jfaircloth

@beachdogz, when we had an elderly dog with issues going down the stairs, we improvised a rear harness by using a towel. (A good sized bath towel is best depending on the size of the dog.) Just feed the towel under her belly and hold the top ends together to support her. It worked great for us and—for a dog who HATED to be helped—our girl wasn’t bothered by it. It’s worth a shot until you can get that harness.

I don't have specific experience with super young BC puppies, but I volunteer at our local SPCA, where I work with many puppies, and I can say that, unless they're super sleepy, many of them just aren't into cuddling or being petted. They just want to play / roughhouse all the time with those tiny sharp teeth. And our current BC, when we first adopted him at 7 months, wasn't interested in being touched either. Bonding took quite a while with him too (ever chased a young Border Collie around a dog park because he doesn't want to go home with you? fun times). But once he got a little older, and understood we were his family, he turned into a snuggly, loving guy who would follow us to the ends of the earth. Don't give up...10 weeks is still SO young. Just the fact that you're asking for help means that your girl got lucky when she got you. (And we need to see pictures!!)

Agree with everything said here. If you can’t access the new apartment before moving day, take her over to the neighborhood several times for walks so it starts to become familiar to her. Also, if you have a trusted friend or relative or favorite kennel that can keep her the day of the move, that will lower the stress on both of you.

I'm no expert on breeding, but she doesn't look like a BC to me (though she is VERY cute!). Have you considered doing Wisdom Panel (doggie DNA test)?

Thanks, everyone! We’re starting a 30-day trial of Glycoflex. It doesn’t have Omegas but he already gets them in his food. I will heed the advice to keep experimenting until we find something that works. In the meantime, he does think those Glycoflex chews are super yummy!

Hi, everyone- Our 11-year-old Gomer is starting to show his age, and gets stiff and has trouble sitting for about a day after he's done any vigorous exercise. Our vet is recommending putting him on a joint supplement that combines glucosamine, Omegas, and Vitamin E. Does anyone have any recommendations for this type of supplement or something similar? There are so many out there! Thank you!

He’s a cutie! The destruction could be boredom or separation anxiety or just his age. Consider giving him some sort of puzzle toy (and make it extra special by being something he ONLY gets in his crate) before you leave him. My 11-year-old BC has separation anxiety and has always destroyed his crate bedding when we leave him alone. Solution: no bedding! Fortunately he has never attempted to destroy his crate tray (though in my work as a rescue volunteer I’ve seen that happen too). On the other hand, one of my other dogs only did this when she was young, and we were able to put bedding in her crate when she matured. Good luck!

Quick update: we’re having an extended round of storms here in NC right now. I gave him a half a Trazodone a little over 2 hours ago, and he is getting calmer. We just had a giant thunderclap and he barely flinched. YES!!!

Thanks for all the advice and responses. I’m definitely planning on talking to our vet. We are fortunate that she is willing to work with us to find the right solution. We did try Xanax; it works but can wear off quickly. Benadryl has zero effect. I did hear about the dosage issues with Sileo, which convinced me to try Trazodone first. We’ll just keep plugging away at it until we figure it out.

Tommy, our guy weighs about 45 lbs and when we tried 100 mg on him, he got so extremely sedated that we had a hard time waking him up. Maybe we just need to try again. I’m also going to ask our vet about Sileo.

Thank Thanks for the suggestion! There are only a couple of threads and they're 2 years old.

Our border collie, Gomer, is so dang scared of storms, and it just gets worse as he ages. We've tried natural remedies, the Thundershirt, Xanax, Klonopin, and now Trazodone. The Trazodone seems to be helping a little but we're struggling with getting to the right dose. I've recently heard about Sileo, which is specifically for dogs with noise aversion. I have one friend who's tried it on her terriers and swears by it, but I was wondering if anyone with an extremely thunder-phobic Border Collie has tried it.

What dosage of Trazodone are you using? Our vet prescribed 100 mg but it knocked our guy out so much that we now cut the pills in half but it doesn't seem to be quite enough.

Is the crate in your bedroom, or in another part of the house? I would suggest moving it to your bedroom, preferably where he can see you. I know that doesn't directly address the separation anxiety, but there's no need to add to his stress. In terms of when you leave the house, try not to make a big deal or a routine out of it. For instance, if he knows that when you get your keys, that means you're leaving, then randomly go get your keys when you're not planning on leaving the house, then sit back down. Do this several times at random intervals. Also, when you do leave, don't make a big deal out of it; quietly put him in his crate and give him a high value treat or toy that he ONLY gets when you leave. And again, when you come back to the house, don't go crazy with the greetings. Just quietly let him out of his crate and ignore any over the top greeting he gives you. It's not easy but you have to do it. Sometimes dogs pick up on signals from us whether we realize we're giving them out or not. Also, in terms of getting him to like his crate, consider feeding him in there. Good luck! You'll get through this!!

