Puppy advice

[Melody]

Reposted in this section as I think i put it in wrong section earlier...sorry.

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Hi to everyone, I've only just joined.

Came across the boards reading up on everything for my new BC.

 

We got him just 3 days ago, he is 9 weeks old.

 

Basically just wondered if any of you had any good advice for me in bringing my pup up well from this age.

 

He loves to play football with my 2 children (6 and 2 years old).

 

He will also nip at any time possible, whether it be at the feet clothes hands or face. I already expected this is normal puppy behavior, which I have now read it definately is lol.

 

Any tips to get the nipping under control?? I understand it could take some time too?? But any help would be really appreciated.

 

Have had an alsation and lab X collie when growing up (parents dogs) but this is the first dog I've actually owned and would love to give him the happiest healthy life I can.

Thanks

[juliepoudrier]

Welcome to the boards Melody.

 

Re: nipping and puppies. Here's what I do (I've got a 14-week old right now, extremely mouthy). I use a correction, like a sharp Ahhht! and then put something in her mouth that's acceptable to chew on. When we go on walks, I try to always have some sort of drag toy (essentially a soft toy tied to a leash--I hold the snap end and loop the handle like a hanman's noose around the toy's neck or middle) so that she can grab at that instead of my legs. If she goes for my legs, she gets the verbal correction and is offered the drag toy. It's been working well with her and worked well with my first pup too.

 

I would not allow running with the kids as this will trigger nipping behavior and the children are too young to administer the appropriate correction, not to mention that they will lack the consistency necessary to make it work. I'm sure they have fun together, but I'd make sure that fun is supervised games that don't encourage (inadvertently or otherwise) any sort of nipping behavior. Plus if you are always watching, then you can make sure that the children aren't doing inappropriate things to the pup that could come back to haunt you as behavior issues later.

 

The important thing is to be consistent in your corrections and to provide the pup with an alternate activity. My pup still goes for my legs occasionally, but a sharp ahht-ahht stops her, even if I have forgotten the drag toy (which happens occasionally).

 

I think the most important thing you can do for a puppy is to teach it what a correction is (and you never have to lay a hand on the pup--it's all in the sharp and disapproving voice) and then use it fairly and consistently to stop unacceptable behavior.

 

Little pups need plenty of down time too (just like little children). Wild activity with the kids can get a pup wound up to the point where it's out of control (just like overtired kids can get). If you haven't already, buy a crate and use it for quiet time for the pup--when he's gotten too wound up or when you can't supervise his play with the kids.

 

When you get a chance, post some pics of your pup either here or in the gallery section. We all love to see photos of other peoples' border collies (and especially puppies)!

 

J.

[Meg's mum]

Melody, there is a whole crop of us that seem to have become owned by 7-9week old puppies 4 months ago and 7 months ago. I'd scan the Nov-January entries in the General Discussion boards forward.

 

There was a recent thread about things we wished we'd done differently...that will help a bit.

 

Biting abatement requires constant cues, "OW" or something equivalent. Your pup doesn't have a pack to tell her what the effect of her choice of bite pressure is on their sensitive tails. This needs to go on for quite a while.

 

Nipping may or may not go away. This is what a Border Collie is designed to do. Meg accepted that nipping skin was not good, but she still gets a hold of my skirt hem or pant leg to 'herd' me when she's feeling particularly willful.

[Kat's Dogs]

Here is my reply, again.

 

 

Congrats on getting him, I would love to see pictures of the little cutie!

 

For the nipping, when any little puppy teeth come in contact with human skin - yelp. Really loud and high pitched. That is what mother dogs do to teach the pups not to bite them so it is VERY effective. You have to do it every time though, at least, until 7-8 months at which time more of a correction should be used if the pup is STILL biting/nipping.

 

Let the pup see EVERYTHING. There have been some recent threads on how to do this and suggestions for things to let the pup see.

 

Are you going to do crate training? (if not, you should, if you are, we can help with how to do it). How is house training going? Let us know if you have any issues with that.

 

As for raising him, mostly, let the pup see everything, don't let him bite/nip people, play with him a lot, take him outside every 5 seconds , do a bit of obedience training (the basic sit, down, come - not to much until he is older though, he needs to just be a pup for now) and most of all, take lots of pictures and enjoy watching him grow up!

 

Are you going to do any activities with him (agility, herding, flyball, etc.) or is he going to just be a companion dog? Agility is really fun with these guys!

[Lunar]

Congrats on the new pup!

 

What always worked for me with pups was the yelp and stop playing. Every time he bites, all play stops. Turn around, walk away. That makes it pretty not-fun. (In addition to the high-pitched shriek you give, which will probably startle him quite a bit.)

 

Echo the advice on the crate. Zeeke at 3 years old still needs time in his crate to wind down a lot, he gets very over-excitable.

[juliepoudrier]

Originally posted by Meg's mum:

Nipping may or may not go away. This is what a Border Collie is designed to do. Meg accepted that nipping skin was not good, but she still gets a hold of my skirt hem or pant leg to 'herd' me when she's feeling particularly willful.

I just want to point out that border collies are not designed to nip. Although those of us who have working dogs expect them to *bite* as needed (stock that fights the dog or won't move), nipping at livestock is in general no more acceptable than nipping at humans. *All* puppies, no matter what breed, generally go through a nipping phase. It's normal puppy behavior. Do not make the excuse for your pup that just because it's a border collie it's supposed to nip and therefore nipping is somehow acceptable. It's not.

 

Border collies are reactive toward moving objects, which is why I stated that you will have a hard time controlling the nipping if you let the pup run around chasing your children.

 

And while the "yipping like you're hurt" method can work, I find it easier to simply tell the pup no and give it something acceptable to chew on. That way the pup learns about corrections from an early age.

 

J.

[Melody]

thanks for your replies. I am already telling him ahhhht ahhht and giving him something of his to chew instead.

 

I hadnt any information on crate training but have been looking into it and also the lady I phoned today to start puppy training courses was "for " it, so will do some reading up on it.

would this size crate be acceptable for a BC?

 

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dep...=149&pf_id=4385

 

I am also wanting to take him to some agility classes when he is older as I understand it will be great for a dog of his needs? What ages have you started the training? am I right in what I have found out for it to be over 16 months?

 

I want to give him the happiest life I can and it looks like my lifestyle is about to change big time

[Susan M. & Skipper, Annie and Ben]

You've gotten some great advice here.

 

I brought my Ben home when he was 9 weeks old, now he's 7 months. The time has flown by!

 

Crates are the best- good for the dog and the people.

 

I took Ben everywhere with me (still do), but until he had all his puppy shots I was careful about exposing him to potential diseases. I carried him in pet stores and farmer supply stores. He loved trips to the beach. Now he goes everywhere, even dog parks.

 

Some of my favorite resources that haven't been mentioned yet are all the books and videos by Patricia McConnell Ph.D. At the top of my list for a new puppy owner are her books: " The Other End of the Leash", and "Puppy Primer." Here's a link to her website: http://www.dogsbestfriendtraining.com/books-retail.php

She is just wonderful!

 

I also really enjoyed Derek Scrimgeour's dvd, "The Shepherds Pup" although it's tailored to training a stockdog from puppyhood (which is of interest to me.) It is informative and beautiful.

 

Some basics that have already been covered here: correct what you don't like but then immediately offer an alternative that you do. ("ach! Don't eat my sofa! Here, I'll trade you for a carrot." Amazing how much my teething pup loved cold carrots.)

 

Good luck, have fun, and keep sense of humor- it helps!