DutchBorderfan

She's almost three. After her false pregnancy she will be spayed. Already booked it for mid January.

False alarm! No puppies. Thank god. Incredibly false pregnant though Thanks again for your help.

Thanks for your quick replies! She had absolutely no contact with males the entire time she was in heat, except for that one moment with the dog sitter. I'm always very cautious, and I instructed her 3 times, so this is very very frustrating. I'm doubting she is being completely honest, it feels like she's omitting some details. She did mention the male was approximately her size, so if she is in fact pregnant that would not cause complications. The ultrasound is scheduled for tomorrow. In the mean time I'm just keeping my fingers crossed she's going through false pregnancy. I'll post the result when I get it.

Hi everyone, I have a problem, and I'm quite worried. My sweet little Border Collie was in heat until about 5 weeks ago. Last few weeks she seemed low on energy, and I took her to the vet today. She presented with enlarged nipples, some weight gain, but no large tummy. So the vet said: based on external symptoms either a false pregnancy or a pregnancy. He could not feel any puppies. Ultrasound could not be done today, has to be done later in the week. When she was in heat I kept her on leash of course, no contact with other dogs. So I just suspected a false pregnancy, but just to be sure I phoned my dogsitter. She had her for a few hours exactly 6,5 weeks ago, and she only now mentioned that she walked her on leash and that another dog kept bothering her, and may have been on her for 10 seconds, certainly not longer than that. Of course I was pretty angry with her, I gave her very specific instructions, and she should have let me know immediately (I even asked that day if everything went ok). What is the chance of a successful pairing? She would be 2,5 to 3 weeks away from giving birth, the only thing I see are enlarged nipples, but no large tummy. It could be just one puppy of course. Reason to worry? Or large chance of this still just being a false pregnancy?

Thanks so much for your advice, and those last two lines are very kind words.

The barking is definitely frustration. very different from her normal bark. Thanks for your input

awesome advice, thanks so much

Hi everyone! I have a problem, maybe some of you recognise this and can help me out with some advice. I have a BC from a working line, she's almost 3 years old. She's smart as a whip. You can teach her anything in one go. The first one and a half year she was pretty motivated and very very energetic when we trained. Lately she's not only uninterested (disengages after a few commands), but also actively barks at me or avoids me when I want to do anything that has to do with training or playing: tricks, agility, frisbee, playing with toys, you name it. She still likes going to the sheep, but I have to put so much pressure on her, to make her listen. The only thing she really likes nowadays is running after her tennis ball on the beach. I'm wondering what I did wrong here: too much training as a young dog? Too much pressure / negativity? (I try to keep it very positive). too much repetition? (she hates hates hates repetition) It isn't necessarily only associated with me, she doesnt like training or doing tricks with other people anymore either. She is still a happy dog, but I can see she's sometimes a bit bored now, which makes my heart ache. Plus: I wanna have fun with her and do more than just walk her. So I was thinking: is there a way to reset? Maybe no advanced commands and no training for a good while, just long walks and cuddles? And then slowly reintroduce training in a fun way and keep it short? How? Help!

Hi there! I'm running into a bit of a problem, and despite my efforts I don't see any progress: My girl is now 1,5 years old. She's from a working / sporting line. Can be pretty hyper, not the most focused worker. We go for long walks with her, do frisbee training and go sheep herding every week. She is lovely towards humans, a brat towards other dogs. From a very early age she has shown fear aggression towards other dogs. We went to two different dog schools and two different behaviourists, one of which really helped us out. We came a long way with her: her behaviour off leash is now ok-ish. If she gets too intense I can control her, because she has a pretty solid recall. However, there are three specific situations, in which she gets ballistic and I have to physically intervene: - when me or my boyfriend give attention to another dog (or cat): if we pet another dog, she instantly goes for it. Lunging and not responding to my voice. Sometimes standing in between us or our legs before she shows her aggression. When she's in her crate and she hears /sees us interact with the friendly cat that comes in the yard sometimes, she almost breaks through the gate and cries hysterically. - when she is in a home / confined space with another dog: for example: at my parents home with their dog she has an intense focus, and won't stop stalking the dog. If we look the other way for a second she jumps on the other dog. She has even urinated / marked repeatedly on the carpet and the other dog's bed. - when there is a puppy near her: for example when we're walking in the park. Her approach off leash is always cautious, but when she realises it's a puppy and she has the upper hand, she jumps on it. I never let this happen of course, and leash her when we see a puppy. I just don't understand this behaviour. This concerns me since we'd like to add another dog to our family in the future. She hasn't actually caused any physical harm, it's mostly lots of noise. But I see this as a really big issue: I sometimes worry that she might traumatise someone's dog, besides: I really want her to enjoy life and relax a little. Sorry for the lengthy explanation. Anyone have any tips / remarks / feedback? Thanks in advance.

