At times some circumstances in the world around us, is frightening to your Border Collie, but you can help your border collie overcome its fears. There is no rhyme or reason as to why border collies are frightened by anything, and there are things you can do and should not do when your border collie is scared....
When your Border Collie displays fearful behaviour, act the way you want your border collie to act. For example, of you want your border collie to be relaxed and happy then act that way. The worst thing you can do is to comfort your border collie, pat or cuddle it, and tell it that it is okay. You are reinforcing the fear and the behaviour so your border collie thinks it is alright to be fearful.
Instead of reinforcing the behaviour, use a distraction such as a game of ball or fetch to create a positive experience to replace the fear.
Storms are frightening because of the loud sounds of thunder, the crashing flashes of lightening, and rain pelting on the roof. If you think a storm is loud, then your border collie will find it even louder.
You can help your border collie by putting it into its crate for comfort if it is a place it loves. Turn on the television or radio on to distract your border collie from the sounds of the storm. Even try distracting your border collie by playing a game with it or use the time as a training session to give your border collie something else to focus on.
If these methods do not help during a storm, talk to your vet for further help.
If your Border Collie sees people as a threat, it could be from a lack of socialisation when it was younger, it may be predisposed to timidity, or may have had a negative experience at some stage in its life with a person.
You can help your border collie by telling people not to approach your border collie, talk to it, or look at it. Tell people to let your border collie come up to them when they are ready. Have a treat on hand to give to new people so when your border collie does go up to people they can give it a treat. This way your Border Collie learns that meeting new people is positive experience.
Never, ever, ever, force your border collie to interact with people if it is scared. This can lead to dangerous situations and will serve to make your Border Collie even more fearful. This is a slow process and your patience is paramount for your border collie to gain confidence.
If you have trouble with this, seek the advice of your vet, a good border collie trainer, or your local obedience club.
Keep in mind that your attitude will automatically transfer to your border collie, and your border collie will take on your demeanour. If you are nervous and worried every time you meet someone new with your border collie then that is exactly what your border collie will be. You may create a problem by fussing over your dog each time when something happens thus reinforcing that to behave like that is acceptable, instead of ignoring the incident to a certian degree.
Taking your Border Collie to obedience training is an excellent way to help it become more familiar with new people and border collies.