waffles

This is what I was thinking. 5 minutes and treats isn't going to work. I was going to suggest a lawn chair, long line on the pup, and bring a book or iPad out with you and plan to stay for a while. I'd sit out there for an hour and just let the pup be while putting the leash on my wrist/under the chair leg. Repeat each day. At 6 months old I feel he can only freak out so long before he realizes he is fine. Definitely plan to be out there reading for more than 5 min intervals though. I used to sometimes take Levi out and just sit on Main St in our busy Small town. He was 2 years old at the time we got him and not a puppy but he was so scared of everything. Had never been anywhere before. Just sitting and watching/listening to cars, people for 30 min on a bench then walking back to the car. It didn't take long before his tail stopped being tucked and of course now, he can walk in a dense large city street and is completely happy.

I know it can be hard to hear or understand our intentions or voice inflections over the internet but none of us spend our free time replying to these threads to attack people. It happens a lot though on the internet where someone asks for advice, they get some, and some of it makes them feel bad. But we are here to help; lots of people come here to ask questions, hear other people's experiences, and chat about the breed. We reply in hopes it helps people to better understand their dogs and have happier lives together. Again, change his association-approach his bowl and drop some smelly meat in and walk away. Show him by giving him space that he doesn't have to worry or feed him in a crate until he gains more confidence if need be. He was telling you by growling that he did not want to be pet while eating. Most of us see no reason in day to day life to pet our dogs while they eat, I give them respect/space to eat in peace. That was the only point we were trying to make, not that you can't ever touch your dog while he eats, just that there is no real reason most of the time. Just like some dogs allow kids to ride their back, doesn't mean we should allow it (it's great for the dog to tolerate that situation should it occur but we shouldn't push their limits). We wish you the best and again, are here to help if you need it!

I just wouldn't allow him to "meet" strange dogs while out walking. I know lots of people want their dogs to "say hi" to stranger's dogs when they're out walking but it's not something I've ever done. If we are approaching someone with a dog on a sidewalk we keep walking and get 10' or so into a lawn or move to the road to signal that we are giving space while continuing to walk. I have no clue what a stranger's dog is going to be like (I wouldn't appreciate my dogs being growled at by yours) and I don't want my dogs reacting poorly if the dog does act up towards them. Neither of them has issues with other dogs on walks and they keep walking with me as we pass with barely a glance. I think a big part of why they don't care about the dogs is because they know they don't have to interact with them. I personally find it awkward to stand there with dogs on leash sniffing and trying to make small talk with people I don't know. If it's something you are dead set on doing still then I would work on LAT (look at that game) and other confidence building exercises while in the precense of other dogs. Though I think you might find that the growling stops over time if you keep walking, give him space (move into lawns or cross the road) and don't let other dogs come up to him. The growling is his way of telling you (and the dog) that he isn't happy with the situation.

There really is no such thing as normal weight/height for border collies. They aren't bred to strict appearance standards like other breeds. Just like how many of us here have dogs with very different heights, weights, coat types, etc. Just aim for healthy weights for your individual dogs by feeling them regularly. If needed, consult your vet on their weight.

It is not easy to tell by a photo of them sitting but the best thing is to feel them, like others said. You want to see a tucked stomach, a defined waist and be able to easily feel ribs. Photos of them standing from the side and from the top would make it easier to tell but really, feeling them is best. My 9 yo male is currently 44lb, he is quite lean (most people think he is underweight) and muscular but is also on the tall and long side. My 2 yo female is just shy of 27lb. Again, lean and quite muscular but also much shorter in height and length than our other dog. I get comments from regular people because of her smooth coat (which makes it easier to see her shape) that she is too thin. But she is a fit and muscular girl and most pet people call their chubby dogs thin.

We have a chest freezer in the basement for us and the dogs and I keep a rotation of stuff upstairs in our regular freezer. The restaurant supplier is about a 40 minute drive so I buy a couple cases of things (usually 30 or 50 lb cases are offered) so I only have to go every 2-3 months. There is also a great coffee shop near by so I usually drag my husband and we go out for lunch. I buy chicken quarters and whole chickens in the grocery store when they go on sale and make a trip just for those, and buy 40lb at a time usually. Sometimes I get pork for cheap as well at a wholesale club store. This makes the cost the same as the kibble I was feeding. As much as I like feeding raw, we are also on a budget and am not willing to spend more than what I paid for kibble. The free venison sure helps plus their livers are huge so when I get those it saves on the cost of organs.

