Couple issues with nearly 1 year OLD.
Just looking for some advice on my sheepdog. I've had her since she was 7 weeks, and boy has she grown, but she's got a few problems that I haven't been able to cure. Hoping you all can help out a little. 1.) She seems really protective of me and the house. When other people walk by or when neighbors are outside when I let her outside to do her thing, she barks and sometimes growls. It's strange too because both of the neighbors know her well, and have given her attention on several occaisions (petting, belly rubs, etc). It's as if she doesn't remember them. If I let her off her leash, she'll run up to them, bark and back off whenever the neighbors get close. I have to forcefully bring the puppy up to them. She has never shown aggressive behavior or bitten a stranger, but she seems so scared of them. 2.) This goes along with the first problem. When I try to take her on walks, she does the same thing. She barks and sometimes growls at people. This of course scares people because they think the dog is going to bite. Also, she pulls really hard constantly on the leash. It's frustrating because I really enjoy showing her off to people, but because of her behavior on walks I find myself not wanting to do it very often. Anybody have any advice for my situation? Thanks. |
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| On #2 - You might try a prong collar. It doesn't hurt them but it will definitely keep your dog from pulling too hard. We had to resort to a prong collar and, while they look like a piece of armor, they really do the job. Worked for me! |
| I would suggest walking her often... through crowds if possible, it may just take a little more work to get over it.... my girl did that too, and I now take her for walks in the busiest places possible. I firmly tell her no barking if she does bark and reward her with praise and a treat for walking quietly and being friendly when people approach her. |
| I second the prong collar. Neville is like a whole new dog when he wears it. He even gets excited when he sees me get it of the hook when its time to go. I take him for walks down the main st. so he can get used to people but we do cross the street or make a detour if a lot of people are on the sidewalk or if there are any little kids. If see a person that I know we will go up to them to see how he does. A few weeks ago he walked right up to our neighbor (that he didn't know) sniffed her hand and started kissing her. LOL I did warn her first though but she thought he was just so beautiful.(thats my boy!!!)
I also take treats on the walk it help distract him if i need. cher |
| I feel for you, my maxwell is the exact same way and he is 11 months old. If anyone comes into my house or is walking in front he barks none stop, but then he runs and hides sometimes. When we go on walks he is scared of everything, parked cars, garbage cans, and if he hears people or sees them he wants to run in the other direction. I have to drag him back into the direction we were walking past the people. If we stop he cowers and is scared. Last weekend I had a gathering and he was better than he had been in the past, he didnt' go inside and hide, but made sure I was insight at all times. I have been told about the prong collar, but have not used it yet. I am hoping he grows out of the this. |
| I suggest bringing her to a training class - train her, socialize her and give her some confidence at the same time! Positive Reinforcement training only!!!
Although it hasn't gotten to the point of aggression - it could be headed in that direction and you definately want to resolve it asap. When you are walking her - bring some treats along and when she is approaching a stranger - tell her to sit & stay and to be quiet - reward her for her good behavior. Lastly, your behavior may trigger her reaction - if you are worried about how she is going to react - she may sense that and become fearful or terroritorial. Try and relax and assure her that it's okay! Two great books I've read about dog behavior are: The Dog Listener: Learn How to Communicate with Your Dog for Willing Cooperation, by Jan Fennell and The Dog's Mind: Understanding Your Dog's Behavior, by Bruce Fogle, Anne B. Wilson I highly recommend them! Best of Luck! |
| I agree totally with BitPresSyd. You definitely could benefit from training your dog to learn how to be socialized & walk on a leash properly rather than trying to restrain her all of the time. The advice I can recommend with walking on the leash is to try and keep her at your side while you walk. As soon as she starts pulling, immediately get yourself in front of her so basically she's walking right into your leg and stop her right in her tracks. (You can reinforce this by getting her to sit.) You might not get very far on your walks while you are training her but this really works. |
| Socialization begins in early puppyhood - and problems like alot of people have described often has to do with the manner in which the puppies were raised (what they were and weren't exposed to) and when they were removed from the littermates/mom. 7 weeks is fairly young to be removed from the litter - with most breeders - 8 weeks would be the earliest (which 1 week may not seem like it would make a difference - but it can) and many prefer 10 weeks.
I have a dog that shows the same fears, shyness - and she'll be 5 next week - and hasn't outgrown it yet! 
Kristen |
| I wish I had waited 3 more weeks to get her but unfortunately it is too late now. Other than the problems I mentioned, she is the greatest dog.
I took the advice and got a prong collar. I took her on a walk earlier today and she is already doing much better. She tried to pull a couple times but realized it wasn't going to work and remained calm the rest of the time. She learns quickly, so I hope that I am able to go back to her normal collar after a couple weeks of using the prong collar. |
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