Pixie

Hubby took Rose (6 month old) to vets on Saturday as she was biting the base of her tail like crazy. Turns out it was her anal glands, which were promptly emptied and she was given an injection. The vet told my husband that it was unusual for a border collie to have this problem. What are the causes, could it be diet related and is it likely to continue. I had my other dogs until they were 15 and I never encountered this. Thanks for any help!!

Hi River I was surprised to hear your puppy is 37lbs as he looks dinkier than Rose. She is only 29lbs but is long legged and long necked. Actually, a bit like a miniature giraffe with laaarge prick ears!! I think she is 20" at the shoulder. She just looks more gangly than your puppy. We went out again today and she was much improved on the leash. Mind you I am walking her up and down the pavement in our road. She starts to pull a bit when she sees the nice grassy areas, so I keep her off them for a while then give her permission to have a sniff of the perfumery when I decide. (Getting the hang now of, I'm in charge!!)I will leave it quite a while before she is tested on the promenade! But it is an improvement. No improvement however in the jumping up department. She has now started to settle down after someone has come in, then goes up and suddenly jumps up at them when they are sitting in the chair, knocking them backwards. Good job we are friendless and the only people who call at the house are my kids!! I read today that another trick is, when they have jumped up, hold their paws a little longer than they want you to before letting them down and this might make them less inclined to jump up again. The author hasn't seen Rose walk around the kitchen on her back legs, whilst leaning her front paws on anything available. She looks like a human. Of course, she does this when she thinks I'm not looking! I have started to introduce the clicker tonight by clicking and giving her treats, so that she knows what it's all about. Mind you I have to admit when I went out today with her, I took the clicker and some treats but, honestly I had to give up. I just didn't have enough hands to handle the blasted lead, the clicker and the bag of treats. I was getting in a right state. I bet I gave a few of the neighbours a laugh anyway. I know Rosie was quite bemused with it all, and learned a few curse words to boot. I just don't seem to be able to co-ordinate it all. In the book I am reading at the moment, it says when the dog gets use to the clicker you can start using the target stick as this is very effective. Anybody had any success with that? PS I have asked my son to take a few snaps of Rose and put them on the site so that you can see the ears!!! Thanks Carole

River He sure looks like a wild-eyed boy!! Yes, you caught the look wonderfully. How old is he in this picture. He only looks small. Rose did that "bow and barking" behaviour again today, but this time I said, ok what would you like to play. Also when on our morning walk, we started the "stopping" routine and I have to say by the end of the walk she was improving. So watch this space! I have today been reading The Dog Whisperer (needless to say the ironing is still sitting in the laundry!!)and it was one of the author's preferred methods as well. Hubby is still in the garage (9pm) making two gates. The fencing went up today and tomorrow he is making Rose a kennel and a sandpit, so by Monday she will have a nice new garden area which is a good size. Chris will put her in there if he has to go out without her and she won't need to be in the crate inside. She can now stay outside to enjoy the fresh air. I feel so much better today. Much more confident, thanks to your support. Thanks again. Carole

Thank you all so much for taking the time to post advice. It is midnight now and I have just been reading the latest posts and I feel so much better. It is really like being part of a support group. I have read so much on the internet and now in books regarding BC's and some of it makes you a bit scared. Especially when it says, "your dog should not be allowed to do .............. or the result will be the end of the world as we know it!! and you think, hell I have let Rose do that!! For example she has recently started to stand in the middle of the lounge, crouched low on her front legs with her bum and tail up in the air and started to bark whilst jumping forward slightly, with her eyes looking rather wild. What's all this about? Is she wanting to just play or what!! Is she getting bolshi. After reading the post that said Rose probably wanted to play when I was coming back to the house, I thought about it and yes, in retrospect, maybe that was exactly what she wanted to do, but her approach was not exactly acceptable. Is this behaviour the same. I suppose really, it is all a learning curve. Rose and I learning to read each others body language and behaviour. It is just that I get scared that I might not be doing the right thing at times, which in turn will result in a problem dog. I just don't know what I would do, because I love her to bits (even though I don't seem to have a life of my own any more!) Before I came to bed, I just had to go to her crate and open the door and have a little hug and a chat with her before coming upstairs to bed. I knelt down on the floor to open the door and in the semi-darkness she quietly came out and sat in a begging position with her legs on my shoulders and her head pushed right into my neck. I told her I was sorry for being cross and do you know, she gave me lots of kisses and I think she forgave me. Tomorrow I will try much harder!! Thanks for being there for me and Rose folks. Must get to bed now. Hubby and I are making an outside run for Rose tomorrow, so that she can safely enjoy the outdoors now that Spring is around the corner.

Hi River Me again, I forgot to tell you, I do stop and walk backwards if Rose pulls me. I read it on this board a couple of weeks ago (it might have been one of your posts). As you say, the walk takes forever, but who cares. Like you, I don't expect her to walk to heel, but to walk in front if she likes, but without pulling. She is mostly fine with traffic, just the odd engine she doesn't like the sound of. I get her to sit when a car is approaching when we are walking where there is no pavement. Thanks Carole

Hi River I posted a reply to other posters and have just read yours. No I am not with Rose all day, as I work full time but she is at home with my adult son who takes her out for walks and plays games with her. After her midday meal he puts her in her crate in a quiet room and she usually has a couple of hours sleep (and he has a much needed rest). I also put her in her crate in the evening if she won't settle down properly and becomes to demanding. I put a nice bone or chewy in with her and so she doesn't see it as a punishment. I do let Rose know that I am really pleased when she gets things right, but I will take your advice and start to really get excited (either Rose will become more enthusiastic or my husband will have me seen to). I will also put her in her crate for an hour or so before training and see if this makes me more interesting!! (Surely I will be if I am waiting for her with a sausage in my mouth). It's a good job I am talking to BC owners. Other people would think I was crackers!! Tonight Rose was really behaving badly when I walked her back down the garden to the house. She started biting on her lead and tugging very hard backwards, whilst growling (not in an aggressive manner). I shouted at her to behave, so she stopped and started to play with her football. I left her on the patio and went inside. A few minutes later my husband let her in. She shot passed him and through two rooms looking for me. On finding me, she lunged at me, and started kissing and fussing me as though to say, are we friends! I was so surprised by this. Thanks for the help. Carole

