Stressed 7 month old Sheltie

Don't assume it will pass. Shelties are renown for barking at noises. It's actually one of the most common behavioural issues to come up on the forum. Here's one of the recent discussions. http://www.sheltieforums.com/showthread.php?t=23830

You mentioned she is your new sheltie? How long have you had her for? Some background would be helpful to tell if it is an anxiety response or typical sheltie behaviour. But it does sound like you have one of the high drive females that often pop up.

I really think you should be training the behaviours out. But pick your battles, start with the a couple and work on those. There are several methods you can use - counter conditioning, desensitising, flooding, controlled barking. Some of these have been mentioned below, I'll have a look for a thread where I discuss the methods I use for my sound sensitive sheltie (too much to type again).

You mentioned she gets plenty of exercise - once my vet laugh at me and ask if I really thought I could tire out a young sheepdog (I walked 4hrs a day)! Mental stimulation is even more important or they make jobs for themselves. I suggest making her work for all her meals - so kibble goes into treat dispensers, moist food into Kongs. Also do a search on NILIF on this forum for some more ideas. Honestly, they love working for their food. Obedience classes would also be very useful.
 
Shelby was quite reactive at that age too. And at 5 years old there are still things that she will react to. We have just learned how to deal with some of them.

She always reacts to reflections, lights by running and barking like crazy (thanks to the guy at the pet store that talked us into playing with a laser light). We have worked diligently with her to get her into a down stay while cooking, loading and unloading the dish washer (all cause reflections). We just took small steps and rewarded just for laying down, then gradually extended the length of time while we were working in the kitchen. She now puts herself in a down stay without even being told. And she will remain there until we free her and then she will get a carrot.

She will always react to the sound of a bouncing/kicking of a ball. And we have just accepted that there is no way we will ever change that. So when the neighborhood kids are outside playing we stay inside. I have tried but I guess her instinct is just too strong to stop her. I am at least able to call her off and into the house when they start playing. This was a huge hurdle and I am just happy for that.

Shelby is very food motivated so the way we found to distract her from these reactions has been with food. She loves fresh fruit and veggies so that is what we often use. She now knows when I tell her to behave or she will not get a carrot, she needs to settle down and be quite. If not she does not get a carrot.

It has been a long process but being consistent and being very patient we can control a lot of how she reacts. We also follow the NILF suggestions. Good luck and I am sure you will be able to get through this.
 
I strongly recommend using only positive training techniques and avoiding techniques such as flooding. Research has shown that while it helps eliminate the VERBAL reaction (ie, the barking), the underlying arousal is still there. It does not solve the real problem and does not help your pup feel more confident and relaxed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top