Thank you, i think this is exactly right, i really want him to enjoy walking with me, what can i do to help him?

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WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE BECOMES A MEMORY,THE MEMORIES BECOME TREASURES,OF THE HEART.

Confidence building exercises can go a long ways to helping a dog feel more comfortable 'out there'. Training, practicing and rewarding basic obedience skills help the dog understand what is expected of him and build confidence. Teaching simple 'tricks', touch, shake a paw, weave (between your legs), anything the dog can easily succeed at, can help. Play is a great confidence builder and reward for a dog, fetch, find it, even hide and seek or tag. Each 'success' is a step in building more confidence in a dog.

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Until there are none, rescue one.

Well I'd like to know what Charliethree says, but I think you're right. My dogs do yawn just for yawning, like humans. And I thinks it sounds/looks a bit different than a stress yawn. I guess the thing is to know your dog really well and be tuned into different environments to interpret what things like yawns mean at any moment.

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Kathleen, mom to one human, age 17, three canines, and a bunch of fish.

Yes, dogs do yawn 'for the sake of yawning', but as you noticed it seems different - the dog will seem more relaxed over all and especially afterward. Know your dog, know what he looks like when he is relaxed and content, from there you can tell if your dog is stressed or not. Keep in mind that a little stress is not a 'bad' thing - after all learning is stressful to a degree and so is excitement.

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Until there are none, rescue one.

Thanks Charliethree for this useful info. How do you teach "touch"?

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9 & half short years in my life but forever in my heart http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...-my-buddy.html
"He took my heart and ran with it, and I hope he's running still, fast and strong, a piece of my heart bound up with his forever" - Patricia McConnell

Charlie could watch birds for hours and I could watch Charlie for hours too http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...n-morning.html

hold your hand out with your palm facing toward your dog. Place a tiny bit of a treat under our thumb and hold it against your palm with your thumb. When the dog goes for the treat, say "touch" the minute his nose hits your skin and release the treat. Keep practicing and you will eventually be able to stop using the treat, just make sure when you transition that he still gets a treat whenever he 'touches'. If his nose doesn't make contact with skin, no treat.

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Ellie and Mack

I ordered the two books recommended in this thread and they arrived Friday. Very interesting reading.
Jess likes to stay close to me but is not a cuddler. Yesterday morning I gave him a little hug. He did the " look away".

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[SIGPIC]

Dogs are extremely tolerant of our social 'ineptness', there are a lot of things we do (and are acceptable in human interactions), that may make them feel uncomfortable with us- hugging (bending over top or putting our arms around them and restraining gently), head petting, eye contact can be perceived as a threat to a dog especially if it is from a stranger. But we can and should teach them that these behaviors from us are good things by pairing them with rewards, so that when they occur when encountering a stranger or a child (children love to hug dogs and almost always, it is human nature, make eye contact) they are less likely to respond negatively to that person.

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Until there are none, rescue one.

I read the book on calming signals, and really enjoyed it. Igot some other books too. See thread here. I'm going to post some of what I learn...helps me remember it to take notes.

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...ml#post2036866 (Books on dogs: what I'm reading (lengthy))

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Kathleen, mom to one human, age 17, three canines, and a bunch of fish.

There are many great books out there once you start looking for them.

Feisty Fido - Help for the Leash Reactive Dog - Patricia B McConnell.
How Dogs Think - Stanley Coren
Dogs are from Neptune - Jean Donaldson.
The Other End of the Leash- Patricia B. McConnell

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Until there are none, rescue one.