Making Progress

As all of you know, Merlyn has been a pretty skittish dog since we've gotten from the breeder nearly 5yrs ago. (dang time flies) Since I noticed he is skittish, I've been trying to work with him conquering his fears so to speak, and have made some progress. He's not as scared of strangers as he used to be, and has even nipped at the gas man.
He'd run when kids are around, except for if it's Kaitlynn. Early on he and Kaitlynn formed a special bond, and when she's around, he is her dog. She is the only one who can lie on him like a pillow, grab his tail, ears, feet, and just manhandle. The other day I was watching Layla. She'd just woken up from her nap, and I just changed her diaper when Merlyn decided to join us on the bed. She'd crawled over to him and this is what I saw, it went on for a good 45min. and I was quite proud of Merlyn. He didn't snap, growl, or run. He lied there, and if she moved away, he would try to cozy up to her again.