Abused stray

Question
My family and I took home a stray that was wondering around our work.  She is around 1hr old, Border Collie - Lab mix whom we named Bailey. When you call her she come only to my husband and I and when she does she cowers down and lays down about a foot before get gets to you.   She gets scared really easily and wants to run and hide. She also walks around with her tail between her legs.  She has no pride at all.  Please help!! My family and I feel a connection to her and we need some advice on how to train and handle her.

Answer
It's going to take some time for her to learn to trust you. Living on the streets can be difficult! I would recommend that you try and find a motivational trainer in your area, and take her through an obedience course (preferably a one-on-one course where the trainer comes to your house). This will help strengthen the bond between you and her, and build her confidence. Getting her involved in agility might also be worth looking into.

Stay away from the classes offered at pet stores. Often, the trainers have little experience, and in addition to that, the environment at a pet store can be frightening to a shy dog, and is very distracting.