re:threshold fear in golden

Question
What wonderful advice you gave me on 8-25-07, to run my golden to help him over all of his fears.  I took him out in the back yard and we ran laps, on lead, opened the gate, and we walked out, through neighbors yards, down the street.  He went down several times, but with calm encouragement from me, he would continue.  We visited with several neighbors, kids, and other dogs, and surprisingly, he did well. We now go on walks each evening and are up to a mile at a time.  I don't call him by name like you suggested, just "this way", and he seems to understand.  He is very smart, and I even have him retrieving my morning paper.  Now I need your magic in getting him to allow my husband and others, to let him out to potty, or out to play.  He still will only go outside for me.  My husband is gone a lot, and can't interact as much with him, but they will play with each other, and he loves all people he comes in contact with, but shys away from large men, other than my husband, who is tall. Any advice you have, other than coaxing with "good" treats, which I've tried, will be great.  I can never thank you enough for helping me with getting him out and trained on his leash.  It was as if he had a "light-bulb" moment.  Thanks again....I could just hug you. God Bless you.

Answer
Hi Kathy, I am so very proud of you and your dog for doing so well! It is always so nice to know that the time we put into this site is worth it and that we are making a difference in the life of a dog and their owner. Thank you for letting me know. If you can get your husband to go with you on as many walks as possible, that would be great. After you are walking along, transfer the leash to your husband and be sure he stays calm and assertive with your dog. Also have hubby go out with you when you take the dog out to go potty... Another good idea is to take your dog to pet supermarkets, shows, dog parks...and ask large men with dogs to help you. Simply explain that your dog is a bit nervous of men and you it would help if he would mind holding the leash or taking a stroll around with you. Most dog owners are more than happy to help. If you are out on your walks and see a man walking his dog, ask if you can walk together, switching off leashes occasionally. Ask men to squat down and praise your dog or ask for his paw to "shake" with lots of "good boys". Call some of your local obedience trainers and ask if you can bring a dog as an observer to get them used to being around other dogs and men. Most good trainers will not charge you to audit a training session. If your dog likes to play frisbee or fetch, have your husband play outside games with him as much as he can, giving him plenty of praise.  All of these things will help build confidence. Keep up the good work and keep me posted. You are doing a great job.  Another thing you may consider is bringing him to your local humane society for visits. There are usually men there that would be glad to help. You could offer to do some cleaning in exchange for them walking your dog around. I will be keeping you all in my prayers. Thanks for writing. Warm Regards, Susan