Update on Beau

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Pam

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So Beau is healed, at least physically. He seems to have been spooked by the entire episode. You would think that would mean he is scared of windows--yup, NOT. No he is overly protective of me. When I go out with him he goes nuts barking at anything that moves, but he doesn't do this with hubby. He stays glued to my side almost all the time I am home and will bark if he is with me and my husband moves suddenly. In fact, he has been barking and not wanting to let my husband move around the house. He literally won't go out without my permission and won't stay out unless I watch him OR hubby takes him out.

Advice?
 
Wow, that does not sound very good for either of you.

Have you ever tried obedience work with him?
It really sounds like a lack of confidence. How old is he?

I really would consider beginners obedience for him to gain confidence. His bond to you is very strong and he might need help overcoming his need to protect you.

I am sure others can provide more ideas on how to help. My new puppy Liam is very clingy and he is now in a CGC class. He is very scared of strangers and to get him to allow a stranger to pet him now is nearly impossible. Certainly, he is a work in progress. Beau might find the classes helpful with your guidance.

Good luck and keep us posted! Glad he healed up!
 
Beau has been to obedience and he earned his CGC back in 2017. He does have car reactivity and a tendency to chase squirrels and sometimes birds but this behavior is completely new since his accident in October--actually since he had the ecollar removed and has been allowed normal activities. He never gave my husband or kids a problem before, and was only slightly so with strangers moving in the house--he always calmed down with a sit/wait for that. He is great at doggie daycare still, he has always been wonderful with other dogs. He still has a good sit/wait/stay and does his tricks; he just seems to have a sudden need to be with me. Maybe protection from another bad event?? Don't know.


Also: re: the windows--I sort of feel better, it takes almost nothing to break through the old glass. We were having the panes removed and replaced with tempured glass and each one broke while they were trying to remove the putty--very little pressure cracked them, so I don't think Beau needed to jump too hard to break the glass in October.
 
Geez, Pam, you think I would have caught the fact that Beau had his CGC title by reading your signature! My bad!

That is a head scratcher for sure...
Maybe try a dog behaviorist? Try reconditioning?
Set him up for the issues you are having to try and retrain him?

Kinda like going back to puppy 101 if they backslide in their potty training?
 
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I'm wondering if while Beau was recuperating, perhaps you were indulging him (and rightly so of course!) and Beau has taken it that he now has to be your protector. While I agree that an obedience class would help (help to reestablish your role as the boss) there's things you can do as well to help correct this behaviour. For starters nothing in life is free and this should be your number one mantra from now on as far as Beau is concerned. From now on he must work for everything he gets and I mean EVERYTHING he needs to relearn that your the boss of everything and you own everything he gets from you. Beau must do something to get something all the time, whether it's his supper, going outside, putting on a leash etc make him either sit stay/down stay or whatever you'd normally do (perhaps do an extended stay for supper) and do not allow him on the furniture as your working through this issue...your the pack leader and you need to reestablish your role. I don't think it'll take long to fix, Shelties are smart and he'll figure it out with your help.
 
I can't remember now how long he had to stay at the vet, but do you think he has developed a little separation anxiety from that? Both mine have after hospital stays. They get over it after a while (dogs are so good at living in the now), they just became a little less trusting of the vet or being led away from me.
 
They are our everything! We both understand how much we mean to each other! They are in every breath we take. Our emotional well being is attached to them. I know sleeping next to Deska meant the world to him. Leaving them at the vet just hurts when we are forced to do so. Yes, they help us to understand to live in the moment. Somehow, for us humans, that can be a challenge.

I am just thankful that you were not in the hospital yourself when this happened. We pickup on the slightest inconsistency in our beloved pets that others just don’t see. Blessing to you and Deska...
 
Glad to hear that he has recovered physically. Shelties remember EVERYTHING! Even something that we don't think is a big deal, they will hold on to. I would just take time to get him used to all the old usual routines, at a slow pace and with lots of encouragement. Use high value rewards when he gets something right.
 
Thanks everyone. Beau is settling down a bit. My husband is doing much more "wait" training with him and that seems to help. I do think he is having separation anxiety/loneliness. This all came slightly after both my boys (one had been home for 3 months, the other for 2 years!) left for grad school. So I think probably the empty house, the accident, hospital stay, etc. just all made life hard for him. He really really needs a sibling; my Shadow had our cat Wendy but Beau has no one when we aren't home and I see he gets really lonely but hasn't has any of the destructive or howling anxiety. So, I am just trying to train, train, train. He does seem to be getting a bit better but def seems more scared of things.
 
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