How many jobs can a young BC handle?

[Angie H]

So, I'm really enjoying having my own BC. I have been training BC's since last August; however, they were all fosters - so we never really got to build on the training beyond basic manners, develop a deeper bond, higher distractions, etc.

 

I guess since I've been so antsy to have my own partner, I have LOADS of things I want to do with Binx. My only question is that he is only 7 months old... has anyone out there ever had a problem overwhelming a border collie with TOO MUCH stuff to do? I've heard that some dog sport folks will let their dog "be a puppy" for their first year...I'm assuming they still train, but don't put pressure on them to compete yet...is that right?

 

We started our herding lessons - we go to our lesson once a week on Thursday evenings; in addition, he is also put on sheep at least one other day during the week.

 

We meet up with a friend and her dogs one evening a week and choose different places to walk so that he is getting exposure to new sights and sounds, etc.

 

He gets his social time (dog play) at the rescue where I work every Saturday - it is a sheep farm - he runs with a minimum of 12 + dogs for most of the day with intermittent crate rests as I see fit.

 

Our advanced obedience class begins in 2 weeks - every Wed night for 8 weeks.

 

We plan to begin agility foundation after this obedience class is over. I have a couple of jumps and a set of weaves that I can practice with at home as well as working on our ground handling.

 

I still foster as well, so we spend time outside with the pack, playing ball or whatever game we make up, and he is having to learn how to wait his turn, share toys, etc. Which I realize is not actual thinking training per say, but it requires mental energy nonetheless. Our pack dynamics change about every 2 weeks to 2 months as new dogs come and go - which can also be stressful to some.

 

I'm just curious what other BC folks think about our regimen. I think I have the socializing thing covered ;-). And I know it's good to keep 'em busy, but does anyone think it's a problem to introduce him to herding, agility, obedience at once? Or does anyone think he's too young for our schedule? He does have down time during the day, as I work full time. But once I'm home, we pretty much hit the ground running!

 

Thanks in advance for any tips or sharing of your own routines

[Pat W.]

Hey Angie! Personally I think Binx will let you know if he's doing too much, you'll see it in his behavior mostly, When Whim comes home from agility class he is sacked out in the car on the passenger seat in a little ball sound asleep. New things that make them think tire them more than physical at times.

[PSmitty]

I think he sounds like a lucky dog! At 7 months old, he needs to take it easy on the agility (especially jumping) until his growth plates have closed, but agility foundation work is fine. I'm sure your herding instructor knows how much he can handle at his age, and is tailoring his training to that.

[Root Beer]

I did overwhelm Dean. He was just a little over a year old last summer and I had him taking sheep herding lessons, Freestyle class, Agility class, and Rally class all at the same time. He was always eager to be on the go but he was not really developing any skills because I had him "all over the place" so to speak! Plus I had a foster and we were doing a lot of summer stuff like hiking and swimming, etc.

 

I finally cut back to just Freestyle and I did kind of "let him be a dog" for the rest of the summer. We did light training and we did a lot of basic skill stuff, but I dropped most of the formal "activity". He was much happier. In the fall I picked Agility back up with him and he was much more focused than he had been when I had him doing everything in the world!

 

So, it is definitely possible to do too much, but I think that "too much" will depend on the dog. Doing herding, agility, and obedience doesn't sound like too much to me - especially if you take it slow with the obedience and agility and really focus on foundation at the beginning.

 

I'd just keep an eye on the dog and if it seemed to be too much at any time, I'd cut back for a while.

[mum24dog]

At 7 months old, he needs to take it easy on the agility (especially jumping)

 

And no weaves until around 12 months - unless you start on a channel where there is no bending needed.

 

Pam

[tripsis]

I think that what Kristine mentioned is the only potential "problem" unless Binx lets you know otherwise (by being tired/overwhelmed during some of his classes). If you notice that you're not making any/much progress in a certain area, then I would recommend holding off for a few months until he has gotten the hang of his other jobs.

 

So far it seems like Binx is very happy and has a great future!

[Shetlander]

In addition to not putting too much stress physically on the pup, I'd also want to make sure he had a good settle. I think the forced down time that comes from you being away at work will go a long way towards accomplishing that. Just keep in mind that we can create exercise addicts of our dogs, even if it is only in the evenings. But if they always get 2 or 3 hours of activity every night, they could end up needing 2 or 3 hours of activity every night. And if you think you'll be ok with that for the next several years, no big deal. On the other hand, if there are times you simply can't give them that much exercise every day (you're sick, the weather is extreme, you have other obligations, etc.), then you can have a dog who starts to climb the walls.

 

One thing I love about this breed is their enthusiasm and willingness to do things with us at a moment's notice. Sounds like you and Binx are a good fit. As long as he is having fun and not putting stress on his body, things should be ok.

[juliepoudrier]

Just keep in mind that we can create exercise addicts of our dogs, even if it is only in the evenings. But if they always get 2 or 3 hours of activity every night, they could end up needing 2 or 3 hours of activity every night. And if you think you'll be ok with that for the next several years, no big deal. On the other hand, if there are times you simply can't give them that much exercise every day (you're sick, the weather is extreme, you have other obligations, etc.), then you can have a dog who starts to climb the walls.

As I was reading this thread, I was thinking exactly what Liz wrote above. I think that sometimes people buy too much into the "you gotta keep 'em busy" thing and do just that and then end up with dogs who require (having essentially been taught to do so by their owners) an over the top amount of activity time. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people who report that their dogs need hours of activity on a daily basis. I'd go insane if I had to spend that much time entertaining my dogs. So as Liz said, do be aware that you can inadvertently create a monster....

