how to get a dog introduced & used to the unknown??

i took Archie out for a veryyyy long walk 3 days ago, there normally short walks as im normally ill but i felt ok that day.

at first he didnt like traffic so i sat down with him next to the road and we watched the traffic go by...and he doesnt care now! so thats good.

we went out yesterday for another long walk and lots of kids on bikes were about, i wasnt sure how to handle this for the best as he wanted to get away, so i made him sit and stood by him & told him he was a good boy, he was still a little funny.

a little kid then came up on the bike looking at pup...i knew he wanted to stroke him so i asked archie to sit....... now archie LOVES new people and really loves kids, but he wanted to get away from this little boy & i dont know why?

the little boy was very poplite telling me he had a westie to (bless him) and he could see pup gettin upset so he left.

i cant work out why he was upset? he loves kids new people?

so out we go again today & his scared of a bag in the road, its windy, so i walk him over to the tesco bag!! and his really trying to get away, i put my foot on the bag & he sniffs it and his fine so i tell him his a good boy...someones got some bin bags out....his scared of them?!!? so i do the same again and then his fine!

then the bushes & trees are scaring him cos its windy!!?!!?

2 little girls start talking to me asking wat dog he is & he crys scramlbing to get away so they leave after me saying 'his a nice dog his jsut scared'! she thought he was gonna bite her!!! he wasnt he was tryingto get away!

his noramlly fine i dunno wats up with him????

how do i get him used to all this stuff, he sometimes trys to jump at me so ill pick him up and 'save him' which i never do - or hell always do it.

i cant work out why he was so scared so basically how do i get him used to it? make him face it? sit him down etc?


thanks!

Could well be age related ... make sure you keep exposing him to new things, do you attend a dog club???

no because i am ill i can not plans things its basically on the day and 10mins before i go out i know i can be ok!

i show him diff things and noises and intorduce him to new things his normally fine rreally!!

his actualyl also started to be come really frightened of the tv aswell, and today he got frightened of his basket and wouldnt sit in it~!!? very odd!

think you should just keep exposing him to as much as possible but dont tense up yourself waiting for a reaction from the pup - they will react to that, just be calm, relaxed and aloof from whatever concerns him, maybe you are reacting to his jitteryness and it is fuelling it

In my experience from some dogs I've seen, Some seem to get worse when they are reassured in any way whatsoever. By you stopping and allowing him to examine things and "making" him confront things (a technique called 'flooding') it can sometimes make a dog much worse.

I would completely ignore whatever issues he has with things (as the list is growing) and continue on your walk as normal. If you keep stopping to allow him to check things out, it could either confuse him or make him more anxious, even though he is seemingly fine with THAT particular thing, doesn't mean he will be fine with ALL things similar to THAT thing.....if that makes sense, so the ever growing list of 'scary' things will take you all your time just allowing him to ckeck everything. Just ignore the behaviour, and reward when he looks at you instead of concentrating on the 'scary' object.

hiya i dont normally stop on walks & im not nervous and i dont wait for his reaction so he cant be feeling anything from me!

i normally walk past thigns but when it is 5 kids on a bike and one actualyl coming for me and his trying to runn off behind me and could be hit...........im gonna stop!!!!

with the bag i just thought it would be best for him to see it, i guess not then? ill just leave it next time!!