I’ve just adopted a four year old collie/border collie mix from our local collie rescue group. I’ve gotten a lot of dogs there, mostly older so they didn’t have long lives, but good ones, I believe. This guy is the most traumatized dog we’ve ever had. He’ll come to me for affection and enjoys being petted and loved on, but any sudden movement, especially on the part of DH, just sends him flying. Our already- here dog is a collie/great pyr and very calm and confident, which I hope will rub off on Blue. Anyone here dealt with such a dog, and how did you build his confidence?
I have a suuuuuper skittish dog. I know most of her history and she didn’t experience trauma per se, but she is cautious about basically everything and remembers things that alarmed her forever. She is very bonded to me and gives most people about one chance to not be scary or unpredictable (and after that she keeps her distance if you didn’t pass her test).
I got her when she was 3 and at first I was very concerned that she was never going to settle in, but she did. I’d advise giving your new guy a loooooong settling in period with a very simple and predictable routine as much as you are able. I wouldn’t take him anywhere other than the vet or on the same walk every day for awhile.
Find out what he likes and what makes him feel connected, settled, and proud of himself. If he settles well with something to chew on, do that every day. If he does well doing everything the same as his brother dog, try that. If he seems to enjoy learning or practicing some simple skills/commands, do a little of that. If he needs a crate or a hidey-corner to go recalibrate himself in, give him one. My dog really benefits from things being predictable, calm, and quiet–not a whole lot of talking to her unless she is already relaxed and settled.
Since you know he’s a spooky fella, be very careful about keeping him leashed and start working on recall as soon as you think he is ready. I’d also recommend an Airtag or the like.
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My heeler was like that the first 3-4 months after I foster failed and adopted her. Super skittish around men. Took her around 1 year to be comfortable with my daughter’s boyfriend who was over every weekend and super kind to her.
Keeping her mentally challenged/tired was key for her to relax. It was like her ability to just lay down and be was broken.
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Congratulations on the new pup. How recently did they come home? It can take a few weeks for stress hormones to dissipate. At first, they’re overwhelmed by the new sights and sounds and smells and schedules. Being hypervigilant is within the realm of normal. I bet having the calm buddy will help a lot.
Congrats on your new family member!!
Time and patience are your best tools right now.
Is the dog food motivated?
If so, I would reward with a little cookie and “Yes” ever time he looked at me. I want my spooky dogs to think I am a human pezz dispenser. (yes is my word for, you did good/right)
I have a skittish 2 yr old lab/aussie cross and when I need her to have her brain in her head I use Composure. (I got her at 10 weeks, its just how she is wired) I feel it helps take the edge off and allow her to think a bit. It takes about 30 mins to take effect and lasts for about 4 hours.
I made sure she had a great recall before I let her off the leash even in our fenced yard, which took a few months. She will blind run when spooked. And a snapped twig or a leaf dropping would cause the blind run.
For confidence boosting we did every class the local dog school offered; basic obedience to start and then we moved onto; play agility, trick dog, my school offers a desensitzing class that was very helpful and Canine Good Citizen. Her confidence skyrocketed after the agility and trick dog classes. I also ask her to climb on downed logs in our woods, jump on various obstacles I make in the yard. Its fun for both of us.
She will never be super friendly with people she does not know or even people is sees every so often and that is OK. She will most likely always be a bit spooky, but at least she looks to me for support now.
I also found that doing some of our little tricks will help her in a stressful situation. She needs to focus on what I am asking. At Lowe’s the other day, she got a bit spooky so I found an aisle with no one and worked on her spins (which she loves) and High 5’s (which is a touch with her nose to my hand, another favorite of hers). That was enough to refocus on me and we continued on our shopping trip.
You got this, give new dog some time to adjust, find a dog school near by to start classs in a few weeks after he has settled.
Good Luck and keep us posted.
PS, what is the dog’s name?
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MunchingonHay’s whole post was amazing, but I wanted to second this part.
Once you learn something your dog really likes to do, you can use that as a fun way to refocus and help in situations.
My last dog loved Paws Up (putting front paws on a step or my leg or something elevated). This dog loves spinning.
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I agree with everything @MunchingonHay said. Kindness, patience, consistency, and time are the keys.
My current dog was a stray that ran wild in our area for at least four months because nobody could get near her. We let the neighbors know we would take her if anybody could catch her. One neighbor finally caught her and literally dragged her a quarter mile to my house, terrified and traumatized.
I let her settle for a couple of weeks, then had her spayed (urgent because there was suspicion that she might be pregnant) and vaccinated. During this time I also worked on getting her to load in the car. She was so afraid of it that I would leave the doors open and just sit with her in the back seat. Then I enrolled her in a basic obedience class, and this is when she really started to become more confident and outgoing. She learned that car rides can be fun, and the interaction with other dogs and people was priceless. She earned her Canine Good Citizenship certificate and also did a course in scent detection. Now she loves car rides, and I take her with me when I go to places that allow dogs. People often ask to pet her and comment on how friendly she is. And one of her very favorite things to do is come along with me when I ride my horse. I’m fortunate to live out in the country where there are miles of unpaved roads and almost no traffic, and she loves to trot along with us. And it’s really great exercise for her.
Finally, I think it’s valuable to make the dog truly part of the family, because belonging to a pack is important for dogs. My dog sleeps in her bed beside our bed, and she knows she can come in or go out whenever she wants.
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I had one like that and I sacked her out. Exactly like you would with a horse.
She never got over her fear of brooms or other similar objects, but I could walk by her without her freaking out.
I followed her around the kitchen table and when she stopped, I’d touch her. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
The new boy’s name is Blue. And thanks to everyone who has shared their experiences with spooky dogs- it helps a lot. He’s only been with us for two weeks and we are prepared to take all the time it takes for him to get comfortable. The obedience class idea is a great one and I will look for one. More as we progress together!
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Great name! You’re my boy BLUE!
I am sure you guys will be best friends in no time. Can you post a picture of Blue?
[/floatl]img]II would post a picture if I could figure out how. Anyone who can tell me how?
Do you use your phone to post or do you use a PC?
If you use a PC, you download the photo to your hard drive, then there is a little button in the tool bar when you create a post. Its the 8th one. It has an arrow pointing up. You select the image you want to up load and it puts it in the post 
Or if you want, you can DM me your number and you can text it to me and I can upload it for you if you want.
Nothing to add, but as a trainer - @MunchingonHay’s post is perfection 
Dogs gain a ton of confidence through training; they love to work and they love to get paid – along with pleasing their owners. The more little “jobs” you can give them the better, and take them out and do things with them until they become confident that their leader will never put them in harm’s way, but will consistently engage and reward them; they become your partner, and will look to you for everything along with becoming accustomed to a routine, which comforts them and helps improve mental and emotional regulation. The more enrichment the better!
Best of luck, also counter conditioning works a treat – pun not intended 
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awe! Thank you! 
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