Jump to content
BC Boards

Ben ignores other people


Recommended Posts

8 months on, Ben the rescue is a delight. I can't believe I once asked how to teach him to sit! He will now run round a field and respond to all commands at a distance - not only close up..And it's instant - no thinking about it. He just wants to please.

The only issue - and I'm not sure it is an issue - is that he just blanks other people. My last border collie wanted to meet and greet everyone. She was like that from a puppy - nothing to do with me.

So this is a complete contrast. When I am around, other people don't exist. They can talk to him and call his name and are lucky if there is any response. It's a bit embarrassing to be honest!

Is this something I should be working on and if so how? I think part of the problem is that where I live, there aren't many other people.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's what most people want, a dog that ignores other people and pays attention to it's person :)

 

I like that in a dog and train my dogs from early on that "we like people but don't go bother them". As long as the dog isn't suspicious or afraid of people, generally, ignoring strangers isn't a bad thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Gláma is like that, it is a great feature imo, especially during roundup where some people seem to feel entitled to command other man's dogs. Very satisfying to see her ignore them completely. It would be nice though if she would on occasion let my wife work with her, but she decided she is a one man's dog.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope, you don't need to do a thing. No dog is required to be sociable and honestly, a lot of border collies I know are pretty one-man-ish. If he's not aggressive or threatening to people, I'd say leave him be. He doesn't need to make friends and you are all he really wants to keep him happy. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good. When I first saw him at the shelter he ran to me when I, a complete stranger, called him. I believe he was like that with everyone.

So I was concerned that he was now less friendly than when I first met him. But it seems that all that has happened is that he has now adopted me. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Buzz loved humans so much that I had to figure out a way to use it as a reward. So if he wanted to go say hi to his latest best friend, he had to do something for me first. It helped a lot.

 

AND, I always asked people if they would mind saying hi to him. A few people said no, most people said yes.

 

Those 2 things kept Buzz under control and more like a gentleman.

 

Ruth & Gibbs

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good. When I first saw him at the shelter he ran to me when I, a complete stranger, called him. I believe he was like that with everyone.

So I was concerned that he was now less friendly than when I first met him. But it seems that all that has happened is that he has now adopted me. :)

 

 

Well, there it is. You were The One and he knew it. :wub:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kiran (BC mutt) is very sweet with everyone but mostly ignores them.

 

Unless they're under 10 or a small poodle, at which point - forget it, his brain has fallen out from an overload of pure love.

 

I very much prefer overly friendly to the alternative, but my gold standard is definitely neutral and polite. Noooot sure he's going to get to neutral on kids (or poodles) in this lifetime.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Nala was like this when we got her. She bonded with me and my husband very quickly, and from then on, no one else in the world mattered much to her (although once she got to know our families she greeted them affectionately as well).

 

Then she learned the other owners at agility class have treats, and that the man behind the counter at the pet supply shop has treats, and so does the lady at the hardware store....and now she will often approach strangers with a wagging tail and sit at their feet. I'm glad she's comfortable enough to approach them (she used to be quite shy). But now I do have to keep a closer eye on her since not everyone likes dogs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...