what is a typical puppy behavior for border collies?

[SS Cressa]

OK so its been a bit since I had a border collie pup. (And I am still waiting for a pup). My last pup was Troy over 4 years ago and he wasn't what I would of considered typical for a BC pup. We used to say he was a golden retrievers in border collie clothing.

 

So what in general is typical behavior for a border collie pup? Or is there one?

 

My friend ended up getting a pup and a couple things her pup is displaying to me are concerning (but not abnormal for adults to do). I just never seen a pup do it so young.

[Gloria Atwater]

Gosh, I don't know if there is a "typical" BC pup. What behaviors do you see in your friend's pup that you find concerning?

 

Speaking for my own BC pups over the years, I'd say "normal" includes chewing, pouncing, running after anything that moves,(cats, leaves, bugs) and occasionally showing stalking/"eye" behaviors towards other animals or fellow dogs. They were very motion-aware and didn't miss a *thing* I did. I used a lot of displacement training when they were little, rather than just corrections: i.e. to achieve no chewing on the carpet or furniture = giving them better, more desirable toys to chew on, after the verbal "no." Sometimes repeatedly.

 

That's about all I can think of ... other than they NEVER stop thinking.

 

~ Gloria

[SS Cressa]

Just starting obsessive behavior. I know adults dogs can acquire them just never seen a young pup start displaying those behavior but it probably just pup behavior. Gosh she is so much fun.

[SamS]

What kinds of obsessive behaviors?

[SS Cressa]

Watching/stalking cats when they are seen. (An family member cat attacked her and since then she has started to stalk them. She was raised with cats.)

Stalking/chasing waves of the lake. (When the lake is very calm and flat)

[brady's mom]

Sounds like she's just exercising her collie powers and just needs to be redirected and reinforced. My pup locked on to anything that moved with laser precision, but he grew out of it with some training. Most of the time he was just kind of a goob running all over the place and banking off furniture.

[CoRayBee]

"Exercising collie powers"...I like that. It's funny- Barra used to chase the waves like you've described, when she was a puppy. And Ghillie (who is 7-ish months old) goes into full-on border collie stalker mode with the geese and crows up at the park every morning. Cats, however, are Things To Be Avoided At All Costs.

 

I don't think it's possible to turn off a border collie's obsessions completely (someone who knows more about them correct me if I'm wrong on that.) And honestly, I wouldn't want to- after all, it's the various quirks of this breed that I find so frustratingly endearing. But with a bit of work they can be redirected into something safe.

[PSmitty]

Cats, however, are Things To Be Avoided At All Costs.

 

 

 

Alex agrees! And if you don't make eye contact, they're *really* not there.

[Gloria Atwater]

Ah, yes, border collie powers. The very first thing my wee Gael did, the day I went to pick her up, was to crouch and stare and stalk at her older brother. Right before she pounced at him, lol. So, yes, they can start very young!

 

I'd start re-directing the cat-stalking, though, unless you want that habit ingrained. I let Gael stare at our cats when she was little - because they simply didn't care, and she didn't actually do anything to them - but at age 3, I have to correct her daily with "no kitties!" It's harmless and the cats still don't care, but it's annoying, and I'd rather she didn't do it, than have to tel her every day to knock it off.

 

So, I wouldn't be horribly worried about it, but it's a thing to be aware of, over time.

 

~ Gloria