jkupshaw

I'd like to hear some advice on this as well. Mine is only 2 yrs old & she does the same thing. I didn't know if she was testing me or what? She's got a clean bill of health & shouldn't be so tired after 20 minutes or so. But she acts like she can't go another inch. Unless another dog comes along, then suddenly she has enough energy to play. Juli

Those are GREAT pics. Looks like the dogs are really enjoying themselves. Juli

Let us know if the boards on the ground work. I started my BC that way. Once she got used to walking & balancing on the boards, we moved to bigger things. We also went to kids' parks & climbed around on the slides & play structures. Just got her comfortable with going where I asked her, so that when we did start agility lessons, she didn't even question me. I got her from rescue, so had to gain her trust before asking her to do anything too scarry. Now, she just goes where I ask. She's so smart, all I have to do is point. It's amazing. Good luck.

Hi Jerry, I may be interested. Let me know what you have in mind. jkupshaw@yahoo.com

Joy, One thing that worked great for me was the Buster Cube. You put his food in the cube and let him work to get it out. Especially if he's going to be in a kennel all day, or sitting in the yard. When he's bored, he'll chew & dig. And about 100 other things. He needs to keep busy. Another good thing is to put peanut butter in a kong toy. He'll get better with age & training, but it takes patience & work. Agility is a good way to keep him mentally & physically fit, but if you don't have time for that, he'll be happy if you take him to parks & on daily walks. Also, most trainers will not take them for agility until they are well trained in obedience. Get a book on BC's. They help a lot.

Hi Tash, Here are a couple of sites I always like to send people to. http://www.bcrescue.org/faq.html http://www.bcrescue.org/bchorror.html Juli

Hi Rebecca, What I meant by "not letting him get away with anything" is just that. Make sure he understands ALL of the rules & never miss a correction. I don't know what you use for a correction. Find one thing that works for you & never change it. I always kept a short rope on Gabbies collar - 24 hours a day. So that every time she'd try to get away with something I could give a quick jerk & verbal correction. It was always the same - "Gabbie NO" &/or "OFF". So - establishing the alpha position. You might want to get a training book, but I'll tell you what my trainers had me do right from the start. First - set your ground rules. I was told never to allow her to go anywhere in front of me (meaning through doors, or in the house). So, when you go outside, make him sit/stay & wait until you go through the door first. Then call him out. Also, certain places inside are off limits. Your room, upstairs - if you have them. Your dog becomes a second or third class citizen - depending on how many people are in your household. He is able to watch you eat, but does not eat until you are finished. He must depend on you for everything - food, water, etc. These are a few of the basics. You decide his place in your family, but believe me - the behavior really changed once my Gabbie understood her place. I have 2 small children and wanted her to know that she came after them, so that she didn't hurt them. Gabbie never begs. When she gets treats, she immediately sits like a good girl & takes them carefully from my hand. She knows not to run around the house without my permission. She waits for me to go in/out before she comes in. Don't get me wrong - she's a BC. She runs, jumps, mows my kids over from time to time. But she knows her place & is much happier because of that. She doesn't get into trouble as often, because she knows her limits. She'll still try to get away with things, and I'll put a stop to it the minute I see it happening. I don't know if this helps - I'm rambling on. If you look at some training books, they'll give you more detailed info about establishing your pack & what your role is. Hmmm - I make my Gabbie sound pretty good. Now if I can figure out how to get her to wipe her feet when she comes in. LOL Juli

Hi Rebecca, It sounds like he's playing with you. But he should remember his training & behave himself. The herding instinct can be very strong in some dogs, but he shouldn't be herding anyone above him in his pack. Since he's had obedience training, he knows the heel command. Did your trainer tell you how to give corrections for the "naughty" behavior? He should be heeling when you run, and should not break or disobey a command. My BC used to nip at my kids' heels, but we broke her of that by enforcing the "OFF" command over & over & over again. She eventually learned that the nipping was getting her into trouble, and she stopped. I have a soft dog though. She can be stopped verbally because she's so anxious to please. I'm sure some of the more experienced BC owners can give some great advice. I only know what has worked for mine, and I listened to my trainer very closely. I also NEVER let her get away with it. Juli

Hi Jenny, I used to be gone all day as well, and by creating a strict routine, we were able to stop a lot of the "naughty" behavior. Left & came home at the same times daily. She knew when to expect us. Also, didn't get her excited when I got home, and gave a quick "bye" when leaving in the morning. I'd wait to pet her until she sat still. She learned that quickly. I also started obedience training right away, & practiced daily. The Buster Cube is great for keeping them busy. Put some tasty treats, or dog food in it & they'll work all day until the food is gone. I've also put peanut butter inside a Kong toy. That takes awhile to get out. Toys, chews, etc. Get them all. I'd be careful tying her up all day. I had to tie my Gabbie up once on a lead, and she got tangled constantly. I was afraid to leave her for more than 10 minutes. Or, if you have room for a run, those are safer. Just my personal thoughts. You might get some kind of kennel or a large crate so she'll be safer, if you're keeping her outside. Question: Why do you need to tie her up? Is she able to escape? Everyone made some great points. It takes a lot of work. BC's are not backyard puppies - they need a lot of attention & work. But they can learn a schedule just like a child does. Stick to it & exercise her mind daily. We named all of Gabbie's toys right from the start. Then at play time we can tell her which to get. Or we hide them & have her find them. Good luck - let us know how it's going. Juli

Ah yes - almost forgot. Lots of praise when they do it right!

Hi, My trainers had me put a short rope on my BC's collar - which stayed all the time. Every time she jumped, we'd give a quick yank on the rope & say "off" in a harsh tone. We tried the knee & pushing back - she'd just jump higher & try to get around us, knowing we'd step in to her. Depends on your dog's personality & how determined they are to get into your face. I still have to correct for jumping - unfortunately, if the pups are allowed to do so, they'll continue as adults. We got our BC at 5 months & it's been a long road, but we've broken her of this habit by never allowing it to happen. Now, we don't have the rope dangling anymore, but I'll give a reminder when she comes running up fast & is excited. By putting my hand down & saying "off" she calms down quickly - or jumps around away from me until she's wiggled the excitement out. LOL Juli

Thanks so much for all the great advice. I'm going to keep working on recalls and will go through a refresher course before we begin agility training. Juli

Thanks for the great advice. I've always used a verbal recall "COME" along with calling her name to get her attention. Since I've been working off leash - I've been using hand recalls - a pat on my leg after saying her name & she comes running. But when she took off - I couldn't even get her attention. A whistle sounds like a great idea. Maybe it will get her attention & I can call her back without yelling. Zebbie, you mentioned you had some recalls - any other ideas will be greatly appreciated. Juli

I've had my dog trained around feral cats (to be a distraction I hoped she'd forget), have 2 cats of my own & my dog understands that she cannot chase other animals while on leash. She doesn't even try. But does anyone have a success story for getting them to stop chasing while not leashed? And to remember their training? My Gabbie has never shown any aggression towards my cats, but went after a neighbor cat & would not stop until she lost it. It was like she was in a trance. She would not come back, until finally losing the cat. Then immediately knew she was in trouble for chasing, not to mention leaving the property. Is there a solution? Obviously, I'll never let her out unleashed again, but was wondering if I missed something in the training. Juli

Absolutely - if you've never had experience with a prong or choke collar - consult a trainer who has. It can be a useful tool for very stubborn dogs, but it's not intended to hurt the dog. You need to be shown how to give a correction that does not harm your dog - only show him that what he is doing is wrong.