Mr.Poopoopachu

I am a dog walker in NYC with my own business, serving nine clients daily. I’m having an unusual problem with one of my new clients.

I recently took on a new dog, Sammie, an 18-month-old chocolate lab. Sammie is walked twice daily with a group of four to six other dogs. Unfortunately, Sammie will not move his bowels when in the group. He’s not skittish, nor does he behave awkwardly in any other way. He seems embarrassed, quite frankly, when any of the other dogs have a bowel movement. I have to tie the other dogs off and take Sammie off on his own to get him to do his business. (And even then he won’t go if I’m looking at him.)

Is this normal? Any advice? His owner said that she sometimes has this problem with him too.