Nervous Doodle

[Jonathan Smith]

Anyone have anything to say about the nervous doodle? Joey is fearful and nervous, just over 1y.o., not sure how to help him. He gets exercise daily, day care, has been socialized, etc... I wanted to train him for therapy dog but that may not be possible.  Any ideas appreciated!

[Jonathan Smith]

Yes I think some of the dog issues may just be due to personality, and others may change over time a bit.  Joey is doing quite well now but is not really a people person.  He loves his family but is lukewarm to strangers.  He also likes dogs but would much rather play ball than romp.  We were disappointed that he won't be therapy dog material but that's the way it is.  He is a wonderful family companion dog.  He's funny and does very well in the house. Though we don't leave him home alone often, he is able to stay alone for 3+ hours at a stretch without apparent anxiety.  One of our biggest hurdles now is finding the right care for him on occasions when we need boarding - he gets sick if he has to stay with anyone else...