[Ladygrey]

Hi there 

My 7 month old Rough collie puppy has started barking at strangers and dogs and well pretty much everything.
I can tell that its fearfull barking as he doesnt know who they are, but if we are close up then the barking will stop and he will try and hide a little and he is friendly.

He is a little scary when he barks as his bark is so loud and people are looking wary of him now

we are doing a socialization class every wednesday evening which he loves and is happy and friendly and loves everyone, its just if I am walking and 1 person or dog comes into view and he starts barking really loud and scary!

Should I be socializing him more? is this just a stage he is going through?

Thanks

[Alistair]

I'd say it's a stage he's going through, just keep doing what your doing, IMO collies have a fearful streak in them anyway, mine do, but they grow out of it ( he types whilst precocious little brat (14mnth bc) princess Julie sparkles randomly barks out of the front window at absolutely nothing)

[Marches Farmer]

He may be getting territorial/protective of you. 

[NicandChic]

Most likely his second fear stage some tips here http://thepuppyplan.com/the-science/teenager-–-is-it-scary#.Utz1fpGQGSN can't seem to get link to work but if you google puppy plan and go to teenage section it has tips honest 

[SallyintNorth]

This is a critical time, LG.  DO NOT let this bother you.  If you let it bother you, you will become apprehensive when you see someone/thing in the distance, the dog will pick that up and assume that you need protection... and an unbreakable habit can be born in very little time at all.

Ask me how I know. 

So, if you can, keep your mood light and happy, ignore the barking, make yourself smile and think happy thoughts, sing if that works for you, fill yourself with confidence that nothing bad will happen so there's no need to get upset - and it'll just be a phase he goes through.    

If you can't stop it getting to you (and please be honest with yourself about this), then get some friends to help you desensitise him and you! by repeatedly appearing in the distance and then being fun to see when you come up to them.  As they're friends and it's a setup, you shouldn't feel apprehensive yourself, so it'll just be the dog doing his jumping-at-shadows thing, and if you do enough practising, he should grow out of it.

[Ladygrey]

thankyou everyone

hopefully just a stage he is going through 

Im trying not to let it bother me but it does..  I feel like I have done something wrong 
Its difficult to remain calm when he is barking as he jumps everywhere so obviously I have to reign him in tight to me to prevent him from running into the road... not sure what to do about this

In a place of large amount of people he is fine, its just where there is one to focus on, I think my other dog Laddie started him off as Laddie will huff and growl under his breath (but nothing else) when he see's someone, so Tully has taken this as a warning or a command to start barking...

[in the hills]

I think it's fairly common in pups. My working lab pup does the same sort of thing but without the jumping about. She is 6 mnths old. She barks at something before taking time to work out what she is looking at.  The other day it was just a fallen tree that she couldn't make out. She is quite sensitive and shy with people until she knows them. I had an accident a few weeks ago and my father had to come and look after the animals. He'd only met pup a couple of times and she barked incessantly at him the first evening. By the next morning she was his dog, sitting on his lap and kissing him.  Think sometimes it is a bit of immaturity. Our pup also hides behind our legs from strangers. Think sometimes they grow out of it completely but they are all individuals and some are more sensitive than others and always need a bit of time to get to know new people (I do too  ).

If your pup likes playing with people then fun and games from people could desensitize but it would worry my lab pup. I ask people to ignore her and not make eye contact. When she settles down they throw her / or give a treat. Food is the way to her heart. They also used this approach with her at puppy training and it worked well.

Wouldn't worry too much unless you think the bark/body language shows signs of aggression. Try to ignore and be relaxed ..... know it's hard sometimes. Our pup sees very few people where we live but she also is much better in crowds .... too much going on to focus on one thing. Think as they get trained a command can be given .... quiet or the like .... so they know that it is enough barking.

[shygirl]

our dog 15mths, was barking at the horses rug the other day when id left it on the ground - i bet he was embarassed, lol, as he thought it was a monster 
my gsd pup took 18mths before she had the courage to bark at the door, even though she wasnt a nervous dog.
keep on socialising him in a matter of fact way. wev taken all ours on buses and trains etc for no reason than to socialise.
i read that putting something comical like a neckerchief around the pups neck helps prevent strangers being so scared of them, and also more likely that they will come up and stroke them and therefore help you with the socialising.

[in the hills]

You can get a ribbon to attach to the pups collar asking that they are given space, also for old dogs, etc. Some scheme or other but can't remember what it was called now .... was given one at puppy training.

Think you have to read your pup. Mine dislikes strangers fussing her too much at this stage. Often people do the big hand on top of head thing which she is very wary of. Depends on pup as to whether lots of fuss from strangers at this stage is good thing or not IMO. Mine is best ignored and just slipped a treat.

