Gloria Atwater

I'm not familiar with that Netflix program. Bottom line, any time you seen an alarmist program about anything, the reality of the topic is probably somewhat different. Feed your dog the best food you can. Do research, check dog food reviews, watch how your dog responds to the food you give. But I'm unaware of any scientific studies conclusively linking cancer in dogs to quality, reputable dog food. What were you feeding Jake previously? I believe Diamond Naturals is considered pretty good. ~ Gloria

Totally understand! Not every border collie can be a working dog anyhow. Even the best-bred dogs can throw a puppy that just doesn't have the desire or focus or courage to be a working dog. I think you already have the most important part down - giving your dog a well-loved quality life. I guess all I was saying is that you kind of have to make it up as you go along and let your puppy set the pace. I have two pups from different litters born 2 days apart, now coming 14 weeks old. Even being so close in age, they do different things at different speeds, so I try to adapt to each individually. They honestly can be hours apart in age but very different in developmental stages. Some dogs are running sheepdog trials at 18 months. Others are still trying to figure out left and right at 18 months. It's just not easy to say.

I think I'm guilty of the 2 year old thing. It was something I tossed out there for illustrative purposes in another post. ~ Gloria

Hi again! I understand wanting to have a better sense of where you're going and how, but honestly, as Heartful said, every dog is different. You can't road map the life of a dog. For example, my now-9-year-old male, Nick, started training at about 10 months and was winning arena and ranch trials at 2 years old. My present youngster, who is 2 and a half, started training at 10 months and then decided to BITE sheep and got laid off for 30 days. She is still learning to drive and I have no timeline for when she will begin trialing. She'll be read when she's ready and not a moment before. I would recommend this: simply deal with the dog in front of you. If she is easily distracted, take time to let her mature. If she latches onto a thing and catches on quickly, then you'll know she's ready to do more. If one thing doesn't click with her, put it aside for now and work on something else. Let your dog tell you what she's ready for. Become a good observer. Try things with her and pay attention to whether she's able to assimilate the lesson and do well, or if she seems scatter-brained and unfocused. As much as we'd all wish for it, there is no checklist for border collies, there is no GPS to show you every crossroads along the way. In your other post it sounds like you had a very good day with her simply by changing some things up. That right there is huge. Observe, think and be willing to change and adapt. If one thing isn't working, try something else. But just work with the dog in front of you. She's going to change and change some more in weeks and months ahead. One day she may seem totally focused and with it and the next day she'll act like she's forgotten everything she knows. Another day she may seem totally confident and another she may decide something is scary. Just take a deep breath and let it go. Along with being able to adapt comes being able to just throw up your hands and say, "Okay, not today." Even the baby books don't always get it right, because human kids, just like puppies, progress at their own individual speed. Let your puppy come along at hers. No two border collies are alike, as my older boy and younger girl demonstrate. Sorry if we're not really helping, but we can only tell you what we've found to be true with our own dogs. ~ Gloria

Okay, please stop calling her stubborn. You've raised puppies before, good. But have you raised border collies before? They are not like other dogs. And she is NOT intentionally ignoring you. She can't help it! She is 14 weeks old! That's the equivalent of a 2 year old child. Of course she's not going to listen to you and be obedient when you play fetch. She can't. The whole world is more interesting to her than us boring ol' humans. Right now, my two13 week olds know how to come, sit, lay down, be quiet in the crate, kennel or truck, and I'm just teaching the boy to "give me the paw." We're not in any hurry to do much more than that, as the rest will come in time. Please listen to us. We are not trying to talk down to you, we are just concerned that you are not familiar with border collies and it definitely sounds like you are asking too much, too soon. With intelligence comes an extremely busy brain. Border collies are bred to respond to their environment and with that sometimes comes a susceptibility to distraction. Time and maturity are the best cures for all of that. My advice to you is, again, please slow down. If she's not doing what you want while playing fetch, then stop. Let her grow up. Let her mind mature. Give her time. Be patient. If something is not working, don't do that thing for a while. Come back to it later. This is exactly what we do when training border collies on livestock. If they're not ready for something, we don't do that thing. If they're not ready for lessons, we put them aside and let them grow up a little more. Take time. Slow down. Be patient. If something isn't working now, don't do it now. Put it off until she's older and has greater focus. You're not late for anything. She can learn to fetch properly later. And seriously, do not use a pinch or prong collar on a 12 week old puppy. She's not a hunting dog or a hound dog or a boxer or whatever. Please. It's not fair to her. It's not fair for her breed. If she's not ready, wait. Let her grow up. Let her mind mature. You are not late for anything. There is no timetable unless you create one. Sincerely, Gloria

