Help! About to get kicked out of 2nd doggy daycare

[Natlav]

Help - I have a 1 yo sheltie mix who is about to be kicked out of her 2nd doggy daycare in 6 months. She LOVES going to daycare and starts off with glowing reviews about how well she gets along etc then as time goes on she starts being aggressive with the other dogs - going after them in group and having big time issues when coming into group, leaving group or when other dogs leave group.

I had a personal trainer come a couple of weeks ago as she has aggression issues when people come to the door (tries to attack them initially to the point we have to put her in her crate) usually settles right down then is fine. Obviously I want to fix that, she also has leash aggression when we encounter people/dogs on walks that was also going to be worked on with this trainer. His approach was that she had to stay in a given spot 9her dog bed in the living room) at all times unless we invited her out and then only while we did a specific activity - so if she was lying quietly on her bed I could release her to come play with a toy - once I was done playing with her then she had to go back to the bed. when we weren't home she could do as she pleased. well I did it for several days when I was home and to be honest the next time we had a guest she was 10x worse - didn't settle down at all, and she started peeing an pooping all over the house when we weren't there. So I have sort of stopped as she was become a total nightmare. Not sure if I should start over or not. Anyways - this also coincided with when she started getting in trouble more frequently at daycare.

A little background - we got her from a rescue at 4 months and to be honest I don't think she was socialized at all. She was afraid of everything when we got her, dogs, people you name it. She would cower behind me or try to run away. I started taking her to puppy play groups and she slowly came out of her shell around other dogs and even the people at the play groups. She has never exhibited aggressive behavior in the playgroups where I stay with her. We also did basic obedience training in the summer and was fine with the dogs and people there - I didn't care for their methods as it was almost all leash corrections and I found it harsh especially for such a skittish dog. I took her to soccer games etc to be around people but stayed a little ways back not to stress her out and by the fall she was finewith watching soccer games from the sidelines in with the crowd. Since the fall however she has started reacting to everyone/everything we pass on leash. I'm at a loss. I had 2 border collies before and have never had such a reactive dog.

Help! Do I stick with the trainer who seems to have made things worse, find a different trainer?

 

[ghggp]

WOW, you sound like you have your hands full!
As I have never worked with aggressive behavior in dogs, I am afraid I can not offer first-hand guidance.
I do have a friend that had an aggressive dog.

She swears by information on this site:

Fearful Dogs
Positive help for fearful, shy & anxious dogs

http://fearfuldogs.com/frustrations-of-working-with-fearful-dogs/

The challenge of working with a fearful dog is to help them learn how to perceive the people, sounds, objects or situations that make them feel afraid, in a more positive way. One of the main techniques is to use classical conditioning to create new, positive associations with their ‘triggers’ (whatever scares them). Most often this is done using food rewards. Food is a powerful reinforcement, but a rehabber’s ‘bag of tricks’ can also take advantage of behaviors which are incompatible with fear.

Have you tried formal obedience classes? Only go to ones that use positive treat training methods.

 

[Hanne]

When I read about your problems, I'm really so sorry that my English is so bad
- I'm completely shaken when I read about these training methods, so Yes, Yes, find another trainer.

You are writing sheltie mix - What is your Sheltie mixed with?

 

[Piper's mom]

I also would advise you to get a new trainer...sounds to me like she's feeling frustrated...at least I would be if I was told I had to stay in one place at all times except when told otherwise. Almost like being punished for something when you have no idea what you've done wrong. First and foremost the dog is trying to tell you something and I'd listen to her before the trainer. Find someone who has experience with Shelties, as they are such a sensitive breed that what may work with other breeds will not work with them. Also, if she's a mix (and you know what other breed she's mixed with) let your new trainer know this as it may help you understand her behaviour better.
You can also ask to watch the trainer with other dogs or ask for references....a good trainer will never refuse this and if they do then run the other way!

 

[Cara Sandler]

You absolutely need a new trainer that specializes in positive only training, and I also think you need to stop bringing your dog to daycare at this time. A fearful dog can bite and if your dog bites, there's a chance she will be put down. I definitely wouldn't take that chance.

 

[Caro]

I'm afraid atm I'm unable to go into a lot of detail to help you. However, I do agree with the other posters - this is a dog that is clearly showing fear issues and she should not be going to daycare.
At a year old she's struggling with adolescence, which can be as difficult for dogs as humans, she could also be going through an adolescent fear period, and add to this you mention she may not have been well socialised as a pup, and it's a recipe for a dog that is clearly becoming overwhelmed by the situations she is being put into.

I suggest going through the behaviour section on Sheltie Forum, where you will find a wealth of information on the issues you are dealing with. Do a search on fearful and you'll get a number of threads with advice. The issue of carrying on when people come or go is also very common for a herding breed, and one that has also been dealt with on the forum. A good trainer will adapt their methods if the first hasn't worked so I would speak to that trainer about what other options they have. You definitely did the right thing by avoiding the classes that used leash corrections - Shelties respond very poorly to that approach.

You mention she is peeing and pooping when you aren't at home. That's a clear sign of separation anxiety. I think this is a good sign you need to speak to your vet and consider putting her on anxiety medication while you work through these issues. I'm surprised the trainer hasn't mentioned that, but I think you'll find her much more responsive if you put her on medication for a while.

Btw - just as an additional thing, you don't mention training with treats. You should be carrying treats with you wherever you go - really high value ones. Shelties tend to be food motivated so try to keep her focus on you with food. You'll also find info on the forum about walking a reactive dog. I had a fearful and reactive young dog - I was told by a crap trainer she was the most aggressive dog he'd seen at that age, she wasn't she was just scared. Anyway, nowadays you'd never know, she excelled at dog sports, was national flyball champion and is a certified therapy dog, so with work and the right assistance it can be turned around.