afraid of bigger dogs

Question:
 Bruno is now 3 months and has not had much contact with other dogs besides my neighbors 3 labs which are full grown and full of energy. when ever they are in the yard together Bruno cowers and hides between my legs, or just runs to the front door and/or hides where ever he can. i dont want to force him to be in a situation where he is scared but i do want him to get aclimated by being around other dogs. im sure this is normal puppy anxiety but does anyone have any tips on getting him to play with other dogs...

Answer:
 my girl was really shy like yours. all i did was introduce her to the outside world (playing in the front yard where people, cars, animals walk by) everyday so her confidence can build up. soon enough you will have a 7 month old pup with the "invincible teen" attitude in your hands.

Answer:
 How about a puppy training class? Get used to a wide variety of different dog types?
How about borrowing one of your neighbor's dogs, if they are willing and your puppy has had enough parvo shots, and bringing the dog into your yard or house and letting Bruno decide what feels comfortable for him?

Answer:
 I'm thinking that it is natural for a puppy to cower when around obviously larger, energetic dogs...especially 3 full grown labs with enough energy to light New York City. (the reason he hides between your legs is because he is unsure and scared and is expecting you to protect him, naturally you are his parent ) He probably wants to play with them, but is afraid of being trampled or picked on. Do not force him, that only leads to problems down the road. If anything at all, like mentioned above, schooling and socialization.
Does your neighbor ever give you any advice on raising Bruno? With three Labs it would seem they are the people to ask also.
Time is what Bruno needs, to grow up and be a big boy (in order to play with the big boyz). When that time comes, you'll know.

Answer:
 thanks everyone for the feed back. i think i tend to expect too much from the little guy and often expect him to act and perform like he is full grown. as for borrowing my neighbors dog i am not sure it would help they keep all three locked up in their own kennel 24/7 and rarely let them out (sad i know). i wish they got to get out more because 2 of them are young and listen very well when they are out of the kennel and the third is about 13 so they would not be my first choice i a playmate for Bruno. i am however looking into "Puppy Kindergarten" and Obidience classes so i hope they will help.
thanks again,
brian

Answer:
 Simply put, dont worry about it. Our little MAJOR was the same way. He's a little over 4 months old now. We started taking him to the dog park around 3 months and he would run and hide whenever any dog approached him. Then after awhile he would have no problem with the smaller dogs but still would run when a bigger one came. Playing with the smaller dogs got his confidence up, and then the bigger dogs actually "taught" him how to play by correcting him when he bit too hard or was too rough. just socialize him as much as possible and he'll come out of it. It took less than a month for MAJOR

Answer:
 I think obedience classes would definitely help. Its a big help to socialize with dogs of all breeds/sizes and usually most puppy classes have a good variety.
Also, how much time do you typically give her? My dog acts submissive for about 5 minutes, then changes to playful and more dominant after that.