Advice for training my new three year old border collie!!?

Question

Advice please. I have just adopted a three year old blue merle border collie from an animal rescue.
The only history given was that he was brought up with 3 children and a cat and was given to the rescue (along with the cat) because his owners where moving and the new property had a 'No Pets' policy. I will never know if this story is true or false.
I haven't brought him home yet as I am having new fencing put up in my garden to make it pooch proof. I go to the rescue most days to walk him, I hope to fetch him home next week. He isn't use to a lead, he tries to bite it in a playful way. He pulls like mad too. Would a haltie be a good idea once I get him home? The rescue give me a choker to walk him with, but he pants and chokes like crazy. He will sit, lie give paw on command but they are brief, as soon as he sits he's up again and the same for lie down. He doesn't like other dogs and isn't neuterd. Ides or advice welcome. Would agility be a possibility in future or is he too old?

Answer 1

Congrats on your new dog!

I agree that a training class or a private trainer is an excellent idea, especially if you don't have a lot of experience with training. A head harness (Halti or Gentle Leader) or Easy Walk harness is a great tool to help with leash pulling (I can't believe in this day and age that a shelter/rescue would be advocating choke chains!).

His leash biting doesn't mean that he isn't used to a leash. This could be his way of testing you to see how much of a pushover you are. If he starts biting, firmly but unemotionally tell him "Stop it." Don't keep repeating it. Wait until he stops. If he is doing this for attention or to rile you, he will learn that it doesn't work. You can also spray the leash with Bitter Apple, lemon juice, or mouthwash.

I would assume that the rescue requires that he be neutered within a certain period of time. If not, that should be done, anyway, as others have said.

No do is ever too old to learn. Get some basic control over him and then look into doing agility with him.

Answer 2

I'm assuming that the rescue group is right about the history of the dog. as you probably know the old owners didn't work very hard at training him and never took him on a leash. the animal shelter gives you a chock because it is a correction device, help the dog learn weather or not he should do something. when training him you should use firm loud commands, and you can also use hand movements. only start with the basic command; Heal, Sit, Down, Stay, and Come. make sure you do it in that order because that goes from easiest to hardest. there is a little secret that will make it a lot easier. find what the dog likes the most, weather its a toy or food. if the dog is stubborn then it might be a smart idea to train him on a choker or a pinch collar. since the hardest thing for him now is the leash just start with walking with him, not by your side. if you need help on step by step commands then e mail me at [e-mail] i hope this helps! you also need to get him neudered because this will help calm him down a little. and taking training classes would be great. if the dog is full of energy and loves to play then agility will be great for him. you might want to look into a leather leash because its better on your hands. and make sure when he jumps and bites you tell him no with a firm voice
Sammi

Answer 3

Training classes would be a great idea, agility and border collies go together! You'll both learn loads, have fun and get fit.
A halti would be better for your new dog, and neutering would also be a good idea; on its own it won't make him like other dogs but at training he can learn to tolerate them and eventually maybe enjoy their company and play.
My best advice is prepare your home and a daily routine and stick to it the second you bring him home! Make a small area to use as a dog toilet and take him there on the lead every hour, wait with him till he goes then reward him. He'll soon get the idea, it saves mess all over the place.
He'll need loads of exersize and activity so search for games to play with oyur dog. The cup and ball game is a good one, you show him a biscuit, put it under a cup, then switch the cups around. Get him to show you which one the biscuit is under. You can gradually make the game more complicated by adding more cups and moving them more and faster. Find stuff like that to do with him.

Answer 4

Well done for taking on a rescue dog and giving him a second chance to lead a happy life! I agree with most people on here that training classes would be a really good idea. A good trainer will demonstrate to you how to gain respect from your dog and use that to train him using positive training techniques. Please please do not try and dominate him. The whole 'alpha dog' theory is incredibly old fashioned. Modern dog trainers have a proper understanding of kind training methods that have been proven to get better results in the long run. Also, if you do try and use these type of dominance techniques, depending on the dogs history you could do more damage than good. You dont want your dog to learn through fear, but through respect and a natural willlingness to please. See the link below for why pack psychology doesn't work:

http://www.barry.eaton.clara.net/pack_leader.htm

Agility is a great idea, once you have done some basic obedience with him. It will strengthen your bond and improve his quality of life no end. The same applies though, be careful to choose a good trainer.

