Hi,
I just wondered if anyone had any suggestions. I have a pup due to go to his first Champ show within the next two weeks. Just lately he has become so very shy. He is so scared of anything new at the moment and seems to be getting worse. He is fine around places and people he knows but if we take him somewhere new he just sits there shaking and jumping at the slightest movement. I cannot pin point anything that has happened to make him like this and have made sure he has been well socialised from day one. He has been like this for about 4 weeks now and shows no signs of snapping out of it. I have tried ignoring his behaviour, and tried giving people treats to give him, nothing seems to work. Tonight was the ultimate worry. I took him to a family pub with my sister (whom he loves), for a drink outside in the beer garden. Because it was quite late and rather cold, there was only us sitting outside. He was petrified!! He was scared of the trees, plants, tables and chairs!! When I got home, my husband had put some bedding plants in the garden and the dog wouldn't even go past them for a wee - he was too scared!! Help!!!! I have had dogs forever, my mum bred Goldies, my Aunt breeds Boxers, my sister breeds Weims, but never have we come accross anything quite so sudden and strange. Plus we only have a limited time until his first show.

i think id forget about showing him for a while and concentrate on gaining his confidence, it wont to him any favours and could make a trauma hed never forget, did you meet his dam, was she ok, try classes again and take it slo, good luck,

Hi Dizzy,
Thanks for the advice. I had considered giving his first show a miss, but didn't know which way to go about his shyness. Do I take him, as with practise he may get more confident, or do I leave him a while and build his confidence up from home. Thanks for answering this for me. He is fine at his ringcraft classes, probably because it isn't a new place for him. He is fine with other dogs, but wary of people (which of course will include the judge).
I did see the dam, and the sire, who both do well in the ring, they didn't appear to be nervous at all. His littermate is full of confidence and is due to come out at the same time. Yet his litter sister is also a bit shy and can't satnd to be eyeballed (these pups live with other people, but the breeder keeps in touch)
He is currently starting the scullcap and vallarian tablets from Dorwest. I hope he grows out of this, as we have entered every single champ show, because up until a few weeks ago he was fine, can't pin point anything that has knocked his confidence either.

perhaps taking him to different ringcraft might help, as you say hed of got used to the regular one, --my worry would be that as his sister can be fearful it might be something inhereited, in which case you might be able to help but it will be there waiting to show when something upsets him, if you try all and hes still not happy then you might need to think about how fair it would be to put him through the stress of showing him, its a big part of a show dog that he/she enjoys it, if not then neither of you will, /