Hi there! She sounds striking - you are welcome to post cute puppy pictures here, of course. At 12 weeks, her coat isn't anywhere close to her adult coat, so I'd say just leave it alone. If she gets dirty, just brush her off unless it's something stinky. I have two 13 week olds and one has a somewhat-shiny smooth coat and the other has a rather fuzzy, soft smooth coat. The adult coat won't come in for several more months. So, my advise is just leave her alone! Border collies don't need a lot of grooming unless they are shedding or get into something nasty. My guys only get bathed for their spring shed and again late in the fall, and they'll get brushed out if they get muddy and need some tidying up. My two pups each got a bath when I brought them home at 8 weeks, but only because they were each a little stinky. I have not tried to bathe them since and I only brush them occasionally with a soft rubber brush so that they know what brushing is. Unless they actually smell, I don't see a need for much bathing. My two cents' anyhow! As for shampoo, I just use whatever sounds nice and follow with a bit of conditioner for shine. I bathe so seldom that I don't make a big deal about it. Hope this helps! ~ Gloria

P.S. I apologize if I came on too strong. When I read that someone actually recommended a prong collar for your baby girl, I kind of went postal in my imagination ...

Okay, first of all, 14 weeks? I have two 13 week old pups and I count myself lucky if they don't trip over the leash in their excitement to go somewhere. Do not - do NOT - put a prong, pinch, choke or any other punitive collar on a 14 week old puppy. Ever. Forever. If anyone suggests that again, about face and walk away. That's just stupid. A 14 week old puppy's attention span is about 60 seconds before something shiny gets their attention. Whoever suggested that to you doesn't know a damn thing about border collies. We're not talking some lead-brained, stone-headed Labrador, we're talking about one of the most intelligent and sensitive dogs on the planet. Sorry, this is a very sore point with me. A 14 week old is a TODDLER. They are not supposed to be obedience trained. They're supposed to be learning the basics of behavior and how to be a civilized creature and how to sleep 8 hours, and that's about it. Let her be a puppy! If you're concerned she'll choke herself, use an adjustable harness and let her wear that for now. When I'm ready to teach my pups to walk on a loose leash, I just start walking with a stick and gently swing it like a pendulum in front of me. After they bump their noses on the stick enough times, they start to realize that the word I'm using - whether it's "heel" or "behind" or whatever - actually means something. Also, she's unwilling to come when called at a busy park? Of course she is! She's a puppy. Every last thing she sees is more interesting than you. Slowwww down. In my humble opinion, you're asking way too much, way too soon. Since their second set of shots, my guys have been over to one of my sheep dog friends a few times and to two local sheepdog trials, and that's about it. They are just now learning about the bigger world. If you want to teach your girl to fetch, do it somewhere without a billion shiny distractions. That's just not fair to ask of a pup that young. My guys would be lucky to remember their own names in a situation like that. And remember to keep the fetch games super low impact - roll the ball, don't throw it. My advice? Slow down. Back up. Take smaller steps. Work in quieter places. And bribe the livin' heck out of her with treats. Also, when you do call her, don't catch her. Instead, invite her to go somewhere ELSE with you. My guys don't have a solid recall, but most times when I call them, I'm not trying to touch or catch them, I'm just walking somewhere else and inviting them to come. And did I mention bribing with treats? Lots and lots of treats. Your little girl a baby. She's a toddler. She has a whole world ahead of her and that is a LOT for a little dog to take in. Let her be a puppy, for goodness sakes. You've got months and months ahead of you. She'll do just fine. Remember, she's liable to go through a lot of changing stages in weeks to come, from fear periods to stubborn streaks. Don't fight her. Just let some things go and be patient. It will all come in due time. You're not late for anything. ~ Gloria

