Looking For Trainer

[CurlyQ]

First off, sorry I've been inactive. School and dogs are pretty much all I do anymore (Sleep? What's that?). I just wanted to say the nothing was in Maple's ear, and the general consensus at the vet's was that something stung her. It happened again, in about the same spot, so I just decided to not play with her out there. Hasn't happened since I made that decision.

 

Another thing, even though I almost never post, I still come here a lot and read. Gosh, the enthusiasm and dedication here always breathes new life into what I do with Maple. Thanks guys. I mean it. The fact that I always end up doing something "wrong" is another huge motivation factor, and consequently I've decided to come to you guys first.

 

What really concerns me is her current attitude. She is incredibly nervous around little kids. She almost lunged at a small boy (I had brought her into a pet store, he ran up behind me, without asking me, shouted loudly at her and reached out to pet her as she backed away with a pre-bark growl in her throat. He persisted, and Maple almost lunged at him, so I picked her up, made sure the boy was okay, and shot his mother a serious "Get your child under control" look before stalking off to the other side of the store with Maple, tense and rock-like, in my arms. The boy is very lucky I looked behind me at the time I did, and I suppose so am I). She's knocked over a different little boy, but I believe that it was accidental, so I simply gave her a stern "no", and sent her up to her crate with a chew stick to help her relax. This is going to be really hard with family coming over for Christmas.

 

She tolerates men, but has a weird thing about hats and scarves. Women are okay by her, and when we have female guests over she does just fine. She doesn't let strangers pet her, but I'm okay with that. I always give guests treats that they can break up hand/toss to her so she has positive associations, especially when children come over. She hates meeting strangers on walks, but I bring treats with me on those, too. She chases cars, even with the distraction of a treat. Sometimes I can get her to stop if I bring a distracting toy, but too often this is not the case.

 

I don't know what I did wrong, to be quite honest. I socialized her a lot during that supposed "prime" period of 8-12 weeks. We went to the beach, met other dogs, met tons of kids, met men and women, different ethnicities and races (although my two best friends are Asian American and African American, and we hang out a lot, so this isn't really a problem). She was terrified of cars at this point, but she was so used to walking among throngs of people. Now you'd think she was a rabid animal any time a single human walks past. Car chasing seems to have advanced as well. It used to be every fifth car and a stern "no" would stop it. Now it's every car, and there are times where I've felt dangerously close to being hit because of her. She's not allowed off-leash anymore, because she decided she only has to listen to commands when she feels like it. When she gets frustrated, which seems to happen so often now, she barks loudly at me and runs off in the opposite direction. I normally bring her back, preform one last good trick (an easy one so she'll definitely get it right), and then close the training session. I've started stopping them before these this even happens, at the first sign of frustration. No improvement whatsoever. She's still learning, but listening is another story.

 

She's only six months old! Is this just being a teenager? This feels incredibly extreme. I try and stay positive and upbeat. I make training sessions into games. When I got this dog, I was looking for a companion, a possible agility partner, a definite jogging partner. These things seem impossible now. Indoors, she's a wonderful house-dog for the most part. Potty training is drawing to a close, she's sweet and snuggly, I love her. Kong toys are a life saver. Outdoors, or around children? Nightmare.

 

My Christmas present from my mom-- she's paying for dog training lessons I never thought I'd need. I'll admit, along with school and unpacking from our recent move, Maple has been incredibly hard on me. I've come back from walks crying more than once. There's a part of me that feels like I failed my puppy. I want to do THIS right, at least. Does anyone know of dog trainers around Newcastle, DE. Preferably near the city of Wilmington or around the U of D? Positive dog trainers who deal with what I described above? I want a class situation, since that is more likely to be cheaper than private onexone. Also has the added benefit of meeting new people in similar situations, and other dogs Mae can socialize with.

