ericspin

So glad to read this thread. My 11 month old boy, Cael, who has been a dream.....up until now, is also really losing focus. Used to walk _heel_ almost flawlessly. Now he’s testing me at the end of his leash. But I can still call him back into place but it seems like I’m doing it every 2 minutes. Acting like a fool as we greet other dogs while out walking. I think I may be walking him too long. I think he may be getting bored with it and his prey drive is STRONG. Those two things don’t go well together. Maybe shorter obedience sessions with some short walks in between. Looking forward to the neutering and hoping it may shift him into a cooler head. I remember this happening with my last BC before Cael but don’t remember the age. Anyway, thanks for reminding me to be patient and that he’s not going off the deep end.

I am working out of town (Jacksonville, Fl) and am living in an apartment while I am here. Fortunately I have a fantastic 42 acre private dog park (DogWood Park) within minutes of the apartment. Matsi is 1.5 yo and had never been socisalized that much until I came here as I have a large backyard and two other dogs. Not to say he has not been socialized at all just not much. I notice that when we are at the park he has very little tolerance for dogs that want to give him the eye or show any level of dominance. He'll start snipping at them and chase them off. I am also taking him to a a fantastic dog day care (Bark Avenue, complete with a bone shaped wading pool) while I am at work and he does better every day with the socialization thing there. No bad incidents to report but I am afraid if he acts out this behavior on the wrong dog....... There are a fair share of pits and other brands of bulldogs and just lots of other big dogs. I try to make sure he has his distance from them but it's inevitable they are gonna come face to face. What do you guys think about this?

Living in the swamp here in Florida, my dogs chase lizards and frogs all the time. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT SOME TOADS ARE DEADLY. We lost our Westie last year to an encounter with a Bufo toad. We now routinely catch and freeze them and then discard them. Our Westie was a special guy and this was a horrible experience watching him deteriorate over the course of three days and then succumb to kidney failure. Painted_Ponies, do you have these in your area? Maybe worth a web search or ask your vet. My BC doesn't really pay any attention to them but our terriers (earth dogs) serch them out. Never had any issues withe type of lizards we have in our area. Eric

Well, it's nice to know me and Matsi are not the only ones doing this. I guess what I need to do is to put my (well, really my wife's) Westie in the house while Matsi figures this out. When Matsi drops the ball and I try to wait him out, Tommy (the Westie) will pick it up and bring it to me. Tommy is really good at fetch but his problem is that he's not long-legged enough to get the ball in the first place. Anyway, maybe I should put him up and work this out with Matsi. FWIW, Matsi is my first BC and he and I have the most special bond. He and I just seem to _get_ each other. My wife laughs at me beacause I have never had patience for a puppy yet I treat him like a little baby. Glad this forum is here - I have really learned a lot about the breed from all of your posts. If I can figure out this _post a picture_ thing I will get a picture of him loaded up. Blue and white and the older he gets the more wavy the hair gets on his back. Thanks, Eric

My pup, Matsi, is 5 months and trips me out every day. We are becoming best of buds and he and I play fetch every night after work. He loves to go catch the ball but only brings it back half way. When I say "bring me the ball", he just circles it but won't pick it up and bring it to me. Some days he brings it closer than others. I have two terriers that like to play the game too but they tire of it quickly whereas Matsi will chase it forever. Suggestion? It seems like the older he gets the better he does but I don't want to reinforce a bad behavior by going to get the ball where he dropped it (hmmm, maybe he is training me). When he still has it in his mouth and I say "bring it all the way" he will typically just drop it, what gives? Thanks, Eric

I talked to the contact person for the SDT you are speaking of and she said as long as my pup was on a leash and behaving that he was welcome. See you there.

What is the address? Here in Tampa we have one that has been in the pet classifieds for weeks , that I know of. Something like all _all around border collies_ or something. Seems like the advertised price is around $400.00. Sounds fishy to me.

Yesterday I posted a response to a topic that has been ongoing for a couple of days. In my response I suggested a particular breeder. As I was typing the post I was having second thoughts. Then a couple of other members questioned whether it was a good practice to call out breeders names because of the controversy that could stem from such. In hindsight I wish I had not posted my response. I am very new to BC's and I probably do not have the knowledge to be _suggesting_ what others might do. It is sad to me how many breeders out there seem to be breeding for color, etc. and ignoring the true nature of the breed. In fact, I chose the breeder that I eventually purchased from based on the fact that he was born on a ranch by working folks. When I drove up to the house the first time I went to see the puppy several of the breeders dogs greeted me. It was clear to me that this was not a puppy mill but a place where the dogs were appreciated for what they were originally intended. Anyway, please excuse my _new to this forum_ mistake.

Beside being nuts about my new BC puppy and trying to soak in all the info I can here I also am an avid cyclist. I am an active member of a cycling forum that recently tried this by creating on OT section. It died pretty quickly. It seemed to be just a bunch of rambling about nothing in particular. I am new here but I kind of like the peppering of OT subjects mixed in a General classification. I agree with others that if you follow the forum throughout the day the OT subjects add a little variety.

Yes, I am working with the folks at KETCH. Mike suggested the Gentle Leader collar last night but I chose not to use it. You guys have any experience with the Gentle Leader? I really believe it is just an excitement bark. His fear bark is more like screaming. I would say that he is definitely barking at dogs and not peopole. I have been socializing him quite a bit but maybe you are right -- just too much stimulation.

Hi, my name is Eric and I am new to the forum. I have a 15 week old blue and white BC puppy that is quite the trip. We have been doing great and he is fitting right in to our pack. My wife and I also have a 9 month old Westie and a 6 year old Welsh terrier. There is lot's to tell but let me skip to the topic of the moment. We (me and Matsi) are enrolled in a puppy obedience class. Last night was lesson two. The first week was basically listening to the instructor about an overview of the class, which Matsi slept through. Our assignment for this week was sit and down _easy enough_ right? Matsi has done great all week with these commands and we even added _shake_ while we were at it. So last night we go to class to show off. There are 11 other dogs in the class ranging from a Bichon to Greyhounds. The facility where the class is held is owned by folks who are BC people. Well, Matsi proceeds to bark and bark and bark and........ He was totally not focused. I spent about an hour at home throwing the ball for the pack before class thinking it would give him an outlet and let him focus at class. I intentionally did not feed him so that he would be interested in the _reward_ (read food) after the command. I was very disappointed because he had been doing great all week. Anyway, this barking thing is nuts. I guess I will have to break out the spray bttle (water) like I have with past GSD puppies. Are these guys typically barkers? Thanks for any info. I have been reading this forum religiously since I made the decision to go BC back in November. It has been invaluable.

Well, I am new to the board also. And I am a BC first timer. I have had GSD all my life and when my female passed away last November I decided I wanted to get a BC as I had always wanted one. My little guy is also blue and white and I am also from Florida (maybe there is something in the water). My vet did warn me about the alopecia and I have read tons on the internet about it. She also said that since it was a diluted gene there could be more of a risk for problems with immune system but she did not seem to be overly worried about it. I figure I will just watch him closer than usual. Where in Florida are you? I got my blue and white guy (Matsi) from a farm breeder in Williston. Eric