Gloria Atwater

I'd say switch him now. I usually swap mine over to adult food by 4 months. A quality all life stages food should be fine. At 47 pounds, he's a big boy, going to get bigger as he fills out, and you don't need to encourage growth, just make sure he's getting good nutrition for healthy growth. ~ Gloria P.S. He's gorgeous!

So sorry for the loss of your beloved Quinn. I lost a dog too young and too suddenly last spring and it hurts, sweet lord it hurts. But I'm glad you have Kit and that she now has you. Blessings to you both.

I agree with Sue. A couple of my dogs will annoy the cats - one 8 month old wants to prod and nuzzle the cats, while my 3 year old wants to stalk them - but while it's not harmful or dangerous, I prefer to keep the behavior as minimal as possible. Basically, if the behavior can be curbed or limited, I'd say do it. A border collie really doesn't need to develop an obsession and no dog needs to be rude to the cat. ~ Gloria

Along with the physical suggestions above, how is her mental stamina? Young dogs can seem to run out of energy when their brains are taxed. If you take her hiking or other activities and she seems normal, perhaps it's her brain that is wearing her out and she just needs to mature some.

I'm sorry the vet didn't sedate her and do x-rays straight off. I just had my young dog in for x-rays (leg injury - turned out to be nothing) and he was out in 15 seconds, pictures done and back in the car in 15 minutes. I hate treating an ill without finding the cause. I hope your girl will make a fast turnaround, though. ~ Gloria

My first recommendation would be until he's grown and reliable, keep him on a long line any time you're near a road. It's not worth risking tragedy. It's just going to take him time to gain the maturity and focus to call off something that's so fun and rewarding. Coming to you is just not as fun as chasing birds!

How old is your puppy? How often are you calling her? What do you do when she gets to you? The thing to remember is that puppies come for a reason, not because you say so. Seriously, you have to make it worth her while. If you want her to be excited about coming, then give her something to be excited about. Make it a party, be super happy, praise her like she's the best thing ever. (Even if she's not nuts about praise now, she can learn to associate it with good things later.) And don't be stingy with rewards. Give her a treat - they can be tiny ones - or give her a toy, or give her something to do once she gets there. Once she's there, ask her to sit or offer a trick like shaking hands or taking a toy and holding it. But don't overdo it. If you call her too often or ask her to stick around for no reason, she's liable to lose focus and become distracted and bored. Again, can you tell us how old she is? Maturity has a very great deal to do with how long they can stay focused and pay attention.

Derp.

Kind of sorry to see the OP never came back. I hope they are doing okay with their young dog.

Hi there ~ Just wanted to add to the remarks about border collie temperament. I also have strong reservations about a border collie in a very urban environment, especially for a first-time BC owner. The simple fact is, border collies are all a little weird (genius and madness being close cousins!) and you just can't predict what strange quirks might be hard-wired into their brains. Some border collies can't stand being around non-herding breeds and react to them negatively. Some decide they are scared of the sound of bus air brakes, or freak out over passing motorcycles, or try to attack and chase passing bicycles and skateboards. Some may become scared of people in hats or men in sunglasses or ladies on orange rain coats - and there may not be any logical reason why. They are bred to respond to the motion and movement of livestock, so being around cars and bikes, scooters or mopeds and other vehicles can totally overload their senses, too. There are a lot of posts on these boards where distraught owners came seeking help for just that sort of thing - young dogs who have become over-reactive to things commonly found in an urban environment. As for negative responses to other breeds, again, it depends on the dog but it's not at all uncommon for border collies to be "breed snobs." Many of them just don't like non-herding breeds. They may take special offense to dogs who are very forward and in-your-face-friendly, or may be snappish with little yappy dogs. This behavior can be mitigated with training so they learn to focus on you and not strange dogs, but it would be something to keep in mind. So, really, it boils down to taking a dog bred for a distinctly rural environment and shaping him for an urban city setting. It can be done, it has been done, but I'm not sure I would recommend it for a first-time down owner who is unfamiliar with the border collie breed, especially when you must get a puppy and not a rescue dog. All just food for thought, of course. ~ Gloria

