Training for a 10 month old problem barker

Hi- I don't mean this as a criticism, but why would any trainer say to crate a dog for 18 hours? That is way too much. Could part of the problem be that the dog is in his crate too much? It is wonderful that you rescued this dog, it seems to me that he needs some basic training. Maybe a puppy class would help! That could also help him with socialization issues too.
Good luck to you. There are other people on this forum who are more knowledgeable than me concerning training Shelties, they will respond to this post too,I am sure.

 

Have you done any obedience training? Like a puppy kindergarten? I would start here and work on teaching better manners. It is also good for socialization. Once you get some basic obedience training down you can start working on tackling the barking problem. Generally Shelties are a barky breed, so to an extent you have to deal with it, some dogs are barkier than others. However you can train them to bark on command, and be quiet on command. But that might be a little advanced… so start with basic obedience. Secondly exercise exercise exercise! If you feel like he’s getting enough exercise but he’s still barky and overexcited, then clearly he is not. If he was properly exercised he would be tired, and probably be ready for a nap when put in the crate. Exercise is not just running around the backyard, but also walks/runs. You might also think about giving him other avenues to channel his energy such as agility or flyball. Also 18 hours a day is waaaay too much time in the crate, especially for a 10 month old dog. So this might also be another issue that contributes to his barking problem.

 

I'm sure you've made a typo. Crating a dog, especialy a puppy, for 18 hours is waaaaay too much! I'd be barking, too. Make certain you are not encouraging the barking by paying attention to him when he barks and not paying attention when he's quiet. Even if he gets negative attention for the barking...it's still attention.

 

Crating is good when you can not supervise dog, but pup should be taken out often and exercised A LOT and if you do not want them play together which is fine in the beginning, you need to spend lots of quality time, doing games, teaching tricks or training. You might have very high energy pup that just needs much more.
While barking is somewhat genetic and some pups are just barkier than others, number one reason why dogs, including Shelties bark is boredom.

 

I'm not the biggest fan of the prong collar, especially for such a sensitive breed like the sheltie. I would suggest trying a more positive training with praise/treats instead of the painful correction from a prong collar.

And you've only had your puppy a week, so barky excitement during this adjustment period is to be expected before your pup learns what is expected. I think obedience training will help immensely, so it's good he is signed up.

And again the best advice I can offer in the mean time is exercise! While out on regular walks I would strongly strongly suggest not using the prong collar, just a regular collar or harness. It might help your pup relax and just enjoy the walk more. This will help avoid walks becoming a negative experience.

 

There is a huge difference between a sheltie and a GSD. Some of the training techniques commonly used on GSD's would be way too harse for a sheltie. Hopefully you can find a trainer who has had some experience with shelties. I've never heard of using a prong collar on a sheltie. Good luck!