We've had several dogs who were afraid of Stuart when we first got them. What we do is make sure that only good things come from Stuart. He gives them treats, toys, food, ect. Anything good comes from him. He never raises his voice or deals with training/behavior issues. Anything like that comes from me.

Ignoring a shy dog or a fear reaction is highly effective, although a sometimes slow process. I'm still doing it with Sundin, but he's getting closer and closer every day. He's licked my hand a couple times and play bows at me regularly. We never approach or force a timid dog to have contact with us. The dog is allowed to approach us on it's own terms. The only exception is if the dog is injured or sick and we have to intervene somehow.