 

I'm sorry to vent like this, and I'm sorry for the long post (my specialty). I've been very stressed lately. Stories, advice, and direction are appreciated. Thanks for your time.

 

--CurlyQ

[Cass C]

I understand not thinking you need a training class, but from my experience it is a great way to socilize your dog in a controlled environment. I almost didn't do formal training with Lyka, but after talking to several people they convinced me that I should. I never regretted it. Even if you know how to train commands, socilization is a whole different monster.

 

I don't know of any specific trainers, but you can google dog trainers in your area and get multiple results. Also ask around at some local vets (not just your usual vet), sometimes they know trainers or can point you in the right direction.

 

Before you commit to a trainer go sit in on their class (most good trainers will let you do so for free) and make sure you agree with their training methods. All trainers train a little differently, so talk to the trainer and get a feel for what their training/background includes.

 

I know this wasn't very specific, but I hope it helped.

[kingfisher7151]

I'm sure you're going to hear lots of advice from the wise people from this board. I don't have much, but I do have encouragement!

 

Don't ever think that you've failed your puppy. There are *so* many dogs here that have had all the "right" things from the start and they still have many of the same problems that you're facing. It's very common to see problems (especially in this breed) with shyness and car chasing, it's not at all restricted to "bad" owners. Some of the best trainers and dog owners still end up with these problems. 6 months is also a very tough age, her hormones are just starting to pick up and she's not going to be the same dog she was a few months ago. Throw in fear periods during adolescence and it can make for a very unstable existence! Obviously age isn't an excuse for any unwanted or dangerous behavior, but it does give a few explanations! When Keeper hit around 6 months my *perfect* puppy turned into this angsty little beast who turned from an extraordinarily obedient puppy to an unruly teenager. It wasn't as serious as what you're experiencing, but they can have some very large swings in behavior!

 

I think you're doing the right thing by finding a trainer. It also sounds like you've given yourself an advantage by not allowing her to exercise the unwanted behaviors and ignore you. It also sounds like you're doing the right thing with socialization. One thing I would possibly try is not to have strangers feed her, but rather ignore the strangers to allow her to recognize that these scary creatures aren't going to enter her space if she doesn't want them to. It's a fine line. It's great to have strangers feed her if the aversion is fairly mild and if food will create a strong enough positive correlation, but if she is really fearful it might be doing more harm than good having people address her every time she's outside. She likely needs the opportunity to own her space without intrusive strangers and gain confidence.

 

Hang tight, puppyhood is a roller coaster of emotion as you well know, and it's not at all abnormal to get frustrated. You've recognized how dangerous the behaviors can be, and you're addressing them. That's the most anybody could want! You're on the right track! Don't get discouraged!

[GentleLake]

She could be entering a fear period.

 

I agree with most of what Kingfisher said above. But the rescue I volunteer with has had great success with people giving shy and fearful dogs treats. But we allow the dog to approach the person rather than having the person approach the dog. If the dog's too fearful to approach, we may toss treats to the distance where the dog is comfortable approaching and very slowly reducing the distance until the dog is coming closer on her own. We'll sometimes sit in a circle armed with especially delicious treats and let the dog visit people at her own comfort level. I've seen some dogs make remarkable progress using this method, but you do have to have several willing and very patient friends to help.

 

Not making direct eye contact with the dog is important in this kind of exercise as well, as it makes the people appear less threatening to the dog.

 

Best wishes living through what can be a trying time in the life of a pup.

[Maralynn]

A few suggestions - with the boy in the store scenario. Step in between her and the person and hold your hand out in a "stop" motion toward them. Basically, step in and deal with it so she doens't need to. Easier said than done of course, but you can do it! She was startled and scared and telling everyone she wanted to be left alone. With strangers on walks, don't encourage interaction as it can make it worse if she's scared. Rather keep her several feet away and engage her yourself. Yummy treats and default behaviors (sit, down, hand targets with her nose) and interacting with you will give her something to to do besides worrying about interacting with a stranger.

