Mickey is Soooooo Funny!

[Suzyann13]

We have a huge dog pen I use to exercise Mickey in. I always sit in a chair in the pen and watch him while he runs around and chases toys I throw for him. The pen is about 35 feet by 45 feet, and the longer side is along a dirt road on our property, with trees on the other side.

 

When we go out at night, I sit in the chair in the pen and keep a flashlight on him while he runs around or does his duty. Every night he runs straight to the fence along the road and looks for what he thinks is his "friend" dog, but is really a double shadow. For some reason, he gets a shadow on the ground next to him and also one on the trees across the road. When he sees it, he tears back and forth along the fenceline by the road, looking at the other "dog" and giving a slight gruff sounding "woof" once in a while. Then he will run to find a toy, run back to the fence, shake the toy at the "shadow dog," and run back and forth along the fence.

 

It's also funny that in the daytime, he looks for his shadow friend in the trees, but he's never there. He seems really sad sometimes when the other "dog" isn't there in the daytime, but I throw his toys for him to fetch, so he gets happy again. What a funny sight it is to watch him chase his shadow! It's been several months since I started sitting in the pen with him at night, and I thought he'd stop after the other "dog" never came over to sniff him, but he keeps it up!

 

Mickey is a border collie husky mix, but he acts mostly border, and looks border in the face, but his body color looks more husky because of the silver sable fur. He's so sweet!

 

[njnovice]

Personally, I wouldn't encourage it. I'm not a fan of OCD-ness/weird quirks, no matter how cute they are.

[Sue R]

Something like this may well be amusing but, as NJN pointed out, it is a form of obsessive behavior and is not something that should be encouraged. Exercise of both the mind and body in a dog should be constructive and this is not. Border Collies can be very vulnerable to developing these types of behaviors and it's up to you to think ahead and avoid activities that encourage them.

 

Sorry to be a wet blanket but this is not as funny as it seems. It's easy enough to not realize that and many of us have fallen into the trap of enjoying something that seems harmless at first but is really not good for the dog. My suggestion is to avoid those actions that encourage this behavior and never to give positive feedback for it.

 

Best wishes!

[Shetlander]

Totally agree with the above replies. And in addition to never doing anything to encourage the behavior, I would interrupt it whenever I saw it starting.

[Alchemist]

I learned the hard way about obsessive behaviors with a Border collie I owned many years ago, while I was still in college. I was a geology major, and she decided rocks were fun to dig out of the ground. She'd invest great effort in unearthing them and dragging them around with her feet, growling over them and worrying at them. "Isn't that fun!" my friends said, "both you and your dog are nuts over rocks!".

 

She ended up wearing her teeth down at far too early an age.

[Izzysdad]

I honestly thought you were kidding about the shadow chasing.

 

I got a sick feeling in my stomach after I figured out you really encourage the behavior.

 

I strongly suggest you stop this immediatley, it can be quite destructive to border collies and dogs in general.

 

Tim

[Lokisaab]

sometimes I really think people log in here and start really controversial topics like this on purpose just to see what kind of reaction they can get.

[Shetlander]

sometimes I really think people log in here and start really controversial topics like this on purpose just to see what kind of reaction they can get.

 

Maybe, but I don't think this is one of those instances. A lot of people don't realize that what seem like cute or funny little quirks can lead to obsessive compulsive behaviors. I'd bet lots more people out there in the non-Border Colli/non-dog world would think along the lines of the OP rather than those of the opposing views found here.

[Suzyann13]

Hi again. Thank you for your input. I never thought this could hurt him in any way. He only runs back and forth by the fence, and he thinks he's playing with another dog. In what way can it hurt him to run?

[BCkris]

I don't think they mean the runnning will hurt him. I think it's more of a mind thing. Given that he goes out in the day time looking for his shadow is a sign of begining OCD. It does seem really cute and entertaining to watch but mentally it may not be good for him in the long run. One obession can lead to another and before you know it you'll have so much to fix.

