try looking inside. See how it responds to these. If it is overly aggressive make sure you know what you're getting into and are ready for it. I would even take a brush along and see how the dog acts. Sometimes a dog will get along great with general handling and even with other dogs but be aggressive. The behavior can be changed but takes time and lots of work usually with a trainer. I would also see if the dog has been tested for food aggression. These suggestions are all for adult dog adoptions. If adopting a puppy and you want one that is a bit more laid back hold it in your hands and turn it on it's back. If it's healthy and doesn't squirm a lot then it's a more mellow dog. I also want to say that adopting a dog from a rescue group that has fostered it does not guarantee health, mine had gihardea (sp?)! They said that they are not responsible once the dog is adopted. Our shelter has shelter care insurance for 3 months and it would have been taken care of no charge.

Well, so far so good. I took her into the bathroom while I was getting ready to go show houses, & she really seemed to like that! When I brought her back to my room, I put her in front of her kennel & she walked right in. I was gone for a little over 3 hours, & when I returned I didn't hear any howling, but she was glad to see me. Poor girl. I think you're all correct; she gets anxious when "her" human isn't where she can see...it?...me? socks, it would be fine with me for her to walk around the house, but she's terrified of my cat! I mean afraid for her very life! She'll be okay with the cat sooner or later, but right now I do carry her from one place to another. Tomorrow I'll be doing some yard/garden work, so I'll take her out with me, & I'll take her on a good walk too. ann, I never thought of these little dogs as a working breed, since my Aunt Pansy had one named Lady whose only job was taking care of Aunt Pansy-which, now that I think of it, was a full-time job! The two of them did everything together, from breakfast t bedtime, & Lady slept in the bed with my aunt.