I have a solution for this! First: How long is your long leash? The one I used for training outside was at least 100ft. The way you might stop him from following you is to get the longest one you can find online, and keep him on it when outside at all times, even during his normal walks. Second: I had a recall issue with my pup about a year ago. I trained her on a long lead, with which she had 100% recall, but once I let her off, every once in a while, she'd bolt. So what I did was, I attached a 'shadow line', so basically an extra lead she had no clue about. I unhooked her, she'd bolt, and I could still use that second lead to correct her. Worked perfectly. Do realize that the problem is in your last sentence here. He keeps succeeding. From here on out he should have zero success when trying to cross the road on his own. If that means he follows you around on a long lead for a few days.. then that's just simply what it is..

Very true, when the whining starts, the training was already too long / too advanced. Which is why I added the part about quitting on a win. But I still think that it might not be the best thing to stop and get him out as soon as the whining starts. I get the overexcitement argument, but it still sounds a bit counter intuitive: stopping, getting him out, is creating excitement as well. Stopping, leaving him in the crate, is probably more boring and less rewarding for this dog. Agree with everyone here that food might not be the best thing if he's hugely food motivated. If all else fails I still think the experimenting with a kong to see what happens is ok and wont set your training back.

I think you're doing a great job. All the things I'd recommend you mentioned in your first post The advice you've gotten is great as well. The only thing I'd have to add is: when you constructively work on his problem by putting him in the crate, driving a bit, and taking him out again, this could be rewarding bad behaviour. I'd make really sure you don't go in to this cycle: in the crate - calm behaviour - drive - little whine / indicator that this is the limit - stop driving or take him out of the crate. That would be the wrong way to go about it. If his whining starts, you probably shouldn't react to it instantly and drive a bit longer, stop somewhere after a minute or two, and wait for the whining to stop before you take him out. Even if that takes half an hour. Have you tried filling a kong with lots of good stuff? Peanut butter, pieces of chicken etc. Put him in his crate inside the car, give him that kong, wait a good 5 minutes while he is busy emptying it, and then start driving a bit. If after ten seconds there is no whine, stop, wait another few minutes, repeat. And alway stop on a win! If you have success but think it will go wrong the second time. Just stop, and pick it up the next day.

Maybe try this: If he does a lie down it might be easier to lure him in a sit position from there. Put him in a lie down position, keep the treat higher and move it back over his head. Click the second he has his front legs higher than his back legs, and move your hand towards his mouth with the treat at that point so you don't reward him standing up. And then work your way from there. If he backs up instead of moving into a sit, try using a wall behind him to prevent him from moving.