I am not sure how different things may be in your part of the world but where I am, I buy all of my dog's meat at the same grocery stores I shop at for myself. I do get some items in large cases like kidney and pork hearts at a restaurant wholesale supplier. I don't bother with 'raw suppliers' as they seem to only sell ground products and they are a lot of more expensive per pound then just buying the whole meat at the store.I am lucky as well to have friends and family who hunt and they give me last years venison that they need to clear out of the freezer before hunting season begins. Best of luck with your guy. He is lucky to have someone who care so much for him and his health.

If it were me, I would feed it. You paid for it and it's not like you are feeding a cooked chicken quarter or an actual whole cooked bone. It sounds like it is really ground up so it should be fine to feed. If your dogs are used to having things mixed into their kibble then you should be fine to continue as you normally do. I personally started feeding raw almost 5 years ago and as someone who doesn't eat meat (besides a little chicken) I was a wuss too at first. I almost quit many times. But we have it down pat now and I feed two border collies raw. It really does take some time to get things organized to make it easier and to find affordable sources. One bit of advice, is if you are looking online for advice/guidance in any of the raw feeding groups, is to take what information you find useful and discard the rest of the strong opinions. All of the groups have their own specific things they endorse and things they don't. The kind of militant attitude in most of those groups can be very off putting (it's just dog food for gosh sakes). I think most mean well and they just don't want to suggest feeding something that may harm someone's dog (i.e. saying chicken necks are safe for all dogs and having someone's large dog choke on one).

Chicken is pretty bland and what you bought isn't fatty. I assume highly fatty is what people mean when they describe meat as rich. I wouldn't have personally paid money for minced anything. Hearts and gizzards in a raw diet are fed as meat so you would be fine to feed that as a meal. They're so small that mincing them isn't necessary and you generally pay for that labor. I would agree that if I had bought that I would just add some liver and kidney and that would be a days meal. But if you feed kibble then the mix you made would probably be fine added (maybe 1/2c.) to their kibble meal. If you were looking to feed raw only you want to aim for 80% meat 10% bone and 10% organs (with generally 5% of that being liver). This is over time and not every day. My guys get bone in hunks usually 3x per week and some organs a few times per week.

What is the reason behind petting a dog that is eating and saying good boy? Is he really a good boy just because he is eating his food? I say that in a kind of tongue and cheek way but I have never really seen anyone pet a dog while they ate. I put my dog's food down on the ground and go on with my business. Of course, if needed, I can take their food away because I practiced the trade up approach. But as adult dogs in normal life, I leave them to eat in peace. I agree though that trading up is the easiest and most straight forward way to change your pups association with you approaching his food. Right now he thinks "person approaching, I must guard my food, they may take it". Instead if you teach him that "human approaches, offers something even better, and I get my food back, what could be better!?", you'll quickly be on your way to having a dog who does not feel the need to protect his food. Try to offer him some meat from your dinner or a smelly dog treat. As he lifts his head give him the treat and take his bowl (or ask for a sit first). Then offer his food back. Remember too that he is so young and still learning how to behave in a household with humans without guidance from his dog-mom/dog-siblings.

I don't live in your area, but I would start here: http://www.midstatesstockdogassoc.com/events-calendar/ Go to a trial, talk to people and make a connection with someone who can help you assess/train your girl. Border collies are not LGD's, you will have an active partnership with a border collie while working stock. Completely different than having an LGD bond with their flock and be mostly left to themselves to work. I would second the suggestion to look on youtube for people like Kikopup and other trainers who have extensive how to/tutorial videos who can help you with training her to be a mannerly pet. I like that you have already learned that she is not like your other dogs. She will respond very well to structure and boundaries in your home as these dogs especially want to have a place in your family and know the rules. I would also suggest looking up impulse control exercises you can do with her to teach her to control herself (sitting and waiting to be released to her food bowl, waiting to be released to go in/out the door, down/stays, and so on). If she is really bad about jumping on people, I would have her drag a leash in the house so you can step on that or grab it to help prevent her from initially jumping. Our youngest wore a leash anytime someone was coming over for a few months so I could prevent her from jumping. Then rewarded her with treats/praise when she sat or had "four on the floor". I find it works best to prevent the unwanted behavior as much as you can while rewarding the one you want. I too always wondered why people think that those with a farm/barn/in the country want all the dogs and cats (not fixed too!) they can get. Our why Miss Kitty who has always lived inside wants to be dumped in someones field to fend for herself outside.

