Hi Everyone! I have a five month old male Border Collie/Cattle Dog mix puppy. He is having a lot of trouble functioning on walks in the neighborhood. While he loves the dog park, and he walks almost perfect loose leash when we are on hikes in nature or at a pet store, he is a complete mess on walks. He is afraid of every noise: cars passing, cars starting up, dogs barking in the distance, motorcycles in the distance, garage doors opening, children playing, phones ringing inside houses. I always thought I had a quiet neighborhood until I experienced poor Charlie's reaction to it. When he meets people and other dogs on the street, he is happy to meet them. He loves dogs and people. He just can't handle any noises. He bolts immediately, trying to run home or forward or backwards or sideways or any direction he can and he is starting to damage my shoulder. He likes nature and the dog park because they are quiet (doesn't mind dogs barking at the dog park). We practice with short walks, and I don't reinforce his fearful behavior with comforting attention. I've read a lot online about desensitization programs for dogs with major phobias, but I am just wondering if anyone has experience with Border Collie puppies growing out of this behavior. I just want to make sure I am doing what I need to to help him cope with his fears and not just build on them until he can't go on walks at all. Poor guy. Any advice? (PS, I have read that both Border Collies and Cattle Dogs are known for sensitivity to noise, so there must be someone out there with experience to help!) Thank you, Sara
