Will a Citronella spray collar help?

[tatsxxx11]

Despite being 3 years old, there's no reason to think that his negative behavior can't be corrected It seems that after a brief honeymoon period, settling in with your family, he has in fact become protective of his home and pack and is definitely attempting to assume the alpha role.

With a breed such as his, it is MOST important that you assume the alpha lead and that he knows it! You mention him having been undersocialized in the past. Have you signed up for obedience classes? For SO many reasons, having him attend classes is critical.

I work with rescues and each and every adopter, no matter how well behaved/socialized the dog is prior to the adoption, is required to attend a minimum 6 week obedience class. It not only teaches the dog manners, bu as well, how to resond to and respect the handler. Again, I can't say it enough. He has to see you as the leader of the pack.

Especially as you are more isolated in the winter months, it's important that he have regular socialization time, with humans and other dogs! And as you mentioned, the Cattle Dog is a very high energy, working breed dog who needs a role/job to do, even if by human standards, he doesn't do it "well"! Cattle Dogs do great in agility classes; it stimulates their minds and gives them focus and an outlet for their energy; you might consider, after a while, enrolling him in classes! And please, do try the suggestion of keeping short leash on him while he's in the house. As other's have said, it can be your "lifeline" and assures that should the need arise, you have control over him. Take hold of his leash when someone comes to the door and should he bark and growl or show aggression, give him a correction, make him obey a command such as sit and praise him for his positive response. And have the visitor give him a treat and "good boy" him all over the place!

Punnishing him by hitting him or relegating him to his crate AFTER the negative behavior is not addressing the problem and he needs to learn the proper response to people coming by the house, not just be punnished for his bad behavior. He will not be a happy dog. If you know strangers are coming over, if you feel you must, put him in his crate before they stop by. And it's not a good idea for him to correlate his crate with being punnished for being "bad." His crate should be a place to find comfort and peace; a place he wants to go, but not out of fear. Never tell him to go into his crate using harsh words or to punnish him...(as he sees it)

We had a Cattle Dog (Dexter) here on the Cape who was constantly being picked up by animal control, being brought before a dog hearing board for escaping, terrorizing walkers-by, nipping at their heels, etc. The town worked very hard with the family to ensure the dog's future and the safety of the neighborhood. He was compelled to attend obedience classes and in the end, was sent to 2 weeks of doggie boot camp with a trainer who works with especially "difficult" clients. In the end, his behavior was managed with the help of an electronic training collar and a lot of hard work and education on the part of the owner. But as I said before, the use of the collar was under the supervision of a skilled trainer; usually these type of collars are a last resort.

You have done such a wonderful thing rescuing this dog and it breaks my heart to think that this match might not work out. Please, before things get out of hand and you become totally discouraged, consult with a professional trainer, preferably someone who is familiar with the breed. And I can't stress strongly enough the importance of enrolling him in basic obedience/manners classes!

Please don't give up! It's exhausting to be constantly on guard because you're uncertain of how your dog will respond in certain situations. But addressing and correcting his negative behavior instead of just responding to it, will make him a happy, well adjusted dog and you a happy guardian! Please keep us informed how things are going! Paws crossed! Sandra