How can i get my dog more playful with other dogs?

I have an 11 month old Belgian Malinois and she is scared of people and bigger dogs. i have been taking her to the dog parks i have around my house and she plays a little bit and i just feel bad because she is so scared. I was also looking into agility for her because she is so hyper but i fear taking her out and trying to get into a compotion or anything like that would just be to overwhelming for her.

PLEASE help meee.

How did she do in her puppy classes?

What did the trainer say?

Didn't take puppy classes? Sign up. A trainer can help you sort it out.

A Mal is usually a very high drive dog, but many do have iffy temperaments. Dog parks are great for adolescent and young dogs of sociable breeds (and temperament, not all dogs of sociable breeds have appropriate temperaments) that need to burn off some excess energy. And they can be fine for stable, but less sociable dogs who just want to play fetch if the space is large enough that they won't be bothered by other dogs. But I don't recommend dog parks for dogs with iffy temperaments, unless you're going in a slow time with a plan to work on counterconditioning and desensitizing. You may need to recognize the dog will never be playful with other dogs, or with most other dogs. Which doesn't mean she can't learn to get along with most other dogs. Right now she is still young, so has some playfulness left, but as she matures, she is likely to be less inclined to play. I strongly, strongly, recommend the Control Unleashed program by Leslie McDevitt (book available at Cleanru
n.com and dogwise.com, also a DVD but the book is the most essential.)

I also recommend you work on increasing her confidence with positive reinforcement training. Give her skills that she can use when things are scary. Hand targeting, sit and stay, location cues (behind me, over there, etc) are all helpful, and CU has some very specific games and skills that will be great for your dog.

Agility might be a great outlet for her, but wait until you and she have some CU skills under your belt, and make sure the class won't be too overwhelming for her. Go and watch, make sure the class doesn't look out of control, that dogs and handlers are having fun, that there is a lot of focus on teaching fundamentals before going onto actual equipment (good for most dogs, essential for dogs with issues).

Check out www.googility.com to find a class near you, and also look into www.cleanrun.com for lots of articles and information, as well as the store and forum.