[Pippin's person]

Selective listening is definitely a baby dog thing. Most of what you write about is as well. Because they aren't physically babies anymore, it's so easy to forget that mentally, they still are babies (and even if you remember that they are, it's hard in the moment of frustration to care). My current youngster lost her recall entirely from about 3 mos-10 mos or so. I'd started wondering if she'd ever have one and then, seemingly all of a sudden, she did. She was worse than any puppy we've had. She almost drove me to drink.....

 

Puppies are hard generally (that's one of the reasons people here often suggest trying to find a young dog who has passed all the puppy stuff) and border collie pups can be particularly hard because they are smart and quirky while also being immature. Try and go easier on Maple and on yourself and keep patiently working with her to be the way you want her to be. Keeping a training journal can be a very helpful way of keeping a check on your own expectations--I think we expect too much of puppies in some ways (and often not enough in others--but that's a different story). She can be all the things that you dreamed of for her, but probably not until she is older (she's too young to be a jogging or agility partner now anyway). It's really true what they say about this being a journey and taking on a baby border collie when you are still in school and yourself young is a big task.

 

I think it's also easy to get the sense that if your dog isn't behaving in some idealized way that you've failed. It isn't true--all of them have challenges that get better with time and patience--or that you learn to manage. Your early socialization will have done its work--you just can't see it at this moment. Not one of our dogs walked well on leash before they were 10 mos old or so (maybe even older-I don't remember now). We got lots of sideways glances as pups pulled us like sled dogs or as we stopped every third step as instructed in many books and by instructors. Eventually, they get it. I think it just takes a lot longer and needs a lot more practice than might be apparent from what you read on the Internet or in books. There aren't quick fixes for helping a dog be a well-mannered dog.

 

The one issue that you probably want to really focus on at this point is the car chasing. You're absolutely right not to let her be in a situation where she could chase a car. Keep in mind that you won't necessarily need to do that forever. One of our dogs came from a situation where she had spent the first four years of her life spinning and running the fence while watching cars on the highway. When we first had her, she went after cars, bikes, roller skates, you name it. With time and patience, she learned not to do that and became fine off leash with an excellent recall.

 

Just out of curiosity, why did you think you wouldn't need any training help?

[neo416]

I'm not sure if you have considered this route, but you are located about an hour from an excellent Veterinary Behaviorist just outside of Trenton, NJ. I made the trek with my nervous dog about a month ago and the doctor helped me to get through the training rut I was experiencing with my BC's reactivity. She also is able to recommend many trainers in the surrounding areas who only utilize positive reinforcement.

 

If this is something you want to look into, her name is Dr. Ilana Reisner. She has an Facebook page that she actively posts to, and you can easily find it if you search for Resiner Veterinary Behavior & Consulting Services. This may be more than you are looking to do at this time, but I wish that I would have gone to see a Veterinary Behaviorist sooner rather than spending a bunch of money on training classes that did very little to solve my dog's issues.

 

Whichever route you choose, I am sure you are aware that solving your dog's issues will certainly take some time. However I would highly suggest considering this as an option, as I am sure you probably would love help your dog to feel more secure and confident sooner rather than later!

 

Good luck!

[CurlyQ]

Before you commit to a trainer go sit in on their class (most good trainers will let you do so for free) and make sure you agree with their training methods. All trainers train a little differently, so talk to the trainer and get a feel for what their training/background includes.

 

Thank you very much for the encouragement! Is there any specific questions I should ask? I mean, style of training, years of experience, and specialties are all pretty important subjects, but am I missing any?

 

 

One thing I would possibly try is not to have strangers feed her, but rather ignore the strangers to allow her to recognize that these scary creatures aren't going to enter her space if she doesn't want them to. It's a fine line. It's great to have strangers feed her if the aversion is fairly mild and if food will create a strong enough positive correlation, but if she is really fearful it might be doing more harm than good having people address her every time she's outside. She likely needs the opportunity to own her space without intrusive strangers and gain confidence.