Good to hear back from you! Thanks for being so receptive to our advice. One never knows how things may be received, especially since the written word lacks tone of voice, smiles, etc. Since your pup is only a week younger than my two, I'll just advise again to go very slow with the off-leash thing. My guys do get off leash time in our little fenced pasture areas and I let them off leash briefly at a sheepdog trial this past weekend - but they were also following my 9 year old dog pretty closely. Plus I called them back every couple of minutes to give treats. The tricky thing with a youngster alone with no adult dog to emulate is that EVERYthing is liable to capture their attention, so you could lose her to a scampering rabbit or squirrel in a heartbeat. Their attention spans just aren't that good and they can sure run fast! I'd say start letting her drag a long line, such as a piece of clothesline, as she gets older and more trustworthy. But again, I'd recommend keeping those loose sessions short, as it only takes an instant for them to catch a scent or see a critter and take off. I actually feel like a slacker as my guys only know sit and come, we're just starting on lie downs ... ~ Gloria

Welcome to puppyhood! The first thing to know is that if sufficiently distracted, she *will* run off, so for now just concentrate on her learning to walk on leash. Do you live in an urban setting? If so, I believe the risks for an off-leash dog are far more than I'd be willing to risk a puppy with. A gal I know lost a young dog when she was at a park and it chased a squirrel though a hedge into the street. There are just too many things to excite or frighten a young dog when they are new to the world - not the least being other strange dogs. (And don't make the mistake of thinking she must meet all kinds of other dogs. She doesn't.) So start small. Take some puppy classes if you don't feel confident training her alone. But meanwhile, work on calling her to you every so often for no reason, give her a small treat and a big, happy greeting - and then let her go play some more. That way she learns that coming to you is awesome and that you're not going to just make her stop having fun. I have TWO 3 month old pups right now, and the best way for me to get them to come when called outside is to treat them every time they show up at my feet. Needless to say, they are getting very tiny treats. Then just let your girl grow up in mind and behavior before you try to do too much, too soon. Last but not least ... please advise what you mean by "constantly stimulating?" Contrary to myth, border collies - and Aussies - do not require constant things to do! With my two puppies, besides the usual sit, lie down and "leave it," the biggest lesson they get is how to calm down! I want them to learn to chill out, chew a toy and just be a dog, not require my constant attention and interaction. There will be times you need to leave her alone or don't have time to do things with her. Don't risk creating a dog that constantly wants you to do things with her and that has no "off" switch. Best of luck! ~ Gloria

I will echo what the others have said. It doesn't matter what she thinks she's doing, what matters is what the other dogs - and their owners - may perceive. You would not want to see your dog charged by a "friendly" growling mastiff, so don't be "that person" to little dogs and their owners. I would say put her on leash and let her drag it as a long line. Don't ask her to approach slowly, instead ask her not to approach at all. Let the other dog initiate contact if it wants to, while you teach her to just walk calmly with you. I understand wanting to let her have fun, but it's totally not fair to the other dogs. Plus, what if that dog she's charging at playfully is fearful? What if it's reactive? What if it's been hurt or frightened by other dogs who charged with bad intent? How would you feel if that other dog suddenly screamed and yanked the leash out of it's owner's hand to bite in fear or run away into the woods in terror? Or what if that other dog is dog aggressive and it decides to greet your dog's playful charge with a genuine attack of its own? Remember, the border collie stare is easily misunderstood by non-border collies. A direct stare among dogs is often read as a threat and/or a challenge, so for her to greet a strange dog with a stare and a charge could easily be seen as an attack. The other dog or its owner may well respond accordingly. This is not good behavior, no matter what she intends by it. Work with her and teach her to not greet other dogs unless they want to be greeted. Put her on leash, let her drag a long leash, work on walking at heel when meeting others - whatever it takes. Best of luck! ~ Gloria P.S. Edit to add, my old border collie, Jesse, was terrific with almost all other dogs - except little dogs. He thought they were strange little yappy rodents and I've no doubt he would have bitten one to hurt it, given a chance ...

