Rough Collie Puppy.

Can we make our Rough Collie more sociable?

Question.
Several weeks ago we bought a Rough Collie puppy aged 13 weeks. When we went to see him he ran away from us and hid while the other puppy that was with him was very friendly. The rough collie breeder said he was sure he would grow out of it. We bought him for £350 and on the way home he drooled non-stop and was sick three times. We couldn't take him out for three weeks as he hadn't had any of his injections, which the vet said he should have had; these cost us a further £40. In the meantime we tried to socialize him but all he did was back away terrified.

We have had four Rough Collies over the years and they have all been friendly. We are both pensioners and are finding it difficult. We are wondering if there is anything we can do, as we've really tried to socialize him but he's very nervous.

I am frightened he may become vicious as he matures because he is so fearful.

Answer.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and the warning signs you noticed when you first went to collect your puppy were certainly ones worth taking note of. It is important to take action to ensure that these fearful responses do not jeopardize your relationship, but it will take time to alter your dog's perceptions of the world around him.

Isolation during the early weeks of life is extremely detrimental in terms of a puppy's emotional development and especially in relation to its ability to cope with novelty and challenge in later life. It is not normal for a 13-week-old puppy to run away from people. In your attempts to socialize your puppy it is important to realize that the wrong kind of exposure to new stimuli can exacerbate the behaviour, so it is essential that the introductions are under strictly controlled conditions. It's important to dilute the perceived threat and allow the puppy to discover that strangers are good to have around.

To this end he needs to see the positive effects of being near strangers without having any direct interaction with them. In practical terms this involves methods such as providing visitors with treat pots as they enter the home and asking them to drop tasty titbits as they move around your home. The visitors do not talk to, look at or interact with your puppy and therefore the food treats are a freely available positive result of having visitors in the home.

With time your rough collie puppy should begin to anticipate the arrival of these rewards with the entry of people into your home and once this has happened you will be ready to introduce some interaction prior to the delivery of the treats.

If the fearful behaviour you describe is left untreated then the development of fear-related aggressive behaviour is a possibility and professional advice is highly recommended. You also mentioned potential use of alternative therapies and you need to discuss this with your vet who may be able to refer you to experts in the relevant fields.

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