150ft is far to throw the ball. I would clip a 50ft long line on her and throw the ball maybe 30 ft or so. When she lays down just walk to the end of the line and reel her back in to the spot you were standing (say the cue you want too). We say "bring it". Don't throw the ball again until she brings it to you, even if you did all the work with the line. I would work on this while it's just her and no other dogs. Think of it like a recall: throw the ball short distances and show her what you want her to do. Make it easy. Repeat. The same thing you would do with recall, start close by, make it easy/little distractions then work up to farther distances. Eventually it becomes automatic as they learn how to play the game, they always bring it or I can say bring it to get them to move closer.

I would set him up for success by not putting the towel on that hook for a few months, at least until he is older. To me this is way easier and clearer to the dog than correcting him in the moment but then leaving the desirable object out so he can do it all over again. Think of it like getting into the garbage can- if he keeps doing it then make it so he can't do it anymore. He is so young and of course will go right back to it if he can. It's self rewarding. He will most likely outgrow it if he isn't allowed access to it while he is still so young. My recent pup loved taking socks out of the hamper or if she found one on the ground. She would chew the tiniest hole in them or put them in her crate to hide them. We just made sure she couldn't access any socks and in several months we realized socks were no longer of interest to her.

I agree with this. BCC, at least what I have seen with my dog, has a clear pattern and clear symptoms. It continues to occur under the same conditions and falls in line with the listed symptoms for BCC. I think the fact that you describe her as not getting much or the same type of long duration exercise prior to February of this year, makes me think it is a conditioning issue. If she has never been able to freely run in 90+ degree heat, I would think she was merely overheated and needs to be conditioned to more exercise under high temps.My dogs are used to being out a lot, getting long 1-3 hour walks on and off leash. Last year, there were days when I would throw a ball for Dixie no more than 8-10 times (maybe 20 to 30ft) on a 70ish degree day, and she was symptomatic and barely able to walk. Yet, today it was in the low 80's and she ran around a 50 acre hay field in the sun for 30 minutes without issue. From what I have noticed, BCC seems to require a mentally stimulating (something that really gets them focused mentally which is why it is commonly seen in working dogs and sport/agility dogs), mentally exciting exercise/activity and not just free play/free running. It also typically occurs with just 5-15 minutes of engaging in the exciting activity. Symptoms don't appear until after the activity is stopped, during the activity she is completely normal. Usually Within 1 min of saying "that'll do", where her brain is clicked off from the activity, she starts with symptoms.

Also, here is a link to more videos if you haven't seen them already. https://www.vetmed.umn.edu/departments/veterinary-and-biomedical-sciences/research/canine-genetics-lab/genetic-research/border-collie-collapse

Dixie as well, does a lot of running back and forth, exploring and such while we walk the field and into the woods then back home. She has never had an episode during these long off leash walks, that sound similar to yours in terms of her activity level. Sure she is happy and excited running around but it is not the same focused, excitement as say chasing an animal or a toy (prey drive and focus kicking in). I am sure all dogs are different to some degree with this condition, but there is a clear time when I know an episode will be induced and when one wont. Even on our long walks, her and our other border will pick up sticks and take turns chasing each other. Again, exciting, but still never has caused an episode. It really for her seems to be just the fast, continued focused with quick outburst and high drive activities that bring it out. I sure hope your girl does not have it. It can be quite inconvenient though there seems to be no known reason to worry about their overall health from it. When I had contacted the UofMinnesota they had asked how many times I had seen symptoms as well. I think they look for multiple episodes of similar pattern before they would want to (or a vet) say the dog has BCC. After filling out their questionnaire and sending in a few videos, they agreed that she had it. I wish I had spent the money to have her blood drawn for the study but never got around to it.

