I have a concern about my 9 month old Border Collie/Samoyed. I have had him since he was 2 months old.

He is very energetic and obedient, and I have made socializing him a priority. I have friends and family over often, I take him for walks in and around my neighborhood, and there are always lots of people around (there are 3 schools within 2 blocks). When we are on walks and he can see people at a distance he is very excited and playful, but when they get close (3-4 feet) he hides behind me and puts his tail between his legs. Once they let him sniff around (1-2 minutes) and sees that they are friendly, he gets very excited and playful again. It concerns me because people have asked me if he was ever abused. I have never abused him and the family that I got him from was very good to him and his littermates. My questions for this part is.... how do I stop this shy/scared behavior? Should I be pulling him closer to strangers and getting him to sit, or just let him take his time? Also, should I be giving people treats to give to him?

The other issue I have is how he acts when people come to my house. When he is out in the backyard he barks at people that walk by, or come to the door. Since I live alone doesn't bother me that he alerts me when people are nearby. He sounds like such a fierce guard dog when people are at a distance but what bothers me is that if he is inside when people come to the door, and they come inside, he barks like he is going to rip them apart (which he isn't, he's a big suck) and then he goes under the couch and whines, then goes behind my legs, walks up to the visitor, barks and then backs up and goes back under the couch and does it all over again. He will do that until they leave (a few minutes), or until they come in and are here for about 5 minutes. He looks so scared and gets so shy. He does not do this with my hubby or usual visitors (friends, family etc.). And he has done this since I got him.

I'm not really sure what to do. I'm getting annoyed that people are asking me if he's previously been abused because of his shy/scared behavior. Any help, ideas, comments or suggestions are much appreciated. I don't want him to be scared and shy away from people, I want him to be as friendly and outgoing as he is with us. (PS- He is great with other dogs, not aggressive or scared at all).

If this doesn't make sense and you need some clarification, or more specific details, I will be happy to tell you.

He's still a pup. Keep working on socialization and OB and as he matures, assuming you're not enforcing this behavior, he'll relax a little. I had a lab that was like that until about 2 years old and now is fine around strangers. He's still a very sharp dog in general, and will bark ferociously at the most insignificant noises in the middle of the night. But when he knows that I see/hear the same thing, he takes his cues from me. As long as I'm calm, he's calm. Most dogs that have nerves like that will relax over time. The most important thing is to make sure that you're not encouraging the behavior.