I've had Laddie for three weeks, he's a four year old collie from a working farm. Story is he was on his way to be put to sleep along with his brother for barking. They were apparently shut in a pen with other dogs, let out for up to an hour a day.
He was very scared when I first met him, terrified of everything, and very submissive. He has very quickly adapted to life indoors, he gets on well with my 14 year old collie *****. He's great with my cats, house-trained inside a week, and loves his bed.
He's doing great off lead in controlled area and loves everyone.
The only problem I'm having is his reaction to some other dogs when out. He seems very wary of them initially, which is understandable, and he clearly doesn't know how to play. Within the last week he nipped a friends old lab who was just standing next to him and really appeared to do nothing to deserve it. He's also reactive to small dogs, crouching down and spinning on the lead, seemingly wanting to chase them but with tail clamped firmly betweens his legs.
Once he's got them in his sight, is impossible to distract him. He's not driven by toys or food so I'm struggling to know what to do.
I did get a behaviourist to visit who charged me £65 to tell me she'd never seen a collie with so little drive for toys and therefore couldn't help me!!
New adult rescue collie
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
Re: New adult rescue collie
Hello and welcome 
It's early days yet and you are doing so well.
Don't expect him to 'play' with other dogs. He probably wants to herd other dogs, or else he wants to drive them out of his space. He will not automatically be friends with other dogs any more than we will be friends with every human we meet. He may have no dog social skills, or he may turn out to have been well 'trained' by the dogs he was shut in with - but for now his space is very important to him, and so are you, and he wants to feel secure, which means he wants other dogs away from you.
I am sorry you found such a lousy behaviour trainer. There are some very good ones out there, and you might want to talk to some or see them in action before you commit any more money, but you can get through this on your own with our help too.
The best thing right now is to do nothing at all about his relationships with other dogs except not letting him interact with them. Yet. The time may come or it may not, but right now he needs to feel safe and secure with YOU, and you've made a good start.
My feel on this is that he is wanting to take out dogs that are 'victims' - the old, frail, sick or small. You are not allowing this, which is important - well done! He has probably had to do this all his life up to now, to win his space where he was kept.
It's early days yet and you are doing so well.
Don't expect him to 'play' with other dogs. He probably wants to herd other dogs, or else he wants to drive them out of his space. He will not automatically be friends with other dogs any more than we will be friends with every human we meet. He may have no dog social skills, or he may turn out to have been well 'trained' by the dogs he was shut in with - but for now his space is very important to him, and so are you, and he wants to feel secure, which means he wants other dogs away from you.
I am sorry you found such a lousy behaviour trainer. There are some very good ones out there, and you might want to talk to some or see them in action before you commit any more money, but you can get through this on your own with our help too.
The best thing right now is to do nothing at all about his relationships with other dogs except not letting him interact with them. Yet. The time may come or it may not, but right now he needs to feel safe and secure with YOU, and you've made a good start.
My feel on this is that he is wanting to take out dogs that are 'victims' - the old, frail, sick or small. You are not allowing this, which is important - well done! He has probably had to do this all his life up to now, to win his space where he was kept.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog
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