Good luck and I hope that everything turns out great for the two of you!

Answer 5

Excellent work on the fence. That's the right thing to do.

Neuter him - right away.

He probably wasn't leash trained so you will have to work with him. It will take time as he needs to bond with you and respect you and the leash. Panting and choking are stress reactions (and discomfort) because he isn't used to a choker.

Enroll in a training class ASAP so that you can learn how to handle him properly. Find a trainer in your area that knows border collies.

Don't worry about the other dog "unfriendliness" - it is your responsibility to make sure that other dogs don't approach him and that he doesn't approach other dogs. Not all dogs can "say Hi".

And yes - once you have established yourself with him - you can totally do agility!

Answer 6

He needs to be neutered as quickly as possible. Mind now, border collies are a working breed of dog. They have A LOT of energy which they use rounding up cows and sheep. You'll need to walk him often and give him things to do to occupy his intelligent mind. Agility is perfect for him. They are the best at that. A few lessons from a dog trainer would be beneficial.

Answer 7

Wow. A border collie must be just about the brightest breed there is but they need 2 things in abundance: 1. Exercise. 2. Mental stimulation. A good way to combine these 2 is, as you have mentioned, agility work - great exercise for the owner too. You ought to find his temperament improves once he gets the stimulation he needs. And remember, dogs like to be treated like dogs, not little humans. Make sure he isn't allowed to be pack leader and make him work for his keep.

Answer 8

get him neutered ASAP. that will help with the dog aggression. never too old as long as he's in good health. border collies and australian sheps are working dogs with active minds. if you don't provide challenges and stimulation they find their own. halties are awesome, but so are no pull harnesses. if your not familiar with a haltie you can do damage to the nose. i use a haltie on my ridgeback x and a no pull harness on my malamute x. make sure you attend dog obedience classes. i rescued an abused border collie/golden x when he was 3 (i got him neutered right away) and at 4 we joined an obedience class so he could learn to socialize again. i had already taught him obedience as well as hand signals. he graduated top of the class and moved on to the advanced class despite his aggressive tendencies. he was with me for 15 glorious years. at STATE LINE PET SUPPLY in Plaistow nh there's a starter agility kit for around 50.00. i don't know if other pet supply stores carry them. it sounds as though you're doing everything you can to make him a safe addition to your family and i congratulate you for getting a rescue. too many people think they have to pay all kinds of money for a dog or it won't mean anything. they only care about status. and they're fools. keep me posted.

Answer 9

border collies are incredible dogs. they are very trainable and amazing in the right hands. i would suggest signing up for a basic obedience class (i just noticed that you said he doesn't like other dogs, so maybe private lessons if you can afford it) that will help you bond with your new dog, and will give you the basics you need to train him. definitely get him neutered ASAP, no reason not to! haltis are effective, but most dogs hate them. gentle leader makes a harness called the EZ Walk harness. it stops pulling but looks just like a normal harness. it's great! as for the leash biting, when he starts that, stop dead and let the leash go slack until he lets go. if he is chewing it, swap it for a treat by placing the treat on his nose, saying "good!" when he drops it and giving him the treat. just never pull back on it, or he is getting just what he wants, a game of tug. agility could definitely be an option once he is neutered and if you get him into obedience classes! have fun with him!

Answer 10

I have a border collie and have had her since a small pup. They are willing to learn and very clever pets that need to be kept entertained otherwise they get bored and misbehave. I had a company called Bark Busters (not just for nuisance barkers), recommended to me by my vet as my dog started to get nervous at noises etc... to help with things like general training and walking etc.. and they were fab, I think they are nationwide also.