Excellent news! Well done by you. Congrats and may you have many fun and happy adventures together! ~ Gloria

All this. I just realized my pups are now into their 11th week, and they're very different in how they approach new things. (They are unrelated, one by my dog and one from a friend.) I took them to a friend's place yesterday and the little girl was ALL about seeing everything and everyone, even curious about a mama ewe with a new lamb - and she was stomping at her through the fence. My boy, however, was much more cautious and hesitant, preferring to hang back and stick with me. So my point is, don't ask your pup to do too much, too soon, and don't try to expose him to too much. You don't want to overwhelm him or risk frightening him with a bad experience. At 14 weeks they are still prone to "fear periods," so just use caution and really pay attention to your pup's response to things. If he's super outgoing and confident, enjoy. But if you see him worrying or acting scared, be sure to follow your gut and make sure he knows you'll keep him safe.

Hi there, welcome aboard! He is a real cutie pie! As for your questions, frst of all, I'd say sloooooow down. The one thing about border collies is that while they do need things to do, you don't want to accidentally teach them to constantly need things to do. I have two 10 week olds and the main thing I'm trying to encourage right now is how to calm down and relax! (Chewy toys are our friends.) Walks - Let him tell you how long he wants to walk - or if he wants to walk far at all. He's still very young and growing, so if he gets tired and starts to lag, or if you see that he's getting nervous about something or someone along your walk, turn around and head home. Same with your training, be mindful of how much he's really up for. I'd say just do it in lots of short bites, as his attention span won't be super long yet. Don't drill or school on him too much. Just pick a thing, do it for a moment and then let him go play. Sometimes the very best thing you can do is just sit on the floor or out in the yard and let him be a puppy with you. Keep lessons short, light and random. I would be super hesitant to leave him outside alone, even in a fenced yard. I've heard too many horror stories of dogs being stolen by thieves who just climb a fence, or loose dogs digging or breaking into a yard to wreak mayhem. Plus you don't want him to start barking back there while he's alone, if something outside the fence worries or excites him. He's very young and I would personally rather leave him in an x-pen in the house while I was at work. Lastly, I'd also say be cautious with the "socializing." Be careful that you don't accidentally overwhelm him with too many new things or too many new places or people. Border collies can be pretty sensitive and you don't know what might spook or overwhelm him. As I see it, "socializing" isn't necessarily taking a pup everywhere to experience lots of things, it's just helping the pup become comfortable in the world in which he's going to live. In my view, dogs really don't need to meet lots of other dogs and people. They just need to learn to navigate their world confidently and quietly. In England, it seems to me that people really don't pay much attention to other people's dogs and the dogs aren't encouraged to do a lot with each other. They just go about their ways being polite, civilized citizens. Best of luck and remember, just relax and take time to enjoy your pup. Everything else will come with time. ~ Gloria

It's really hard to tell when they're still wearing puppy wool, but watch the fur behind his ears. If it's long and fuzzy and has a fluffy tuft look, it may be that he'll have a longer coat. I have two 10 week old smoothies and they don't have any ear fluff to speak of. He's incredibly cute! Congratulations!

