Nervous Collie

[poutintrout]

Hi

I wondered whether anyone could give me some advice about my 4.5 year old Border Collie's latest strange foible.

He has always been a bit of a nervous/neurotic dog (he wasn't a rescue dog, we have had him from 10 weeks old so it isn't an issue of him having been treated badly in the past). Examples of his generally odd and nervous behaviour include a fear of insects (started by having a wasp trapped in his fur), not liking strangers in the house, fear when the fridge bleeps, my DH sniffing which makes him run away and hide in the bathroom and him running away when certain words are said like hot & foot. The emergency down command training had to be abandoned because it freaked him out so much. All these things worry us a bit but we just put them down to just him being our lovable nut case (I must point out that in other ways he is well adjusted. He's house trained, walks well on the lead, is loving etc..).

However his latest weird fear is what I would appreciate some advice on. We have a step up from our kitchen into the lounge. It is a wooden step that creaks a little when you step on it. We have lived here for 18 months and in all that time the step has not been an issue for him but just lately over the last month or so he refuses to walk over the step without being escorted over it. He will just sit in front of it making a high pitched bark until either me or my DH (or our other dog) relent and walk over to him so he can walk over the step.

This obviously means that we are up and down throughout the day escorting him but more worryingly I worry about why he is so frightened of such a stupid thing. Any comments on this would be very helpful.

Oh bless him! He IS sound sensitive, isn't he? Sorry but I'm LOL'ing about "hot" and "foot" scaring him! What a sensitive flower!

Earmuffs?

Seriously - the first thing that springs to mind is counter-conditioning, using food, to change his thinking from "Noises are scary" to "Noises mean food".

I am sorry - I don't have any advice but just wanted to empathise with you. I have a rescue BC who is also neurotic. He is scared of spiders, shakes and quivers at raised voices but only when they are not directed at him. So if we tell him off for trying to take food out of the bin he will not be bothered but if I have an animated discussion row with DP he will run away and shake. DP has a PS3 which has a screen saver of a revolving world when he uses it to play music. Our BC growls and barks at it. He HATES the postman but not the paperboy or leaflet droppers. He growls at other dogs when he is on his lead but not when he is off his lead. He is OBSESSED with his ball. And he gets in moods and grumbles to himself for no apparent reason.

I think you may have to just love your BC, weirdisms and all

I too have a bonkers BC - he has several mini tragedies a day

When it got really bad a couple of years a go we got him a DAP collar which helps alot. I was worried it might be some sort of brainwashing device - but he was still him, just a bit more relaxed. He still can't walk past the dishwasher when it's open and thinks certain doors are closed when they're not but hey ho - that's BC for you. I suspect it's because they're supposed to be running free on a wet Welsh hillside and sleeping in gulleys.

They are lovely though

Do you know what has really helped my BC though, more than anything? I got another dog - one with alot of GSD & Lab in him and he's is so chilled out he calms my BC down. If it's thundering or something or if we hear a shot when we're out BC is not half so stressed if he's with my mongrel. But it would need to be a lazy chilled out type of dog.

Bollocks - just realised you've got another dog - sorry

Dogs are often worse with other dogs when they're onlead - that's really common Notalone.

I think they all have their little foibles - my Collie X hates it when I get a carton of Slimfast out of the fridge and shake it. I've never used a rattle bottle/can on her, or anything remotely similar but when I shake my carton of Slimfast, she runs to her room and sits in the corner, looking at me reproachfully. And she loathes the Hoover. Whereas my old Lurcher, although he could be nervy with other things, adored the Hoover so much he'd stand there while I used the nozzle on him, an expression of utter bliss on his face.

When things impact on their daily lives though (like the wooden step in the OP) it's time to put your thinking cap on and try to help the dog.

OP I would be a little concerned that he is developing new phobias.

I would definately not go out to him to get him over the step. But would click and treat him. So click and treat if he looks at the step ( or if he prefers click and then get his ball when he looks at the step) Food is better here as it is quicker but if he is not food orientated the ball will do.

Next click and treat if he touches the step etc etc Build it up gradually. My mantra in dog training is if you want a result quickly go slowly!

I would also get him into more training again clicker training is great for collies get him more confident by performing tricks. The stops him worrying about little things, keeps him busy and less stressed and also gives him confidence in that he learns new behaviours.

There is a big study ongoing at the moment to say that the clicker noise actually affects the brain patterns of dogs and does physically calm them down. So I would certainly gice it a go. It will not make things worse only better.

(collie owner here as well - dustbins was our dogs issue now clicker trained he runs up to me when he sees one wagging his tail - good things happen when you see dustbins!)

Notalone - my collie also gets in moods and has done so right from an early age. When we got our second dog he sulked under the bed for the best part of three weeks. He also hates the postman and now as a knock on effect of that hates anybody wearing hi viz jackets and will growl at them.

PortBlacksandEventually - I loved the comment that your BC has "several mini tragedies a day". That's exactly what it's like with my BC. I just can't work out why some things are a problem like the clothes brush and some things he just doesn't give a monkeys about. The open dishwasher, that's weird but I am not surprised! Yep have got another BC who my nervous collie just tolerates in a grudging fashion. They are complete opposites though. The younger BC is neurosis free, tenacious, very good at getting his own way and generally a laid back little love bug. Don't think that my dogs would enjoy a wet Welsh hillside. They hate being wet (another foible - he dodges puddles!) and the little one shivers when the temperature is slightly below tropical!

CalamitykateFunnily - don't mention the hoover - they both bark at it and attack the nozzle. Makes hoovering even more fun! What I find confusing about the noise phobic thing is whether this would be most noises especially loud ones that would bother the dog? I ask because not every noise bothers him indeed he absolutely loves going out in the car with my DH, windows open and heavy metal blaring on the stereo?!

minimu1 - Yes, it is the development of new phobias that has been making me worry that we are doing something wrong (though reading some of the posts about other collies I feel a little better). My DH has said that he didn't think we should be escorting him over the step either. I will try the clicker and treat approach. We have been trying to entice him over with his ball which hasn't worked (he can be very stubborn where his phobias are concerned) but haven't thought to try a clicker too.

Perhaps try one of the quiet clickers in case he finds the normal one too loud and scarey?

My collie X is massively comforted by liking Prumula cheese. If we are out walking in a built up area (rare for us) we carry a tube and allow him to lick from it while we pass whatever is alarming him.
At home he is jumpy if the house is too quiet so we keep a radio on low if we are out.
He seems soothed by a Kong stuffed with Prumula cheese.
I have also read that feeding dogs milk calms them over time - I have no idea if this is true though.
A hormone diffuser might also help.