My boy who is 7 months old has started backing off his Judges when they try to check his rear. No problems with people he knows or at ringcraft. Any suggestions?

This is actually quite common. Firstly you need to get people that he doesn't know to go over him. If you go to the park ask people to put their hands on him, but very gently ;-) Give him a nice treat (cooked chicken, or cheese is good for this :-) ) every time so that he associates being handled with something good. Ringcraft is a known factor, as are people he knows, so it has to be complete strangers I'm afraid.

You could get people to gently rub his chest with one hand and then very gently rub the inside of the upper back leg with the other, perhaps while you are holding a treat or two under his nose. You may have to try it with him first, just to see how he reacts.

Thanks for suggestions.  Started at 2 new ringcraft clubs & he's OK at both. Gave a rest from actual shows for a few weeks but still backed off judge last week. Maybe it's me now??
Any suggestions for owners nerves????

bach remedy!

Hi,

Puppies often go through a fear period about this age - I would just keep up with socialisation, getting people to give him goodies and letting him have positive experiences with people.  I wouldn't push the issue and just let him take things at his own pace, as sometimes trying to hard to overcome a potential problem can make things worse. It sounds like a normal development phase and I'm sure he'll overcome it :-)