Agree with all the above. Especially offering her tastier foods if she's not eating. Don't force her to eat something that may not appeal to her. After all she's been through, I'd say go ahead and spoil her a little, offer cooked chicken or canned food or a different kibble, (such as something with salmon which might temp her with the scent) or whatever. I'd guess there's a chance she's stressed because of the newness of it all, so upping the yumminess of her meals could only help. My thought, anyhow. ~ Gloria

For what it's worth, I think too strict of adherence to items #3 and 4 could be rather limiting. While lots of folks whelp in the home, not everyone has children or access to children and the only animals they own may be dogs, sheep and perhaps a guardian dog or some chickens. I wouldn't discount a breeder simply because they lack kids or a menagerie. Also, not everyone owns both the sire and dam. In the working world, I'd say this can even be a rarity because people will often bring their bitch to someone else's dog. Anyhow, just food for thought. ~ Gloria

Man, that is the sort of work experience I'd give my left arm to give my dogs! You are so very lucky! We just don't have opportunities like that much in the US, at least not in my area. Your photos and story are great and your dog looks like a real worker! ~ Gloria

This just cracks me up!! :lol: Thanks, Donald!

D'Elle has good advice, but in the meantime I'd say build him a safely fenced area. You can watch your local Craiglist site for good deals on fencing or kennel panels. Really, there is absolutely no substitute for a good fence. Of course you can still take him outside and work with him, but I believe dogs also need a safely fenced area where they can be outside and just hang out. If he reacts to the road, see if you can build him a yard behind the house or somewhere out of view of the road. But you can't watch him every second forever, and it only takes an instant for tragedy to happen. Best of luck. ~ Gloria

I also agree - time to get him in to the vet. I'd definitely curb the Papillon's overtly aggressive, territorial displays. You wouldn't let a German Shepherd act like that and the fact he's very small has no bearing, it's still ugly and unfair to the other dog. But sudden behavioral changes can often indicate something going medically wrong, whether seizures or brain tumor or some kind of hidden pain. Please keep us posted. I'm sorry you're going through something so awful. ~ Gloria

I'm glad to have known the amazing Jean for these past years. She was a special girl and I will miss her. So very sorry, Amy. ~ Gloria

The best way to go about it is to find a mentor, attend trials and watch other people work dogs with a trainer. The thing to know about sheepdog training is that you can't learn it from books and video any more than you could learn to drive a car that way. The only way to learn to drive a car is to get in the car. The only way to learn to train a dog is to train a dog. BOTH go ever so much better with a good instructor. Also, a dog of such mixed breeds as yours could be awkward for a beginner to learn with because his instincts will be an extremely mixed bag. Border collies, Australian shepherds, German Shepherds and collies all work in different styles, so there's really no telling what hodgepodge of urges or reactions he may come up with. An accomplished trainer might be able to teach you to help him go around sheep and fetch them here and there, but there's no telling how or if the working instinct may manifest. So, I think the thing to ask yourself is whether you want to invest the time, money and possible frustration of trying to train a dog with a totally mixed bag of genetics. And also ask if it would be fair to the sheep if all he really wants to do is chase or run mad circles around them and bark. That is traumatizing to the poor sheep! I'm sorry if we aren't being very encouraging, but really, mixed-breeds like that don't usually enjoy a great deal of herding success. Genetics like that just aren't likely to form a good working instinct. It may well be that he'll be just as happy doing other active, outdoorsy things with you. After all, being with you is probably what he loves best. ~ Gloria

What kind of training are you looking for?

Thanks for the more detailed info about raw feeding! I suspect my friend just likes to do it that way, which is way more work than I'd want to do. I still find it interesting that dogs could have weak jaw muscles from eating kibble. But maybe it's if they had nothing to chew whatsoever? My guys all have hard chewies they work on from time to time, and all my dogs have made short work of raw bones when given them. So, yeah, maybe it's dogs who have nothing to chew at all. Like you say, an individual thing. ~ Gloria