u/st4rving4c4lz

Some stores my SDiT does great and others he doesn’t and I don’t know why. He does great in stores like Cabela’s, Target, Kohl’s, Hobby Lobby. He even does good in Dollar General and UPS. But some stores he’s more weary and nervous like Goodwill. He is VERY nervous in gas stations. I think he may be scared of smaller, crowded stores. I took him to a fast food place today but we had to leave because he was shaking(!!) and couldn’t task properly. I’ll tell him to sit (and he does, every time) but sometimes he’ll keep standing up and looking around more than focusing on me. I don’t know how to get over his fear (or what he’s nervous about) because he does great in less crowded stores. Do I just keep taking him and praising him and go slow? Or do I need to go back to some basic training?

(Also he is not licking his lips or shaking when we leave the store. He’s just looking around like he’s nervous about his surroundings and like I said one time he was shaking)

I got my (fully trained) SD maybe a month and a little more ago. Last tues we got him neutered. We’ve been giving him sedatives because he is so energetic but obvs can run, jump, and such. A few days ago I took him on a walk and was practicing sit/down stays. I put him in one and walked away. I usually go back up to him but I wanted to try calling him instead (I wasn’t thinking abt all the energy he has stored) when I called him he actually took off running and ran right past me and went crazy. I recalled him and we went home because I was scared af. He could have ran into the street or smth and he’s never done this before.
Well today I gave him his sedatives and right after went for a walk. This time I put him in a sit stay and turnt my back to walk away. But as I was walking he took off running again (this time not with a “come,” he just broke the stay to run off). Again it scared the shit out of me and I recalled him.
I am not a dog trainer but I was scared when he ran the first time, but I kind of feel like I set him up to fail because I called him and only then is when he ran. But this time I did NOT give a release command and he ran. Is it something wrong with his training?? Is it just because of he circumstances?? I mean I got him fully trained and I have been able to leave the room, even in stores, I have brought him to work and put him by the doors with high door traffic and walked around registers… he had always had a great stay command but it scares me so much that he destroyed that today. I’m scared I can’t trust him