[SallyintNorth]

Its difficult to remain calm when he is barking as he jumps everywhere so obviously I have to reign him in tight to me to prevent him from running into the road... not sure what to do about this

Okay, so work separately on getting him to come in close to you when you ask - 'here here' or something, gets him bringing his nose right up to your knees, or, if you can do it, 'Heel close' or similar to get him walking calmly at your side again.

Collies aren't always food-oriented, which can make training harder, but then if they are not food-oriented they generally do have a lot of sensitivity to when you are pleased and when not, so that helps.

As with all dogs, rewarding the right behaviour is crucial; with collies especially, any kind of reprimand is almost always misinterpreted (in our eyes!) as a collie's mind works so fast, the link between what happened and what the collie was doing 'wrong' is nearly always something different to what we meant.

For instance, collie dog gets pulled in close when people appear in the distance.    He probably thinks you are frightened of the people in the distance and need his protection .  The tighter you hold him, the more protection you need... and so on.

So work on a 'come close' command, and a reward that the collie likes and understands, be it a food treat, a pat or a kind word, or something else. 

When you are out and he's doing the jumping everywhere thing, use pressure-and-release, and reward him whenever he isn't actively pulling away from you.

By pressure-and-release I mean that if he makes even the tiniest move towards you, release the pressure on the lead.  He'll probably pull back out again - that's fine, don't tug but keep a firm pressure, and as soon as he  makes even the tiniest move towards you, release the pressure again.  Repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat.  He's a collie, he'll get the message - even horses get the message, and they have tiny brains!   

[doganjo]

I agree with all of that, and also try to watch ahead and anticipate what he might take offence at.  Difficult to do, but it will help.  Been there, got the T shirt 

[shygirl]

my gsd use to jump about on her back legs and spin around in circles when she saw another dog so we had to use a halti. she was actually quite a handful but never agressive. that stage doesnt last forever - shes just calmed down - now shes turned 10 

[Ladygrey]

Thankyou very much everyone

Tully is very reserved and maybe a bit aloof with strangers, he isnt trying to greet them or say hello when they are up close, he will just stand quietly, If I invite a friend into the house then he is excited and jumping up and wanting to play, although he wont react to anything they say and wont eat out of strangers hands either...

I dont think I would put something around his neck as it would just get muddy and destroyed! but thanks anyway!

Sally thanks for the suggestion of trying to keep him close! I will keep trying and if I ask him to he will trot alongside me looking up at me so maybe I can use this as a distraction. He eats his kibble as a treat but not much else lol an old lady gave him a piece of hot-dog sausage and he spat it on the floor!

Although he adores carrots...

For instance, collie dog gets pulled in close when people appear in the distance.    He probably thinks you are frightened of the people in the distance and need his protection .  The tighter you hold him, the more protection you need... and so on.

So work on a 'come close' command, and a reward that the collie likes and understands, be it a food treat, a pat or a kind word, or something else. 

When you are out and he's doing the jumping everywhere thing, use pressure-and-release, and reward him whenever he isn't actively pulling away from you.

By pressure-and-release I mean that if he makes even the tiniest move towards you, release the pressure on the lead.  He'll probably pull back out again - that's fine, don't tug but keep a firm pressure, and as soon as he  makes even the tiniest move towards you, release the pressure again.  Repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat.  He's a collie, he'll get the message - even horses get the message, and they have tiny brains!   

I am going to try and do what you say! he naturally just walks by my side without any pulling, but if he gets a fright then he will sit his bum down and not move and if he see's something to bark at he will run forwards!

I am at fault here as I did get annoyed with him and then I think he got upset because I was annoyed with him, he can just tell

So I need to concentrate on positive reinforcements and training him to ignore people.

The problem is we only usually see 1-2 people a day so if I lived in a high population area it might be different, also I dont have any friends around here who could help me out

[doganjo]

This may not help now but for the future I always take new pups to a big supermarket and stand near the door - everyone and their Mum and Dad want to touch and speak to a cuddly puppy, and it really gets them used to people, and the occasional pram /pushchair or bike.

[SallyintNorth]

This may not help now but for the future I always take new pups to a big supermarket and stand near the door - everyone and their Mum and Dad want to touch and speak to a cuddly puppy, and it really gets them used to people, and the occasional pram /pushchair or bike.

One of the saddest things I've seen was a young Guide-Dog-to-be being sat in a busy shopping centre, wearing a harness saying 'Do not approach; Guide Dog in Training'.  Poor puppy dog!  He looked so sad and miserable, all these people and every one of them ignoring him!  My heart nearly broke! 

So yes, socialising a puppy in a busy place, like a supermarket forecourt or a shopping centre, would certainly work - good one Annie!