Hi Rose hasn't had her toys or been playing fetch for nearly two weeks, as she has just been spayed and I didn't want her damaging herself. Funnily enough I started carrying her favourite ball around (bell inside) in my pocket and she can sometimes hear it tinkling so she comes around me a bit quicker than usual hoping to be able to play. We were asked by the trainer at classes not to feed our dogs before class so that there are no "accidents". I haven't tried the treat in mouth trick though. I might have a go at that. I have noticed this last week that she is starting to ignore me occasionally when being asked to sit. She will respond during a training session but at other times can turn a deaf'n. Mind you I never let her get away with it. Thanks Carole

Thanks for replying. A few weeks ago, the trainer used Rose to show the class how to get their dogs to walk to heel. She held a titbit close to Rose's nose and, you know what I am going to say, Rose walked close to her hand, without any snapping for the sausage. She did it perfectly. Whether it was because it was somebody who she thinks is more fun I don't know. I do play a lot with Rose, catch, fetch, hide and seek, football (she's great in goals!) and she really seems to enjoy herself. I tried the pinch collar quite a long time ago, when I first started to take Rose to the obd classes, and when out walking. She ended up losing all the fur on the right side of her neck through continually pulling, so I discarded that collar. Do you think it is because I seem to be the one in the household who has to chastise her when she is naughty. The one who has to put in her eye drops, do the body checks etc. My husband doesn't do a lot of "that" sort of stuff. She just doesn't look up at me as though to say "ok, mum, what's next". She always looks pretty miserable when training. Only seems to get interested if there is a ball involved. I have just finished "Understanding Border Collies" by Barbara Sykes who says not to use toys much when training dogs and also not to use titbits as they should be doing it to please their owner. Somebody had better let Rose in on that one! ps I have put her toys away so that she can get involved with playing with me more. Thanks again for any advice

Hi I just wondered if somebody could give me some advice regarding my BC girl, Rose. She is 6 months old and haslearnt the basics sit, stand, down, stay, wait (for food, going through doors etc). However, getting her to heel on the lead or even to walk at a resonable speed when at obedience class or at home isn't possible and taking her on walks is a nightmare. I have tried the Halti, and that wasn't successful. She is now on a harness which is better than the collar and I don't have to worry about her larynx!! When I say she ignores me, I mean when I try to get her attention to look up at me and watch me, as I see other dogs doing with their owners, Rose just completely ignores me and looks the other way. It doesn't matter how I use my voice or if I hold a titbit in my hand (she usually tries to snatch the titbit). I have tried using her favourite toy to get her attention and that only results in her jumping up to get it and gets her excited. When training with her, she will sit, stand, stay etc, but she puts on a "hang dog look", she looks at me, then looks away, and then looks at me out of the corner of her eye. Is it normal and due to her young age, or is she just a dog that is not very attentive. Or is it me, am I doing it wrong. She is very nosey little girl, hence her nickname "Nosey Rosie". On two occasions, it has only been my quick action that has saved her from walking straight in to a lamp-post whilst on her walk. She is always looking elsewhere. Also, it is like taking a bloodhound on a walk, she always has her nose on the ground, regardless of how many times I ask her to "leave it". She doesn't seem to want to please, as I keep reading in the books. Any suggestions? PS Actually she sounds a whole lot like my kids!! Carole

Hi Everybody I posted a couple of weeks ago regarding over exercising my young BC. Many thanks to those who replied to this post. I felt more reassured after reading your replies. I have only just caught up with your replies as I have been away for 2 weeks (with Rose). Tassie said that there was "baby agility" and "baby search" that I could do and I wondered what these meant. Also, I want to buy a couple of books, one on rearing a BC and another which teaches me to teach Rose tricks. She is doing ok with her basic sit, stand, down, stay, wait for food etc. but I would like to teach her other things to keep her happy. I have been on Amazon and there are to many!! I was thinking of one of the following "How to Teach your Dog to Talk" by Haggerty, "The Everything Dog Training and Tricks Book by Bielakiewicz or "Dog Tricks for Dummies", for the tricks. Can anyone suggest an all round book for the rearing and caring for a puppy/young dog/adult. I don't want to make any more mistakes!! It's a bit difficult when there are so many books on offer and I know that some of them will not be as good as others. Any help would be much appreciated. PS I was worried about taking Rose on holiday because she had only just started to get good with housetraining (or I had been trained!) but she was wonderful. In fact, she started to go to the outside door and whine to go out, so then I knew that she had finally gotten the idea! PPS What is a "holey roller" Thanks in advance.

I have a 5 month old BC called Rose who is very, very active. I have been allowing Rose to chase a ball on the beach and also have been taking her two walks a day for about 40 minutes. I have been told that this is far too much exercise for her at this age, and should be using her energy up by doing more training. She has been attending obedience classes since 12 weeks and I do short regular training sessions with her during the day. However, I have also been told that they can get bored doing the same training over and over again. I didn't exercise her as much today as I was told 25 mins twice a day on a lead or sedate exercise off lead is enough (How do you get her to slow down off the lead!!). She drove me crazy tonight, as she was full of energy. Could I have damaged her by letting her have too much exercise? I am a bit worried about it all, as I have been reading that HD can be caused by over exercise when young. HELP!!