Gloria Atwater

Everything D'Elle said. This may not be something you can entirely solve without professional guidance. Dangerous behaviors are not something to put off and by 14 months, he should be past any fear periods. My now-one-year-old male had some major fear/reactivity issues as a pup, both with dogs and strange people. There was no external cause for it, it was just how his brain was wired, but it took a lot of work to get him settled down. By now he has matured a good deal and is going amazingly well, so I just keep an eye out to monitor any occasions where he starts feeling over threshold or threatened. But again, it took work and time. If he was still reactive at 1 year old, I'd be thinking about seeking help. Some dogs are just wired a little differently from birth. My advice would be to be exceedingly careful how you press forward with his socialization and new experiences, and pay very close attention to any signals he gives you, telling that he is growing uncomfortable. You can't force or push a reactive dog any further than he is prepared to go. He needs to know that you'll protect and shield him from scary things, not accidentally push him beyond his comfort zones. So .... yes, getting help may be a good idea. Best of luck! ~ Gloria

This creeps me right out. I don't feed Gravy Train but thousands of ordinary pet owners do. Evangers may or may not have just had some bad luck with suppliers, but this sounds like blatant disregard of regulations. I hope the FDA can or will do a proper investigation.

Brilliant detective work in sorting out why he reacted to "that man." There may be something about "that dog" that your dog regards as a good reason for reactivity: it could be anything from the dog's behavior to its breed or mannerisms. Border collies really can be breed snobs and may take a dislike to dogs that are very forward, boisterous, pushy or obnoxiously friendly. And they may take offense to dogs that come off very bossy or alpha-ish. It sounds like you are already on a good road to solving your problems so I'll just say Good Luck!

You've already got good advice, so I'll only add this. Do it less. However many "a few times" is, he apparently thinks it's too much. So, doing less is sometimes more. At 11 months he's going through a lot of teenaged changes. He may be starting to look and act like a big dog, but even fun, happy training can seem overwhelming if there's too much of it. Picture asking a 3rd grader to perform a task several times over. At some point, his attention will start to drift and he'll get fidgety and cross. It may be better to take time during the day to do numerous very brief things - only a couple repetitions at a time - and let him go immediately after, than to set up longer training sessions. Just a thought! ~ Gloria

I second the idea of thinking about a rescue, so you'd have a better idea of their temperament and how Max and the new dog will get along. Being as Max is used to being lead dog, I'd be thinking less about breeds and more about what individual dog would be a good match. Border collies can be touchy about bouncy, happy, in-your-face dogs who just want to play too much, as they can see it as an invasion of space. But if you got a somewhat older rescue, you could arrange meet ups and get a sense for how things might go. Best of luck!

It can vary tremendously when border collies have their first heat. My girl Nell was 22 months old and had not come into heat, when I finally got her spayed. I think previous bitches years ago came into heat about 10 or 11 months. My current youngest bitch is 1 year old and she has not yet come into heat. (Though I check her girlie parts almost daily, now, as I also have a 1 year old intact male!) So, it's really hard to predict! My preference is as Sue says, to let them get as much skeletal growth as possible. But you have to do what's best for you. It is possible to monitor a young bitch in heat, but it's 3 weeks of keeping her pretty much glued to your hip and on leash ...

My first question is, have you ascertained the cause of her behavior? What are the other dogs doing when she reacts? Is there a common behavior in these other dogs that she reacts to? Many border collies are very sensitive to other dogs who get too close and invade their space. They often don't like dogs who are overly friendly, pushy, bouncy or otherwise "in your face." These less-than-social type of dogs generally prefer to be left alone and if they do snap, it's after a curled lip or quiet growl failed to deliver their message. If the other dog fails to recognize or respect that the border collie doesn't want them so close, the bite or snap may follow. So even if another dog is trying to be "friendly," dogs like this don't want their kind of friendly. It would be like a stranger running up and leaping into your arms. Also, some are "breed snobs," which means they don't care for certain breeds or types of dogs who tend to be overly friendly or overly obnoxious. Pushy labs, boxers or bully breeds, yappy little dogs, overly-friendly puppies, all can be things that annoy a border collie terribly. A 12 week old German Shepherd puppy can be pretty darned boisterous, so I'd say pay attention to the interactions. If the puppy is trying too hard to be friendly and your dog is trying to evade him or warn him away with a curled lip, then take the puppy away. I don't know if this is what happens with your dog, but it's something to think about. It's okay for a dog to dislike pushy, rude or overly-friendly dogs. But of course you don't want biting or fighting incidents. Therefore if your dog doesn't care for certain types of other dogs, your job is to prevent the situations from happening and shield her from those interactions. Does this sound helpful? ~ Gloria

This. Just buckle up, take a deep breath several times a day and know this too, shall pass. I have one who's just turning a year old and he's such a doofus. He's learning how to pee on stuff, he's discovered dogs have butts, he has the attention span of a gnat ... And yeah, there are the hormones. I think they start to settle again around 2 years old, but like Terracar says, it may come and go. Hang in there! You'll both survive this. ~ Gloria

Here are 3 pictures from my stash. If she would like to use any of them, PM me for contact info.

