yay! I was waiting for you to reply, Sophie . . thanks for all the advice! actually, I didn't even think of most of that at all ! I kindof knew I was being really nervous with strange dogs, because I assumed that he would be uncomfortable with them. . but I'm sure how I acted was mostly what made him defensive. I will definitely start introducing him to as many big dark dogs as much as I possibly can!! yess, that dog park thing was horrid. He has never acted that wierd. I'll try taking him to the dog park when it's quiet, maybe with my friend Lindsay and her Aussie this weekend. .

I also noticed, that Gonzo does not generally like super-hyper happy young dogs (Labs and Goldens are mostly in this category ). . he gets quickly annoyed by them, sometimes. He also doesn't like most puppies around 6 months old that are big and hyper. I was wondering, if he does growl at a dog (even if I'm calm, loose leash) it says to not remove him from the situation, and not have the other dog go away. So do I just let him growl and act like a butt-head? Or, do I make him sit, or correct him or what? I was thinking maybe I could separate the dogs for a minute and calm him down, then re-introduce them? I honestly don't know. It's sad, I did all of this stuff with introducing him to strange people, but its hard to convert to dogs

^_^ stacwase, you're probably right. I really, really hope socializing and getting him to trust other dogs would help. It probably isn't a huge problem, as he's usually fine with dogs he's met and in a calmer environment than a busy dog park. thanks!