CHENNAI :Hi, The question you need to ask yourself is if your dog is afraid of all other dogs or is it just this pup? If your dog exhibits the same behaviour towards all other dogs, then there is a need to train him and socialise him. If it is just this pup, then the reason is simple.
Puppies are generally not the most well-behaved and tend to be nosy and naughty. They bounce around and jump on the older dogs, nip them and annoy them with their excessive hyper behaviours.
Adult dogs may at times find this overwhelming and choose to stay away from the pup. This is why you would see older dogs occasionally baring their teeth at pups. They are just warning the little guy to relax and stop bothering them.
The pup is eager, curious and enthusiastic and his excitement and explorations are natural and need not be contained. How the older dog chooses to respond to him is an individual trait. The more playful ones will play along just to entertain the little guy, whereas some may ignore the fellow and a few others may run away and avoid him. Your dog is probably just choosing the last option here.
The best way to create a bond is to walk them together. Plan out small walk schedules with your neighbour. Such walks will create a positive experience and both the dogs will associate happy memories with each other in the process. Once they get comfortable, allow them to interact when the pup is leashed and watch their interaction closely.
Be sure to calm the pup down if he gets over excited. You can then slowly start adding small playtime activities together. Physical activities together with fun mentally stimulating activities will encourage them to become best buddies just as you would like them to be.