gcv-border

Not sure how long these last, but this company sources USA and doesn't use chemicals. These seem to fit your criteria. I have not used them but am impressed by how 'clean' they seem based on their marketing claims. I just bought the large cow ears, which I cut in 1/2 before giving to my dogs (4). They lasted about 10-20 minutes depending on which dog. https://smile.amazon.com/Sancho-Lolas-6-inch-Grain-Free-Boutique/dp/B01HK470B0/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3S9WZKXNIU4ZG&dchild=1&keywords=sancho+and+lola&qid=1613677929&sprefix=sancho%2Caps%2C265&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExQ1U1QzgwTkhVTzRXJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjcwMzE1MTlPOTRHMTVYWDc0RyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjIyMzIwMUdTMkJTVFoyNk8yTiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

The first thing I would do is check her teeth. Are they clean or do they have tartar on them? Depending on how dirty they are, you could get her checked out soon by a vet, or if they aren't too bad, try attacking the problem yourself until Jessie's next check-up and make sure you have a conversation with your vet about her teeth and bad breath. In the short term, I would consider getting a doggie toothbrush and toothpaste and trying to brush them. Also, (as recommended to me by a vet), give her a Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic dog chew once a week. She says her dogs' teeth have never been so clean. I just started using them so can not provide a review. Other people use raw, meaty bones once a week or so to keep the dog's teeth clean. It may be something else, but I would start with checking out her teeth.

** I give him lots of praise for checking in, we play hide and seek, and I will also change directions on him when he hasn’t checked-in to keep him on his toes. I’ve learned to trust that he will find me (the nose goes!), but after heavily practicing recall, we need the next level up. ** I have re-read your OP and the replies. In response to one reply, you say that he loves food, and you also say (above) that you give him lots of praise for checking in. TBH, giving him praise is sort of a ho-hum reinforcement. When I train recall (which is of critical importance), I pull out the REALLY AWESOME reinforcements in the beginning, and intermittently even once the recall is pretty solid. Each dog will have a hierarchy of reinforcements. You should note which reinforcements the dog will accept, but are so-so about, vs the reinforcements that they go crazy over. For some dogs, treats are the best, and for other dogs, toys are at the top of the hierarchy. (For example, I have a dog that is so toy-focused that I can drop chicken on his head while he stares at a toy, never budging to eat the chicken.) Also, note that running away from your dog will activate their chase instinct and add even more excitement and fun to recall training. To be specific, when I start recall training, I bring out the awesome treats or toys. I will work somewhat closely and note which reinforcers excite the dog the most. Then I will wait until the dog starts wandering away, call his name and your recall word (Spot Come) and run like heck in the opposite direction. With a puppy, I will wait until they are only about 5-10 feet away and then I only have to run away for a few steps. When they catch up to you, keep up the energy in your voice when you praise them and give them awesome treats (or play tug with a tug toy). Since you are training an older dog that already knows recall, but you want to get a better/faster/more consistent recall, wait until he is about 20-30 feet away, then try the "Spot Come" and run away. See what he does. Does it create excitement for him? Great. (Try it a few times because he may be confused at first before he catches on to the game.) I like to incorporate some of the chase recall training even in my older dogs to try and keep them sharp.

Adorable little girl! I hope you can continue to update us, and am glad that this forum has been helpful.

Thank you for rescuing Rooster. He sounds like a gem. You have only had him for a very short time, and are expecting too much from him. It is too much to expect the type of connection and obedience you are currently asking for after only 2 1/2 months, when he has had 6 YEARS to practice unwanted behavior. I wouldn't expect the level of distant connection that you want for at least 6 months to a year. Just be patient. Continue to do everything you are doing to increase confidence and to build a connection. IMHO, using a collar at this stage may backfire. Again, PATIENCE will be your friend. Until he can respond at a greater than 30 foot distance, just keep him on a long line. It sounds like if you keep up the positive training, he will eventually respond at 35, 40 and 50 feet, and so on - but it will take time. (There is that pesky patience again.) **I’ve purchased a remote collar(beep vibrate shock) and am learning how to use it before I put it on him. I just can’t call him or tell him to wait every time he hits my personal boundary for proximity.** Again, at this point in time, don't take the lazy way out. It may break the trust you have built so far. (Note, I am not against e-collars, but only consider them for life and death situations. I understand that you may grit your teeth when he won't respond as you had hoped after putting all that training into him (although 2 1/2 months is nothing). I adopted a 13 month old that had been allowed to run the fence with the neighboring horses. She had definitely developed an OCD complex about chasing/running. She would just run for the joy of it. To make a long story short, it was about 16-18 months before I could trust her (on my own land) to stay within sight. Whenever I went off my land, she was always on a long line. Unfortunately, I lost her to epilepsy when she was 3 years old so never did see her potential.