 

Hang tight, puppyhood is a roller coaster of emotion as you well know, and it's not at all abnormal to get frustrated. You've recognized how dangerous the behaviors can be, and you're addressing them. That's the most anybody could want! You're on the right track! Don't get discouraged!

 

Thank you for the advice. I'll have to try that "ignore her" technique. I feel that will be difficult, especially when she follows them around, barking. It also doesn't help that many dog-people expect interaction, and they often lean down to pet her without realizing that she's nervous. That's why I give people treats. Positive associations, and people feel like they're interacting with her without being too pushy. If she's especially shy (if it's a man or a child visiting), I'll have them toss them to her from a distance while explaining the situation.

 

 

She could be entering a fear period.

 

You do have to have several willing and very patient friends to help.

 

Not making direct eye contact with the dog is important in this kind of exercise as well, as it makes the people appear less threatening to the dog.

 

Best wishes living through what can be a trying time in the life of a pup.

 

I'll definitely alert future guests about eye contact, I was unaware of that. I have a few great, understanding, friends who are willing to help out.

 

 

A few suggestions - with the boy in the store scenario. Step in between her and the person and hold your hand out in a "stop" motion toward them. Basically, step in and deal with it so she doens't need to. Easier said than done of course, but you can do it! She was startled and scared and telling everyone she wanted to be left alone. With strangers on walks, don't encourage interaction as it can make it worse if she's scared. Rather keep her several feet away and engage her yourself. Yummy treats and default behaviors (sit, down, hand targets with her nose) and interacting with you will give her something to to do besides worrying about interacting with a stranger.

 

Thanks for the "stay away" advice. My natural inclination is normally to not tell other peoples' children what to do, since everyone has their own method of parenting (some more questionable than others). However, if it is a matter of possible injury, intervening is probably the best thing to do. Honestly, I feel a bit out of my element around small children, and I froze up longer than I should have.

 

Also, I'll take your advice about walking! I had actually been doing a mix of encouraging her to meet others and distracting her with tricks/treats and "look at me" commands. I'll definitely tone down her interaction with others' on walks, even though I'm positive all my neighbors are terrified of me now.

 

 

Selective listening is definitely a baby dog thing. Most of what you write about is as well. Because they aren't physically babies anymore, it's so easy to forget that mentally, they still are babies (and even if you remember that they are, it's hard in the moment of frustration to care).

 

Puppies are hard generally (that's one of the reasons people here often suggest trying to find a young dog who has passed all the puppy stuff) and border collie pups can be particularly hard because they are smart and quirky while also being immature. Try and go easier on Maple and on yourself and keep patiently working with her to be the way you want her to be. Keeping a training journal can be a very helpful way of keeping a check on your own expectations--I think we expect too much of puppies in some ways (and often not enough in others--but that's a different story). She can be all the things that you dreamed of for her, but probably not until she is older (she's too young to be a jogging or agility partner now anyway). It's really true what they say about this being a journey and taking on a baby border collie when you are still in school and yourself young is a big task.

 

I think it's also easy to get the sense that if your dog isn't behaving in some idealized way that you've failed. It isn't true--all of them have challenges that get better with time and patience--or that you learn to manage. Your early socialization will have done its work--you just can't see it at this moment. Not one of our dogs walked well on leash before they were 10 mos old or so (maybe even older-I don't remember now). There aren't quick fixes for helping a dog be a well-mannered dog.

 

The one issue that you probably want to really focus on at this point is the car chasing. You're absolutely right not to let her be in a situation where she could chase a car. Keep in mind that you won't necessarily need to do that forever. One of our dogs came from a situation where she had spent the first four years of her life spinning and running the fence while watching cars on the highway. When we first had her, she went after cars, bikes, roller skates, you name it. With time and patience, she learned not to do that and became fine off leash with an excellent recall.

