loudlucky

Wollie likes pretty much "doggie" toys, but nothing says P-P-P-PLAYTIME like junkmail stolen from the postbox! Also he likes the plastic nesquick containers with a little bit of treats in them and will play until he opens them up... even if it takes all day! He also plays with pine cones... but, other than that he's a real good boy

I just tried your advice and put him in the harnass and gave him a very hard piece of dried ostrich chewy... while he chewed on that (after he bit my hand real bad before) I could actually hold him down and brush his back towards his butt... but I'm not allowed to brush his neck - this means he's still in control, yes?

Thanks for all the great info! Yep, I guessed that too! LOL He'll actually be ending up on his back with his feet in the air kicking me! I usually stop after a few minutes of him trowing a tantrum... and then I'll rather brush the other dogs - but in front of him so he can see that nothing happens to them while being brushed.... hasn't worked so far That's just it - his hair is perfect but I would like for it to stay that way and I've read that BCs nead regular grooming... and trust me if you have a Golden you know how to groom! LOL At first I thought it was the kind of brush (thought it scratched him) but even if I try with a soft brush he'll do the same! Someone told me to let him get used to the brush by 'playing' with it with him - will this help (sounds like some of your advice also?) While he's focused on the treats for other training he ignores it when it comes to grooming time! And believe me, he can be VERY focused on treats sometimes, but they don't work here... Will it help to put him in his harnass - this seems to calm him down a bit for most situations...

I've tried numerous times to brush him ever since he was a little puppy, but he doesn't like it and will either bark at it or start whining.... any ideas? He even gets in a few nips! (and he never tries to bite for anything else) The other dogs love having this kind of attention and when I brush them he starts to get upset!! I've even tried different brushes and he goes mad at them all - I'm starting to think someone must've whacked him with one before we got him? (I certainly don't think so, since the breeder was very relaxed and told us not to use that kind of punishment)

Hi! I have no idea or input as to what kind of breeds she is... but, she is one great looking puppy!! And I bet she's going to steal a lot of hearts as she grows up I understand your curiousity... I'd wanna know too, but it certainly wouldn't make me love her less, and I bet it's the same way with you too! Anyway enjoy her puppy days (while she's still innocent & sweet) Believe me, they grow up soooo fast and then they're not so innocent anymore LOL

I think that a lot of people don't realise that they actually cause a lot of the fights between dogs and that it's their responsibility to take care of their pets and to make sure that they don't attack another dog or at least keep him/her on leash to protect other people and their pets! We don't have dog parks here where I live so you can't let the dogs play off leash outside of your yard unless you have them trained good and there's an open field nearby... but still, I won't let my dogs off leash - not even when they're at obedience classes and there's dogs around that might be the in-your-face kind... If you wanna have them off leash you have to make sure you're in control 100% of the time! And it doesn't matter how trained certain dogs are - it's the people that really needs the training!!!

3Mmom, I've come to realize that certain dogs just don't like being crated up - no matter how pleasant you make it for them... my Golden Retriever has never liked being crated up indoors - no matter what I tried! But, Wollie (BC) loves it to be indoors and doesn't seem to mind when being crated - I just try to leave a chew toy with him or leave a TV/radio on like they've already suggested and he's 100% ok with it... I also think that maybe she had a bad experience at the pound regarding being crated? I think it's great that she decided to go into it herself - you're getting somewhere and it means she's warming up to the idea of being crated can be a good thing!!! And good luck with it in the future It really helps having them crate-trained...

Great!!!!! I also don't like that little guys (have no prob with them when they're your's but don't tell me to get one and keep 'em away from my walkies!!! I have the same problem when walking our dogs... most of the dogs here are in their yards, but every now and then there's this little poodles (those really lil ones... about a JRT size) and he wants to attack my dogs! I have told the owner and there was also complaints from other ppl but they don't seem to care... he jumps their fence when they're not home and then he can't get back! And that's supposed to be our problem??? Anyway I hope you don't have problems again with your little friend(?) LOL maybe he'll stay away from you now ;-)

Wollie does that too! He'll walk a little bit in the direction he would want to go, and then turn back as to say "hurry up, slow poke!" LOL They are just sooooo adorable!!! I don't know of any other dog (certainly haven't owned one) that'll do this

Well, he'll be 6 months old in August so he's not an adult But he's starting to behave like one... He only gets controlled playtime with them, otherwise he's either in his puppy pen or indoors... but he does tend to go on "overdrive" sometimes LOL I tend to believe that one too, based on my experience with our dogs and other dogs I know! ;-)

I was just wondering about a few things regarding having Wollie neutered next month... I've had our two other dogs spayed and the vet was very clear that it's big surgery and they needed to be kept quiet for at least two weeks (yeah right as if that happened!) but I was wondering if it's the same for a male? Is it that big a thing to heal from and do they need the same amount of quiet and non-active time? Also if that is the case - do you have any advice on keeping him still... except for locking up the poor guy in his crate the whole time... Will his attitude change towards other dogs (less bossy) or will he be the same little fella? The GR had quite an attitude change towards other dogs after being spayed... That's all I can think of right now, but I'm sure I'll come up with more later

I have no idea if it will air in other countries since it was filmed here in South Africa (license plate number...) and the other info on it (website...) is local too - but I really wanted you to see it, since I thought it was cute and kinda another way to advertise a car/truck...

