Border Collie...?

Question

Before I ask, I will say- Yes, I know border collies need a lot of exercise. And YES, I give him plenty. I wanted a border collie for two reasons- they are very intelligent and very active, I needed a dog that would keep me active. I take him with me when I go running every day- we run for about 30 min and walk for about 20, then take a long water break, and throw a ball for about 15 min.

Ok, so my question- my border collie, Rocko, is about 6 months old. I take him with me to PetSmart about once a week so he can socialize with other dogs and people: he is no longer shy with new people, although he gets VERY excited around other dogs. He doesn't bark, but tries to run to the other dogs to play and will start whining when I hold him back. I can get him to sit down after a few commands, but it does take repetition. He is very good with other dogs, very friendly... IF another dog begins to get territorial and start to growl, he backs away. Will he become more responsive with practice?

Answer 1

Sounds like you're on the right track, I just have a couple tips:

Do not use "a few commands." When you tell him more than once, he will start to think, "If he/she *really* means it, he/she will say it 20 times, or 30 times." If he doesn't respond the first time, physically place him in the sit position, then reward him.

Also, when he gets into that "high-alert" state of mind, ears perked forward and pulling toward the other dog, redirect his attention to you with a sharp, short verbal reprimand (tsst or ch), and a tap with your heel or the fingertips of one hand. When his attention atays on you, then you may start walking with him at your side again.

By the way, you can find a lot of good advice from Cesar Millan's (The Dog Whisperer) television show, website, and books.

Answer 2

Well I own two of those three. And while they are similar they have some big differences. I wouldnt recomend border collies unless you are into outdoor sports, like jogging, and hiking. Or you are interested in getting into a dog sport such as rally-o, obediance, flyball, agility, discing, freestyle, etc. They are the most high energy of the three. They dont kneed livestock or a big yard but you will need to do something to keep them busy. Bored border collies are not fun to live with, and its a shame to waste that brain anyways:) They have a medium coat, relatively easy to care for as long as you brush it a couple times a week. They are also medium size 19-21 inches tall, around 40lbs. They dont always do well with small children and cats due to their tendency to herd. Collies are active, but on average require less exercise than the border collies. You have to keep in mind, while they are all herding breeds, collies and shelties are used as primarily pets now and it does show in the way they behave differently. Collies are big dogs, while females are smaller than males generally, there is no guarantee. Mine was 28`inches tall and 85 pounds. They require you to have a good knowledge of grooming, and even a well groomed collie will leave hair around. It`s not as bad as you may expect though. A trip to a groomers once a month and brushing a few times a week at home with help. As far as temperment, they have the best of any breed I know of. This of course has a lot to do with how they are socialized and trained aswell. In general they are friendly, get along with children and even small animals. Both breeds make excellent watch and guard dogs like all herding breeds. You already know about shelties:)

Answer 3

Try walking him another direction to redirect his attention.
Otherwise your already doing the right thing. Repetion is the key and he will learn it eventually. Spaying animals only helps to relive territioral traits and it doesn't sound like Rocko has any problem at all with that so I don't think it would help nor hinder the problem.
My only other suggestion is to say the word Quiet after he stops barking, give him a treat and tell him hes a good dog. Do this everytime he barks until you can say it when he's barking and he stops. Will take somewhere between an hour to a couple of weeks, depends on how fast Rocko is willing to get the treat.

Answer 4

Rocko is trying to herd any dog he sees. Herding is an inate instinct. You can either give him some real work, like herding trials or agility or disc dogs, or you can let him run for a few hours at the dog park. He will probably always try to herd other dogs because it is in his blood, but giving him an extra outlet will ease some of his raging drive. He cannot help it. It is great that you are active with him, but some people still do not understand that working breeds need a job to do. A good run every night is not enough for BC's, Aussies, Cattle Dogs and the like.

Answer 5

Actually if another dog growls and your dog backs away, this is a very good thing and I don't know that I would do anything to change it. Any dog that comes up and starts growling at your dog shouldn't be in a class like that and should be in a special class where it can learn some socialization skills...it is their dog not yours that needs to do the changing!

Answer 6

Your Rocko is still just a puppy. He needs the socialization to become a balanced adult. That means you need to stay in the position of the "alpha" of the family pack. With that reinforcement he will continue to mature into a very loving and obedient dog.

I would suggest you take him to puppy training and intermediate "teen" training at a good school. That will help you to also keep him under control. And it will teach you how to train him further in the future.

Answer 7

He is still a puppy and will learn if he is allowed to continue to socialize with other dogs. My pup is just 5 months old and does the same thing. Very outgoing. He will learn that other dogs have limitations and need their personal space.

Answer 8

its a good thing your border collie wants to interact with other dogs and play.
hes just still a a pup,
try getting another dog owner to work with you when your b.c see the other dog and starts its carry on walk away in the opposite direction he will soon realise that when he is calm he is allowed to go and greet the other dog.
hope ive helped. good luck

Answer 9

Border collies seek to please the dominant animal/person. As long as you can establish and maintain that dominance, the problem should get better. However, if you back off as the boss for even a short time, the problem could get worse. Good luck! I love border collies!

Answer 10

Sounds like he's going throught the changes and becoming a man... Getting him fixed may help and as he gets older and more use to being around the other dogs he'll get calmer(not that bc's get calm...)