Yes, he's definitely still adjusting. But it sounds like you need to get him a crate ASAP. He's less likely to make a mess where he sleeps; he can get away with it when he has full run of the house. Not sure how much space you allowed him in the bathroom, but as long as he can put some distance between his sleeping spot and his mess, he's probably going to keep doing this. Far less likely in a crate that's just big enough for him to stand up, turn around, and lie down. Crate him overnight, preferably in your bedroom, where (a) he'll feel more like part of the pack, and (b) you can hear him if he starts to get restless and let him outside. Hopefully, once he learns that he's stuck in there for the night, he'll start to figure out that eliminating before bedtime is a good idea. Good luck! He's very lucky to have you!!

The non-Border Collie in our household, a female pit mix named Ellie, was similarly fearful when we first adopted her. Everything that everyone else has said here is spot-on, so I won't add much. All I can say is be patient. More patient than you have ever been with a dog. When we first brought Ellie home, she was afraid of everything having to do with being in a home: doorways, stairs, leashes, etc. She peed inside almost daily. Getting her to open up and let her real personality show through is one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had, but it takes a really long time, and 4 years later there are some things about her that we've just had to learn to accept (like still being slightly afraid to go through a door). I also suggest you get this booklet by Patricia McConnell. It was very helpful for us: https://www.amazon.com/Cautious-Canine-How-Conquer-Their-Fears/dp/1891767003/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Sounds like you're doing the exact right thing. He's quiet for 7 hours, and he's only eliminating outside. If you remove him from the crate, he may be more inclined to pee or poop because he can do that in one spot and sleep in another part of the room. He can't do that in a crate. However, I would say that the 7 hours may be a little too long if he's still really young. If he's in the 8-12 week range, it's probably best to take him outside a little more frequently (i.e., every 4 hours or so). It can be hard for the little ones to hold it for that long.

The Thundershirt has not worked for our BC, Gomer. His storm reaction used to be that he would desperately search for the smallest space he (thought) he could fit into, or literally try to climb the walls. After trying the Thundershirt, Benadryl, calming aids, etc., to no avail, we started doing what I call "the human Thundershirt." About a year ago, we decided that whenever there was a storm (and we were home), we would gather him up next us on the sofa or on the bed and just hold him. No praising or petting, just holding him. After about 5-10 minutes of trying to squirm away, he would eventually relax and often fall asleep. After about four or five months of this routine (we live in NC and get lots of storms from early April through October), he eventually reached the point where he would find a spot on the floor nearby, or behind a sofa, and just go to sleep. He has other anxiety issues when we're not home, but the "human thundershirt" worked wonders for our guy.

Our late BC, Opie, ate part of a Nylabone tug toy (and successfully passed it but I imagine it was quite painful), as well as a corner of a straw doormat (one of those big thick coir mats), which also passed in one fell swoop. I think he had the world's strongest intestines!

We are in the process of gradually moving our BC over to Wellness (white fish and sweet potato formula). Our vet recommended getting him off food that contains chicken so we decided to try this as it's one of the few foods I could find that doesn't have any chicken in it. He's not been having any issues at all and really loves the food. I agree that it's probably not related to the food but to something else.

Our local dog park has a communal water fountain style bowl for the dogs. It automatically refills itself with fresh water and seems to be a cleaner way for dogs to share a water dish. It doesn't always work perfectly, but we really appreciate it.

Thanks for taking in that sweet dog! Do you have a picture you can share?

Dana, that is quite a ringing endorsement. I did see the tie-down option on their website...very smart! I'm glad to know it's working for you. I may just give it a try since I'm not sure I want to lug a heavy stall mat up our stairs.

Yes, he has a bone but he completely ignores it (trust me, we've tried just about every toy on the planet to make him happy while he's in there). Thanks to both of you for the advice on the horse mat. That sounds like a good option. I also like the idea of putting some sort of cushioning under the tray.

Our 5-year-old BC, Gomer, has developed moderate separation anxiety over the last year and a half. He is usually fine when we crate him (which we do whenever we leave the house), but occasionally something will set him off and we'll come home to find his bedding destroyed. We've gotten to the point where he doesn't have any bedding right now (just the plastic crate pan), but I hate to not give him any cushioning at all. I've found a couple of products online - Dura-Crate pads and Primo Pads - that claim to be indestructible, but they don't have perfectly stellar reviews. Has anyone out there tried either of these products, or do you have any other suggestions for making a destructive dog more comfortable in his/her crate? Thanks!