Thanks, the book isn't available in SA as far as I could find out so I'll look into that... I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the advice and kind words - it's true that BC owners are the nicest persons in the universe!!!

I thought you lot would enjoy it too! It's so cute and I love how the dog that plays Spot looks - with the black round the one eye...

This Ford Ranger commercial just started airing here in SA and I thought I'd share it with you... it introduces you to a Border Collie named Spot - I have no idea if it's airing in other countries as well Ford Ranger Commercial 2007 "Meet Spot" You can just click on the link to either save it to your PC or to play it directly from there... Hope you enjoy it too

Sorry for the English - it's not my first language I mean't that the other dogs were taught to finish a bowl of food in a certain amount of time and if they don't eat all of it the bowl comes inside and they have to wait until its feeding time again b4 they get any... I was told not to 'free' feed them by their obedience trainer - has something to do with them being in ontrol and deciding when & what they want I was told... Wollie can be a bit of a bully at some times - I don't understand this... he would get 'on top' of the other two dogs (both of them are females and spayed) It doesn't matter what they were doing he would just get this idea to climb on top of them and try to flatten them I think! The Golden Retriever would sometimes tolerate this but other times she'd throw him off while the JRT would not allow this at all (she's the smallest but was here first so I think she has controlling issues, but that has never bothered her and the GR b4) When Wollie shows this behaviour I stop playtime and the dogs are seperated, but every now and again he'll do this again! He has the basics like sit, lie down, don't... but I can't get him to stay and he doesn't seem to understand the "don't" or "leave/drop" sometimes - or let's just say whenever he doesn't want to! It's difficult to start again from scrath! The other 2 are over the puppy stage and now he begins again - at least he picks up things quicker than the other 2 did! When we're playing and the game gets to an end he'll start to bring all the toys back to the box! So I thought "If he can do this he must be smarter than he wants us to think!" I think he's just very bossy & controlling at this stage! Also, I'm going to have him neutered the first week or so in August - will this change his behaviour towards the other 2 dogs... maybe make him less controlling or is that a BC thing? I'll have to check... I have a few books on dogs (actually a box full!) and those include Border Collie books and a few training ones, but I haven't heard of that one, nor have I seen it in the book shops... YES! and YES again!!!!! He's constantly around us... while the other 2 would be outside or wherever (especially the GR) he'll be literally on our feet the whole time!!! When he's inside he'll fetch a kiss every few minutes (just to make sure we still love him the most!!! And he knows he's the "baby" and gets spoiled! (I know we shouldn't but you can't say 'no' to that adorable face!!!!) I can say one thing though... He's totally behaved inside the house! While the other dogs jumped on everything and used to take stuff they weren't allowed to, he'd smell stuff but have not broken anything or taken anything he shouldn't have! This week when he got inside there was this stuffed ducky (that was bought 4 him, but not given to him yet) so he went up to the chair (where ducky was sitting) smelled it and sat in front of it as to ask "may I" so we told him he could have it and he took it straight to his crate! I thought it was soooo polite for him to "ask" first! And am I wrong in assuming that's why we have BCs???? LOL THey just get under your skin - and whatever else they can!!!

I have a photo that I'll post here for you guys to see if you think he's jumping too high, but I think so... And he tossed that one up himself! He doesn't have access to all the toys all the time... when he's outside in his puppy pen he only has a soccer ball and one of his fluffy toys. The other dogs will mostly have a few chew toys (only during the daytime) and also a soccer ball (that they don't touch) and two squeky toys - soccer dumbell and lil rugby ball (that don't actually have squekers in them!) the rest of the toys are inside and they only get some of it during playtime... that's the same with Wollie, whether he gets playtime with them or seperate of them, I try to rotate the toys so they don't get bored with them... But he still manages to steal their toys even if there's only one toy and one of the other dogs has it! I'm giving him a time-out in his crate then, but he doesn't seem to care... he'll do it again when he comes out just to start a chasing game! Also the other 2 dogs know they both get a bowl of food and they have to eat out of their own bowl, but he''l march over and take one of their bowl to eat out of - and that doesn't please my JRT at all - any ideas other than feeding him alone? I'd like to try to teach him some manners while he's still young... the others also know that if they don't finish a bowl of food they don't have to come begging b4 it's feeding time again - he seems to be ok with this if he's fed seperately inside the house, but has other ideas outside... I think there might be too much distractions outdoors for him? He doesn't seem to wanna consentrate too long on one thing - except when he wants to!

