Aggressive Collie

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Whitchick
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:14 am
Location: Surrey

Aggressive Collie

Post by Whitchick »

Hi, my mum has a collie cross, Honey, she is going to be 2 in October.

She has always been a very placid animal, very good natured and well behaved. Until a few weeks ago. She has started to become aggressive to people coming into the house, to the point where she almost attacked a family friend yesterday. She is lovely to the people she knows.

She also has started running over and jumping up at people on her walks, but ONLY if they dont have a dog. Its very bizarre behaviour and is upsetting my mum so much as HOney is such a gorgeous girl and has never behaved like this previously.

Does anyone have any ideas? Some advice on what to do with visitors would be very welcome. My mum does not want to get to the point where she cant be walked off her lead and is frightened to take her out..... :cry:
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Mattie
Posts: 5872
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:21 am

Post by Mattie »

Any sudden change in behaviour the first stop is the vets for a full check-up including blood tests, she may have a medical problem. If it is a medical problem, no training will help.
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Whitchick
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:14 am
Location: Surrey

Aggressive Collie

Post by Whitchick »

Hi, She has been to the vet, awaiting bloods but does not seem to be anything medically wrong with her.....??
Carrie
Posts: 64
Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 9:07 am

Post by Carrie »

If it's not a medical problem, how much socializing did she get as a young puppy before about 4 months of age? Did she get lots of experience with people coming to the door as well as greeting people away from the house? She's been a puppy up to now and now she's just moving into that age (sometimes 18 months to 2 yrs or thereabouts) where they can get pretty territorial. That could be why you're seeing such a change right now. If, however she had an impovershed socialization history, that is very, very difficult to over come.

I think you should probably get a behaviorist to evaluate her in person and work on some kind of desensatization and counter conditioning program whereby she changes her view of people. People become great things to have around rather than bad things. Be sure and don't punish her around people. That can make them even worse in her eyes. I sure hope you get this worked out. What a hard thing to have to worry about. Best wishes to you.
Training with my mind, not my hands.
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Mattie
Posts: 5872
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:21 am

Post by Mattie »

Whitechick, contact Sarah and Paul at Wiccaweys, they really understand Collies, they have a very good Collie rescue. You don't have to have a Wiccaweys dog to get their help, they will help anyone who needs it.

http://www.wiccaweys.com/forum/index.php
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