..........or maybe I am expecting too much so early? ........ Yep. Keep doing the little things you are doing, but just being patient and allowing her brain and impulses to grow up and calm down. Age will be your friend.

Seding condolences to you. That'll do Masi.

Agree with Journey and amc. Using a crate for a (short) timeout, if done calmly, is fine and should not have negative repercussions. I do it with my puppy, but she still runs to her crate when I tell her 'kennel up". I also treat her (a few pieces of kibble) when she does 'kennel up'. Putting him outside for punishment is like sending a kid to their room for punishment, but that room has a TV, mini-fridge, cell phone, etc. No punishment (removal of privileges) is being accomplished. Again, the timeout doesn't need to be long. Try a minute or two at the start, repeat as needed when Gabe rushes at dotty. If he still doesn't show any improvement after a couple of days, then you may need to increase the timeout by another minute or two. Don't forget that being consistent is one of the most important parts of training.

Welcome to this site, Wade. There are many knowledgeable, long-time border collie owners here willing to give great advice. I have just a couple of minutes, so will be brief. IMHO, Gabe is not jealous. He is being territorial and claiming you as his. Dotty should not have to deal with his aggressive behavior in her old age. You definitely do not want it to escalate more. There are several strategies, but I would start with not allowing Gabe on your lap any longer until he can behave (no more nipping). Put him on a leash and let him lie quietly next to you. Dotty should be able to walk by without him bothering her. If he is on a leash, you can hold him back from nipping her. But primarily use a LOT of rewards for calm behavior in the presence of Dotty. For example, if Dotty comes into the room, and he remains calm, give him a food reward and/or a pet. If he tries to pounce on Dotty, he should be removed from his special place next to you. (Lead him into a bathroom or other small room for a 'timeout' of a minute or two. You don't have to scold him. Just do it calmly.) Then bring him back to sit next to your chair. Rinse and repeat. Generally, he will begin to get the idea after a few times, but because his behavior is so ingrained, I predict you will have to reinforce his good behavior and also remind him of the consequences of his bad choices for quite a while. As far as poor Dotty eating, at this point, I would feed her in a separate room (door closed). Or at least keep Gabe leashed up until she finishes her meal. That is a behavior I will not tolerate in my dogs and quickly take action to either manage it, or train them to leave the other dogs alone while they are eating. I am sure you will receive more good advice.

That was lovely. :-)

So sorry to hear that your time with your dog may be short. I like your plan for spoiling her.

I definitely prefer border collies, but have wondered about other high-energy, intelligent breeds (Brittany, Malinois, Dutch Shepherd). I love that they love to train. I have had a dog (rescue sheltie mix) that needed a lot of motivation for training, and I was not good at that.

Cool. How did you do that?

Fingers crossed for a specific diagnosis that can be treated.

I hope you can figure this out. I hate it when a dog, especially a senior dog, doesn't want to eat. Another suggestion: my rehab vet suggested canned mini-raviolis. Many of her clients would eat those to get over the hump of not eating. I tried them before mirtazapine, and they helped with another day or two of eating, but then my dog was back to no interest in meals. Luckily, my general vet suggested mirtazapine at that point.

OMG. I vacationed in SD about 8 years ago, and LOVED Custer.

Agree with encouraging him to join this forum. He is an adult and should take this responsibility seriously. We are here to answer his questions in a no-nonsense manner with many people having decades of experience. He should also use the search function to read past posts which are a goldmine of information. (actually, I think he can read past posts without joining this forum if he prefers not to join.) Also agree with the 12 YO as a bad idea due to lack of knowledge. I can envision many scenarios where mishandling of a young, impressionable border collie puppy could lead to undesirable, if not disastrous, results. Pee pads: IMHO, just the lazy man's way to get out of walking the dog. (I have also heard some people say they felt it took them longer to house train their pup when using pee pads.) If your son wants an "adventure buddy", he can start now. Take the dog out for a walk multiple times per day -- when he gets up, 10-15 minutes after eating, after an exciting play session, or just because it has been 2-3 hours since the last trip outside. Crates are wonderful training/management tools when used appropriately. I can not imagine raising a puppy without one. BTW, when your son brings the pup into his bed after he quits whining, the pup has successfully trained your son. These are SMART dogs. As far as a book to have on hand, I highly recommend Dr. Patricia McConnell. Any of her books are great. I am sure she has a puppy raising book. I currently have a 12 week old puppy that is FULL of energy. I am sure that she would end up being passed on if owned by a newbie. Luckily, I have had 5 pups in the last 14 years under my belt, but she stills takes a lot of attention.