I would wait and see if it happens again. I have a dog with BCC. You probably saw my thread and video. The main signs include ataxia and mental alteration (dullness) and signs occur within 5-20 minutes of excitement/exercise. I am not sure if something like walking off-leash would be exciting enough, though if she was chasing animals/birds and really working herself up mentally, I could definitely see it. If she was running around for a long period in the Texas heat, I might first assume, since it is the first occurrence, that she might have just been overheated. Did her mental state seemed altered? When Dixie has an episode, as I call them, she is very clearly "gone" mentally, not responsive at all to known commands, wanders while stumbling, eyes look glazed. She has a loss of control of her limbs (pelvis swaying, legs dragging, knuckling, falling down, etc). From my reading, the altered mental state is a key sign of BCC. If you are comfortable with it, I would try to induce it-throw a ball for a her for 5 minutes then call the game. See what happens. I can (though I don't) predictably induce an episode in Dixie, from mild to severe depending on the length of exercise and the temperature/humidity. She has had episodes in 60 degree overcast days and of course on hotter days. The key has always been highly excitable exercise-walking off leash or on leash in high temperatures for an hour or more is completely fine. But, if I play fetch of frisbee or when she used to chase birds, it could be as little as 5 minutes before she would show symptoms. Within 5-15 minutes after, she is totally fine.

I was confused by this thread and interested so I did a little reading. This was not passed without public input and public hearings. This thread makes it sound like it was, and that it was passed in cahoots with the AKC and is specifically about border collies/ABCA. What this seems to be about is controlling the population of strays and surrenders in local shelters. What is the euthanasia rate in your municipal shelters or SPCA (whatever you have down there in your area)? It seems the county was trying to create more responsible breeding and dog ownership to cut down on the costs and numbers of dogs that cycle into shelters/are euthanized. I live in NY and private rescues as well as our local SPCA are always transporting dogs from the south to save them. They post about van loads and semi-tractor's full of dogs coming up from southern states. The news does 'heartwarming' stories on it. People eat it up and dogs are immediately adopted out. It seems your county is trying its best (though I agree misguided by only including AKC dogs initially) to help the problem. Most people only know of the AKC for a dog registry, but it seems they are learning and are going to be including more registries (according to the animal services website anyways). I also see no evidence, at least that I can find online, that this law was proposed originally by animal rights activists. Do you know otherwise? Curious because a law like this would probably never pass in my area. We have a mill 15 min. from me with 2 giant buildings and 400 on site at any time (according to their inspections). I think breeders would really unite if the county tried to pass a similar law. I found this article from April: http://savannahnow.com/news/2017-04-20/commission-tackles-revisions-chatham-county-animal-control-ordinance

My personal opinion is that dog parks are best for calm activities such as socializing with other dogs, walking, exploring, sniffing and so on. Highly intense and focused activities like fetch just don't seem to work well in a group of strange dogs from all backgrounds who don't know each other. I would find another place to play fetch and use the dog park for calm strolling, exploring or to let her play with other dogs at their own pace. I don't see this as possessive ball behavior either. Just wrong setting/place for that kind of activity.

My neighbor sometimes drops off chicken necks and livers after they process their birds since she knows I feed my dogs a raw diet. I wouldn't spend money on chicken necks because they are all bone and very small. For free, I'll take them. It takes my dogs about 45 seconds (chomp, chomp, swallow) to eat one so I wouldn't recommend them if you are looking for something to 'entertain' a dog. Gentlelake is correct about them being a good size for choking, especially for a pup that doesn't eat raw as a normal diet (he may want to quickly gulp it down out of excitment). Turkey necks would be better or chicken quarters, bone-in chicken breasts or turkey wings are all larger and will take him more time to eat. I would just watch for stomach upset feeding raw meat with his normal kibble at first. IMO, I think stuffing a kong with canned food (or anything mushy) and freezing it would be a better idea. When I fill our dogs' kongs and freeze them it usually occupies them for 30-45 minutes.

I send Dixie to "place" on the dog cot while I vacuum. As a puppy she wanting to dart around furniture and air snap at the thing. I taught her a solid place command and she does that while I vacuum. I release her once I am done. Most times now she goes automatically when she sees the vacuum come out. She looks releaved to not have to "get" that darn loud machine. I would recommend teaching "place" (lots of YouTube videos on this) as it is a good impulse control exercise. She also used to do circles around me if I was raking. Funny the first time then it was annoying. She practiced down stays while I slowly pretended to rake- had her down then would just hold the rake still, then slowly move it a few inches going through fake raking motions. Now she knows to automatically give space when the rake is out. If she darts for it, she is given a down command. For such a young puppy, any impulse control exercises you can practice will help with this. In time he should also mature and with practice, stop being a pest.

