I'm sorry.
Jackson gets nervous around
new kids but never to the point where we have to separate.
Jackson has always been the kind of dog who, once he knows you, he will love you forever. He adores both my parents and step-parents. My young siblings (ages 3 and 6). My grandparents. My aunt, my uncles, etc. Even if sees them only once every few months, he doesn't care. He LOVES them. The 3 year old can do anything to him (take his bone away, be in his food bowl, etc) and loves her to death. So he does have quite a few people he loves.
Strangers are another story. He's never been aggressive, never bit, never growled, anything. He just often gets scared. He's curious, but very worried. He'd prefer just not to be pet by them. He's very content when a stranger is not messing with him, and just walks in the house. But you always have the 'dog lovers' who are cooing and awwwing over him when they get in the door, and while he's barking at them, they're making little baby noises, etc. I always tell everyone just ignore him and he will come up to you on his own, and I often will bring treats out, and people love to give him treats, etc.
He's fine in all public places, he never barks at anyone, but again he'd prefer to just walk thru the store with me and not be bothered, lol.
Long story short, I've been really proud of Jackson lately. For example, last week we went to a local dog park, the one where there is usually nobody there and it was packed. There was young kids (a 4 yr old boy, and a 3 yr old girl) and the little boy (who asked me first if he could pet him) was petting him all over, touching his ears, his face, everything, and Jackson was just
sitting there totally enjoying it. His head was upright, sniffing the breeze, body was relaxed, tail was content. Then he started playing with the kid, chasing the stick he had, etc. Then this kids mom, he went up to her right away and basically asked for a petting. Then this HUGE dude who was like easily 6'5" and just huge came in, Jackson went up to him and let him pet him (usually he's more scared around big men).
He was being a total social-able and super friendly dog (he always is like this with other dogs, it's the people who he's always been more cautious of).
Anyways, I was just sooo proud of him in the recent months and he's been showing more and more improvement. And I've noticed in general he's become much more laid back and relaxed about voluntarily going up to strangers within the last few months. He will be 2 in October, so maybe it's just age, or he's finally realizing everywhere I take him is pretty much a good place, and people are good. I got him at 9 weeks old and have always socialized him, but something lately has just kicked in.
I think this has been accomplished through positive reinforcement. I've taken him to stores every week (Petco, Petsmart, etc) and my little cousins little league games with tons of kids, and I always bring treats in my pockets. If strangers want to come up and pet him, I ask them to give him a treat, etc. So I think all of our hard work has paid off!