You mention a few things that stand out to me. The one that stands out to me the most: You walk him for 50 minutes, 1 to 3 times a week. Did you mean per day? Because if not, that to me, sounds like wayyyy too little. You brought up that you've gotten some conflicting advice on this, and don't know what to think. In general I'm also not a fan of the phrase 'a tired dog is a happy dog' when it comes to border collies. but every single border collie I know, would never ever thrive on that schedule. When people mention moderate exercise, in border collie terms they still mean a good off leash walk a day, of at least 30-50 minutes, and then a few pee rounds a day as well. And that's the bare minimum.. I of course don't know your dog and his exercise needs. Is there a reason for his lack of exercise? If not, do realise: pent up energy can lead to a lot stress and fixation. And then try giving him more exercise: every day for at least an hour. It will probably make a huge difference. You also mention he seeks out dogs, even though he fears them: I've seen many dogs that are fearful of other dogs, but still seek them out. Either because their fear comes after their initial innate response to want to meet a dog, or because to your dog it's logical to seek out what is scaring him (if you're afraid of a spider, you definitely want to know where he is, and will try to find it). Don't dismiss fear, simply because your dog runs towards other dogs. Your training: It's good you're working with your trainer to desensitise. I do think that an hour is a bit too long. I'd shorten the sessions a bit. Your house: Is your dog only stressed in a certain part of the house? e.g. near the window you blinded? If so, you might be able to start with counterconditioning. Check out this video:

Sorry to hear you're having so much trouble. It's great you're doing everything you can to help him. Your dog sounds very stressed: the incident at the dog school was a severe panic attack. Did anything happen in the class to trigger it? What was your dog focusing on at that time? Or was he simply overwhelmed by everything around him? Could you tell us a bit more about him? What do you do with him on a regular day? Does he have specific things he's afraid of or reacts to? or is he simply anxious in general? Is he the same when you take him to quiet areas? Regardless, it sounds like it's something you won't be able to solve on your own. A severely anxious dog needs proper desensitisation, and counterconditioning, and might even need medication. As a novice dog owner, you won't be able to provide this. I'd go to a good dog behaviourist (make sure she / he has real experience, run away if they say the words dominance or alpha). If you don't know where to go, go to your vet first.

Wow, that sounds pretty serious. I hope you're doing ok now. The veering into your legs is hard to explain just from your text. It might be attention seeking behaviour (instead of jumping up, walking into you), but it could also be a response to anxiety (being afraid of something), or some form of avoidance (trying to avoid a touch or another stimulus), or it could simply be herding behaviour: the fact that she doesn't do it to cars etc. does not say too much about her herding drive, it could still be the cause of the problem. Before you know the cause, it's difficult to work on it constructively. Have you observed anything when she does it? so: - do you, or your other dog speed up a little, or change direction, right before she does it? - do you usually interact with her right before she does it? if so, what is the interaction? - Or does she do it when you've ignored her for a while? - have you seen signs of anxiety when she does it? like hair standing up, yawning etc.

What I did is get large pieces of fleece material from the market. This is sooo cheap, and pretty darn sturdy. You can cut them into three big strips and braid them together and make two knots at the end There is also a thing called a 'scooby doo knot'. Google it for instructions You could also crumple up a larger piece of fleece, into another piece and make a knot in it to make more of a stuffed animal type of toy. Squeakers can be bought separately (they're cheap). You can incorporate those in your toys. I did this lots of times: much cheaper than regular toys. It got destroyed plenty of times, but hey, it cost less than a dollar to make a new one

I can relate to this. I also live in a city, and thought about getting myself a border collie every week when I was in college, with the exact same reasoning: I don't want to put it off, I want this in my life, and my life is now. While generally speaking a great philosophy, I'm so so happy I ended up waiting until after college. Why? Because even now, with my really flexible work hours, my work from home situation and no intentions of moving to the UK for a year: it was a hell of a job raising a border collie in the city and keep her happy. And I had a boyfriend helping me out as well if I needed to go to some unplanned meeting all of a sudden. I couldn't have done it in college. It would have been a huge time consuming and life altering thing that I would not have been able to cope with. And I wouldn't have been able to pay for it either: keeping a border collie in a city requires quite a budget. The urban environment makes getting a border collie a bit more complicated: in my opinion it can definitely be done! But it requires even more time and effort! From your story alone: you sound like a great border collie owner, a person that a border collie would thrive with. But maybe not right now? Not just for the dogs sake, but also for yours..

This is so true. We underestimated the financials too. We spent SO MUCH money haha. I guess in terms of costs Border Collies are high up on the list, considering they need lots of formal training, and the gear that comes with that.

