Lawgirl

You know about our snakes, our crocodiles, our sharks, our drop bears. Have you REALLY heard about our spiders? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/18/epic-photo-huntsman-spider-eats-pygmy-possum-in-tasmania?CMP=soc_567

I am by no means an expert on Kelpies, and there is considerable quiet rivalry here in Australia as to which is the better herding dog, BCs or kelpies. Yards are are just that, yards where stock are gathered in, either for shearing, drenching, or in preparation for transport etc. Paddocks are what we call fields or ranges. So a yard dog is good at close in enclosed work, a paddock dog is good at the open field work. And, of course, we also have droving, which is rare nowadays, but still happens, although it is more common with cattle. Many outback roads, especially in New South Wales and Queensland, have VERY wide verges, which are called the long paddock, and are open pasture for flocks of livestock to be moved around when drought hits and water and feed fail. It used to be to move large flocks of livestock to railheads for shipping, but now is used more to access better feed when a property is exhausted. In Australia, Kelpies tend to be either used in the yards as a yard dog, or in the paddocks as a field dog. A dog which is good in both yard and field is VERY highly prized, and I often see advertisements for pups boasting how one parent is a strong yard dog and the other good in the paddock. Kelpies are renowned for 'backing', or jumping up on top of sheep when they are in a yard or race and running along the top of a flock to drop down into them to get them moving in a confined space. At least, that is what I understand they do. Livestock truck drivers often have Kelpies who do nothing other than work loading and unloading sheep at stockyards and abattoirs, and travel with the truckies between. The Muster is fantastic, and is credited with saving Casterton, as the town was starting to fade away, as many country towns do. It is now starting to thrive, has a Kelpie Centre and tourism is way up. Sorry for hijacking your post aprilandjax!

I live about 70 kilometres from the birthplace of the Australian Kelpie - Casterton in Victoria, and just last weekend was the Casterton Kelpie Muster. They have all sorts of activities and competitions, a hill climb for dogs, high jump, as well as a herding displays etc, culminating in an auction for Kelpie dogs. This year the top price was $15,000, but the record was set last year at $27,000 (this is in Australian dollars, so about half that in pounds, and one AUD is about 70 cents US). Here are some photos of the recent Muster https://www.stockandland.com.au/story/6208628/crowd-drawn-to-casterton-kelpie-muster/?cs=4793#slide=1 As for the prey drive, I suspect the safest thing is to retrain from the start, even if it is not completely necessary.

Jax is soooo cute! I am Australian, so BC x Kelpie is a mix I see fairly often, and yours is an especially cute version. To be honest, he looks a lot like what we call a Coolie/Koolie, another working breed from Australia. A friend of mine has two Coolies and a Kelpie. The Kelpie is lying down I am not an expert with crate training, but I think you started the crate training well, but then jumped a few steps. Familiarity with the crate is good, but you need to also gradually increase the amount of time in the crate until he is comfortable being in there for decent periods of time, not just with going in and being in there. He needs to learn that the crate is for quiet time. Letting him have short times in the crate has possibly taught him that the crate is only a short term thing, not for longer periods of time. You may need to continue with further crate training of increasing periods of time in the crate. Have you tried covering his crate at night? This might be a way to signal that this is bedtime now, or at least that it is time to settle down for a sleep. It will also make the crate more den-like. As you have said, if you can fix the crate training, the over-excitement can be fixed by time outs (very matter of fact - "time for a nap") in the crate until he has calmed down. I do not think you need to worry about limiting exercise if he is able to run around and rest at his own will. It is more about long runs and walks on lead that are a concern, or repetitive stuff like fetch, jumping, etc that are a big concern. The prey drive is more of a concern to me. On the one hand, his recall so far appears to be excellent, but he is heading into adolescence, where dog's test boundaries and will forget what you think they have learned 100%. Hormones will surge and instincts can gain the upper hand. If you see signs of reluctance, put him on a long lead, before he refuses to come back, would be my suggestion. As for barking, I have no suggestions to make. Maybe someone else here can help there.

Joni is beautiful - I love the long BC look! I second what Rigby says above. Try to capture behaviour you want with a reward, rather than forcing or luring it, and then it is her decision. This will make her far more confident in the long run. And of course positive associations are going to be the best possible way for her to learn. Breaking things down into tiny steps, rewarding even looks, may seem like the slow way but will yield lasting results. I think Kikopup has some excellent Youtube videos about this sort of training. Someone posted one about overcoming fear of a slippery kitchen floor in a thread a while back, last year I think. I you do a search for Kikopup I am sure you will find it.

Wow, he is really growing up and hitting the leggy adolescent stage! He may or may not be full BC, but I am sure it is in there. He is still cute, and I am sure you love him to pieces. I can't help with the fetch issue, but I believe some others on this forum have had this issue. Can you try a search through the general forum? I seem to remember a thread about that exact question with lots of advice.

That is pretty amazing! Gotta love the tricolours!

The article I read suggested that stressed people who actually sought comfort by hugging their dogs etc resulted in dogs that had lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), and this was theorised to be because hugging made both human and dog feel good. I really like that idea. I have a mug that reads "Wake up. Hug dog. Have a good day". For both of you!