 

Just out of curiosity, why did you think you wouldn't need any training help?

 

Thanks for this reassuring response! I've been trying to treat her as a little kid. For example, when she doesn't follow through with a recall, she doesn't get to play off leash.

 

I think that training journal is an excellent idea! I have a blog for Maple and I which I haven't been updating often, but with this advice I think I shall. I've never heard of a training-journal before. I've mostly been using the blog to monitor physical maturity, but I see no reason why it can't capture mental victories. I try to keep training fun and adapted for someone with the attention span of a young child. We vary activities and include some fun brain-games in there, too.

 

I'm hoping that the car-chasing is more of a self-control issue (like leash pulling) that will grow better as her maturity fills any cracks from puppyhood. As in, she needs to gain some more self-discipline. I'm really hoping that's what it is. It seems very instinctual. If I hold her back when a car goes past she'll whimper and struggle against me. I'd love to hear more about how you helped your rescue overcome this barrier, since it's been very persistent with Maple and I. It also has the potential to be fatal.

 

I didn't want to accept training help because, until recent engagements (literally), my family unit hasn't really ever had the funds. I always feel so burdening when I ask my mother for things that could amount to bigger costs, especially after she was kind enough to grant me my own dog and cover all vet bills (which grew quite high during the first months). So there was that, and also it's sort of a pride thing. "I don't need this because I'll do everything right." I mock myself now. Puppies, my, how they can change a person .

 

 

I'm not sure if you have considered this route, but you are located about an hour from an excellent Veterinary Behaviorist just outside of Trenton, NJ. I made the trek with my nervous dog about a month ago and the doctor helped me to get through the training rut I was experiencing with my BC's reactivity. She also is able to recommend many trainers in the surrounding areas who only utilize positive reinforcement.

 

If this is something you want to look into, her name is Dr. Ilana Reisner. She has an Facebook page that she actively posts to, and you can easily find it if you search for Resiner Veterinary Behavior & Consulting Services. This may be more than you are looking to do at this time, but I wish that I would have gone to see a Veterinary Behaviorist sooner rather than spending a bunch of money on training classes that did very little to solve my dog's issues.

 

Whichever route you choose, I am sure you are aware that solving your dog's issues will certainly take some time. However I would highly suggest considering this as an option, as I am sure you probably would love help your dog to feel more secure and confident sooner rather than later!

 

Good luck!

 

Wow! Thank you for these great resources. I'll be sure to check them out. May I ask what exactly does a vet-behaviorist do, and why is it so rashly different from "normal" do training?

[GentleLake]

Don't forget while you're working with cars (and people too, for that matter) to keep her under threshold so you're able to actually get through to her.

 

There was a thread just recently on just this subject. What you're doing is desensitization and counter conditioning, which has also been discussed many times in these Boards, and also many good entries on the Web. Essentially what you're trying to do is to change her emotional response to the things she's overstimulated by (both fear and chasing are overstimulated responses) so that she will have different reactions to them.

 

The important thing is to do this work in situations when she's not over reacting. When she crosses that threshold between being calm and reacting, her brain's actually not capable of taking the information in and the reaction (reactivity) becomes rewarding to her in and of itself.

 

You should have lots of options for trainers where you live. Do be sure to visit before committing. to one to make sure you're comfortable with their methods.

 

Again, best wishes moving forward in this. Maple's lucky to have you.

[Cass C]

I think you covered the basics, but I would also explain what is going on with Maple and ask them if they think their class is a good fit to correct the behaviors. Most trainers I have met are pretty honest and if they don't think your dog will be helped by a specific class they will tell you. They may also teach another class that will help you or know someone who does.

