[alaskayorkie]

How old is Carmel? If he's under a year, I'd suggest putting him in a puppy class to help with his social skills. If he's older, find some friends with little dogs and start a regular little-dog meetup. Find a place where they can play off-leash, like someone's fenced backyard or a fenced ballpark.

There's something about being trapped on a leash that makes interacting with other dogs difficult. When they have a little freedom to move away from any perceived threats, they learn that they can handle the situation in a friendlier fashion.

Also, if other dogs are too pushy, step in and show Carmel that you won't let anything bad happen to him -- you'll solve the problem, and he doesn't have to. Don't necessarily pick him up, just use your body to give him some space and keep the pushy dog away.

All that said, a little growing isn't necessarily a bad thing. It shows the other dogs that Carmel wants some space.