Is it too late for my poodle puppy?

I have 3 dogs, the youngest a 7 1/2 month old standard poodle bitch. I got her at 8 weeks and had no problems..then I got called away on an emergency when she was 12 weeks and again when she was 6 months. I have been away for a total of 8 weeks since I got her. She has been cared for in that time, but not socialized and something did happen (nobody knows what) where she got quite a nasty injury to her side. Now, I have a pup that has fear behaviour - she lets no stranger near her and actually fear wees when I get her lead out for training. I had great hopes of showing this beautiful girl later on and now I am terrified that she will fear bite somebody. She is fine as long as it is just us here. Is it too late to get her right? How do I go about it without making her worse. I tried taking her to show training, but she actually became even more fearful after that.
Posted: 02/10/2007

Answer: Is it too late for my poodle puppy?
I think the single most important factor is for you to reflect the behaviour you wish to be displayed in your dog. If you are tense and expecting certain reactions from her, you can bet that this is what you will get. Sometimes, despite your strongest gut feelings you have to go against them. For example, if you FEAR your dog will react badly to another person or dog you will try to intervene before that happens. In a controlled environment you need to allow your dog to go through those motions, with you taking a step back. In most cases you will eventually find, when left her own devises she will make the best decisions. With these thoughts, I would speak to your local vets as you may need a few sessions with a pet behaviour expert.
Posted: 06/10/2007