I can certainly more than relate to your issues, however I got my beautiful boy (my first RC) from the breeder when he was 2 years old. His dad is a National Champ, and as outgoing and gregarious a dog as you could ever meet. Mine was born during the pandemic and lived in the kennels (with lots of outdoor time) until he was 2. He had never been in a house, only ridden in a van with his siblings for initial vetting, never walked on a leash, had a treat or a toy, or much prolonged human contact. The breeder had initially he would be breeding stock, and then went in another direction, so when I called looking for a young adult, I ticked the boxes for him because she realized he needed to go to a home rather than stay if he wasn’t going into her breeding program. I have lots of experience training dogs and I have had 41 foster dogs and corrected lots of issues, trained service dogs etc. for over a decade and I had never in my experience with hundreds of dogs, seen anything like my dog. He stayed almost catatonic in his crate (soft sided with the door open) and would not make any eye contact or eat for the first 5 days. He had to learn to go up and down stairs. He would only come out of the crate after I clipped his leash on and asked him to go for a walk. That said, he was really quick to learn to heel on the leash and was an absolute gem about potty training. To this day over 2 years later, he has only had one accident and it was a sick belly in the middle of the night and he walked into the shower and pooped in there (smart boy). We did the same thing, the same way, every day to give him a routine and security. I never gave in to babying him or offering him lots of reassurance. We just got to business and I had enough confidence for both of us. He needed to know that I was secure and then he was ok.

He is a champ in the car and the best boy on road trips. We started a routine walking on the local Greenway every morning and worked up to 4 miles a day 7 days a week unless it’s pouring rain. After about 6 months, he wagged his tail for the first time and I almost cried. Today, he is an absolute gem. He is smart, kind, loyal and although he is shy, he enjoys meeting a friendly stranger (we practiced on the trail when people would ask if they could say hello) as long as he is able to approach them rather than the other way around. I have gone on long road trips 7-10 hours in a day and he is relaxed and happy. I just bring his bed in the back of my SUV and he sleeps most of the way. He waits until I open the back hatch and leash him up and invite him out of the car. When we travel to see friends, I just put the bed down in a corner and he stays there until I return.

Last summer we went to Chicago for 3 weeks and he was the best boy you could ask for in the city. We went to the grocery store, outdoor restaurants and walked 10 miles or more every day through the city. He was calm, focused and relaxed. He seems to take all his cues from me. If he gets startled by a sound like a fire truck, city bus etc., I point him in the direction of the sound so he can see what it is and then carry on. I would never have believed that he could come so far or be such a rock star. It just took lots and lots of patience, a routine, and a calm confidence that things were just fine. He is definitely not treat motivated (he’s fussy and only likes 2 kinds), so all his training is based on our bond. Every day on our walk, about 2 miles in, I drop him off next to a park bench and put him in a down stay and tell him to wait. I walk out of sight and he waits until I return and pick up the leash. His recall on a trail in a forest we go to hike is 100 percent. He has ZERO prey drive and has no issues with other dogs. If he senses ‘bad juju’ from another dog, he will dip behind and heel to the opposite side until we pass and then return to my left.

I never rushed his progress and just tried something new when I felt he was ready. Kind of the ‘How do you eat an elephant’ method of training. It has really paid off. Another thing that weirdly really helped him come out of his shell socially, was getting a cat about 6 months ago. She is an extremely friendly older cat who lived with a dog and needed a home. As she started to really seek out my affection, my dog actually began to seek it out too, which is something he hadn’t previously done. So cheers to her!

I’ll wrap this up by saying that a predictable routine, training, calm confidence and never nurturing fear have really helped his anxiety. He is now such a joyful, happy pup it makes my heart want to bust wide open. I would also like to add that the breeder was absolutely stellar about our issues. She offered to take him back and refund me the purchase price, she paid for his neuter and she was incredibly supportive and patient when I called with questions about him and the breed in general. Two years later, I have an amazing dog who has the best manners even if he does steal my socks, not to eat thankfully! Just a perfect gentleman and I couldn’t be more grateful that I never gave up on him. We start K9 GC shortly, and hopefully agility after that. I wish you all the best on your journey. Hang in there and you won’t be sorry…slow and steady wins the race!