Sheltie suddenly fearful - What Should I Do?

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OntarioSheltie

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Not sure whats going on with her but Sadie has suddenly become fearful of people. She's 16 months old, isn't she a bit old for these kinds of phases?

She was always aloof with people that she didn't know. she didn't like her head being touched but would tolerate her back being peted. This didn't bother me at all.

I'd noticed in the fall that she wouldn't get close to my husband's brother, who she previously LOVED playing with. He's a bit to loud with her some times though so I assumed that he just startled her a bit, nothing monumental.

A few times in the fall she seemed very overwhelmed with Petsmart, previously her FAVORITE place to go.

Over the holidays she growled at Santa when I took her to have her picture taken and at family gatherings she refused to let anyone touch her. She knows all of these family members and previously loved to play with them, this time she sort of just hid in a corner.

This morning I took her for a walk and it was a bit dark out still. She had a fit when she had to walk past a man waiting beside the sidewalk for his ride, she tried with all her might to pull out of the collar.

I'm flabbergasted by her behavior, she's had no bad experiences with people. We haven't been going to public places as often because of the weather but should that have changed her personality so drastically?

I'm trying really hard not to get angry with her because her behavior is so silly. But I'm really not sure what to do with her now. Usually when she's afraid of something I walk her by it a few times, try not to force her right up to it and let her sniff it when she feels comfortable. But I can't do this every time someone walks by her!

I just don't understand it. If I was getting anxious or tense anticipating this behavior I could at least understand where its coming from but I'm caught completely off guard by her behavior

I was thinking of starting to bring her to Petsmart again on a regular basis, especially when there are lots of people around and try clicker training her to stand still while people touch her.

I'd love suggestions, I'm not sure where to start!
 
It isn't uncommon for a Sheltie (many breed actually) to go through a "scared of everything" phase around 1.5-2 years of age.

Keep toughing it out! It might mean taking a step or two backwards and starting over in some cases, but don't give up on it. If you can get through this "terrible 2's" phase then you should be good! Keep taking her out to new places, exposing her to new people. Now that you know that she is a little skittish at the moment, you can set her up for success. So if you are walking her and you see someone standing on the street up the block, get your treat out, get her attention on you, stop and do a couple of tricks if you need to, the approach the new person confidently and at a brisk pace. Don't slowly walk towards the "scary" obstacle, instead put your shoulders back and march straight up to them. Your body language will have a huge impact on how she reacts to the new stimulus.

Carry around a baggy of really awesome soft treats with you. Every new person you meat, give them a treat and ask them to offer it to your pup. Romeo went through a "people are scary" (especially children) phase at about 14 months. I took him to a flyball demo at a local elementary school as he was training in flyball at the time. He did his runs, and then we had a meet and greet with all the kids. I had a bag of cheese with me and gave every kid a piece of cheese to offer to Romeo. He was nervous at first, but after a couple of minutes of strange kids shoving cheese in his face while others petted his back and head, he settled right in. Now he LOVES kids as he thinks that they all have hidden stores of cheese on them.

Whatever you do, don't get frustrated at her! Just keep muscling through, re-socializing, exposing her to new things every day, and building her confidence. If you aren't clicker training yet, look into it now. Teaching "stupid dog tricks" builds the bond between you and the dog, increases the dog's mental functioning, and builds their confidence. Life skills that will transfer over to public activities as well. :yes:
 
Thanks for the tip!

Ontario's question is welltimed for me as well!

I'll be needing it with Ginnie to help get her settled as she is skittish at the moment - and is even starting to rub off on Bold Bacca!
 
GeeRome said:
It isn't uncommon for a Sheltie (many breed actually) to go through a "scared of everything" phase around 1.5-2 years of age.

