Best way to handle other dogs scaring our puppy Syrous

Syrous is 11 weeks old now, and is very eager to meet everyone and every dog, but there have been a couple instances where the other dog is much bigger and very aggressive in their introductions ie. jumps or charges at our puppy but without any sign of malice. When this happens, Syrous yelps and jumps away, tail between his legs, and on occasion he has peed a little in fear. What would your recommendations be in these situations? How would you handle it? Syrous is on lead during these times, but usually the other dog isn't, or is close enough that it doesn't matter. It's happened with an 11 month old 140lb Rottie, and a 7 month old 40lb Schnauzer, both of whom mainly just wanted to say hi and play. I just want to make sure that these events don't scare him from meeting other big dogs in the future.

I think you're going to have to just pick & choose which dogs you let him be introduced to - not easy, I know!

Try to approach someone with a well behaved dog (do you know anyone with a calm, bomb proof dog?), on lead & let her have a good sniff & some gentle play. As she gets bigger & bolder it won't be so much of a problem, but everything's big & scary at the moment!

The problem is, where I live, there are few places to take him to do his business, and sometimes there are other dogs in that area that are off lead, so I have very little time to react if that dogs rushes up to Syrous to say hi. For those times where I can't pick and choose, what is the best thing to do after he's been scared? Remove him from the area? Wait until he settles down then get them to sniff each other while being held? Something else?

If another dog scares him, politely ask the owner to hold their dog so that proper introductions can be made. Then let him take his time to approach the other dog, not the other way round. If he won't approach, then don't pick him up, just do a little training with him - things you know he can do - to calm him down & then maybe try again.

OK, thanks. That's pretty much exactly what I did.

I see you're in Canada - do you follow a hockey team?

Hahahaha that's a great correlation to come to, but indeed I do. I live in the "Center of the Universe" (as the rest of Canada jokes) - Toronto - so unfortunately I follow our very unsuccessful Maple Leafs. Why do you ask?

I'm a big hockey fan! In the NHL I follow the Sharks, but we have our own hockey team here - MK Lightning. Not in the same class as the NHL of course, but worth watching all the same!

Sounds like you are on the right track. As he gets older and is socialized more his confidence will grow.