I have a 4 month old male who is a very happy and confident dog at home. He loves the car and gets in no problem b
but when it comes to going for a walk his tail drops and he reluctantly comes with me. He goes to puppy classes
and it takes about an hour before he is happy enough to walk the mat, not keen on strange people at all but loves other dogs
and is best when several are around him. As I want to show him, this continued behaviour is worrying. Anyone had a similar problem
a similar problem? I have several of the same breed most of whom are very bold and love meeting stangers.

depends on the breed . are they terriers.

You might want to loook into the TTouch technique. I went to a workshop this weekend and took my nervous ESS bitch Missy - when asked to perform some excercises she clamped her tail, looked very unhappy and whenever I stopped she sat down - the practitioner showed us how she'd completly shut down her back end by poking her back foot with a stick, and got no reaction from her whatso ever...... She showed me how to rotate her tail and some other moves. I've done just one session with her since we've got home, and she immediatly leapt all over my bed and 'rolled' something we've never seen her do before...........

This may be the root of your dogs problem.

HTH

Fran

Hi , i've got the opposite problem, my 6 month old pup loves, i means loves people but not to sure about dogs.
Unfortuntly he has had 2 bad experinces with other dogs, at puppy classes he had a GSD chopping at is bum continusly and then the second time was when he was out for a walk. Our pup was on a flezi lead a very nice border colie came charing up to him and bit him on the back. Since these ocassions he his very ware of other dogs( he's a cavalier king charlies). He try's to be friendly but is very nerious, but i give him loads and loads of encouragement. I'm to hoping to show my babe.
hopefully it will pay off.
good luck
Lorraine

Hi Dorrie,

Don't worry too much about his shyness - just don't pander to it and keep taking him to classes.

My young Dobe bitch spend the first few lessons hiding and if another pup or dog (apart from my pack) approached her she would run for cover. Once she got used to them she was fine. I have shown her and she was fine.

Go out and about with as many different dogs as possible in as many different places and this should help him get over it.

Christine

I may have missed it in my haste, but what breed??? Its pretty vital to know this 1st!

Thank you all for your help, I will keep taking him out as much as I can and try the other suggestions. For those
who asked he is a Shar-pei and out of a bomb- proof bitch whose other offspring have been the same and not at
all shy.

HI, yes take him out every day, and keep visiting places new to him. Whenever I get the chance with small puppies I find a bench in the middle of town and sit down with the puppy on my lap. Puppies are like magnets and you will find lots of people will approach to admire him. Tell them the puppy is new to the big wide world, and give them a bit of "foody treat" to give him, that you have brought with you, after letting the pupy sniff their hand. Its usually only dog lovers that approach you, and I have always found people are happy to help with confidence giving. Ask them to stroke him under the chin and not pat on the top of his head. I am sure it wont be long before he gains cofidence and I have found this a good way of accustoming puppies to strangers, especially when they get a fave treat from them! Make sure you keep cheerful and matter of fact if he behaves in a nervous manner - dont "sympathise" with him, and do ignore "nervous" behaviour, let him think, by your confident manner, that there is nothing to fear.

Hi, gotta share a funny. My Afghan Hound bitch pup--now a yearling--Shirrin--has come to work with me once a week since 3 months old--she visits stores, the Bank, the Courthouse and local stage group. I've taken her to campus (students love pups), construction sites, railway stations, etc. she is pretty bombproof. I started her at 10 months at the Sr. Center near work--she loves them and they her. The first time I took her in, all the folks were seated in the activity room in a big circle. I gave each of them a tiny bit of dog treat (called Pupperoni--looks like beef jerky bits) and then had her walk around the circle getting a treat from each.. When we got to one woman--who had more hearing loss than I thought--she said "Oh, I thought that was for me". She'd eaten--and enjoyed--it. I told her not to worry--no worse than most human snacks.
mj

To Westie lover, many thanks for the sensible suggestions, I am sure you are
right and this is the way to go about it. He is rather large for my knee now
but can sit close to me and look at the world, I am pleased to say that he
seems to love other dogs and is a bit easier with strangers than he was.

All westie lover's advice I fully agree with..there is also a homeopathic remedy that might just get him over the worse..It's Bach flower remedy 'Rescue Remedy'..It's fantastic..I have used it on dogs , horses , cats and of course people it hasn't failed me yet!..Rather than using it directly onto the tongue a few drops each day in the drinking water will get the result..But there is no substitute for socialisation...RR will provide valuable back up for your efforts..Good luck