John V

He's very food motivated, if it's the right food. Yeah, see, this didn't work. He's actually turned up his nose at his own kibble (which is Beneful, btw.) He sees I have something, and becomes very attentive and obedient, and then when I try to give him the Beneful, he sniffs it and gets all disappointed and refuses it. (Actually, he doesn't seem to like Beneful much at all. That's the food the former owners were giving him. Maybe I'll try a switch at some point.)

I've had my border collie for about a month (longer version here). I've been training him, for simple obedience and a few "tricks", with praise and treats. At the beginning, I did give him some treats that I thought were pretty unhealthy, because I had them already and he liked them, but I intended to try to start making it healthier. For a while, he was very happy getting pieces of dry dog food that I had from a dog I had been fostering, but he suddenly seems to have lost interest in that food. I have some Milk Bones that he likes, but those are pretty junky, and also way too big, I think. (I'd give him one piece of food at a time, while he liked the food.) I've been reading some books and articles on the web where people talk about cooking treats for your dog, but I really don't even cook for myself. Then again, his standards may be lower, so I could try. What do you all use for treats? How many treats would you say you give your dog in a typical day?

About the vet... I haven't taken him yet, because the previous owner took him to his lifelong vet right the day before she brought him here, and gave me the paperwork. Everything checked out with him then.

Here's Jack taking my spot after I had set up everything to sit on my bed with my laptop: And here's one I just took a few minutes ago. He's actually lying on his own bed, which is something he rarely does:

Thanks for all the advice! It had occurred to me that Jack would get more used to me with time, and that he has gotten more used to me in the past month, but it's always reassuring to have people who've been through it confirm the "getting adjusted" period. Everyone had great advice, but the one thing I've already seen results from is this: I didn't "give" it back to him, I tossed it a few feet from him, and he pounced on it. It was pretty adorable. I just wanted to say a little more about his background. I actually found him on Craigslist. His former "mother" and I had many communications, and Jack paid a visit to my house, before we both agreed on the transfer. She was not looking to dump the dog with just anyone. She asked if I would be willing to provide periodic updates on how Jack was doing, and I said I would and in fact they could visit Jack. She and her 15 year old son (on whose bed Jack used to sleep) visited after one week. The main reason I actually wanted them to visit was because I wanted to see how they played with Jack. It pretty much seemed like they didn't. But they were not distant, either, and I really really doubt there was every any kind of abuse. They seem like an extremely subdued family. They petted Jack and seemed very happy to see him. I guess the only reasons I'm bringing this up is (1) someone suggested he might have been abused, but I really don't think that's the case, and (2) there are other questions about his background, and I am still in touch with his old family and I could try to get answers. Oh yeah, and (3) someone suggested that he misses his old family. I assume at some point they'll want to visit again, though I'm concerned that it also could be confusing to him. Any thoughts on that?

Hello, I'm new to these boards, and new to border collies. I adopted Jack about a month ago. He is six and a half years old, was bred by a reputable breeder who produces working dogs (I had a brief chat with his breeder), but has been a family pet all his life, and a fairly sedentary one. His family gave him up because they'd leave him alone in the back yard during the day, and he'd get bored and let himself out, and the neighbors were getting irritated. Since I took custody of Jack, I've been giving him lots of exercise and stimulation. I take him to the dog park just about every day, and I walk him usually three times a day, totalling at least two hours. He really seems to enjoy and look forward to this exercise. My main concern right now may be kind of a dopey one. I'm just not sure he's happy, and I don't know what I can do. He certainly seems content, and not anxious. He doesn't chew things or dig or whine. But he often looks like he wants something, and I don't know what it is. (I'm not saying I'll necessarily give him whatever he wants, but I'd like to know what it is that he wants.) My dog experience has mostly been with labradors and beagles (and mixes thereof), and a little bit with my cousins' Siberian Husky and Cairn Terrier. I've really never been around a collie of any sort, or a herding dog. Maybe border collies are just not exuberant in the way I'm expecting? Jack doesn't "play" much. He has a few stuffed animals that he sometimes likes to basically rip apart. Once in a while, he'll bring the stuffed animal over to me, drop it in front of me, and look up at me. Yet, when that happens, I can't seem to interact with him in any way. I try shaking the toy, tossing it, hiding it and showing it to him, anything I can think of, and he just looks at me like, "What?". I would describe his attitude towards tennis balls as "contemptuous". I'm not complaining or disappointed in Jack. If he just doesn't play with humans, and the behavior I'm seeing is him being completely happy, then that will be great. I just am not sure if that's what's going on. Thanks for any advice!