I read this a while ago. Right now it seems like it is used in three or four fairly "off" brands, not the popular brands like Skippy or Jiff or the like. But yes, read the ingredients and beware of anything that says it's "naturally sweetened," because that generally means it's not plain ol' sugar!

A friend of mine is working on a similar thing with her Aussie pup. What she's doing is not rewarding the behavior by not letting the pup out until it settles. As she describes it, it goes something like this: She approaches the crate, the puppy starts pinging off the sides of the crate. My friend sits down on the floor and asks the pup to sit. When it's quiet, she flips one latch (there are two) on the crate door. The puppy starts pinging again. My friend sits back quietly and again asks it to sit. When it's quiet, she flips the other latch. If the puppy pings and jumps again, she holds the door shut and once again asks for the sit. Then she reaches in without opening the door completely and if necessary, asks for another sit and loops a slip-lead over the pup's head. She may have to physically prevent the pup bolting out the partly-open door, but the idea is the puppy cannot come out until it's well-behaved. It's something she's worked on in stages, but as she describes it, the puppy has learned that if it's acting silly in the crate, the door doesn't open and it can't come out. It only comes out when it's quiet. Food treats of course are fine if it helps. Hope this gives you some ideas!

Unless you find any other things "off," this may be normal for him. My older male, Nick, has always been one to go off by himself in the evenings. His favorite place is the bedroom, where he can nap in his open crate or on one of the beds back there. I think he just likes the privacy! Then when we all go to sleep, he's right there in the bedroom with us. Interestingly, his son Ben who is almost 1 year old has started doing the same thing ... ~ Gloria P.S. If you don't like him going to the basement alone, maybe you could just put a baby gate up to block it off?

Aw, what a sweet little face! Happy birthday, Kit!

If she's pestering you, I'd say she needs more time-outs. If you can put her somewhere and just let her entertain herself with some chew toys or something, that would be a help. 18 months is an age they can seem to push boundaries, so you'll need to make sure those boundaries are firmly established. When you say you're done, you're done. If she won't take no for an answer, put her up and leave her with something to entertain herself. Teach her a place to lay down with her toys, if you think that would help. But no border collie needs constant playing or entertaining or interaction. After all, border collies on the farm have to learn and "off" switch because they can't go full-throttle all the time or they'd burn out. Help her learn her "off" switch. Good luck! ~ Gloria

Four months old? Oh goodness, this is a baby! We wouldn't expect a toddler to sit silently in our lap for more than 60 seconds. She's a puppy, a baby, and she's going to be a puppy for months to come. Wait until she hits 6 months and really starts exploring her boundaries. Wait until she hits a year old and starts thinking she's a big dog! Tell your wife that you guys will be working with this dog for a very long time. Border collies are full-time dogs. Maybe by the time they are 4 or 5 they can be settled and laid back, but for the most part, they are clever, inquisitive, busy-minded dogs who will always keep you on your mental toes. Who needs sudoku or crossword puzzles when you have a border collie? I would not expect laying quietly for prolonged periods until about 10 months old. And sometimes they don't act like "adults" until they are about 3 years old. The cuddling may never happen. Border collies are not known to be cuddlers. Some are fabulously cuddly. Others just can't be bothered. They prefer to show affection in other ways. As for mouthing, she is teething now and will continue teething for at least a couple more months. My advice is to stock up on Nylabone-type chewies and rubber Kongs and and have a ready stash, so every time she goes for something inappropriate, you can stuff a proper chewie in her mouth. She's going to chew, she has to chew, so give her stuff that's okay to chew on. But don't expect a cuddler. Seriously. I have 4 border collies and an Aussie, and none are real cuddlers. Sometimes my 11 month old female will hop up on the loveseat beside me and curl up for a nap. Sometimes my 11 month old male will come sit beside me and lean against my knee for a couple minutes. Sometimes my 3 year old female or my 9 year old male will lay down for a nap at my feet. That's about it for snuggling and cuddling, though. They'd rather DO something with me than snuggle up like a house cat. Your girl is going to be a puppy for a long while yet. Buckle down for the long haul. Remember, border collies are not bred to be lap dogs or pets. They are bred to work. Making a pet of a dog who comes form a working heritage means you're going to be full-time dog owners pretty much for her entire life. She may never be a mellow, cuddly, snuggle-buddy. But she can be one of the brightest lights in your life, if you let her. Oh, and teaching her time-outs with her chew toys may be a sanity-saver. Nothing makes me happier than a puppy that's willing to entertain itself. Best of luck! ~ Gloria