Hi there ~ You've already got some very good replies, so forgive me if I echo points already made. My first thought is that yes, owning a border collie is almost a full-time job. It's not that they can't be left alone for periods of time - they can - it's that boredom is the breeding ground for a whole host of potential problems. It's not that they need to run or play all the time, it's that they need you. Have you had the chance to spend time with any border collies and see them first hand? I would also caution that the lack of a fenced yard combined with the proximity of other animals, particularly livestock, could be problematical. Border collies are hard-wired to respond to motion, so chasing cats or barking at and chasing horses or cows is something you'd have to guard against from the very beginning. So that outside space would not mean free room to roam, it would mean lots of guarding against him getting in trouble. Last, are you living with your parents? Or are you a parent in a family yourself? In any case, one of hardest thing about an intelligent dog like the border collie is that if he lives with a family, the entire family must be consistent in how he is managed, trained and handled. Inconsistent training or inconsistent house rules - or family members who just aren't diligent in looking out for the dog - can result in behavioral problems or bad habits. You can't have one person insisting he stays off the couch while someone else lets him jump on it and you can't risk anyone forgetting to close the door so that he runs outside. So, these are some things to think about. Border collies just aren't for everyone and they do require a full commitment. ~ Gloria

She's 3 months old. Her attention span is approximately 10 seconds. To be honest, all I do with puppies that age is let them be puppies. We may work on puppy sits, but that's just calling the pup to me, asking her to sit, giving a treat and letting her go. She is a baby. A toddler. Let her grow up. All you really need to do is show her how to live in her world. Encourage potty training, teach her rest quietly in a crate but give her lots of supervised play time, introduce her to a leash and collar - but do not demand obedience yet - encourage bite inhibition by giving her correct toys, and teach her time-outs by putting her in an x-pen with chew toys and treats. If you have never trained a puppy, I would also advise finding a puppy class locally if you can. But most of all, you are not in a hurry and you are not late for anything. Just teach her house manners and civil behavior. Her attention span will slowly increase as she gets older. Best of luck! ~ Gloria

Just wanted to echo the admonition to be strong and do what it takes. 7 years ago our Aussie pulled half her stitches out - and had to go back in for another round of sedation and sutures. Costly and very uncomfortable for her. Hang in there! Two weeks will pass before you know it.

What a beautiful boy. You can just see the size of his personality in that photo. I am so very sorry for your loss. May the memories help you through the tears. One day, some day, Lewie will guide you to the next dog that needs a room in your heart. <3

I think the best that anyone can say is that sometimes taping or gluing works, and sometimes it does not. I think it depends on what the base of the ears ultimately do - airplane ears are physically incapable of standing up, or if they did the dog would look like an Osprey attack aircraft - and the thickness of the ear leather, as well as what nature may have in mind. So, you could try - and to me those glued and taped ears look very uncomfortable to the dog - but there's no guarantee it would turn out as you planned. And who knows, by 6 months old, your pup may magically return to the ears s/he had that you liked.

We are never bored when we own a border collie!

Sounds like you've got some good advice and are ordering good books! So I'll just second the suggestion to make sure he is sleeping in his crate with the door closed, and that it's covered with something like a towel or light blanket. We're not saying to smother him, just make sure his crate is a little more den-like, as that may help him sleep longer. As to why he's doing it? He's doing it because it works! So long as he can wake you up and make you let him out, he'll keep doing it. Be careful about who is training who ... you're supposed to be the one with the big brain! If he's 2 years old and you've only had him 5 months, remember that he's still learning what's acceptable with you AND he's right at an age where they like to try new things and test their boundaries. He's like a teenager now and you must be the firm but fair parent. If you have room for his crate in your bedroom, you might consider letting him sleep near you. You may still have to growl at him to be quiet, but they do like to be near us. However, if that only encourages him to wake you up more, then leave him out in the living room. And like GentleLake said, freedom of the house must be earned. It could take many months for him to become a reliable and responsible citizen. Remember, before he came to you, he had a year and a half of doing who knows what, so he still has a lot to learn. Hang in there and just be consistent! We've all been there with our young dogs. ~ Gloria