Our dogs have a rather large drinking bowl and Wollie has relieved himself in it more than once - and then the other dogs are like: "Now WE have to drink that???!!!! And that means cleaning the bowl and refilling it... again LOL Maybe they want the water to themselves???

Thnx, I do my best to keep the throws low but he chucks it up in the air himself - and then jumps up after it! I'm trying like mad to get him to stop but he thinks it's way more fun that way... so now the frisbees are 'locked up' for the time being (until I can figure out how to keep him on the ground) but now he's chucking the tugging ropes in the air too! I can't lock up all the toys!??! Any ideas? I'll check out the youtube vids when I get the chance - thanks for the tip

Welcome! They are beautiful dogs

Well, I have a Golden Retriever as well so you can imagine keeping her cool in the summer with that long&thick coat! We have a regular sized bathtub that in the garden and we used it to bath them (dirt, fleas, etc) but in the summertime we usually fill it about halfway and the GR and Jack Russell will go swimming by themselves! Wollie was still a lil pup when it was summer - he's spent most of his 'growing up' time in the fall and now winter here in SA, but as I mentioned it doesn't stop him to get into their (very large) water bowl! He has checked out the bathtub but it's not filled at the moment (except for some rainwater sometimes) but other than that we have waterbottles for the dogs (everyone has their own!) for when they go out for walkies or training... when we had out other 2 dogs at obedience training the trainer had (I don't exactly know what to call it) one of those ponds you put into the ground like for koi fish and she filled it up with water for the dogs to swim in! SHe also suggested throwing a wet towel over them to stop them from overheating... What about some ice cream??? ;-)

Tell me about it! I have the same problem... LOL Everybody here warned me not to throw his frisbee in the air for him to catch, but what about when he tosses it up in the air himself and then jumps (much higher!!!) to catch it again... and he doesn't just do it with the frisbee - he'll do it with anything he can get his teeth on!! Any help with that... he does it so quickly during the time we're playing before he brings the toy back he'll start amusing himself with it! How do I convince him to stop tossing it in the air to catch it??? He obviously thinks its more fun!

We just made the wall higher now with pointy fencing... Wollie can't get to the sharp edges but I don't think anyone will be sticking their arms over it anymore! I had no idea that ppl will actually take your pet from your yard! There hasn't been any dognappings here that I know of... maybe it's just kids being bad since its school holidays here now - they don't even live near here as far as I know! All the neigbours have either no kids or little children... Anyhow, he's safely inside now and will be until we can move his pen to a safer location and put the JRT on patrol there - btw she doesn't allow ANY arms over the fence... it's the way she's been since always, since the neigbour's kids (on the other side - but they're moved away now) have teased her since she was a pup, but I don't want to teach Wollie to be snapping or snarling at everyone at all! Thanks for the nice words of sympathy - I really got a shock! PS - the other 2 dogs (esp the JRT) wont allow anyone inside the yard without us being there and the gates are locked

Thanks for all the advice! Wollie most certainly loves playing tug games... I spent the whole week looking for different tug toys and got quite a few of them 4 him!!! I read in dog books that you shouldn't ever let the dog win a tug game - apparently he then thinks he is the boss... is it okay to let him win some times or not - I'm totally confused now! Well, his water bowl is big enough for him to get into it at the moment and we have an old tub that we fill up with water in the summer for the other dogs to bath in, so I assume he will like it too since he's already checked it out even though it's empty now in the winter Jeanine -> It's always nice to meet a fellow South African online even though you're living in the US now... wow, you have 3 BCs??!!! I assume you live on a farm since you mentioned they're working dogs? Thanks again for all of your friendly advice!

Thanks for all the advice! Wollie most certainly loves playing tug games... I spent the whole week looking for different tug toys and got quite a few of them 4 him!!! I read in dog books that you shouldn't ever let the dog win a tug game - apparently he then thinks he is the boss... is it okay to let him win some times or not - I'm totally confused now! Well, his water bowl is big enough for him to get into it at the moment and we have an old tub that we fill up with water in the summer for the other dogs to bath in, so I assume he will like it too since he's already checked it out even though it's empty now in the winter Jeanine -> It's always nice to meet a fellow South African online even though you're living in the US now... wow, you have 3 BCs??!!! I assume you live on a farm since you mentioned they're working dogs? Vickkers -> Hope you heard good stories, it's a beautiful country to live in! and YES I think he knows that he's stealing! Thanks again for all of your friendly advice!