Any advice for a new Border Collie owner? I have bunch of questions.?

Question

I was gaven a 6 week old collie/ beagle mix. I know that is quite young to acquire a dog, but he is fine now and almost 7 1/2 wks old now . His Characteristics resemble a border collie. He is very short though. He stands less than a foot tall at the head. He is very very energetic. He has a million toys and he loves them all. He seems to "herd" us around the house by going after our feet untill we are where he wants us. I have never seen such a active puppy. Benni started "riding" his toys and bedding since his second day at our home. I hope that this is normal and he is trying to establish dominance and it isnt a clue to what he will make a bad habit in the future. And he is constantly nipping and biting. he wants to rough house all the time. Is this a clue that our Cute Little Benni will be a very very aggresive dog as he grows older? Maybe i should start training him obeidence? or is it to early? any advice at all will help.

Yes by riding i mean humping, he doesnt do it to us just his toys, We also have a miniture Austrailian shepard, but he is about a year or so older.

Also, i forgot to add I am due July 20th for our first baby, Benni will still be a younger dog then. Is there anything i should be worried about?

Answer 1

I don't think it's aggressive behavior and its never to early to teach dogs manners but it is too early for obediance school. The nipping and biting is a puppy thing and he will grow out of it. don't allow him to bite you - when he does, tell him no and give him a toy to bite instead.

Border collies are wonderful dogs and have been rated as one of the most, if not the most, intelligent dog out there (No, I don't own one...). But I've worked with plenty. The herding characteristic is normal and expected. A great resource is the AKC website where you can find links to border collie breeders and information.

Answer 2

Hey i'm glad you've done your research and you sound really confident about your new puppy. I too am a border collie owner (i have a 9 month old at the moment). My training tips would be- Find a routine that suits you and stick with it. Dogs, particularly border collies, like routine. 10-15 mins a day of training and you will have an obedient dog in no time. Positive reinforcement works best with border collies but you do need to be firm. When they reach around 8-12 months they go through their teenage stage. This is when they will test you and your leadership to the point where you feel like giving up. It will sometimes seem like they have forgotten everything you've ever taught them. Don't worry once this stage passes your border collie will mature into an extremely faithful and loyal companion. Any training books are good to read but remember they won't always have the answer to the problem. If their is a puppy school or an obedience school near you i highly recommend you enrol your puppy. They benefit so much for the learning and the social aspect of it. This also means your dog can get involved in obedience trials, agility, flyball, frisbee or even tracking. Border collies excell at these doggy sports and its great for you as a handler too. Good luck with your new buddy. Hope you found my answer useful!

Answer 3

Border collies are very very very active dogs. Benny will need lots of walks and lots of space to run. I suggest you start a rigid training program now to curb the nipping and biting. We have a border collie that my mom rescued at about a year old and she requires a lot of patience and training. She's getting much better, doesn't nip or lunge at people, but she goes through toys like no one's business! she destroyed an 'indestructible' toy in a day. she herds us too and it's the sweetest thing. She's a lover, but she needed good training first. It's never too early to train. You'll just have to start simple and build on as you go.

Answer 4

I actually have the exact same breed of dog, and your little Benni sounds a lot like mine. The "riding" of his toys os probably just male behaviour. If you get him neutered [wait until hes older] it should stop. Then again, my dog is 8 years old and he still humps everything that moves. Him nipping and biting is probably from rough housing. [example: when you're playing with him, and he puts his mouth on you, like when you take your hands and put them on the sides of his head and hes tries to catch them] When that happens, and you're petting him and rough housing at the same time, you're rewarding him for his behaviour, which could in turn lead to a nippy, older dog. Teaching him obeidience should really help him when he's older, and as i always say "It's never too late to start training your dog" I also enterred my dog in agility classes, and he really loves it. It also helps him get some energy out so he's not such a psycho at home.

Hope that helps.

Answer 5

By "riding", I'm not sure if you mean in a "sexual" way. But, if you do, I see it as he is trying to release some frustration. You may want to consider getting him fixed when he is old enough. The nipping comes from the shepherd side of his heritage, the biting may be that he's teething. I would make sure he has a toy to chew on during this stage. The younger you start obedience training the better. Let me know if you have any other questions. I'd be glad to help.

Answer 6

The nipping and the herding are the Border Collie coming through. You need to train him now and teach him what is and is not acceptable behavior, or else he'll keep doing it. It's a very deep instinct in Borders, so it needs to be channeled into correct directions.

Contact a local trainer and get their help and recommendations for things you can do at home to help direct his energy, and structured classes will probably be a very good idea, too.

