Quote:
Originally Posted by tdavison24
i just rescued a sheltie recently about 3 weeks ago and he is soooooo timid and scared of every little noise, wont come to his name, and he ran away and it took me 3 days to catch him. i put up a fence cuz he is a very sweet dog, quiet, and very very well mannered and id love to keep him, but how can i get him to be more active and playful and not so scared of anything and everyone around him?? aside from giving him space and letting him get used to it on his own what can i do? any advanced tips, im very good with dogs and have trained many dogs for my parents friends and other many times
but with this guy im getting no luck  i take him on walks when its not under 40 degrees lol
but summers coming so i will walk him once a day
any ideas? |
Okay, you don't mention age...is this a puppy or an adult? As for what in the dog's past cased the fear-- IT DOES NOT MATTER. Don't get hung up on the past. Dealing with the behavior does not require knowing the cause.
Not coming to it's name can be that it hasn't learned it's name yet, or it's afraid of you.
So, what to do.
First: I would not put it outside in the yard off-leash until it will come when called. You don't want to be chasing it. Even though the yard is fenced, outside needs to be on-leash.
NO TOUCH, NO TALK, NO EYE CONTACT
Don't force the dog to accept petting and done pet when it is in an emotionally unstable state. Only pet when it is calm stable.
Do not talk to the dog when it is fearful. No saying "oh, baby, it's okay...yadda yada yada" All that does is reinforce the fear and instablity.
Do not look at the dog in the eye--especially not for more than a second or two as it is preceived as threatening.
So, what to do? Sit on the floor with your back to the dog. Have some treats in your hand. NO TALK NO TOUCH NO EYE CONTACT. Well, you can talk but not to her/him--you can have a conversation with another human or animal. When the dog approaches (typically to your back), allow it to sniff you without responding or acknowledging it's presence. When it comes to your front you can calmly offer a treat while still not talking, touching, or looking.
The NO TALK NO TOUCH NO EYE CONTACT has to become your mantra -- you are to advise everyone about these rules for the dog for as long as the dog needs this approach from strangers.
Desensitization. Let's say you are out walking the dog and it shows fear over a trash can. Do NOT say a word about it's fear. Stop. Watch. Wait. Look for a brave behavior--like sticking it's nose toward the trash can to smell it. Say, "Good Dog, check it out". Wait. It moves closer to the can, "Good Dog, check it out". You want to encourage the dog to be brave and you want to reward brave behavior.
Building confidence. This will go a long way to help the dog overcome fear. Obedience training using positive reinforcement. Trick training using positive reinforcement. The dog needs to hear "what a GOOD DOG" many times. If you aren't familiar with positive reinforcement methods of training, watch Victoria Stilwell or read her book "It's Me or the Dog" for good examples or any website that teaches how to "clicker train".
Once the dog has learned some basics...incorporate NILIF (Nothing In Life is Free): before getting to eat his meal, make him/her down/stay. Before getting a pet, sit/stay. Before getting on furniture, wait to be invited. Before getting to play with a toy, do a trick. This builds it's bond with you and helps it understand that everything good comes from you.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Shelties are smart, affectionate dogs. Take the time to build a bond with this dog and you will have a great companion for life.
Scared Sheltie
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