Ranger.2016

Hi! I would NOT walk them together. Your pup needs her own time to grow and learn and not be a victim of attack if your older female were to redirect her aggression on the puppy when out and about. Your older dog also needs time with you, alone, to build her confidence coming from farm life with no leash to on a leash city bustle. You will always have to think ahead "will this set my dog(s) up for failure?" Does Bo get to run off leash much? I find letting the dogs out for even a 20 to 30 minute ground and pound through some trails does wonders for the mind. Also, you could teach Bo some fancy tricks...like weaving between your legs, forwards then backwards, turning around your legs while walking backwards (basically circling around you walking backwards. The list goes on. ...these are just ideas to stimulate her brain. You would need to use some tasty food/treat item as a lure. Lots of videos on the internet. Make sure you do this in a space with no other dogs. You want Bo focusing on you and the task at hand, not snapping at the puppy because the puppy wants in on the fun. Also, two females can be a difficult combo. I'm not saying it is not doable, it can just be tough. My neighbor has 3 girl dogs, two intact. The middle dog is the boss. She bosses the oldest (who is spayed), and the youngest. She will even come at my older border collie depending on where she is in her cycle. I won't let her ride in my car with my younger border collie. I don't trust them in close spaces. Is Bo spayed? If not, hormones could be playing a huge role in her behavior, especially if she cycles every 6 months or so. I am going out on a limb here, but I think Bo lacks confidence and perhaps has been attacked or threatened enough by other dogs in the past. She gets defensive and will pounce on another dog before it could do the same to her. Basically the whole, shoot first and ask questions later. I have read, positive human interaction can change the way a dog will eventually perceive other dogs. Since you stated she is friendly with human strangers, I would allow her to meet them every walk. Pack some food, ask people to offer your dog a treat if she seems excited to say hi to the people. Walk to a local coffee shop, maybe they will have a biscuit to give to the dog. Little children are a challenge, they move weirdly and do strange things according to a dog. If she has not been around them, she may be unsure for a long long time. I would only let her interact with small children where you know the parents and the children are confident around dogs. Never leave a child unattended with your dog. Kids do foolish things when eyes are not on them and dogs can react at the speed of light. When it comes to ball, I have a love hate relationship with it. I let my 2 border collies play ball but I don't want it to become an obsession for them. I am not big on ball fixation. It also can amp a dog up and that does not help you for when another dog appears. My basically 3 year old border collie is fine and in control of himself. My 14 month old border collie can get too wound up on ball that he will tip from overly excited into aggression. I have to monitor him closely to pay attention to his signals so I know when it is time to leave all other dogs and the area we are in. If I were in your shoes, I would be looking for other activities to interact with your dog. ...you could always try herding, if it is accessible to you and you are interested. It is a highly rewarding partnership for the dog and you. And most importantly, enjoy the individual time you spend with each dog. It is a never ending learning experience for both parties. Always keep a light heart and roll with the punches. After all, the dog must learn to fit into the human world...for some it will be easier, others not so much. Consistency will be your best friend, and remaining calm when sh!t hits the fan will also help your older dog. Keep me posted! I hope you have noticed positive changes since your first post on this topic!

Rusty is never left out of the fun! He has two border collies brothers. ...the giant schnauzer is one of the BC's girlfriends, lol

I'm always torn on these types of things, let the dog live and do what it can for now even if it isn't the best for it or put it in a "bubble" to extend its life. I think I would want to live and romp and be free even if it meant less years on this planet. Will/can your dog still play? Does it like playing with other dogs in its current state? Sorry, I don't have much help to offer but they do make doggy wheelchairs and it's a game changer! Life can continue.

Yes! Very true, but Ranger wanted to look out so I let him and I dealed with the aftermath. I would offer chew items for the 20 minute ride to the in laws, still he would get sick sometimes on the way there. Always, driving home from the in laws or my friend's, he would be tired and sleep. I knew driving home, I was guaranteed no puking. Since we are on the topic of motion sickness, growing up, I would get sick sitting the in back of the car on windy roads even when I looked out. As an adult I can sit in the back, look out, and be fine. I cannot read in a car to this day, guaranteed queasy feeling...yet I can read on a plane and the queasiness is very minimal. Now, Ranger likes to sit facing the back window of the xterra. I say "He is watching TV" ...I wouldn't have dreamed that possible with how carsick he would get.

That's great! I spent Ranger's young days walking all over too. Right out the house door and off we went. It was great to be able to offer that. I'm sure with time, it will get better. Best of luck! I also would sprinkle a couple drops of quality lavendar oil in the car. I started doing that when he was 6 or 7 months. I used it until he was 1.5 years or so. I liked the smell of it too, so win win.

