My yorkie needs a dog's night out!
 

This is driving me crazy. My yorkie loveLoveLOVES playing dog games with me. I actually get down on my elbows and we growl at each other and chase each other around the house. However, he is too shy to play with other dogs.

He is only three pounds, and very uncomfortable around any dogs that are bigger than him, ie, every other dog on earth. If he's really courageous, he'll sneak up and sniff another dog's butt.

I have been trying very hard to socialize him. I always take him up to other dogs (after asking if they are friendly, of course), and I praise him if he doesn't immediately run away. I've taken him to yorkie events, but none of the dogs really play together.

Today, I met a woman in the park with a very mellow yorkie who was maybe 5 lbs. I spent maybe fifteen minutes with her, and my guy alternated between nervousness and disinterest.

What else can I do? He will go into a play bow with me all the time, but I've only seen him do this once with another dog, this pomeranian who was even smaller than he was, and SHE was scared of HIM.

He has a lot of energy, so I would really like him to learn how to go to the park and run around with other dogs rather than nipping at my toes right before we are supposed to go to bed. I talk him out on long walks, and he kind of knows how to play fetch. I need to tire him out!

Maybe taking him to a small dog doggy daycare for a couple of hours.

Be careful about owners who say that their dogs are friendly...a lot of times people say their dogs are friendly but came out not so..I have personally seen a lot of this that it scares me. Don't really want to make you feel scared but 3lb is very small.

awww, poor guy. Sounds like it might just take him longer to warm up to other dogs. Can you try a small dog obedience class to get him out and around other dogs in a controlled environment? Doggie Day care is a good idea, but it can be very overwhelming to a shy dog if there are a lot of other active dogs in the room. Perhaps check and see if anyplace offers smaller groups for shy dogs to interact with. I bet once he has a buddy or two to feel "safe" with he'll have no problem going into a larger group.

Wish you were in Dallas, I have a 4 lb'er and a 3 lb'er who would love to have another small dog to play with. :)