Quote Originally Posted by Brody's Mum
Understandably you are anxious in this situation which Daisy also picks up on which in her mind reinforces that she has something to be worried about - a vicious (no pun intended) circle.

I would follow applesmom's advice - it may take a very long time but if Daisy senses that you are relaxed around children she may well start to accept them. Ignore her negative behaviour and praise the positive to the heavens.

Any idea what caused this in the first place?
I actually stay very calm when socializing, I try to stay as calm as possible, which is usually very easy. BUT in the case when there is a baby around, its kinda hard because I just dont know how she will react.. and not knowing worries me. I have taken her to a few grocery stores, and stood outside of them. Shes fine if shes told to "sit", but if a child approaches her, her head lowers drastically, and she will try to run away (if she wern't on a lead I'm sure she would either dart into traffic, or lunge toward the person).

I praise and praise and praise.. She still cowers... Its like she thinks the person is going to hurt her.I have even gotten the strangers to praise her.. I think that actually freaks her out more.
I would love to try that clicker idea, Cali, But they dont sell them around here. At least not that I have seen.

I haven't found a treat that Daisy loves, she usually just takes treats from us and then drops it. She refuses to go near enough to a stranger to take a treat. and When she is in high stress situations, where she is affraid, she will not eat anything.. But I havent tried the chicken idea, or hotdogs might work too.. I will try that today!!

I'm really not sure why Daisy acts like such a freak around people she doesn't know, and children.. When I first met her even, she growled at me, and she would not come within 5 feet of me. She barked at me contantly, looking me right in the eyes like she was wanting me to challenge her.. Took me about 3 weeks to be able to pet her, and that was all me, I would actually walk slowly toward her.. She would sketch away, and hide. Eventually one day I was sitting on the couch beside Shaun and she came onto his lap. I dont think she realised I was sitting right there, because when I touched her she flipped out barking, and ran away.

I think Shaun kinda assumed she was a lost cause, but I dont think he has ever researched dog training before, or tried to socialize her.. He figured she was always going to be like that.. He was going to even breed her!!!! I talked him out of that THANK GOD!!!
We got her spayed, and now she is good as gold with the people she shares the house with. (took a while for her to warm up to my little brothers ages 13-17).. But now she will appraoch them on her own.

I do know that she left her mother at 4 weeks old, wich could have somthing to do with her socilization skills.. She was also given birth to in an outside pen, with hardly any human contact inless they were given food. Her mother was most likely a guard dog, and I have no idea about her dad.. She was given to Shaun at 5 weeks. She is now 3 years. I just started working with Daisy a bit over a year ago.