Collie growling

Clodagh

Clodagh

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Mum has just got a rescue collie, shes 4 years old and came from another house, so hasn't been in kennels.

Shes incredibly nervous, which is manageable, mum has had collies before. They have only had her 3 days and can now touch her! Yesterday though a friend came to visit and she sat, hidden behind the sofa, and growled the whole time.

How to deal with this? Ignore? Rebuke? I said ignore...do you think it will settle naturally as the dog gets to know them better? She hasn't been at all aggressive, even when she was terrified and cowering if you had to get a lead on, to take her out for instance, she never snapped. (I suggested they left a lead trailing from the collar to get round that).
 
Get a good trainer who knows collies, a fresh pair of eyes will spot what the trigger/stimulus is. They may need to get a crate or a place in the house where the dog can 'go to bed' - a den where she can go when people are visiting if strangers freak her out. I would not rebuke her, she sounds very sensitive.
Agree a light line (with no loop, cut it off) in the house will get her used to a lead.
 
Well done to your mum for rescuing her, do not tell her off for growling that is her way of telling you she is very uncomfortable.

Leaving a lead on her trailing is fine, that way you never have to grab her and put her in a position where she has to defend herself. I presume no one knows her previous history and what sort of life(socialising) she had so take it slowly there is no hurry.
 
I agree with getting a good trainer.

However NEVER punish growling!!
You take away a growl and all you have left is a bite.
A growl is the dogs way of telling you he is uncomfortable with the situation and you either need to remove him of change the situation.
Then you go about working on desensitization to the situation.
 
Youve only had her 3 days, give her a chance to settle, do not unsettle her with introducing anyone else except the immediate family/friends.

CC is right about the crate but it needs careful introduction, allow her to find it and use it in her own time that way she will see it as a place of refuge.
 
I have a collie x and he has growled since he was 3 months old. He is now 13.5years and he still does it.

I tried everything when he was younger including a behaviourist and nothing worked. I even had a vet telling me to put him down because of it.

However - he doesn't bite and it seems to be his way of communicating. There isn't any real aggression and sometimes he'll do it with people who come to the house and stroke him. They quickly stop but then he puts his paw on them to ask them to please continue! It's very odd.

Sorry, I'm not much help because I have never found a cure but found a way to accomodate it.

I would agree that punishing it could make it worse as some collies become fear aggresive.
 
Clodagh said:
Mum has just got a rescue collie, shes 4 years old and came from another house, so hasn't been in kennels.

Shes incredibly nervous, which is manageable, mum has had collies before. They have only had her 3 days and can now touch her! Yesterday though a friend came to visit and she sat, hidden behind the sofa, and growled the whole time.

How to deal with this? Ignore? Rebuke? I said ignore...do you think it will settle naturally as the dog gets to know them better? She hasn't been at all aggressive, even when she was terrified and cowering if you had to get a lead on, to take her out for instance, she never snapped. (I suggested they left a lead trailing from the collar to get round that).
Click to expand...

I have two collie crosses and one is inherently nervous/sensitive and growls Agree with all others who advised getting a crate - cover it up with a blanket to make it den-like, put it in a quiet place and perhaps feed her in it (with the door open) so she gets the idea that it's a safe and quiet place to be. Ditto leaving a long-line on her - it will get her used to a lead, plus it will give your Mum a way to direct her/move her to another room if necessary without having to grab her which may unduly stress her out. Lastly, yes - ignore the growling - as others have said, it's her way of communicating that she's uncomfortable and if you take that away it's more likely she'll escalate to a strike or bite (b/c she's got no other way of telling you that she feels worried).

Our nervous collie boy retreats to the space behind the tv when he's particularly worried and often shakes and whines - we just leave him to it as any attempt to coax him out or comfort him could be construed (by him) as a reward for his behaviour and/or justification of his nervousness.

I'm so glad your Mum has rescued this obviously nervous little girl - I'm sure with time and the right care she will blossom - who knows what she's experienced at the hands of people in her (relatively) short life :(.

P
 
Mum said thank you all. Roxy has come in in leaps and bounds, she will now let you put a slip lead on to go out (she wears that out as well as a collar as she can slip her collar). She still hates having her collar held but with a trailing cord that shouldn't be necessary. She met another dog out on a walk yesterday and was friendly towards it, and funnily enough isn't so scared of people when she meets them outside - maybe in the house she thought she was going to be taken again.
Mum has a tiny house but has made a den for her behind the sofa, its sort of across a corner, it is covered and has a bed in it and she can go and lie in there if she wants to.
 
Thats great news, all she needed was time to settle, as she grows in confidence she will blossom further.

Perhaps in a month or so your mum could take her to some classes and have a bit if fun.
 
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