As Gentlelake said, it's hard to say without seeing the behavior with our own eyes. But I also think you did the right thing. Even though they are playing, she may feel a bit nervous with the exuberance of their play, so giving her a time out is a good way to let her calm back down. I'd see it as kind of hitting the Reset button in her clever little brain and letting her know you're looking after her. ~ Gloria

I think Sue gave a good response, it may depend on the surfaces. And I would also add, it may depend on the dogs. Border collies come from a climate that can tend to be cold and wet, but rarely does the UK reach temps near 0 Fahrenheit. So if your temps do tend to stay well below the freezing mark in winter, I wouldn't be surprised if your youngster felt some effects from the cold. My guys love to be outside, but once it gets below 20 F, unless we are outside working or actively hiking, they don't want to stay out too long. Granted, my current tribe are all smooth coats ...

I really like D'Elle's plan!

Welcome to you and Basil! What a cutie! As for clothing, I go under the heading of "it depends." At sub-zero Fahrenheit temps, I do begin worrying about the risk of frostbite if the dog does not have very furry feet. Dog sled drivers boot their dogs for racing, so it's not entirely silly to think about it, especially if one must brave a weeks-long stint of sub-zero temps for their dog's daily care. For my own part, if it's just a cold snap of a week or so, I don't take my dogs out much when it's that cold. But if that's your winter normal, then for -4 F I would certainly not shrug at the idea of a coat for my dog. I DO have coats, as a matter of fact. I have a couple light coats for if we must work out in the rain, such as setting sheep at a trial, because I live in Nevada and my smooth-coat dogs aren't acclimated or naturally coated for all-day wet. And I have a nice "winter" coat for my smooth-coat, Nell, who has virtually no undercoat and will sometimes start shivering if we're out hiking or snowshoeing in deep snow. Put a coat on her and she's good to go all day. This is the coat I have for her. I think she wears a medium but measuring is required: https://www.chewy.com/ultra-paws-fleece-lined-reflective/dp/119318 Musher's Secret is a paw grease that is designed specifically for harsh winter conditions. Here is their website and you can buy it from various places online. http://musherssecret.net/ Ultimately it's your call. At her young age, it might be good to just look at dog coats on Amazon and read customer reviews. She's still growing so you won't want to get something really spendy that she'll outgrow in two months. Then when she's full grown you can find her something nicer. Hope this helps! ~ Gloria

Honestly, if you can fit a crate in the car for her, I'd recommend it. Not because she's bad in the car, but for her own safety. Soooo many dogs are lost every year when people get in car accidents. If you get rear-ended or T-boned and your pup gets scared, she could fight or chew her way out of a harness before you know it. A harness will not secure a dog if you get hit, if windows break, if first responders have to open the door to help you. The safest place in an automobile for a dog is in a good, sturdy plastic crate. Not wire, either - those can crush and the welds break and become knives. Something to think about, anyhow. But again, no harness is chew proof. Darn it! ~ Gloria

I don't know of any harnesses that are chew proof! Is she chewing them while in the car? Can you possibly put a crate for her in the car instead?

Oh, my gosh, I am so sorry! I lost a promising young pup to an auto accident 10 years ago. What a punch in the gut. I'm so sorry.

Perfect. :)

Agree with CptJack and Journey. It sounds like he's finally reached an age where he has an opinion about how other dogs treat him. Border collies in particular can be sticklers about good dog manners and often do not care for "rude" dogs who don't respect another dog's space. Some even pick certain breeds they tolerate less than others, such as labs or bully breeds, simply because those dogs can be so "in your face." I'd say he's entirely normal! Just keep doing what you're doing and make sure he knows you've got his back and will protect and back him up in any uncomfortable situations. ~ Gloria

All of this. So many dogs are determined to be "abused" when all they really are is sensitive. Add to that the anxiety of being uprooted and passed around and they may be even more fearful-seeming. I got my Nellie at 12 weeks until which I know she was deeply loved, and yet if I so much as yell at the cat she acts like I beat her. I had another dog that would immediately act guilty and frantically apologize if I scolded one of the other dogs or said the word "Bad." So it may simply be that he is a sensitive guy who is uneasy because he doesn't have the settled comfort of a home or long-time routine. I think Donald's advice to just sit on the floor for half an hour and let dog do the interacting is perfect. Very sorry about your sweet old Lewie. I think he would love to know his place could be given to another dog in need.