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Suddenly Dora....


Smalahundur
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Sounds like a very good plan.

 

Since you have connections in the vet world ;) I would suggest that you check Dora for thyroid. I don't know about other dogs, but in border collies behavioral changes can occur due to hormone malfunction without other typical thyroid symptoms. I had a border collie with thyroid issues and you'd (or a vet) never tell by looking at her, but her behavioral problems were extensive. It's a long shot but I think it's worth it. The other thing that is worth checking is hearing and eyes (Bonnie definitely started getting into fights when she started losing her hearing, but at that time I was blaming the newcomer - Darinka). I think it is probably just two females not getting along, but if it were me, I would check the medical end too.

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Don't look at me like that Sue, she'll get a fair chance ;). Besides she had been pushing up the daisies if I hadn't taken her in.

As for your suggestions Maja, I don't think health issues are a likely cause. If those two dogs had gotten along fine and that suddenly or gradually changed then yes, but it this case I think the reason for the trouble is quite clear.

Btw Gláma has eye trouble, pannus for which we treat her. As far as I can tell it hasn't affected her sight (yet).

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As for your suggestions Maja, I don't think health issues are a likely cause. If those two dogs had gotten along fine and that suddenly or gradually changed then yes, but it this case I think the reason for the trouble is quite clear.

 

 

Yes, except you took her because she was to be put down for aggression. So I am assuming that if it is a medical problem it is preexisting and has not developed while she was at your place. I'll just add that the thyroid problem that the dog from my kennel had was borderline, that's why there were no other, physical symptoms.

 

But of course, I realize the probability is not high. For me - I like to have all my bases covered.

 

All the best in the training. I hope she will work like her life depend on it ;)

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You see what you mean Maja. But I do not consider Dora to have an aggression problem. I would not have taken her in if I thought she had. The incidents involved children, and I have a son 9 and a daughter almost 11 myself.

As for the problems between the two bitches, Gláma is at least as much "to blame" as Dora, if not most. She has ever liked other bitches, and now has to accept one younger but bigger and probably stronger on her home turf. That is a lot to swallow. It was a big part of my hesitation, these problems don't come unexpected....

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Ok, I see now.

 

When I had problems with my bitches (a 4-bitch fight is not pretty) I was told to take the ones that are the biggest problem for car rides. Bumpy rides preferably and then to run around together in a new place. I am not sure it helped, but something did help, and the bumpy rides very possibly helped some. It was Darinka and Daisy starting the fights but Bonnie was the one that was the fiercest. So I took Daisy and Darine a couple times for a ride and then I took Darinka an Bonnie on a 3 -day trip (a clinic basically) - lots of bumps on the way (Polish roads ;) ) . They're not a bunch of peace loving hippies but things have improved a lot. But for a while I did not know what to do, it was quite bad.

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No worries Sue I didn't take your emoticon as blaming. My reply to it was meant a bit tongue in cheek. Also al, hope is not lost; as I wrote post#24, I was just coming in the house, fuming, after having been forced to separate those two rather violently. Not in a very positive frame of mind you see...

 

Interesting idea Maja, and icelandic country roads would be perfect, full of potholes.

Also you had 4_bitch fights at your place?! Thanks, all of a sudden my problem has shrunk by several degrees.

You are now my official my bitchrelationship expert...

 

 

GentleLake, I imagine the point is having the culprits in a small confined space, while the rocking and bumping forces them to concentrate on something else (like not falling over) than murderous stares and/or schemes.

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:lol: :lol: :lol: I have not the slightest idea :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

But desperate times need crazy measures.

 

But there is supposedly something about going together through "rough times" I think, and I think a country road ride is something easily available, and at the same time mild enough that it helps rather than hurts (note that there is fun time at the end of it) like a trip to the vet might. I think that for Bonnie and Darine going to the clinic and being together in a completely strange place with other dogs and people was the thing that had the same effect. And Daisy and Darine definitely behaved different afterwards.

 

And did it sound crazy to me? Yes, it did, though it made some crazy sense too. And believe me, having the four bitches fight would have made me try stranger things.

 

(And hey, don't you remember hay rides? they always stared with a bumpy ride in the cart :lol: - but no one remembers that part )

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Smalahundur,

 

Yes, I have a Bernese mountain sheep dog and three border collies (the earlier foursome- berner 2 BC + mutt did not fight). And when a fight would start it was always all four of them at once.

 

I did take Daisy and Darine for the bumpy ride with my DH becasue I was afraid they would start a fight in the car. But far from it. Then I drove alone to the clinic while Darine and Bonnie sat together for 200 miles each way in the back seat.

 

Here is the pack:12032207_10205835899634534_7073123871942

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Wish us (mostly Dora) luck.

 

Yesterday we sorted out a large part of our sheep (send 65 lambs to the slaughter today, great weight/class btw), and I picked six "old hands", ewes that have been used for dog training when they were younger and are now old and wise (in a good way ;) ) .

 

I put them on the training field of the farm we used to live (4km down the road), as I have not had the time to arrange something suitable at our own farm. Advantage is that the sheep are "at home" there, also no other sheep near, less distraction/pull.

 

So if weather permits Dora will have her first "serious" session tomorrow morning.

I will report back.

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Really Maja? :lol:

 

Well, we went and had a short session.

My expectations weren´t that high, this being quite a long time since I showed her some sheep last time.

She showed about the same things as that last time; I can make her circle the sheep, and change direction. That´s about it.

 

She does not show much "feel" for the sheep. At he start she happily ran through the group instead of going round, , splitting them up, and will show no interest in trying to get them back together.

Does not stop on the top, won´t keep the sheep to me.

One of the sheep turned out to be a bit of a fighter, see how that develops, maybe I´ll take her out of the training group.

Positive point, Dora keeps a rather calm attitude towards the sheep, makes a self confident impression.

 

At this stage my feelings about this are rather neutral, it went as expected, and she will have to improve a lot from this level. I knew that, and we will keep going at it the coming weeks.

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Rinse and repeat, went again this morning.

Short session, about ten minutes. Maybe even too long, she started sniffing around at the end. Also the fighter gave us trouble, Dora took it well, courageous, and when threatened showed snapping teeth in front of the nose of the offender, without gripping, not bad.

But that particular sheep has to go, she is the ring leader that prevents the group from turning off the dog, not practical at all.

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