When my dog was prescribed mirtazapine, she showed no signs of nausea, other than not wanting to eat her meals despite trying many delicious options. She would eat treats normally. As I said above, another option - and it was fairly inexpensive. IIRC, it was about $25/month for my 30 lb dog.

Another suggestion: when my 16-17 year old sheltie rescue started not wanting to eat, my vet said "let's try mirtazapine". It was a fairly inexpensive drug, and she prescribed a month to start to see if it would work. Within 24 hours, she showed an interest in eating. Mirtazapine is used to treat depression in humans, but my vet said that it works as an anti-nausea drug in dogs. I would never have guessed that she was nauseous, but the drug worked - however it worked. She was on mirtazapine until she passed at 19 years of age

Sorry for the late reply. I wanted to respond earlier, but for some reason, I can not sign in on my phone, and it took me a few days to get to my computer. I agree that looking for another training facility/trainer is a must. There is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON that a puppy needs training with a choke collar (or e-collar). I get that a life-or-death situation might require a more drastic training approach (after other methods have failed), but I usually associate something like that with an adult dog. No puppy should have to deal with a life-or-death situation. Note: it takes a period of time to train and proof behavior in pups/young dog. Until then, I don't let them run free to get into life-or-death situations. They are carefully managed, usually with a long line to limit their freedom. In my area, one of the "top" dog training businesses (2 locations in neighboring cities) uses e-collars - although they use a euphemism to make the e-collar sound gentle and non-damaging. They do a lot of marketing, and because of positive reviews on social media, they have the rep of a 'top' training school. To find another trainer, it may also be beneficial to ask around to see if there are any private trainers that can help you - if you are unsuccessful finding a larger facility. As an aside: about 6 years ago, I was in a young dog (not puppy) class at a local facility with an owner/trainer that uses only positive reinforcement methods. One day, an older gentleman and his wife showed up with a very exuberant youngish (maybe a year?) golden retriever. The older gentleman was physically fragile and wanted to get a handle on his dog's behavior --- but he didn't want to participate in the training exercises and constantly pushed back against the instructor when she asked him to remove the choke collar. I heard some snippets such as "well, I have always used a choke collar. There is nothing wrong with it." As I was leaving the class, I could see that the instructor and the man were in serious conversation. I never saw him again after that one class. :-)

So sorry to hear about Masi. I see you tried Composure liquid. Along the same lines, have you tried a dog calming pheromone diffuser? Both vets I use have started using them. They are plugged into a wall socket. It may help to have one near where she eats, and maybe one near where she sleeps. As far as diet, a rehab vet I used (before she retired) recommended canned mini raviolis. In her experience, it seemed to appeal to many dogs and was used until the dog returned to a more normal eating pattern. Maybe an slightly elevated food bowl to make eating easier. My oldster (13.5 years) does better when his bowl is raised. (4-6 inches)

Crate.

I have 3 border collies that I can recall off any type of game - even when in chase mode. (I don't hunt, but often walk the fields and woods.) I started recall work the week I got them as puppies. I did not use an e-collar. It would probably take longer to teach an instantaneous type of recall when starting with an older dog.

Here are 2 paragraphs from the link that urge to herd posted that should clear things up. Registration with the American Kennel Club, United Kennel Club, the Kennel Club (UK), Federation Cynologique Internationale, Australian or New Zealand Kennel Clubs, or any such body will not be accepted as a basis for registration with the ABCA. Dogs or bitches which have been named a “Conformation Champion” by a conformation registry are not eligible for ABCA registration, even if they otherwise meet the requirements for registration. The ABCA will de-register any ABCA registered dog or bitch should it be named a “Conformation Champion” after January 1, 2004, and will not register the offspring of any dog or bitch named a “Conformation Champion” after that date. The first bullet point says that AKC registration is not accepted if you try and register a dog with ABCA. It does not prohibit someone from registering and ABCA dog with the AKC. Although, why would you want to? The second bullet point explains that any ABCA dog that achieves the title of Conformation Champion for a kennel club (AKC, CKC, etc.) will be lose its ABCA registration.

From my understanding, the ABCA pulls the registration of a dog that wins a championship title in the AKC conformation ring. Any of the other activities that AKC offers titles for (agility, CGC, nosework, herding (GAH!), etc) will not affect the ABCA registration. Please double check with AKC. I agree with D'Elle with respect to AKC. I prefer to participate in alternate venues - of which there are many.