I'm sure it seems weird thinking something you post that seems perfectly harmless is actually harmful and get "scolded" about it but I think everyone is just trying to help you avoid a possible disaster in the future.

[Shetlander]

Hi again. Thank you for your input. I never thought this could hurt him in any way. He only runs back and forth by the fence, and he thinks he's playing with another dog. In what way can it hurt him to run?

 

It's not that it hurts him to run -- though actually, now that you mention it, certain types of running can hurt dogs, especially one still growing. The problem with your situation is some dogs can become fixated on shadows and lights. It's like they can't focus on anything else if there are shadows or moving lights. They will run themselves into exhaustion. They can become so fixated, they begin searching for the shadows and lights if they don't see any. Border Collies are more prone to obessive compulsive type behaviors than many other breeds. Hence the concern people have expressed.

 

I can understand why Mickey's "imaginary friend" seems harmless initially. It might never amount to anything other than being a quirk. But what people here are cautioning you about is it is a risk to let him engage in this type of play. It can go from simply running and playing to something that is not fun for the dog though it might seem funny to onlookers.

 

You have a handsome boy there. It's obvious you love him and enjoy his antics. My dogs make me laugh every day too. This is just one behavior I would not allow for fear of where it may lead.

[juliepoudrier]

^^What Liz is saying is that if this behavior is allowed to continue to the point of obsession, and I think he may well be on his way since you say he's already looking for his "friend" during the day when he doesn't have a shadow, then it will get to the point where he can't stop himself. It may start out only at night when he can actually see his shadow, but then he'll start looking for it obsessively during the day too, and sooner or later his running the fence will be something he can't control. Once it has turned into such an obsession it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to stop him from doing it. So what folks are saying is that it's best not to let him start this thing. As the owner of a dog who obsessively circles, I can tell you it's not fun for the dog and it won't be fun for you.

 

When he starts looking for his shadow, I'd immediately distract him with the ball and not let him look for his shadow, period.

 

J.

[geonni banner]

Suzyann & Mickey -

 

This thread - with video - may give you a better idea why Mickey's fence running/ shadow chasing is so worrisome.

 

http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.p...=spinning+video

[muttlycrew]

I've had several foster dogs with the habit of running fences, chasing/herding shadows, and spinning obsessively. It is horrible to watch. The dogs seem as if they were in a trance, unable to respond to my commands or voice. One of the dogs I had would herd the shadows along the fence and stop and spin furiously for several seconds. I rarely let these dogs off leash, but for some reason he must have scooted out the door before I could leash him. It took me awhile to catch him and when I finally did, it was as if he couldn't see me. He was in such a frantic state that when I slipped the leash over him he jumped and was like "HEY! What the...?!"

[Suzyann13]

I see what you are talking about. Thank you. We just got back from our cabin in the mountains, so we haven't been in the pen for a few days. I will take him there tonight and not shine the flashlight on him when he goes to the fence. Then, I hope he will not do the chasing because he won't see the shadow. At least, when he doesn't see it in the daytime, he doesn't, so I will see how he does.

 

I have noticed that he is more nervous than other dogs I have had, and he gets easily distracted by movements or noises more than my other dogs have done in the past. So it's probably a good thing that I found out that borders can have mental issues and get obsessive. (But I still think he's cute when he does it...though we won't allow it any more more.)

[AmandaMJL]

I see what you are talking about. Thank you. We just got back from our cabin in the mountains, so we haven't been in the pen for a few days. I will take him there tonight and not shine the flashlight on him when he goes to the fence. Then, I hope he will not do the chasing because he won't see the shadow. At least, when he doesn't see it in the daytime, he doesn't, so I will see how he does.

 

I have noticed that he is more nervous than other dogs I have had, and he gets easily distracted by movements or noises more than my other dogs have done in the past. So it's probably a good thing that I found out that borders can have mental issues and get obsessive. (But I still think he's cute when he does it...though we won't allow it any more more.)