Keep toughing it out! It might mean taking a step or two backwards and starting over in some cases, but don't give up on it. If you can get through this "terrible 2's" phase then you should be good! Keep taking her out to new places, exposing her to new people. Now that you know that she is a little skittish at the moment, you can set her up for success. So if you are walking her and you see someone standing on the street up the block, get your treat out, get her attention on you, stop and do a couple of tricks if you need to, the approach the new person confidently and at a brisk pace. Don't slowly walk towards the "scary" obstacle, instead put your shoulders back and march straight up to them. Your body language will have a huge impact on how she reacts to the new stimulus.

I've always been careful with my body language. I'm only now starting to realize that people are obsticles to her so I've never done anything but walk confidently by people. When she seems unsure I just keep going like nothing is there. I did the same this morning. Her reaction to the man on the side of the road was so strong, she suddenly started walking on the wrong side of me and was pulling hard. When I tried to move her back where she should be she started thrashing around wildly and tried repeatedly to pull out of her collar. I stopped, got her under control next to me and made her sit as the man climbed into a car and drove away. Was this the right response? I felt irritated with her afterwards, which was probably bad but its so frustrating that all of a sudden now she's acting like a COMPLETELY different dog. She was alway so outgoing!

Carry around a baggy of really awesome soft treats with you.

Can't do that, she can't have anything but her kibble because of digestive problems. She loves her kibble but it just doesn't always cut it in situations like this. Her fear is often just too strong

Every new person you meat, give them a treat and ask them to offer it to your pup. Romeo went through a "people are scary" (especially children) phase at about 14 months. I took him to a flyball demo at a local elementary school as he was training in flyball at the time. He did his runs, and then we had a meet and greet with all the kids. I had a bag of cheese with me and gave every kid a piece of cheese to offer to Romeo. He was nervous at first, but after a couple of minutes of strange kids shoving cheese in his face while others petted his back and head, he settled right in. Now he LOVES kids as he thinks that they all have hidden stores of cheese on them.

I've tried doing this at Petsmart a few times but I'm not sure that she's making progress, she's very smart and determined to be afraid. She'll stretch out her body as long as she can (and she's very long) then quickly grab the treat and rush off with it. I don't see how this is helping her. Is there something I can do so that she doesn't do this?

Whatever you do, don't get frustrated at her! Just keep muscling through, re-socializing, exposing her to new things every day, and building her confidence. If you aren't clicker training yet, look into it now. Teaching "stupid dog tricks" builds the bond between you and the dog, increases the dog's mental functioning, and builds their confidence. Life skills that will transfer over to public activities as well. :yes:
Click to expand...

I'll try harder not to get annoyed and frustrated with her. Its just SO frustrating! This has NEVER been an issue with her until now.

I've been considering enrolling her in an intermediate obedience class at Petsmart since she seems so bored with winter. Its all bad timing though. My health is bad and I usually crash after work...this is just one more thing to worry about :cry:
 
Sounds like you are doing the most you can. It's frustrating to hear, but just stick with it. Remain confident in yourself and in her, try to anticipate situations that might startle or frighten her, and set her up for success. Keep things positive and light, never be harsh when she is frightened. It's really just one of those situations where you gotta keep pushing on and things will get better. Have faith!

If she cannot have treats, then find another reward that she will work for. Tug? Toy? Scratching her favorite spot? And work with that.

You can also set up situations where she will be working amid distractions. Like you mentioned, going to a place like PetSmart, scoping out a corner and working on some clicker training is a great idea. Once the weather warms up, head out to mall parking lots or busy play grounds, find a spot and work on "stuff" ... tricks, obedience, focus, games, etc. If she is working and focusing on you then she will be less likely to react to "scary" stuff around her.

Don't get frustrated, keep doing what you are doing! It will get better with time and practice.
 
Good luck OntarioSheltie! GeeRome has great tips, which I will start on my pup too in hopes of avoiding a huge change.

This is definitely something that will take a lot of time and patience but it's worth the trouble in the long run.
 
The only thing different that came to my mind, was a vision issue. It might be worth just taking her for a Cerf exam to make sure she is not losing vision or having something going on that department, just to eliminate that possibility.


Sher
Falmist
 
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