Definitely remove the puppy from the situation immediately when she goes into those moods and put her on a time-out away from the children. Don't let the kids play with or talk to her or pay any attention to her while she is on her time outs. It's very much like when a toddler goes ballistic and throws a tantrum just before they tip over for a nap. Puppies of any active breed are prone to over-stimulation in exciting situations, and I'd guess that's what is happening here. She gets over excited and does not know how to control herself. She's going to have to do a lot of growing up before she can do that, so you'll have to help her out. And the best way to do that is just scoop her up and put her in a crate or x-pen to chill. Don't get her in trouble - she's not being bad, she's just being a puppy. Simply put her away, give her a couple toys or treats or nice chewies and let her have some quiet time. She may even take a nap. As Denice said, children are extremely exciting to puppies, particularly a breed that is motion-and-sound sensitive like border collies. So, you'll be helping your puppy by removing her from the situation when she starts to wind herself up. There's no way to say exactly when your puppy will grow out of this, but with proper management, I'd say eventually she will. But also, as has been suggested, work with the children on how to behave with the puppy. Teach them to play nice, be gentle and avoid getting the puppy wound up. If the puppy does start to get too rowdy, if you can, teach them NOT to scream or yell, but instead stand up and stand still, and refuse to look at the puppy until you can come scoop her up and time her out. Best of luck! ~ Gloria

BTW, here they are, Midge and Ben. Midge is from a friend, Ben is son of my Nick out of a local ranch bitch. These pics are just a couple weeks old, so they were @ 6 and a half months. In the old days when we were riding, we just let dogs go up the trail whenever they were old enough to keep up, but nowadays I worry more and overthink things!

Thanks, guys! It's the "run like crazy" thing I'd have to watch. My two will trigger off the adult dogs and the boy in particular will rocket off like a missile if he thinks something is going on. Hence the leash, at least until he has the hang of things and until I can be sure he'll come back. I'll have to plan some outings for them, then. No careening through the hills like Paul Revere, just some nice hikes - and off leash time around streams and be sure to take plenty of breaks. Thanks!

Okay, so in the past year and a half I've taken up hiking with a friend on local trails. It's usually once or twice a week and the mileage is about 5 to 7 miles per hike. We're not marathoners - we're both over 50 - so we strike a moderate pace. I take my grown dogs with me, but when I started doing this, they were - you know - grown! So, I feel a little dumb asking this ... but what's a safe age to start hiking with pups? My two youngsters will be 7 months old at the end of the month. I did take them out a couple weeks ago and we went for about 2 hours, kept the pups on leash, let them set the pace and stopped often for them to play in the stream. The trails are typical mountain trails, well-traveled dirt with some rocks and easy stream crossings and modest elevation gain. Whenever they do start hiking, they will be on leash until they learn the rules of the road. And also to assure there's no mad careening around in the rocks and mountainside to wreck themselves. But I'm concerned about growth plates and young joints and all that, so I don't want to start too soon. What say you all? ~ Gloria

