Shelties love

[Spazzy Jazzy]

Jasmine would run and hide from anyone new. I got her at 11 weeks old. Between the time she was separated from her mommy to me getting her, I was her fourth person. I think she was terrified of being taken again. If my mom or dad held her and I walked around a corner, she would start screaming. It was so sad.

My solution was to socialize like a mad woman. Shopping, through the drive-through, to see my co-workers on my day off... She went with me. At first, people were only allowed to pet her. After a few months, I could hand her leash off to someone not family and she would be fine with them holding it and petting her. She won't let non-family members walk off with her though. Except her groomer. They have bonded in a way.

My family has had 3 amazing shelties in our lives over the past few years. Ariel is my mom's and will accept any woman related to my mom. Men are scary still. Misty-moo was my dad's. Jasmine is mine. They all accept and will show limited affection to others, but they decided early on who their person was.

 

[LilyPop]

13 years ago when we got Lily, we bought her for my youngest daughter Caitlin.
She bonded to me quickly, even tho She was for my daughter.
It was not long that I started to understand Her concept of the "Pack Mentality". With me being the "alpha male", my wife was the "alpha female, and Caitlin was Her sibling in the pack.
Any time that I was around, She would respond immediately to me. If I was not around yet my wife was, my wife would be responded to immediately. Caitlin was treated as if she was a younger sibling. If Caitlin wanted something from Lily, if Lily wanted to do it, then She would do it. but she did not do what Caitlin wanted, when she asked her, if she did not want to do it.
If both my wife and I were gone, then Lily would obey Caitlin immediately, period.
After several months of observing this behavior, I started seeing the concept of the "Pack".I later started applying that concept with Her and our relationship blossomed immensely.
I learned that if I used the "Pack Mentality" that Lily would learn things almost instantly. I never had to have a training session with Lily, as they were never necessary.
If you can ever learn how to use that concept your relationship with your animal can blossom, in my opinion. After all, I worked wonderfully for US.