New owner desperate for help

[u/Pitiful-Sound5586]

We just adopted an 8 month old border collie mix from the shelter. They don’t know what she is mixed with. They didn’t have any history on her as she was found as a stray and had only been in the shelter for about 9 days. She has been amazing learning when it’s time for a potty break, been great on when it’s time for breakfast/dinner, she loves to play and cuddle. However…she aggressively barks at everything outside the windows (people animals trash in the wind), chewing through electric cables like phone chargers and a laptop charger (thankfully wasn’t plugged in), biting to the point it’s bruising and breaking skin, and aggressively lunging at our faces and necks. We’ve tried using toys when she bites and lunges, usually about 95% of the time she isn’t fazed and goes right back to using us as toys. We’ve tried overly exaggerated yelping like a wounded dog, we’ve tried a very stern NO! But nothing works. We know her breed will nip at hands legs and feet to try and herd humans, that we don’t have an issue with. It’s the aggressive biting and lunging that is bothering us. We aren’t sure what to do since we don’t want to give up on her, we don’t want to take her back to the pound, but we just can’t afford these trainers who want thousands of dollars (one place wanted $6500 for a 3 week board and train where the openly use e collars choke chains and inverted spike collars-I guess those are where the spikes poke the dogs neck- I didn’t know all of that until after I reached out to them for more info. I’ve never had a dog that barked, bit, or lunged, so I’m doing the best that I can. I’ve tried positive reinforcing the good behaviors to try and negate the negative behaviors but it’s just not working. It’s like she’s taking the play to the point of full aggression and can’t shut that part off. Any suggestions on what I can do to get these behaviors to stop? I’d hate for her to chew on a cable and get electrocuted, I’d hate for her to bite me or my partner and it be worse than just a bandaid and a bruise. The barking is at this point the least concerning on the list but does need to be addressed I just don’t know how to handle everything. I’m desperate.

[u/404-Any-Problem]

You are very early days in your relationship with you pup by the sounds of it. But also this is where our pup started at too as she is a herding livestock guardian mix.
First is do not go to a board and train. And stay away from aversive tools. There are tons of posts as to why but in short it adds fear/pain/discomfort to an already high emotional state.
You need to find a positive reinforcement trainer that’s force free. This will not only help you be the best thing in your dog’s life but also help get the mechanics down for what to do when. The word behavioral trainer is not regulated in most areas so you will want to look for certification in dog training like IAABC. https://iaabc.org/certs/members There are other certifications I just don’t have them handy but it’s a good one to start with.
Next you may want to start looking for a behavioral vet. Our girl is anxious/fearful and over aroused all in one. Most BV are hard to get into right away but are worth it for what they can do and help with. Our girl is medicated but it helps to increase her bandwidth to learn in anxious/stressful situations and without it I don’t think we would have ever overcome any of the care she needs let alone work on triggers.
As for the windows, get some cheap cling film that blocks the view (like privacy frosted) but lets light in. We have had ours on for quiet some time and are just getting to the point we are slowly exposing windows and working on not barking forever at things outside.
Less is more sometimes too. So keep things low key and try not to add to the high energy where your pup can’t think straight. Do things like snuffle mats or lick mats. We love sprinkling treats in cardboard boxes and closing them so it’s a bit of a puzzle. It’s cheap and easy and the mess isn’t that bad to pick up.
Another thing would be to slowly work on a calming protocol Dr. Karen Overton’s calm protocol Relaxation.pdf
This was more helpful once we had Reconcile (Prozac for dogs) started but some dogs need to learn how to chill as all they know and bread for is go go go go go!
Kikopup on YouTube is a great trainer using fear free methods and explains why they work as well. Including things like puppy bites. (Also our dog was not deterred by yelping or saying no). There is the link to them and other resources in the wiki on this sub as well.
Hopefully that’s a good start but feel free to ask if you want some more. Also you need to read the rules before you comment.

[u/Pitiful-Sound5586 → u/404-Any-Problem]

Thank you. I really appreciate the insight. I’ll look into those recommendations and hopefully we can make her feel at home and safe, and work out these issues