socially strange?

L

Lewisthesheltie

Forums Novice
Hello Im new to posting here in the forums but I have a beautiful tri colored sheltie that over all, has excellent behaviour. However, if he sees or hears anything thats living he becomes very nervous and will growl, bark, hide, etc, until the person or animal comes close enough for him to run at them and surprise them and try to make friends with whoever he was just growling at. Its very confusing to me, as at first i thought he was just scared but a scared dog wouldnt try to play with strangers? Is this normal sheltie behaviour? Also anything that helps with separation anxiety would be greatly appreciated! Thanks (:

-Tristan
 
Hi Tristan and welcome to SN.

It sounds like your Sheltie may be waiting until he can clearly see and id what is approaching...and then when he sees it is OK, he happily greets. I have read that most dogs don't id items/people until they are about 25' feet away...further away is less clear to them.

Separation anxiety is usually based on a lack of self confidence in the doggie. Are you making a big deal about leaving/returning? The more you can make your leaving or returning totally uninteresting to a dog with separation anxiety the more it helps them to feel that there is nothing to worry about...it is just part of the daily routine. I would suggest gating off a room where your dog can stay while you are gone...put your dog in there about 5 minutes before you actually leave...with a safe chew or maybe one of those balls that dispense kibble treats...and then totally ignore him. Don't say anything as you leave...just walk out. When you return, ignore again for a few minutes before you open the gate and give a happy greeting. This takes away any excitement/anxiety related to your coming or going.

Taking your dog to obedience classes is also a big confidence booster as well as a good tool for socialization. Just make sure you select an instructor who uses only positive training methods...Shelties respond best to positive only.

I am sure others will chime in with lots of helpful suggestions too...things that have worked for them in similar situations.

Trini
 
How old is your sheltie? These sorts of behaviours can be age specific.

Separation anxiety is a very big issue. What exactly is happening, is he urinating, destroying things, or just barking and throwing a tantrum? True sep anxiety is quite difficult to deal with. If it's separation stress then there's lots of options that usually involve occupying your dog (esp with food) while you leave. If you do a search on separation anxiety in the behaviour forum you'll find lots of discussions.
 
Caro said:
How old is your sheltie? These sorts of behaviours can be age specific.

Separation anxiety is a very big issue. What exactly is happening, is he urinating, destroying things, or just barking and throwing a tantrum? True sep anxiety is quite difficult to deal with. If it's separation stress then there's lots of options that usually involve occupying your dog (esp with food) while you leave. If you do a search on separation anxiety in the behaviour forum you'll find lots of discussions.
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He is a year and a half old and he destroys things by chewing them to pieces, underwear socks and many other things. Sometimes he whines but he doesnt do it often. Just a few high pitched barks and hell settle down and get to chewing. Ive tried giving him food and hell purposely push it outside of his area where he cant reach it. No urination (although sometimes if i take too long in the bathroom he'll leave a poopy surprise in the other room) Thank you trinni i believe thats exactly what he does. And as far as not making a big deal, i definitely do exactly what youre telling me to do to no avail.
 
Tristan, The ASPCA has a good article on treating separation anxiety. From your description I would probably classify your Sheltie's anxiety as falling in the moderate to severe range. Scroll down the page to get to info on working with moderate/severe anxiety. Lots of good info...hope this helps.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/separation-anxiety

As Caro mentioned, this is a big issue...but with patience and the right training methods you can really help your dog feel less anxious when you are not around.

Trini
 
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