scragglyannie

Hi everyone, thanks for your advice and kind words - it's much appreciated. However, I'm worried I might have painted a more extreme picture than I intended. I should first give a bit of history about the dog, he was re-homed three times before we got him from the Dog's Trust, and he was only 1 year old. As a consequence, he was very mischievious when we first got him, and he still is now, but to a much lesser extent. My mum wants to get the shock collar to try and correct these bad behaviours - such as, charging up the stairs when he knows he's not allowed to, stealing food off the kitchen counters, stealing socks and running away and wanting to be chased, climbing on chairs he's not allowed on. He has not been savagely beaten by my dad, just a whack on the nose. My dad can often get stuck in door ways and find it extremely difficult to move, and with a dog running around his feet, he becomes despairing and frustrated and will try and get him to move. When he is out and shows signs of anxiety, I comfort him, and then reward him when he starts moving again. However I'm not sure this is the right course of action as maybe cuddling him will only serve to increase his anxiety? He seems to be fine being walked during the day, he will stop a couple of times but then keep on moving. However if you try to walk him when it is dark, he will flat out refuse. I will welcome any suggestions on how to correct his bad behaviours and try and find some info on curing him of his anxiety. He is a beloved and cherished family pet, and he is a very happy and loving dog on the whole. Taking him back is heart breaking and an absolute last resort, and anything that can be done to avoid this I will welcome with open arms. I have spoken to my dad since my first post and he is willing to try training him as much as he can. i've heard about DVDs you can get with car noises and other sounds to condition your dog - is this what people have posted about when they say conditioning and de-sensitising? Please any info will be hugely appreciated! Thank you

My family dog is a young collie, about 2 years old, who seems to be suffering from extreme anxiety. In the house he is fine, but taking him out for walks is fast becoming impossible. He seems to stop when provoked by nothing, and cower, constantly pulling in the direction of home. He is very scared of trucks and motorbikes and will become stressed if they drive by, but it seems just being out is scaring him. He has been attacked by other dogs a couple of times in the park, and he has actually attacked another dog, even though he wasn't threatened. If another dog walks past him while he is on the lead he will sometimes growl and make a lunge for it. I have been abroad for a year and a half and have come home to find him like this. My parents are having a hard time coping with him. My dad has Parkinson's disease and so finds it very difficult to move, and having an out of control dog is extremely frustrating to him. To the point where he has actually been hitting the dog to try and discipline him or get him out of the way. This breaks my heart and I have had many arguments with him in an attempt to get him to stop. I am leaving to move to London on Monday and am worried that the dog will only get worse if I am not at home to train him. My mum wants to get a shock collar, but I think this is a terrible idea and will only serve to make him worse. Sorry for the long winded post, but we really love our dog, and I'm desperate to get him sorted out. At home he is extremely loving and playful. I have suggested to my mum that we should take him back to the Dog's Trust, because I am sick with worry at what might happen while I am away. Please any advice will be appreciated!! To get him to calm down on his walks and stop being so scared, and be more disciplined with my dad. Thank you!