aww thanks jeanette
mm some nice chicken im sure she will love carole!

Initially I would take her to a quiet place & just watch the world go by. Find somewhere that has some pedestrian traffic but that is not as busy & frantic as a shopping centre. A park that does not have children & dogs rushing around would be ideal. Business districts can be good as people are usually to busy to stop, or outside a public building, eg museaum, library, govt. offices, etc. Station yourself so that people will not pass too close to you and impinge on the dog's comfort zone. If she becomes apprehensive increase the distance. Do not be tempted to console her, which will reinforce her fear. Instead just talk to her in a normal voice - tell her a story, read to her, recite the multiplication tables - anything to let her sense that you are not bothered at all by strangers & there is no reason for her to be. However, do not allow anyone to approach her. It is easier if you have someone with you who can let people know that she is a dog in training & should not be approached at this stage.

When she is more relaxed in this situation you can move closer to the pedestrian traffic and, if she is calm, give her a treat yourself when people pass. Do not give treats or praise if she shows signs of nervousness.

The next step would be to ask people that she does not know to walk past her, without speaking or making eye contact, & to drop a treat as they pass.

You can then move to asking strangers to hold a treat & see if she will approach. Again, they should not speak, look at her, or attempt to touch her, just allow her to approach and take the treat.

Remember that nowhere in the book of rules does it say that your dog must like everyone. After a program of desensitization she should be allowed to make her own decisions. If she wants to be everyone's best friend that is excellent, if she doesn't, well that is perfectly fine too. Never insist that she should put up with the attention of strangers.

I hope that this will help. A nervous dog is an unhappy dog, and that is sad. It will take a long time & lots of patience, and she may never be really happy about people she doesn't know but the aim is to make her less fearful, not to make her the life & soul of the party.

If she does not improve, or if she seems to be getting worse, please consult an experienced, accredited behaviourist who can base advice on actually observing her reactions.

Do not hesitate to contact me if anything is unclear or if you have any questions.

Good luck...SB

PS Carole - So pleased to get positive feedback about Star

Shadowboxer, its a long road, but Star is beginning to follow people to sniff them now and wants to greet them a big improvement.

Splendid Carole! Well done to you and Star

i cant thank you enough for your help shadowboxer, i am willing to spend the time, shes an amazing dog, just needs to learn about the world.
Your advice is amazing, thanks again

Have you tried any of the things? Did she do good?

we were just standing my the road for a while, and this guy pulled up in his landrover and got out, she was fine about that, just stood next to me, he shut his door, which scared her a bit, but other than that, good start!

Awww that's great. I'm very please to hear this, and hope you'll keep on telling us about your progress together.

of course!

That is what I did with Zoi, I let her get comfortable with the world first.