Hi there ~ I'd like to offer a couple of things I haven't seen posed here. Well, first I'll echo the bit that BCs are not livestock guardians, they are bred to herd, which means to control the movement of livestock. This can translate to reactivity to many kinds of movement, whether it's people, other animals or vehicles. But the one thing I don't see mentioned here is FEAR. He's 9 months old? That's still very young. It's not at all uncommon for a sensitive border collie youngster to go through fear periods. The stimuli may not make a bit of sense to us and we may never figure out how or why it develops, but it just is. So, what if you approach this from the perspective that perhaps your youngster is experiencing fear or anxiety? You've said that he is fine meeting strangers and it's only after he's been settled into area that he gets reactive to people who approach. I wonder if perhaps it's that, once he gets familiar with a location, whether it's a campsite or beach spot or your front yard, he is upset by strangers intruding into what has been his "safe" or comfortable place? No, it may not make sense and like I said, you may never figure out what caused it. Maybe nothing did. I have a pup who's almost 7 months old and somewhere between 4 and 5 months, he suddenly decided he was terrified of strange dogs coming near him. He would scream if they got near him, snap if they tried to sniff him - it was awful! And nothing ever happened to cause it. But time and patience - and maturity, most of all - are slowly alleviating the problem. He may never be a social, friendly guy, but so long as he learns to just chill and not worry, I'll be happy. So if there's actually a pattern of your pup reacting to people entering his "territory," even if he's only been there 15 minutes, I'd really look at the possibility that he is anxious or frightened by them. Does it seem to matter how the people approach? You mention reactivity to bicycles - is he also reacting to people who appear suddenly or are moving fast? It's not at all uncommon for border collies to be freaked out by sudden movement like bicycles, skateboards or joggers and people who pop out of nowhere. Dealing with it as a fear/anxiety problem, rather than an aggression problem may be worth looking at. You can't punish away fear, you can only help a dog through it. And minimizing the situations that cause it are a good place to start. Keep him on leash, keep him on a long line, and wherever possible, distract him to return his attention to you - perhaps offer treats if you can catch him before he triggers. That may be the trick, seeing the situation setting up before he reacts and working to redirect and distract him from it. He may not need "training" so much as reassurance and a choice of better behaviors - such as turning to you for comfort - to help him grow out of this. Fear and aggression can be very close cousins, but fear is a particularly tricky one. Anyhow, just thought I'd offer food for thought.

I can't help with diagnosing why or how her brain works that way, but maybe a couple ideas to help managing? 1.) Would you consider crating her in the vehicle? That would keep her more secure, possibly mentally as well as physically. Besides sliding around on the car seat, I'd want to be sure she was secured in the vehicle in the event of an accident. If you ever get rear-ended and the airbag goes off, she may well just bail the instant a door or window opened. So, this may be worth looking into both to calm her mind and keep her physically secure. 2. Can you leash her to get her out the car and to the house? That way she couldn't clamber around the floor boards and you would control how she goes between there and the house. If she does okay on leash, that may be a way to help her calm. Just some food for thought!

Coat length and ear set contribute exactly as much to a border collie's temperament as eye color dictates human personalities. Which is, of course, to say NONE. Sometimes an area or group of people may have known a number of dogs with a certain coat or ear set who acted in a certain way, so they think all dogs who look like that must be the same. But that is balderdash. I've seen hyper rough coats and mellow smoothies and everything in between. Ears, coat, eye colors, big dogs, little dogs, white dogs, black dogs - none of it matters at all. The best determiner of high energy or drive in a prospective puppy might be to get acquainted with the parents and any other relatives, but even then there are no guarantees. So, choose the pup that suits you - whatever it looks like, it's the dog inside that counts.

Just a word of caution - make sure you are the one who says when play time starts and stops and how long it lasts. You do not need to play until she's exhausted. It's a bit of an old wives tale that border collies need endless physical activity. In fact, you could inadvertently train her to require constant activity, and that is not what you want to live with for her entire life! A border collie is as easily worn out by exercising their minds. Look into trick training or nose work or freestyle obedience, things that will engage her with you and make her work that clever little noodle. Name her toys, hide things and ask her to find them - anything that requires her to think and engage you. And make sure you also train her to accept time outs. Quiet time is good for both of you. Otherwise, you'll be living with a small, furry, hyperactive 2-year-old child for the next 14+/` years. BTW, you can share photos if you want!