I love to take Romeo to the dog park coz it's fun when to watch him run and play with other dogs. I know some don't like to go to dog parks because, and I do agree, there's always a risk with strange dogs.
Having rat terriers terrorize poor Shanti isn't going to change her perception of already scary dogs. It would in fact, make it worse! It pays to be very vigilant and to learn the stress signals of your dog so that you can take her out of the foray when she feels threatened. Don't hesitate to intervene when your dog tells you she can't cope. I've yelled to call off dogs many times. I don't care if the people around think I'm nuts if it'll 'save' my dog. Having said that tho', don't step it at every small thing. Your dog needs to develop her canine vocabulary and she's not going to learn much if she's sheltered. It's a difficult balance to strike isn't it! haha! Read your dog and she'll tell you when enough's enough.
Being around placid mellow dogs is what your pup needs. If she spends enough time with such dogs who don't threaten or stress her out, she'll gradually come to realise they aren't scary monsters. I met one lady who adopted a rescue - she was tied to a tree at 2 months and hated men and other dogs. The lady takes her to the dog run religiously every week. From a dog that would growl and snap at any dog coming close, Abby now engages in some play. She's still got some way to go but I've observed her some months now and she has improved. Romeo helped by being very persistent in wanting to play with her!
Try to make Shanti's time at a dog run as pleasant as possible and try to manage the situation as best as you can. Observe the other dogs and see how they interact with others. Some dogs play VERY rough, with lotsa mouthing and exuberant jumping around. Romeo's a bit of a softie and only loves to run, whether chasing another or being chased. If a dog gets up in his grill and tries to wrestle, he'll flee. Knowing your dog's comfort levels (and playing styles of other dogs especially those who go to the dog park regularly) also help keep incidents at bay.
Romeo's the polar opposite of Shanti. He was the (overly) confident kid who went out exploring and happily leaving mum's side, pretending she doesn't exist. Recently tho' (2 weeks ago?), he was chased twice by an irish setter teeth baring and a husky on the same day, and that affected him quite a bit (I think more so because he might be in his second fear period). Since then he became very big-dog shy in the dog park, running to hide between my legs when a big dog comes by, not really leaving my side. I'm still taking him to the dog run, but monitoring his greetings and interactions with big dogs closely. Praising for going close to sniff and engaging in play, etc. He's opening up little by little again and played a short chasing game with a boxer last weekend.
