Aussie anxiety

Question
I have a 5 and a half month old aussie, who came from a very reputable breeder.  I didn't get him until he was 4 months.  He has several problems 1.  He has severe anxiety around people.  It took him a full 2 weeks to even come up to me, 2 more around my husband.  He would turn his head when we looked at him like he was ashamed. We try to socialize him as much as we can by having people over 3-4 times a week and taking him on outings.  We have a doggie door in the living room and every time someone stands up or comes in the room he darts out the door.  I have tried to stop this by closing the door but no luck.  2.  He is not interested in treats whatsoever!!  He thinks (or I think he thinks) that treat means time to be caught.  I have a very hard time training him to do anything because he is not motivated by treats.  
Other than that he is a great dog, very loving towards my husband and I when we are on the couch or floor with him.  I have tried to keep him on the leash when I have people over so he doesn't run around like a crazy thing and that seems to help but...still, how can I help my scared little puppy??

Answer
Hi Gena,
It sounds like you are on the right track with a difficult situation. The normal socialization period for a puppy is approximately 20 weeks of age, so either the breeder did not socialize your puppy properly and/or he has a genetic predisposition for fear and anxiety.

Go SLOW and experiment with treats. There is SOMETHING that he loves. Suggestions include steamed chicken, dried chicken, tortellini, cheese, lunchmeat, liverwurst, etc. Make it OUTSTANDING and only give him that treat around people. The challenge is that if you push him too quickly he can regress.

If you use something that he LOVES and then he stops taking it, move him away from the stimulus that is causing anxiety. As soon as he sees the person, give him a treat.

You really need to put the time in now or his fear can turn into aggression, especially with a high-drive herding dog.

Good luck,
Jeff