 

You can also ask for clarification of what their class(es) offer to the student and what is covered. You don't want to take a class on how to make your dog sit if your dog already knows that. So I would ask if it is it just basic obedience, reactivity, socilization, or something else? Then if it sounds like what you need ask them what you will be learning in the class. Not all obedience classes are going to teach the same things and not all reactivity classes are just for agressive dogs.

 

Edit: I wanted to add I would find out how many students they teach at a time, as you will get less one on one training with a trainer if there are 10 dogs in the class. I prefer classes with no more then 5 students total.

[Maralynn]

Remember - you get to speak up for *your* dog if needed. It's not interfering with parenting if you need to step up to keep kids out of your personal space so your pup stays comfortable. Sometime stuff still happens with kids even with the most attentive parents but in those situations reasonable parents understand that you were speaking up for your dog instead of interfering with their child.

[RemsMom]

When Nattie was 4-5 months I was thinking that she was a very easy puppy.......and then she turned six months old! My biggest problem was her sensitivity to sound. She was afraid of all sorts of noises: Traffic, helicopters, airplanes, dirt bikes, diesel pickups, any vehicle with a trailer that rattled, a book being knocked off the desk by the cat, a metal pan dropped in the kitchen, my other dog barking at the door, sounds made by the wind. I was really frustrated and worried. How would she lead a normal life? It took two and a half months of me working with Nattie to get her over most of her fears. I wanted to tell you about my puppy because I really did not do anything to make her so sensitive to noise. She has always been a little sensitive but at 5 months old I thought we were making progress and at six months it all went downhill so I don't think it is fair to blame yourself for the issues you are having with Maple.

 

I can't help you with a trainer since I am on the other side of the country. I think you will enjoy taking classes with you puppy. One of the things I liked about taking a puppy class was I discovered that everyone else had issues with their puppy too!

 

Always end training sessions on a positive note and set yourself up to succeed. It sounds like you do this for Maple but do this for yourself as well. Puppies can be incredibly frustrating. Maple is fortunate to have an owner that cares about her so much.

[dsmbc]

All of the things that make a really good working dog, can sometimes be problems in other areas - motion reactive, noise sensitive, notice everything, chase cars. And, there are a lot of border collies that don't like kids, and never really do get comfortable with them.

 

Children are at eye level, they stare and they move unpredictably. This can be pretty unnerving for a border collie. When I got me last pup, I did the same thing you did - everything I could to get him socialized -- took him to classes, took him to work with me, went to all sorts of places to meet lots of people. he was great until about 6 mos and suddenly he did not like kids and noticed every moving thing - cars, bikes, etc.

 

Others folks mentioned counter conditioning and desensitization, this is a great idea. We did a lot of this. He would get pretty focused on cars and bikes (we live next to a bike trail) and cc helped. However, once he started training on stock, he pretty much stopped paying attention to cars and bikes. now when we go on walks on the bike trail he doesn't even notice bikes.

 

However, though counter conditioning will help her get more comfortable with kids, she may never be completely comfortable with them. I have done a lot with Ben over the last two years, but he still is not comfortable with kids. But we keep working at it.

 

For Christmas, it is very important that you have her crated or in a bedroom with the door shut that guests will not have access to her. This is as much for her safety and comfort as it is for your guests. Find a quiet spot that she can relax. keeping her in a safe quiet spot will also help with desensitizing in the long run. She needs to know she has a safe spot.

 

 

The behaviorist may be a better way to go, unless the classes offered are for reactive dogs. Also good books, such as Behavior adjustment Training by Girsha Stewart or Click to Clam are good books. Fired up, Fearful and Frantic is also good. It comes as an e-book to., so is affordable.

[Maralynn]

Even my dogs who are fine with everyone get crated in a quiet room at least part of the time during family gatherings. The excitement makes them forget their manners and then people who aren't used to them can get them pretty wound up and a bit crazy when they try to interact with them. So I only bring the dogs out when things are reasonably calm and I can keep my full attention on them and reinforce the behavior that I want. Much less stressful on everyone!