This sounds like a border collie owner to me Still, do consider the fact that even though you want to your dog to have the highest priority, you might end up in a situation where that's not possible, e.g. fulltime job with lots of travel time, needing to move into the city with no good areas for running and training your dog. If you think this will not happen, then go for it! And don't underestimate border collie puppies. Yes, very cute, but holy cr*p on a cracker, they're a lot of work. And you won't know what you've got until she/he is grown. Consider getting a rescue. Lots of border collies out there looking for someone that understands the breed.

While it is great you do all of this with your dog, I don't think it's the best schedule to advise to a new unexperienced BC owner (especially the car part??) Ionre, if you take away one thing it should be this: Exercising the mind trumps exercising the body. If you constantly run your dog for hours a day, he / she will build up stamina and expect this schedule every day. In my opinion, hyperness is NOT a characteristic of the breed. But inexperience, combined with a rigorous exercise schedule, has a high likelihood of leading to a hyper dog. So do agility or do obedience, or go herding once or twice a week. Incorporate trick training into your daily routine, and walk your dog the same amount you'd walk a regular working breed like a labrador. D'Elle gave great advice. I'd be hitting that like button too

Border collies can be very picky eaters. My girl is 16 kilograms (35 lbs), she gets Orijen kibble (three full hands, twice a day), or raw meat (complete fresh food, about 300 grams / 11 ounces a day). Every day she gets some kind of dried animal chew. With this diet, and a good amount of exercise, she stays on this weight. How long ago did you rescue him? What did he get fed before? Have you tried feeding meat instead of kibble? Do you take the bowl away after 10 minutes, or is food available all the time if he doesn't eat it?

Welcome! I think you need to consider a few things: First: 2 hours per day should suffice if you give a border collie what he needs: training & mental stimulation. Taking him / her running in the morning and then to the dog park in the afternoon will not cut it for most border collies. There are more laid back ones of course, that would do fine with this schedule, but a lot won't. You don't mention any formal training / herding / agility. Do you plan to incorporate that weekly / multiple times per week? Second: A puppy is A LOT of work and being away from home 5-6 hours a day wont work in the first months. So you either need to make more time in your schedule, or adopt a grown dog (your roommates won't be the solution here, raising a puppy is a big job) Third: You're in college now. When I was in college, I had lots of time too, and my schedule was very flexible. But what happens after college? Will you still have that flexible schedule and only 5-6 hours away from home? If you are convinced that all these questions have answers that a Border Collie would be happy with,Go for it! Border collies, in the hands of people that know what they need, are the best dogs in the world. Otherwise, I'd consider waiting a few years before making this commitment. It is in fact a lot of work, for hopefully 14-15 years . Getting a dog and realising it doesn't work is terrible for you and even worse for your pup. So be very sure about this, before you go ahead. And if you do, go to a responsible breeder, that does health tests, and matches you to a puppy.

I have a red tri, your pup doesn't look like a tri to me.. Very very cute. He seems like a handful with that cheeky look on his face. haha

gcv-border gave really great advice about your puppy's resource guarding. Scolding, or trying to stop him from growling, will only further the problem. I'd recommend reading this book on the subject to start constructively working on it once your puppy has lost some of its timidness: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23820.Mine_ About the timidness: my puppy had the same, to the extreme: almost yelling when there were dogs / cars / lots of energy around her on the street. I applied LAT training (Look At That training, also called the engage-disengage game). Twice a day for 5 minutes, for a few weeks, and that worked like a charm. Check it out here: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/91/c0/bf/91c0bff0f378a9899134b7581e993cd3.png Be sure to work at the right distance, find out when your dog is triggered, and work just a bit farther away. And make it fun! I always used to do this at the end of the walk. We'd stand on the curb, at a distance from some street with cars, and she'd get lots of treats. After a few weeks, she just started associating watching cars with fun and attention. If he's afraid of plastic bags, start by just laying one on the floor, go to the other side of the room and do that game. Working well? decrease the distance a few days later. Work your way up slowly to the point where someone else is maybe taking out the trash and putting a new bag in the bin. Also try searching the forum for "LAT training" or "Look at that training". Lots of people have written things about it. Good luck with him!