In need of help!!

[Emmiesmom]

First I would like to say I know my shelties, Having owned and bred shelties. I know the breed. All of my past shelties I knew their background like the back of my hand. When I no longer breeding and was getting low (owned just one for the first time in 15 years) on the best breed around.
I found a 14 week male I just fell in love with. He has had obedience training. About 2 years ago he started stalking our old sheltie, circling her then started snapping at her, no matter what we did. We lost her about 4 mons old, and I thought great it is over with......Till he started doing it to one of our other dogs (we own 4) not a shelties. It is not herding I know what that looks like. This is ears back, head down, snapping as he goes by and circling in wide circles.
When I had company at the end of winter last year, she would just be sitting on the couch and out of the clear blue he would give a low growl,(more then just a few times) with head down and back away? He did it again last night when I had a friend over, who was just sitting there holding my small dog.
This is where it gets bad, My grand daughter is 9 mons old, if she looks at him, he'll jump off the couch, head down. But the other night she was crawling across the floor, he did the large circle around the front room, again with his ears back, head down (I was just so pissed) I don't even know if he growled, I just crated him.
I have NEVER had a shelties in all my years that acted this way, that I worried about with the kids and I did day care. I need any and all advice because I am not willing to wait and see how he will act when she is older. I will not look at my grand daughter with a scar and know I could of prevented it, because I was give him the benefit. Thanks

 

[Caro]

It does sound like very unusual behaviour. You've had shelties before so you would know what herding behaviour is like - do you think there is any aggression underlying it? What is his behaviour like away from other dogs? Is he highly strung?

I'd be starting with a vet visit - perhaps a specialist behavioural vet.

Check for signs of pain as pain has been shown to be one of the key underlying factors in unusual behaviour in dogs. I know my male displayed some bad behaviours which later were explained with a diagnosis of dysplasia with arthritis. He still has issues with redirected aggression with my other sheltie when he's hurting.

Also have his eye-sight checked to make sure he's seeing things okay and maybe his thyroid levels if you haven't already.

The reason I suggest a behavioural vet is, if all this comes back negative, you can discuss some medicating. I would seriously consider that option as you definitely do not want him trying the behaviour on a child. If something does show up in the physical a behaviourist vet can help you with reprogramming him.

Btw - how old is he now and has he been desexed?

 

[ghggp]

Behavioral changes associated with thyroid dysfunction in dogs

Found this on the Michigan Sheltie Website

Another interesting association which as been increasing in frequency is the link between thyroid dysfunction and aberrant behavior. Typical clinical signs include unprovoked aggression towards other animals and/or people, sudden onset of a seizure disorder in adulthood, disorientation, moodiness, erratic temperament, periods of hyperactivity, hypo-attentiveness, depression, fearfulness and phobias, anxiety, submissiveness, passivity, compulsiveness, and irritability. After the episodes, a majority of the animals were noted to behave as if they were coming out of a trance- like state and were unaware of their previous behavior.

it usually takes five to seven months of thyroid replacement therapy to effect complete disappearance of the circulating antithyroid antibodies. These dogs should be maintained for life on the appropriate dose of thyroid hormone, which may need to be adjusted periodically.

Just thought you might want to check his THYROID as previously recommended.

Hope you get to the bottom of if this issue as I know how concerning it must be to you. Good luck...