Quick advice is don't let him sit on the husband's lap. Especially a dog his size and displaying his behaviors shouldn't be allowed to sit on a person. I also would ask for a behavior I want before (make sure it is before) he does the behavior you don't want. So prevent it by asking for a desirable behavior. Then you can lose the spray bottle which isn't really teaching anything, IMO. I also would not praise or treat a dog in this situation. I doubt he is really calm and relaxed the moment after he stops growling and you're praising/treating him. He is likely still tense and uncomfortable (is his mouth closed, tight lips, whale eyes, stiff posture?). Just because he stopped growling doesn't mean he is fully relaxed/out of that guarding mindset. Example would be, if you know he does X behavior when you walk in the room then ask for a down stay just as you walk in the room to hug your husband. If he doesn't have a down stay then start teaching him one. Proof it and then you can use it in these real life situations. His reward is being released once he looks fully relaxed. There are other exercises as well. The book recommended above is also a great place to start.

This really stands out to me. This is part of the problem. If he is chewing your house apart and injuring you...then he has the run of the place too much. At just one month in, it sounds like the relationship is really off between you and the pup. Consistent rules and boundaries need to be set with a young pup, especially important with a border collie. Your friends with the 4 border collies, how do they behave with their owners and in their home? Do they behave in a way that you want your dog to? If they do, then I would ask your friends to come over and observe you and your pup in your normal day to day routines. They should hopefully be able to show you how to form a positive relationship with your pup where you can ask him to do things, and have him respect your space (your body and home). It's like letting a toddler run the show. They need direction from us and to be set up to succeed. The crate is your friend. If you can't watch him in the house for even a minute, don't just let him just chew things he shouldn't. Prevent it by crating him or tethering him to you with a leash. Ask him for what you want instead of allowing him to chew your arm while you leash him. Ask for a sit and don't touch or leash him until he is sitting and calm. That may mean holding the leash clip in your hand and slowly going through the motions of leashing him, removing your hand when he tries to bite (be calm and quiet, don't say no over and over). He goes for your hand, you remove your hand and wait. When he is sitting, try again, and again. He will quickly learn that what he is offering is not working like it used to and should start thinking and offering a new behavior. He gets leashed and gets to go outside when he is calm and not biting. Otherwise he is being rewarded for bratty behavior - I bite my owner, they say things to me/pay attention to me/I go outside to play/walk. Allowing this behavior is what eventually lands him in another home/shelter/bounced all over. When he is 40lbs and biting and bruising people, eventually people reach their breaking point. Even if now you say that is not you, it happens every day in shelters where people relinquish their 1-2 year old dogs or put them up for sale on facebook/craiglist. Investing in his training now could eventually save a lot of heart ache for you and the dog. Talk to anyone you know who has dogs who behave how you want your dog. Keep in mind that this is as much about you as it is him. Don't look for reasons or excuses for his behavior, it really starts with you. He does not sound like he has a genetic propensity for aggression, he sounds like an out of control puppy with no direction from his people. I say this kindly, as it is hard for new dog owners to realize that it is about them and not just the dog.

Also picking her up teaches her nothing. You want to "control" her mind, not physically control her. Teach her to make the right decision by showing her what you want instead of relying on physically constraining/restraining her. If she were a mastiff or Great Dane, picking her up wouldn't be an option.

Ignoring self rewarding behavior doesn't work. As you have seen. If a dog chased deer, no one would say to ignore it as a way to get the dog to stop chasing deer. Clip the leash on her in the house or yard and walk her around. Actively engage with her. Do you use a clicker? The second she stops looking at the leash (even if you were the one who removed it from her mouth), click/treat. Repeat. If you can take a couple steps without her touching it, click/treat. Shorten the leash as well (don't put tension on it) but wrap up the excess in your palm so there is less dangling in front of her. Engage her mind and she will stop fixating on the leash. My young one was a leash chewer as a puppy for about a week. I wasn't about to allow that annoying behavior. We practed loose leash walking in the house and yard before going out on the road. I would at time, yank the leash out of her mouth and give her a good serious look that leash chewing was not what I wanted. I then rewarded her for not looking at or touching the leash. I also practiced waving/swinging the leash in front of her after a few days of progress. If she ignored it, click/treat. If she tried to mouth it, a short verbal correction, "eh" was enough to make her think. Look up videos on YouTube for how to teach loose leash skills. kikopup is who I always recommend for beginners with puppies. She shows things in enough detail for people to really follow.