GentleLake Posted Sunday at 08:11 PM Frozen they can be tooth breakers. Ask me how I know. <sigh> I no longer risk feeding anything frozen Ya, mine will lick them until they thaw out some or leave them until they thaw. I just toss them in the yard or my friend offers them up after romping in the woods. I could see frozen being an issue though!

He may still be getting car sick, just not to the point of throwing up. He is around the age where the ears develop and all the equilibrium changes kick in...unless I'm remembering incorrectly. Anyway, Ranger would get car sick up until almost 1 year old. I kept putting off trying him on sheep because the length of the car ride. I took Ranger on short car rides, to the local coffee shop, to my friend's house who had a puppy 1 month younger, local park to play, anything that was no more than 10 minutes max. Going to my inlaws in the summer was rough, 20 minutes but he loved seeing the dogs, nieces, and swimming in the river. On these 20 minute drives, I would offer him a marrow bone or something he could occupy himself with. If he wasn't looking out of the car and was focused on chewing something, he typically did not get sick. I did give him stomach soothing capsules with peppermint, ginger, turmeric, and fennel. Maybe they helped...I don't know for sure. Some days we sat in the driveway in the car and ate, some days I drove the car to the next road, we would get out and walk. I tried to produce fun events anytime we went somewhere in the car. The girls at the coffee shop spoiled him. He couldn't wait to see his puppy friend. The car was filled with toys all the time and food items to chew on. I noticed when I wouldn't take him in the car, basically daily, he would regress. He would start drooling more or throw up more. Finally around 9/10 months, I started seeing a change. He wasn't looking so wilted in the car. I went to a park only a half a mile away in the car, daily. He kept making new friends and was having so much fun. Around town drives were easier and he looked more alive in the car. Well, just shy of 1 year old I bit the bullet and scheduled an evaluation 45 minutes away. He didn't get sick and hasn't been sick since. To this day, he has been on long car rides, 4 plus hours to do multi day backpack trips. He will be 3 in February. I forget about how many times I had to change the blankets in the back of the car or wiped his face. He loves the car now. Still gets spoiled at the local coffee shops, the car takes him to sheep, the wilderness, all things fun. I hope your pup outgrows it! I know I was very unsure for a while but never gave up hope. I never made him take a long ride while young. ...with the exception of the 4 hour ride home from where he was born. Poor thing threw up 3 times. Once out of the car on the side of the road, 2nd time in a parking lot while I held him out of the car, and the third time into a bag while in the car. I posted a picture of baby Ranger...after 2nd puke looking at me. Poor thing, with new people, far from his parents, and awfully car sick. I'm happy he slept most of the way in my lap. He was such a sweet doughboy.

I'm assuming she lived a typical farm life and was just on the farm. I'm also assuming you live in a city or suburb but not really rural or on a farm. If this is the case, the dog is stimulated by a drastic change of pace, sights, sounds, and all that. These dogs are what I like to call over analyzers at times. What many breeds would just say "okay, that's the way it is, sure" border collies get down to the nitty gritty "why? Or I'm suspicious of that, that looks suspicious. Who are you and what do you want?" ...it could go on forever. Also, it's typical as females grow up, they won't necessarily stay pup social. Perhaps they are not interested in dogs at all. In a household with male and female dogs. Females run the house. It appears yours is unsure and she is prepared to stand her ground. Perhaps more fight than flight in her. She is/was a working dog. I'm not sure how great she was on stock but if she actually worked cattle, she is no soft dog. With that being said, do you know for a fact she was too busy playing with the kids and the other dogs? Or was that just a line you were fed to make it easier to regime and get her off the farm? I'm not trying to pass judgement, just pick the brain. Do you take her out walking daily? Maybe try walking the same few routes each week. She will get used to the dogs barking and all the commotion. Then start growing her walking territory. It will be a slow process but she should eventually settle some with consistency. You can always try to redirect her attention on you if she is fixated on a dog. Walk in front of her eyes and block her view of the other dog. If she tries to look around you, say "Aah!" Maybe this will get her to look at you and you can lead her in another direction. You need her to know you get the final say. She can alert you to whatever it is that is bothering her or catching her attention but when you tell her enough, she needs to believe you and respect you. It is a partnership. I do not think if she was with a stranger, she would be any better. She could become even more anxious and more reactive. She would have no known around her. Or she would shut down and cower but I would be waiting for the fear snap if anyone tried to get close. How old is this dog, btw? Keep her seeing the puppy if these two are going to live together but also supervise. Two females can be quite difficult especially if one is already very set in her ways. Just keep working hard with the older one, taking her out daily but not too long to where she is overehelmed. Their body language says a lot. You must learn to read your dog's signals. Observe her closely, you may learn her order of operations and be able to catch some of these reactive moments before they happen.

