4 yr old sheltie, afraid of everyone but me

Question
Hi Kristin,
I rescued a 4 yr old sheltie back in Sept.  Angie loves me, follows me everywhere.  She will not have anything to do with my son (24 yrs old & lives with me) nor any of my regular visiting friends.  She runs from everyone, coming out to "check on them", but will not get close.  Had son try to hand feed her, no way.
Any help would be appreciated!

Answer

Hi Edie,

It's going to take time to help Angie get over her fear of others, and she may never be totally comfortable around others.

You need to determine Angie's "comfort zone". That is how close she is willing to get to strangers before she starts to react to her fear. Allow her to be as close as she is willing at first and give her a command to sit. Let her observe from a distance. As long as she is relaxed and obeying your commands offer her lots of praise. Gradually over time push her SLOWLY to go beyond her comfort zone. For example if her zone is 5 feet from others the next training session try bringing her 4.5 feet from others. It is best that others ignore her and try not to make eye contact with her at this point. This process can take a very long time and it's possible that your dog may never take kindly to strangers. But this process should, over time, allow her comfort zone to expand enough that she can live happily and comfortably. There is more that you can do gradually as her comfort zone expands, such as having others pass you on the street and toss a treat to her.

Most important in your situation and with any fearful dog is understanding the "fight or flight" mechanism of dog behavior. When a dog is scared they usually first try to run (flight) from the threat, but if they are cornered or are unable to get away (leash, or tie out) the fight mechanism will kick in and suddenly your dog has bitten someone. The reaction the dog gets for the bite is a reward, as usually the one bitten backs away and leaves the dog alone. This can lead to a fearful/aggressive dog who has learned that biting is an appropriate response to fear/threats. This is definitely not what you want, so whatever training techniques you choose and whatever situations you find yourself in, it's important that you are able to recognize when Angie first starts to exhibit fearful behavior and let her back off until she is back in her comfort zone. It's also important not to let strangers push themselves onto her.

You can read about how to help Angie to be desensitized to her fears here:

http://www.dogsey.com/dog-articles.php?t=8050

http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_Shy.php

If reading about how to help Angie doesn't seem to work, then it's time to have her evaluated by a professional dog trainer or behaviorist. Your vet or local boarding kennel should be able to give you a referral.

Best of luck,
Patti