[d112358]

I like to teach an emergency 'get behind me' trick for dogs that need some space from people. It puts you in more control of the situation (as a wall between your dog and the stranger) without looking particularly harsh or unfriendly.

[gcv-border]

All excellent advice above. I won't repeat, but do want to add a couple of thoughts.

 

Training classes: Most training classes I know about (either I have taken them or several of my friends teach) do not encourage dog socialization. I took my last puppy to puppy class, not for the training advice (although I did come away with a few new ideas), but for the DISTRACTING environment in which we were training. It is easy to train at home and have a perfect puppy, but take that same puppy to class, and you most likely will see a puppy that acts like s/he never had a training session in their life. The one exception to the 'no socializing during class' rule was in the puppy class where the trainer took time to let the puppies play for a couple of minutes here and there. Once my puppy aged out of puppy class, the next level of class was back to the 'no socialization' rule. Once you realize that class time can be VERY stressful to dogs in a group situation, you can understand why a trainer may not want dogs socializing on their own time during class since stressed dogs can react aggressively.

 

Now a class that is specifically geared towards socialization is another beast entirely.

 

Since you are in DE, have you considered contacting the vet school at UPenn in Philadelphia to inquire about any services they offer that may be of help? Just another suggestion. [i don't know if they offer anything that may be helpful in your situation or if it would be too expensive, but it never hurts to ask.]

[Maralynn]

Since you are in DE, have you considered contacting the vet school at UPenn in Philadelphia to inquire about any services they offer that may be of help? Just another suggestion. [i don't know if they offer anything that may be helpful in your situation or if it would be too expensive, but it never hurts to ask.]

 

In that vein - https://capable-canine.com/training-classes/ One of these classes (basic obedience most likely) would probably be really, really helpful and worth the distance to travel. Many of the trainers also work with the Penn Vet working dog center in one way or another (where the classes are held). If you need more specialized help then they'll be able to point you in the right direction.

[chene]

I just want you to know that you're not alone in this, and that it's absolutely not your fault. You have obviously done your research, put in the effort, and been dedicated to Maple right from the start. There are tons of dog owners that would be in much worse situations than you right now if they'd tried to take on a border collie. I get where you are. I'm also young and going through border collie puppyhood for the first time. I'm sure I do tons of things in my inexperience that would be criticized on these boards. But at some point I always have to accept that I'm doing my best and always learning, and that's good enough. My puppy doesn't recognize that I'm imperfect. He's happy, he's loving, and he trusts me anyways. It sure sounds like Maple is the same way. Even though things are crazy right now, I promise all these issues are fixable, and Maple will get through them. In the long run, she'll be able to be all sorts of things you wanted her to be (and plenty that you had no idea she'd become). Good luck!

[Donald McCaig]

Dear Doggers,

 

I wouldn't trust the UPenn preachers to walk my dog but otherwise there's been good advice. I particularly appreciated Ms. Maralynn and Ms. DSMBC's advice to keep the puppy in a safe quiet place during tumultuous child-centric family gatherings.

 

We have this Hallmark mental picture: happy children playing happily with adorable pup. Reality is: excited, overwhelmed children being told by adults that this excitable, terrified pup is the toy of the moment. It's a recipe for disaster and I cannot think of a single way where it does the pup or the child any good. Put him up.

 

Donald McCaig

[Maralynn]

Donald - perhaps you should meet some of the people and dogs and see the results before passing judgement. I have and have been very favorably impressed by the people I've met and the results I've seen coming from the working dog center. I'd be more than comfortable getting instruction there or leaving a dog in their care.

