Sensitive dog

My GSD male is a lovely lad with a great temperament but he is a bit too sensitive for my liking He isn't nervous or shy at all, but he seems to have soft nerves. For example, I have done some different types of training with him - obedience, agility and searching/tracking. During the agility training he got really worried by the see-saw and dog walk ... so much so, that he froze on the equipment and even started shaking! He has wet himself before when I have tried to check a poorly paw ... and I have never laid a hand on this dog

Is there some kind of training or confidence building exercises I can do with him to help him overcome these (what appear to be) weak nerves?

They are all big jessies IMO.
Imagine if he were a horse and you had to school him to jump - it`s the same process. Start small, work up. Start with a plank on the ground. Then a raised one. If he reacts, it`s a step too far, go back one. And praise him - that`s what builds confidence.

I agree with C&D. Everyt ime he even walks past a plank of wood or something that resembles whatever it is he is nervous about, praise/reward him.

Alll male GSDs are big wimps and the bigger the dog, the bigger the wimp they grow into. I used to have the same problem with Zane but he seemed to grow out of it. The only thing he'll refuse point blank to attempt is the 10 ft A-frame at agility but they don't have a smaller one to practice with so I used bits of wood and Oscar's baby toys from the garden. It didn't work but I didn't persevere with it to be fair.

Does he do training on his own or do you have another dog who is more confident that he could "follow"?

Good luck. I hope he overcomes his nerves.

Thanks both - and I do agree with you that GSDs tend to be the biggest wusses around

Sorry, I should have explained myself a bit more clearly I think. I decided against continuing the agility training, as he was having such an issue with those pieces of equipment (after all, it was supposed to be a bit of fun for us both!) and so only gave that as an example of his fears (although he flew over the huge A frame without any bother though Stumpy ... strange dog ). And, as an aside, my GSD bitch can be a cranky old so and so at times, but she is pretty fearless over most things and she adored agility in her younger days

Another "quirk" of Yogi's is that he used to enjoy his tracking training (or so it appeared) but as soon as we had completed our track and I had released him from the harness and had a game with his ball as a reward, he would leg it back to the back of my pick-up and couldn't wait to be let in He even does this on walks too, he clearly enjoys the walks but as soon as we get close to the pick-up he is off, and dancing around at the back waiting to get in Of course this isn't a problem as such, but it just interests me as to why he is like that.

Having read this back to myself, I don't think I am making myself very clear . Basically Yogi is a wimp, and even runs away and hides when he has to have his worming pill, but pushed he will try and bite if you force it on him (I don't anymore, and find more ingenious ways of getting him to take it) and yet he is not a biter at all, and is safe and steady around people including children - he obviously just gets himself all worried about what is going to happen. I do think that perhaps it is just his personality and I will have to work around it.

I agree. They`re all so different. And it is frustrating when you see something that they could excell at and enjoy and there is a barrier in their behaviour. Daisy would be brilliant at many things but her issues prevent us advancing. However, I think you have to accept them as they are, because they`re luffley in spite of it.

Yep, my Dan is also a wuss, and people have asked if he's a rescue or been abused, but he's always been treated with kindness. One day he'll be fine and normal, the next he'll spook at everything. The most annoying thing is when he panics about something and people laugh at him, coz big dogs are supposed to be fearless dontcha know? He would have done well in the showring, but doesn't like being gone over. It does disappoint me but I have accepted he'll never be a show dog, he'll just be my cuddly bear I'm hoping he'll get better as he matures, and so far he has improved a lot. We can take him camping etc. and he enjoys his walks and going to obedience. I think he has a good life, just a different one than I had originally planned for him.

You are so right Claire He is lovely and has so many good qualities that I can forgive him his not-so-good ones

GSDs are definitely a "get under the skin" breed and even though they can sometimes present challenges in their behaviour it is all part of the appeal

Dan sounds as though he has a great life and I think we, as owners, do sometimes have to adapt our well laid plans for our dogs when they clearly aren't going to fit the mould we had envisaged for them

It is genetics, something you cannot change, you can get this dog to reach HIS potential, but that potential will not be the same as A N Other dog.

Sometimes we all have to work with what we have at the end of the lead rather than what we might wish we had..........

Thanks SB, very wise words - and definitely worth bearing in mind whenever I am working with him. In many respects he is a great family dog and companion though, so I have few complaints