Extremely fearful Sheltie puppy

[Ann]

You mention she has problems with traffic and suburban sounds. I recommend you desensitise her to the sound. Take a recording of road and outside noises (or you could download from the web) and play it on a loop very quietly in the background (remember dogs have great hearing) while she is distracted - like eating or playing. Very slowly increase the sound each day. You don't want her actually listening for it, so only increase it enough so she continues to ignore it. You many find at times you'll have to keep it at the same level, or even turn it down a little, and stay at that level for a while. Even though the sounds may not be the biggest issue, it will help a great deal. Once she's used to the sounds then she only has to deal with the visual stimuli.

Caro, what a fabulous idea this is! We use a recording of sounds to desensitize puppy litters. It has all sorts of things: trains, thunder, babies crying...I've found it really helpful but never thought of doing this for an older dog. You can find this on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Calm-Pet-Des...1&keywords=desensitizing+sound+recording+dogs

Hanne, I agree that Rescue Remedy could be helpful. It's great for so many things and I love using homeopathics as aids instead of chemical meds. Another one that I've had success with is Homeopet's Anxiety Relief.
https://www.amazon.com/HomeoPet-147...1487078317&sr=8-5&keywords=anxiety+drops+dogs

 

[Cindy]

A friend has a very anxious dog, who would calm down when she laid in the lavender bush! So another vote for homeopathics
Maybe some lavender oils?

 

[Sharon7]

I agree with Hanne, Rescue Remedy is simple, readily available, and natural. It does seem to help some dogs, and it can't hurt. A friend gave us some for Ally when she was so ill the last 6 months of her life, and my hubby and I ended up taking it ourselves to cope with the immense stress of her care and knowing we were near the end of the road with her.

Ann and Caro's advice is spot on. Shelties are so sensitive one bad experience can scar them so easily. Sounds like you are doing it the right way - good luck. What's your pup's name, BTW?

 

[tesslynn]

Sheltie's are sensitive by nature, and some pick up on the vibes of their owners. Sounds like the breeder set this puppy up for failure. Shame on them! A vet that wants to medicate a puppy for shy behavior is a quack in my book, and I would immediately seek out another Vet with practical help and solutions. Please seek out positive interactions for your puppy. If the puppy acts fine at home, then you have to build confidence for other environments. You might try a thundershirt when going out into the big scary world. I worked with shy kids, the best thing to help them overcome situations was limited exposure until it didn't feel so intimidating. Concentrate on making the new experiences win/win. NEVER force the puppy into a situation that can be too overwhelming it will cause regression. It will most likely shut down to cope. Make every stride a BIG deal. A puppy wants to please, give opportunities for success, and if you have a bad day give yourself permission to be ok with that. The city can be a frightening place compared to a pastoral setting. Maybe try to do the "work" in quiet park settings that don't have distractions. My girls can get apprehensive in traffic filled areas, too much noise and commotion for them to cope with. They will react negatively if there is too much "input" for them to process. Kaleigh was attacked and pinned down by a big dog-it was a horrible experience, and she doesn't like bigger dogs coming near her now. I try hard to avoid situations where people who are overdogged can be an issue for us. I will pick her up and let her know I won't let any harm come to her. She is getting better, but I think it will always be a trigger point when she had no issues with meeting other dogs. I am known to be quite vocal to people with dogs that are more aggressive and untrained. Savannah is smaller, but highly vocal, she somehow communicates a "don't mess with me" attitude. She has a "bring it, I will take you out" attitude that puts off most dogs, it cracks me up because she really can't back up her attitude. Have your puppy eat the elephant one bite at a time, so to speak. Good luck!!!