 

Very happy to read that you are not going to encourage the behavior any longer. I have a little rescue BC mix boy and he was a shadow chaser, it made me cry I felt so bad that the only life he knew before us he had made that his job. Now he once in a while will start to do it, but we stop it and redirect him to do something else immediately and he's quite happy doing it.

 

Best of luck!

[Suzyann13]

Yes, when I took him out last night, after doing his duty, he did go look to see if his shadow was there. He looked all around without the light on him, and finally gave a lonely little bark as if to say, "where is my friend?" Then he came back to me for a hug. He played with his toy a little with the flashlight on him in the middle of the pen, and then went back to the fence to see if his shadow had come to play, but again, I didn't put the light on him over there. He stood looking out the fence at the trees where his shadow had been, and I decided to call him. He came right away, and didn't go back. Hopefully he will get over having lost his shadow friend...

 

--Suzanne

 

 

Very happy to read that you are not going to encourage the behavior any longer. I have a little rescue BC mix boy and he was a shadow chaser, it made me cry I felt so bad that the only life he knew before us he had made that his job. Now he once in a while will start to do it, but we stop it and redirect him to do something else immediately and he's quite happy doing it.

 

Best of luck!

[juliepoudrier]

Suzanne,

Instead of using a flashlight, which is bound to create shadows, could you instead use glow-in-the-dark or lighted toys for him to play with at night? I get that the flashlight is really for your benefit, but if you let him play with toys he could see in the dark then you'd be even less likely to inadvertently create a shadow chasing dog. You can even get those little blinking lights that attach to his collar so you could tell where he is too.

 

J.

[moabams]

I am so glad you aren't going to let Mickey chase shadows any more. As an owner of an obsessive-compulsive shadow chaser I hate to see people letting their dogs do this, although I do recognize the initial "cute" factor. Aspen started out chasing real shadows but then progressed to imaginary ones. He also started pouncing and 'yipping' at the floor with his head cocked. He cracked other people up, but it was so bad he didn't know his own name and couldn't be called off or re-directed unless physically removed (and he'd have this horrid wild-eyed look until he got back to them). He even stopped eating altogether because the shadows were more important (the few times we did get him to eat he'd eat so fast he'd throw up on the way back to the shadows). It's now mostly controlled with medication and even though he still paces at times (it's his go-to response when he isn't comfortable with something or is over-excited--my mom used to work at the State mental hospital and when Aspen's pacing she says he reminds her of the patients she used to work with) and notices every flash that crosses his path (watch faces, DVDs/CDs, etc.) he can usually be called off to do something else instead.

[Suzyann13]

Well, I think I got it stopped in time. He never has even looked at his regular shadow, only the second shadow that was across the dirt road by the pen. He doesn't try to look at his own shadow in the day or night, but only was doing it with that one across the road, which was large against the trees and really looked like another dog. At first, I had thought it was another dog, too. But he never refused to come when called or anything. Anyway, thanks for all the comments.

 

I am so glad you aren't going to let Mickey chase shadows any more. As an owner of an obsessive-compulsive shadow chaser I hate to see people letting their dogs do this, although I do recognize the initial "cute" factor. Aspen started out chasing real shadows but then progressed to imaginary ones. He also started pouncing and 'yipping' at the floor with his head cocked. He cracked other people up, but it was so bad he didn't know his own name and couldn't be called off or re-directed unless physically removed (and he'd have this horrid wild-eyed look until he got back to them). He even stopped eating altogether because the shadows were more important (the few times we did get him to eat he'd eat so fast he'd throw up on the way back to the shadows). It's now mostly controlled with medication and even though he still paces at times (it's his go-to response when he isn't comfortable with something or is over-excited--my mom used to work at the State mental hospital and when Aspen's pacing she says he reminds her of the patients she used to work with) and notices every flash that crosses his path (watch faces, DVDs/CDs, etc.) he can usually be called off to do something else instead.