[ourwully]

Juno is now 13 months and has turned into a wonderful dog. At 6 months I thought I was going to expire from tiredness. In the house she was so busy I couldn't even watch TV unless she had a bone to chew, outside she wouldn't walk without pulling, and generally she took all my time (and I'm retired). There were many times when I thought I must be doing something wrong and wondered if I had picked the wrong breed. When Juno was 10 months or so my wife came home one day and said she had seen a 4 month old Border Collie walking perfectly at the crowded market on a loose leash. I felt a total failure and a lot of self created pressure after that. Now it is clear to me that every Border Collie is different. I have also read that Border Collies can take up to 2 years to mature so even today I am patient with Juno. Her loose leash walking isn't perfect, but her heeling is good, and her off leash behaviour in the woods is great.

 

Three things really helped me to get to this point.

 

1. I took her to two sessions of puppy school. She enjoyed it, I learned a few things, and I think overall it got her off to a good start. It also forced me to do homework ( do the training or be embarrassed at class).

 

2. Advice on this forum. When I had a problem I tried to detail it as carefully as possible and usually I had responses within the hour. It was clear from most of the responses that a lot of thought had gone into them. Sometimes they weren't a fit for Juno but there was always at least one response that was right on. I will always be thankful for the help on this forum.

 

3. I bought the book Control Unleashed: The puppy program. This book is the best. For example, for chasing cars I use a game in this book called Look At That. Basically you start at home with an object in your hand that the puppy never gets to touch. You show it to the puppy and say Look at the _____. When the puppy looks at it and then looks at you, you give her a treat. Check out Utube for a complete explanation but eventually you move to other things like cars and bikes. When Juno and I walk on leash I stop when I see a distraction coming, whether it be a car, bike, or other dog and I say look at the car. She looks at the car then at me, I give her a treat, and the car passes by. I still do this today but I know that she will ignore most cars without the game. Dogs are another story. I have to use the game for all dogs but at this point the game will only work if the other dog is at least 10 yards away. That is her threshhold at this point but I am hoping as she gets older this will improve.

 

Good luck and remember that the light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train!

 

Bill

[emilyfalk]

Dear Doggers,

 

I wouldn't trust the UPenn preachers to walk my dog but otherwise there's been good advice

 

Donald McCaig

Well, those preachers helped me raise my first border collie puppy (BYB and super active) while living in an apartment in West Philadelphia and attending vet school.

 

Actually, it was Dr. Reisner (mentioned above) who was a very big help when Ella was a baby The faculty and their students literally did walk her around the streets working on things while I attended class, and she served as a demo dog in other situations, too.

 

In general, my training style is less academic than some of the behavior diplomates...but that doesn't mean they don't have good insight for many pet dogs. No one says you have to take every piece of *any* trainer's advice.

[emilyfalk]

Donald - perhaps you should meet some of the people and dogs and see the results before passing judgement. I have and have been very favorably impressed by the people I've met and the results I've seen coming from the working dog center. I'd be more than comfortable getting instruction there or leaving a dog in their care.

Thanks for the shout out for the Working Dog Center! Dr. Cindy Otto is an incredible person who was also very helpful with young Ella while we were in Philly. We played flyball and agility together and I learned a lot of general behavior and training techniques from her.

 

Had the Center been around while I was in school...sigh.

[Donald McCaig]

Dear Doggers,

 

I don't think it matters much what sorts of techniques, consistently applied, are used to train pet dogs: the demands are so modest most pets get more-or-less trained by owners who've never attended a class or consulted a trainer. My quarrel with the UPenn preachers is that they pretend to be scientists who insistently rail against non-behaviorist training methods. That makes them stupid and me annoyed.

 

Donald McCaig

[Maralynn]

Thanks for the shout out for the Working Dog Center! Dr. Cindy Otto is an incredible person who was also very helpful with young Ella while we were in Philly. We played flyball and agility together and I learned a lot of general behavior and training techniques from her.

 

Had the Center been around while I was in school...sigh.

A couple months ago I had a chance to go to a working dog first aid seminar put on by Dr. Otto. It was a great seminar and a great experience. Along with her knowledge and expertise, she's a very talented teacher - of humans and dogs!