I've been wondering if Nebo could possibly be going through one of those "fear periods" mentioned in another thread. He's been a bit umm...skittish...around some people and places lately. He's never this way at home. He's as relaxed as can be at home, and will come and jump in anyone's lap and give them kisses.

We went to Petsmart on Saturday. I was waiting for Melissa outside of the bathroom with Nebo on a leash. He kept pacing and acting like he was terrified to be in that spot, but I don't know why. And with most people who wanted to pet him (which was many lol) he would sort of back away at first, not freak out or anything, just act a bit shy with them (although after a minute or two with most people he would lick their fingers and be more friendly)

I took him for a walk tonight around the church. It was dark, and some boys were coming up the sidewalk. They weren't doing anything abnormal...just walking. He acted like he was afraid of them and was tugging on the leash to get away.

He is also terrified of the vacuum or anything that sounds like one, but not many dogs seem to like those.

How am I supposed to react when he is scared like this? Do I comfort him? Ignore him? Try to get his attention?

In case you don't know about Nebo, he's a siberian husky puppy...he will be 6 months old in a few days. I've had him since he was 8 weeks old. He's been through puppy kindergarten. He is neutered.

One more question....not related to his behavior. He went to the vet last saturday, and his last vet visit was 3 months ago. He now weighs 40 lbs, which means he's only gained 5 lbs in 3 months. How long do you think it will take to reach full growth? I've never had big dogs before, so I'm not quite sure lol.