I have four boys, three of whom are neutered. The entire male is the most laid back dog out of all of them. I will always be happy to have neutered males together. I have found them to be cuddly and affectionate. I may consider getting a bitch at some point, but I am not fussed if I only ever have males. I do think that it really depends on the individual dogs, so a slightly older dog from a rescue is a great idea. If your heart is set on a puppy, go with the one whose personality matches what you want from a dog. He or she will have a puppy license for the first few months while your dog gets used to him or her, and then things should go okay. They may or may not be best friends, but hopefully will get along.

Your cute puppy has grown into a very distinguished dog! It is interesting how you can look back and see the dog he has become in the puppy face though. And yes, they grow up WAAAAAYYY too fast!

I have not yet seen this movie, but am looking forward to it. This makes me look forward to it more. Thanks for sharing!

Boxer is a possibility, but I am not convinced. Maybe some sort of a hound? I do not know what breeds are common around your parts, so anything would be the wildest guess on my part! Whatever, she is 100% cute!

When I was a kid, we had some backyard chickens, and then my brother traded some baby fish from our little fish pond for a duckling, who we named Ala, short for Duck a l'orange. We got the better of that deal, because the duck grew up while the fish died within a few weeks. We used to give our fowl the leftover vegetable scraps, and the thing I remember most was being so surprised to find out that our duck absolutely went 'quackers' for watermelon. In summer, the chicken would leisurely peck at all of the food scraps but Ala would positively go nuts for the watermelon rinds, and her little beak would zoom along them to seek out every hint of pink. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen! Sorry to change the topic, but I just had to share...

There is another thread on here at the moment with ideas for trick training - lots of videos etc. That would be a good place to start. Nosework, such as looking for treats, or more specific nosework training, will also help keep him occupied inside. The tip to inside activities is to keep his mind occupied with either learning or brain heavy activities. I am not sure about supplements. I have a boy with hip dysplacia, who has been put on cartrophen injections, which are also used for arthritis. They have been excellent. They are basically artificial synovial fluid, from what I understand, which is the fluid which lubricates joints. I am sorry to hear about your boy - he looks lovely!

Maybe it is a tri-colour thing? Our first boy was a tri-colour and he was very much the same way. Your boy is gorgeous and adorable and you are very lucky to have him. Enjoy him, but remember that adolescence is yet to come and his behaviour may go backwards when his hormones hit. Hopefully that does not jinx things for you!

Oh, I do love a white face BC! Even though he is a half white face, your Mac reminds me so much of my Oscar! As for a longer lasting chew, you could try a bully stick, or beef tendon, or something like a goats horn or deer/elk antler. Horn and antler can cause concern about broken teeth, but are much longer lasting chews, and not messy or smelly. I will only give my boys whole, not split antlers. Obviously, you need to remove them when they get small enough to be a choking hazard. I have heard that you can soak the antlers overnight to soften them, although this will probably mean they are chewed up more quickly, but reduce the chance of a broken tooth. Others on this board will recommend a stuffed kong, possibly stuffed with his normal kibble wetted and then frozen, so you feed his meals this way so as not to over feed him. I have known people to give their dogs carrots, even frozen carrots as chews, though this can be a little messy. From memory, there was a recent thread about chews etc. that you should be able to find if you search. Hope this helps.

Mental stimulation does not have to be super stimulating, if that makes sense. I have found for our dogs, taking them for a drive with the windows down a bit, so they could sniff all the wonderful scents as they go past, is quite mentally draining. Using the nose is a great way to tire a dog out, so I highly recommend nosework, even if it is just wrapping treats in a blanket for him to nose out and find. A snuffle mat is another good option too. Even just talking to your dog is good. You are not alone! Your puppy is still a baby, and worse, he is one who is starting to have the size of an adult without the hormonal and emotional maturity of one. These times were sent to try us! Without meaning to depress you, I found that things just gradually got better, until one day I realised that my dogs didn't act like puppies any more, or did so only on occasions that were so uncommon that I specifically noticed them. Hold strong. In years to come, as he is an old dog who can no longer leap to his feet as easily as he once did, you will miss these days.

She looked like she enjoyed that! So many tricks you can teach every dog, congratulations!

That could be a poster for "FOCUS"! Looks like she has no difficulty clearing her jump height either.

Congratulations, it seems like you are both doing so well, and he is truly gorgeous. Hang in there with the agility classes - you are probably still doing the basics and he is still a big puppy at 10 months old, so no wonder he is getting distracted. You both have lots to learn and lots of time to do it.

Love the Dobby/Yoda ears he has at the moment, although who knows where they will end up. Keep the photos coming!

What a cutie! I have a soft spot for white faces and tricolours, and you have both in one!

If you are feeding dry kibble, you can make a snuffle mat. If you google "make a snuffle mat video" there are heaps of instructional videos out there. Basically you use a load of fleece or other material, cut it into strips, buy a holey rubber mat and then tie the strips of fabric through the holes so the ends all stick up. It is not difficult, just time consuming. Spread some kibble in between the sticking up ends and your dog will have to nose around in between the strips and sniff out the kibble. It will take a lot longer and will mean she can't eat as quickly. It will also work her mind by working her nose. When the mat gets dirty, you can just throw it all in the wash. You can also buy ready made snuffle mats, if you don't feel like making one.

Sounds like we have a keeper... I love a new photo thread, especially with a super cute tricolour. Those blue eyes!

What a wonderful thing to see! He is really a completely different dog, so content and healthy. Congratulations on all the time and love you have given him, and I am sure you have received it back in multitudes, and will for years to come. Thank you so much for the update.