10 week old Puppy is timid in public with new people.

Hey guys!

Just got a new german shepherd puppy. I've had a German Shepherd in the past along with huskies, malamutes, a wolf hybrid, and other similar breeds.

I'm taking him out in busier areas (not too busy or overwhelming, ofc just somewhere where we pass people every 20 or 30 feet) for walks as I want to get him around as many people, noises, etc as possible.

While we're walking, he shows very little reaction to any noises, people passing, animals, etc.

I ask as many people as possible to say hi to him, but the issue is that if he's on the ground on his leash, he's very very timid. He doesn't really want them petting him, and he just kinda wants to sniff them.

If I'm holding him, he doesn't mind at all, and if people come to the house, he's totally fine and really wants to say hi/meet them. It's only when we're out in public, and he's on the ground.

Planning to continue to take him on walks in public/busier areas, and will now plan on bringing treats and letting people give him treats when they meet him to form a more positive outlook on meeting strangers in public.

Just wanted to see if anyone had any other ideas or suggestions on this matter.

So far he's turning out to be an incredibly well-behaved dog that's very attentive, but this is the only area I see any potential issues in the future.

Plus, with his breed, I want to make sure he's very sociable and confident.

Any tips or ideas would be very much appreciated!