How can I tell if my dogs panting is bad?

Question
About two months ago, I adopted a nearly 3 year old Coton De Tulear.  Very late at night, he'll sometimes start panting for no apparent reason.  He'll be sitting or sleeping in my lap at the time, and then he'll raise his head, start staring in a random direction and pant/smile indefinitely.  He does not look at me or the TV when he does this.  I've read that panting can be either an indication they're having fun, a sign of serious anxiety or a way to cool off.  Since he's not doing anything at the time (other than perhaps sleeping) and my apartment is not that warm, I'm worried that this is a case of the bad, anxiety-type panting.  How can I know for sure?  And is there anything I can do to improve his situation?  Is there any chance that he's just happy?

Here's some background info that may help:

- I've had him for about 2 months now, and he's been in two prior homes (not including the original breeder.)  He's extremely friendly but very passive and a bit jumpy.  

- He almost never barks.  The only times he does is when someone comes to the door/inside or I leave him alone for an extended period of time.  

- He did not seem to have had any obedience training.  I've been doing clicker training with treats, and he's done really well with it.  I've taught him all the basic commands (sit, lie down, stand, up, paw), got him walking on a loose leash fairly well, and trained him to always use the same spot for the bathroom.  I even got him to fetch this one particular toy reliably.

- He is VERY passive.  He does not ask me for anything, most notably food or to be let out for the bathroom.  Occasionally, he'll come up to where I'm sitting, for example the computer desk, and stand up and put his paws on me.  I try to figure out if he wants food, to go out or just some attention, but he just kinda stares at me sadly.  I've tried all three items, and it has never seemed like he was actually his "request fulfilled", i.e. he acts the same way he would if I had initiated the activity.

- I take him out three times a day.  When I do, I've taught him to ring a bell right by the door to get me to do the final step of opening the door.  He now does this as soon as we get to the door (for a few weeks now), but he still has not tried to ring the bell on his own to get me to take him out.

- He looks sad to me most of the time.  He often lies down, puts his head between his paws and sighs.

- He likes to be near me at all times, preferably on my lap or next to me on the couch.  But, he HATES having my face near his.  He won't lick my face.  And, he won't look me in the eye if my face is not near his.  He does the uncomfortable, sideways glancing at me.

- He would not play with toys at all when I first got him.  Using clicker training, I eventually got him interested in a few of those unstuffed, stuffed animals and a rope-ball toy.  He won't play more than a few minutes on his own, but he gets really happy if I start swinging these animals around him so he can jump, grab and chase them.  The only other time he truly seems happy is when he's running outside.

- I have a cat that he pays absolutely no attention to, except when I'm giving her a treat or she's licking something.

- He loves meeting other dogs -- it's the only time he really pulls hard when walking -- and deals well with new people, though he does seem a bit jumpy and timid.

OK, I'm probably bordering on too much information now.  Anyway, I'm really concerned about his passive nature and this weird panting he does late at night.  I really want to help him become a happier, more confident, more assertive/interactive dog, but I can't figure what kind of problems he really has.  Any help you could give would be appreciated.

Answer
I would not be concerned with the panting. But it seems he wants a play companion, another of his own species or breed. His paws on you is asking for some attention.

Anxiety panting usually has companion symptons of paceing, hiding, growling and similar fear induced behaviors.  

Your dog seems to be a nice quiet B personality, and I would relate his jumpy timid to lack of socialization and confidence. Fetch is a good game, but it would be better if you engaged with other dogs in organized play or instuction so he learns social skills and the behavior of other healthy dogs.

Regards,
Henry Ruhwiedel
Westwind Kennels LLC
www.dogkennel.org