Answer 7

Border Collie's are VERY energetic dogs with high stamina. He will need a lot of room to run and play. I would recommend training him as soon as possible and getting him neutered when he is about 10 weeks old to help with the dominancy and aggression issues. Puppies will try to rough house because that is what they do as a pack. Play with him but do not let him become aggressive.

Answer 8

while this is not a mix I would be able to raise (high energy on both sides)
it can be done...first, train this little guy to lead on a leash and take him for long fast walks asap...this will help anxiety which he is demonstrating in his little puppy way.
it is too early to begin formal training..

but you can start teaching him things right away at home..sit for treats, speak, role over, lay down for treats, stand pretty, dance, just little things etc.
The mounting the toys can be curbed by getting him fixed when he is old enough
(you obviously have a dog that is very dominant) This mounting suggests to me that he hasn't been well socialized to proper behavior by his mother and siblings (weaned too early) and now you aren't showing him the dominance he needs (don't worry, most humans don't) this means, no jumping in your lap, jumping on your legs, getting table scraps, being on the bed or couch..all things that dogs percieve as weakness by you therefore you are telling them that they are dominant. (this is not an insult of how you are raising your guy, just most folks don't fully understand a dogs need to have a position in the "pack")

I recomend bite inhibition training for all dogs, but especially herding breeds since nipping is how they move herds.
to do this..when he puts his mouth on you, don't pull away (big no-no) instead, push into it..not hard, we don't want to hurt or abuse the pup...just make it uncomfortable, wait for the dog to pull away (don't worry, he will)...dogs that bite are encouraged by pulling away, and discouraged by pushing in so it is important that they move away from you.
None of my dogs will ever put a mouth on a human because of this training that I have done with all of them.
When he is old enough, you will probably need to get him some kind of job (herding breeds desperately need jobs!) this can be herding training, agility (a good one cause it also burns energy) or any other number of things..even pulling a "sled" is a good job that will excercise his mind and body. (sled being skateboard, skates, rollerblades etc)
good luck and congrats on your new family member.

Answer 9

Your dog will not get much bigger, if she is a mix. But my Border is only like 1 foot high because she is Aulstrailian. But she herds you because she wants attention, when she "herds" you give her a little attention. but not too much to spoil her. As for the nipping, she/he could be teething! Best of luck!

Answer 10

-Training is very important with any breed but especially with this one. Collies need to be taught right from wrong at a young age.

-Also if he is not fixed I would look into getting him fixed.

-You want to take him to a training class were there are other dogs and you are hands on.

-At home when he is nipping at you you want to pin him on the floor hold his mouth closed and say WRONG or BAD BOY! If he growls at you growl back louder. It is a dominance thing he will learn you are the boss.


With every puppy crate training is very important.

-You want to get a proper fit crate. I would recommend one that is for all life stages. So you can buy just one crate. You want your pug to be able to turn around, sit, stand and lay down.

You do not want to let him have any food or water in the crate. Also do NOT put the puppy pads in there as he will get confused.

You may give him a toy such as a Kong or a Natural bone. Stay away from rawhides as they are unhealthy for dogs and puppies.

He should only be in her crate when your not home or can not watch her closely.

The crate is NEVER to be used to punishment. It should be a happy and safe place he wants to be in.

-Potty training can be difficult with small breeds. You want to buy puppy wee wee pads. Place one by his food and one by the door you want him to go out or to when he has to make potty. Each week move the wee wee pad by his food closer and closer to the door until he has just one pad. Then leave it there until he gets the hang of going outside.

You want to take him out as soon as you let him out of his crate or 15 mins after he eats or drinks.

Reward him when he goes outside or on his pads! Give him a treat and lots of loven.

NEVER shove his face in his mess if he has an accident. Also NO HITTING it will make him aggressive.

Just use a strong WRONG or BAD BOY! Then take him right outside.

-Now for feeding him you want to make sure he is on a healthy puppy food. Nothing that contains Corn, Wheat, Beef, By Products or Fillers. These ingredients are very unhealthy for the dogs and puppies and hard to digest.

Some examples of bad food are Iams, Purina, Science Diet, Diamond, Pedigree, Eukanuba and Alpo.

Good foods are Natures Recipe, Nutro Max, Lassie Natural Way and Royal Chain.

I personally recommend Natures Recipe as they have it for all life stages. Natures Recipe is all natural and is completely healthy and easy for your puppy to digest! It leads to a healthy body and shinny coat. Natures Recipe also cuts down on shedding, bad breath and the amount of stool they produce.

On the bag it will tell you how often and how much to feed him.

-NO HUMAN FOOD! Not a good thing to get him started on as it is unhealthy for dogs.

-Also wet food is ok as a treat but not daily. It sticks to the dogs teeth and leads to an unhealthy mouth.