I need some much needed help. I have a Border Collie/Australian Shepard Mix that I have had for about 8 months. I beleive that he came from a puppy farm and has some behavioral problems that I am unable to help him work out such as: being frightened by the leash, the outside world, people, and he must destroy everything that he can get his mouth around. I have tried to let him get used to the leash be leaving it out around him, placing it on him, tried to take him and my other dog out for walks, have had family members stop by the house and not have them talk to him and let him come to them,I pick up everything and put it out of his reach and spray the furniture with bitter spray so that he does not chew on it but he will chew on the carpet and he does not seem to mind the taste of the bitter spray, and I am at my whits end and don't know what else that I can do. Is there anyone out there that can help me?

Some dogs don't mind bitter apple. Could you try hot sauce and see if that works? Get him some toys to chew on. Kongs are great for puppies. If he starts to chew on something he's not supposed to, redirect him to a toy he can chew on. The chewing could be an anxiety problem.

The leash is very important. If you can take him for a couple of walks a day it could help cut down on the chewing and get rid of some energy. Is it just the leash he is scared of? Maybe just that particular one? Try a different kind of leash. Whenever you have the leash on him, give him treats, lots of treats. He'll start thinking: leash=yummy treats.

Instead of taking all of your dogs for walks together, just take him. When people come by the house, give them treats to put in their pockets. When the dog goes to greet them, have them give him treats.

It'll take some time and patience. Since he's been abused, try to change his negatives into a positive.

Talltail's advice was very good! Like they were saying, it'll take time and lots of patience. One of the things you can try to stop the chewing is a bit of cheyenne pepper mixed in water. If it makes your eyes run it's too strong, but if you can put it in your mouth and want to spit it out, it's just right. Your pup is one of the rare few who thinks, whoooo boy!! Bitter apple, my favorite!

As far as your puppy being nervous around people- Not so easy to fix. This is going to take a good while to remedy. It's not that your puppy was abused- odds are he wasn't even touched before he was rescued. Puppy mills pretty much keep their puppies in isolation. At about 3 mos, puppies go through a fear period. If a puppy isn't socialized during that time, they become nervous. They go through this again at around 6 mos. Again, if they aren't socialized throughout, they'll become nervous. I have had to find that out the hard way...

To socialize your puppy, have strangers basically stay away. Definately give them a tasty treat that your puppy just can't resist, but don't let them approach. One of the things they can do if you feel the puppy should be approached (I can't see the dog and what he's doing, so you'll have to make the judgement call) is have them kneel. I've learned with my dog that when people bend over, it's a very unnerving feeling for the dog. In dog language, this can mean, "I'm going to dominate you now." A nervous dog will either cower or fight back. By kneeling and getting more on the dog's level, you are sending the message of "Look, no weapons." Another thing- don't pet the dog on the top of it's head or go for the back right away. Again, dogs who are nervous take this as a dominance gesture. They have 3 choices- run away, cower, or fight. Neither are desirable. Instead, pet your dog on it's chin and chest. This is a very non-threatening place to pet a dog and also a very relaxing place. I do this with all new dogs I meet, and I have most people do this with my own dog. The only exception is when someone is that extremely rare person that she's actually okay with.

One more thing- never ever look a nervous dog in the eye, especially when you are first meeting! Again, this is a gesture that in dog language means "I'm boss- do what I say or else!!" In shy dogs, this can send them over the edge. You can look at their face, but avoid eye contact. You should only have eye contact with a secure dog or when you are training and the dog is challenging you.

Sorry about writing the small book!! I hope at least something helps!!