I saved this dog Border collie from an ex employee and I think perhaps she had a bad start in life as the slightest raised voice even to say "good girl" she drops her ears and pees and goes and hides under the bed

I'm a cat person but read the Dogs board and doggy advice columns all the time. I wonder if desensitizing her would work. Dogs love liver treats, I'm told. Maybe slowly and gradually do an exercise with her whereby you speak more loudly and then immediately give her a treat with a "good girl." Of course don't overdo it with the voice or with the treats. Take it slow.

A Dogs Expert will chime in before long and give you some good advice.

What your lucky girl is doing is called submissive urination. SU is very easy to cure. There are a few things you are going to want to remember. The first is that you are dealing with a very sensitive being. Yelling, scolding or punishing will NOT work with these dogs. Yelling or punishing at these dogs makes them feel even less powerful and fearful. A fearful dog is WAY more likely to act out aggressively in other situations than a "well rounded" dog. A firm "NO" will suffice with these dogs. Never punish them for urination. On the other hand, don't attempt to reassure your dog or reinforce her actions by saying “It's Ok” or talking in a sweet voice. Keep quiet but relaxed. Ignore her body posturing behavior.

Wondergirl makes a great point about getting her used to noises, but remember to do this slowly, don't push her into situations where she will be overly anxious. And don't rush her. Build her up gradually reinforcing her confidence.

Always encourage and PRAISE the dog for what she does right. This helps to build self confidence and cements the bond between you and your girl. Do simple obedience in a non confrontational way, try to make a game out of it. Make it fun, and this greatly speed up her confidence building as well as your bonding.

When you or guests greet your dog, don't hover over her. This is a very intimidating position for a dog to be in. Try to crouch down and let her greet you. I would also suggest crating while you are not at home to supervise. A crate can be the most comforting place to an anxious, submissive dog. It's their safe place. Remember to never use the crate as punishment, and always make it a fun happy place for them to be. Give them treats in the crate with out closing the door when you are home.
Take her out regularly to do his business so her bladder will not build up pressure.

Do not go straight to her crate when entering a room. When arriving home do not go straight to her and let her out. Allow her to calm down first.

If she has been out to do his business and is once more back in the crate, smile and wave at her in the crate occasionally as you walk past. If she urinates in the crate then get her outside and clean the crate with a good enzyme cleaner.

Most importantly, stay calm and use a low, happy voice when praising and greeting your dog.

Lots of information here, I am sure other people will have stuff to add on, but this is a good start. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer them. I hope some of this helped.

Bell has good advice. Not trying to add, just reinforcing some of her general ideas: This animal is sensitive to anything that she perceives as being threatening.

Rapid movements, whether in her direction or not.

Your own personal internal tensions, stresses, or similar emotional distress is more easily transmitted to animals than we often suppose. Animals are quite adept at interpreting body language, since that is the most common way they have to communicate among themselves. The only outward sign that this is bothering her may be an increased sensitivity to other 'threats' she perceives.

If someone is self conscious, they prefer to remain out of the 'limelight', so to speak. Animals too. Let her integrate with new people, or you, at her own time and speed.

You will learn what does and does not set well with her as time passes. Old fears die slowly. Probably any 'progress' you can make can more easily be undone by the return experience with an old bug-a-boo. But, progress really comes by repeated exposure to some of these old fears as they prove to be unfounded. Not much different than people, is it?

Excellent, and thank you Paleo.