Typically seen in small dogs but could a luxating patella be a possibility? I see this post was from about a week ago. Any update from the vet or orthopedic vet?

All my dogs chews don't last long. It is more for the delicious crunch of the bone they love. However, when Ranger was young, I would put peanut butter in a hollow antler and freeze. This was great for when I went to work for a few hours. He absolutely enjoyed licking the frozen peanut butter out and chew the edge of the antler. Currently my dogs enjoy lots of different leg bones, their favorite being chicken legs with furry rabbits legs + feet at a close second. I think rabbits ears come in 3rd. Turkey necks are a great chomp too. Usually mine get frozen Turkey necks. I also will do pork necks and I know people are 50/50 on that. I think it really depends on what you are looking to have a chew do. For me, raw feeding my dogs since they were puppies satisfied their desire to chew and kept my house untouched. I do leave out bully stick pieces and on occasion large cut marrow bones for the rich marrow. Mine do not chew weight bearing bones so I don't need to worry. Some dogs will try and this is when teeth get fractured or broken. Raw chicken feet are a great chew for many dogs and many dogs LOVE them, but mine prefer furry rabbit feet instead. They actually enjoy a whole rabbit.... Nothing is off limits at my house. I offer it all to keep diet varied and learn what they really like. I get everything wholesale that I mentioned...about $1/pound. Rabbit goodies are from my next door neighbor. Sometimes she charges me a few dollars a pound, sometimes it's free. Deer and elk parts are always from my hunting friends. Depending on where you live, ask around at butcher shops or look for food warehouses open to the public.

I would be curious to know how she played with the other dogs. Was she sticky eyed and treated them like moving stock? New dogs could be perceived as stock to her mind. Also, how much was she leashed growing up. She could be leash reactive, triggered by certain things when restrained. I don't know how old she is but these could be learned behaviors that would take daily desensitization to diminish. How is she off leash with new dogs or is this uncharted territory? When she lunges, does she stand up on her hind legs and bound at all? Or is it a direct line of I'm going to get that?

I joined over two years ago but it glitched when I tried to log in for multiple days. I, also, fell off the wagon coming to the boards to peep at things. Here I am over 2 years later, not only with Ranger but his younger brother, Four (just turned 1). They have the same parents. It's amazing what changes in 2 years. Our routine has been a staple for almost two years now. Mornings we are up and heading out to venture in the woods. We run 2 to 4 miles on average and climb 500 to 900 feet. Boys always get to swim. When I'm lazy, we hit the flat woods and no swimming hole. Some days I do city runs with Ranger and city walks with Four. I'm lazy, I prefer to never have to use a leash so we spend much more time in the woods. Some weekends, the brothers meet up with two Anatolians and romp hard on 50 acres of woods, creeks, and sneak through the cow pastures...but not if the bulls are close. Little man, Four, just started on stock so I don't trust him yet. Ranger, he just stares them down and they bend their heads and start walking. After morning trips we come home and I do house chores. Dogs get to come and go in the backyard, but usually they eat their late breakfast and sleep for a while. (Twice a week Ranger and I are on sheep. Four goes once a week, just for lessons so far.) I leave for work mid afternoon and hubby comes home a couple hours later. They potty, chill, play ball or tug if it's the nice weather months in the backyard. Their afternoons really very depending on if hubby hits the gym or not and what the weather is like. In the evenings, hubby feeds them and the brothers play inside if they choose. Usually tug or wrestling and it has never got out of hand. Hubby says about 830pm Four brings a tug to Ranger and it's game on. Late evening I'm home and both get short before bed walks to get all their pee out and perhaps poop. (On a rare occasion, the boys meet up with a dog friend and play ball at the local school in the dark. They love glow ball time and come home and crash out.) Six months out of the year, Ranger and I backpack on multiday trips. This has been my ultimate favorite activity to do with him. I'm hoping by next summer Four will be ready. So far Four has really been doing well when bumping into wildlife or scenting on it. I can't wait to take him on his first trip, of course only an overnight. Fingers crossed he is a natural like big brother. If not, Four and I can do fastpacking trips and save the big backpacking trips for Ranger. ...this is originally why I got a border collie, for a backpacking companion. ...then Ranger turned one and I decided, why not try him on sheep and see. Parents work cattle. Well, Ranger very much so wanted to work and was ready. So to this day, tick tock, Ranger is still patiently waiting for me to play catch up. Hubby wanted to start Four on sheep so he is Four's main handler, I'm just back up if need be. It's been fun growing and playing with these dogs. Wouldn't have life any other way. Also, I think I read in this thread, having the dogs learn to relax. It is so true. My dogs know they get my time in the morning. It's undivided attention, all about them, as we explore nature. When we get home I have things to do and they know I will not drop what I'm doing to entertain them. They learn to entertain themselves and settle from the time they are puppies.