 

Young dogs need a lot of down time too. Just doing one of those activities on a regular basis is a lot on a young, growing body. Watch Binx closely and if you notice an inordinate amount of injuries, lamenesses, and the like, then you can assume you're overdoing it. Taking care of a growing body now will pay in the long run with a dog that remains healthy and sound in its later years. Any activity that is repetitive and especially that isn't part of the natural things a pup does when being a puppy (e.g. leaping after a flying disc or ball--pups playing don't do a whole lot of leaping into the air) should be limited. When in doubt, it never hurts to err on the side of caution.

 

J.

[Angie H]

 

Pat W: Thank you for your insight - I do respect your opinion as I have met your pack and you have done a fabulous job with your dogs (and your daughter by the way - she's awesome too!)

 

Rootbeer: Thank you for sharing that with me, as I have not known anyone before that had worn out their border collie with too many activities. I do know that kids can get burnt out and that made me wonder if dogs sometimes get overwhelmed also. We do plan to focus mostly on foundation work for now...certainly no plans for competition any time soon since I'm green too!! LOL!

 

Mum24dog: I was not aware that we couldn't learn weaves yet :-( I've always heard that dogs have a hard time with them, so I thought it would be great to start him early. Well, we have plenty of other things to do, so we'll hold off on those until he's older.

 

Shetlander: You make a very valid point....and I do need to remember that sometimes the more you give them, the more they need! I have been known to tell certain adopters that same thing, although we more commonly need to stress that they haven't adopted a dog that will lie around while they watch TV! - (unless of course they have had adequate exercise prior to asking them to lie down.)

 

Actually, I think these activities are more for me than for him!! I'm just so darn happy to finally have my own Border Collie, and I want more than anything to make sure he is well socialized, happy, and balanced. I will be using him as my ambassador for our rescue when I do public education, home visits, training demonstrations/sessions, etc.

 

The first thing I teach a new dog in my house (whether it is a foster, a border, or a keeper) is to settle in a crate - NO BARKING! There is no way I could manage the number of fosters I take in if I didn't have this rule Binx excels at this - he learned this faster than any other dog I've had - he will wait quietly even when the other dogs are barking like idiots! Good Boy! I crated him in my downstairs kennel where I have another foster BC for the first week I had him. This seems to set the tone for the relationship; I like the responsiveness it creates in my foster dogs. They quickly learn that I am their resource to everything and they are so very willing to work for me when I spend time with them.

 

I know it sounds like a really busy schedule, and right now it is - I have my own 3 dogs plus 3 foster dogs in my care, so there is always someone that needs something and I have to work hard at making sure everyone is getting what they need in order to behave. But there are also times that he (and the others) must settle or entertain themselves. For example, in the mornings while I get ready for work, he gets a special toy that he doesn't get any other time. It's just a rope with a Jolly Ball on it - but he LOVES it. He will run around the yard with it, toss it in the air and then shake it, chew on it, etc. Sometimes he lies just outside of the bathroom where I am primping and we chat, but there is no interaction from me during this time. In the evenings, I reserve an hour having dinner and conversation with my husband, discussing the day or whatever - all dogs are on their own during this time and are expected to lie low with a chewie or they will be crated. Last night I had to take my poor sick cat to the vet after work. I had no time to play ball or walk, so I loaded Binx up and took him with me as a social exercise. He sat or lied at my feet in the exam room for nearly an hour. He did get up to greet nurses and docs as they came in, and he looked out the window a few times, but otherwise, he was very quiet and I didn't even have to hold his leash. What a good boy :-)

 

So, hopefully these things are creating a dog that understands there are times that he must settle on his own and that he won't always be the center of the universe.

 

I know every parent thinks their child is perfect, but I really do believe I have a gem! He is just the perfect puppy - I'm so glad his first owner couldn't handle him...he was turned in for being aggressive and unsocialized at 17 weeks old.

 

Thanks again for the reminders - I will try to keep my wits about me and remember them, because the last thing I want is to accidentally turn this perfect puppy into a PITA dog that can't settle and drives everyone nuts.

 

Also, thank you Julie for the tip on taking it easy on his body while he is young. I know that a pup should not be jumping or leaping for frisbee's, etc. at this age. Heck, I won't even let him jump out of my truck from his crate yet unless I'm bracing him because of the impact it would have on his front legs. I will watch him for any lameness and try to keep his physical exercise moderate for a few more months. I think Herding is more mental than physical and so is obedience and foundation work for agility - we will be mostly working on rear end awareness, hand signals, etc. for a while.

 

So as long as we're careful with the physical stuff, it's ok to wear out his mind, right?

 

I really appreciate all of your comments and tips - I'm finding that I am a bit more concerned about how I do things now that it's MY dog! Usually I'm correcting unwanted behaviors and teaching manners to prepare a dog for success in his new home. Starting out with a youngin' makes me nervous that I might screw him up!!

[Genie]

I would make sure he has a day off with no structured training activity every now and then so that he doesn't come to expect every day to be filled with an exciting activity and can settle for a day. I agree with the others who have stated that its possible to condition a dog to expect a certain level of physical activity.

When I adopted my last dog, I walked him twice a day for a total of 4-5 miles because I felt he needed that to settle. In fact, he wouldn't settle until after his walk and when I badly twisted my ankle and was unable to walk him, I had to send him to stay with a friend for a few days because I couldn't maintain his routine of walking and he was bouncing off the walls. After that I varied his routine and cut back some of the walks. There was an adjustment period, but after a while, he learned that not every day was going to be exciting and he got better at just chillin' at home occasionally.

 

Another thing to consider is that training too many new types of activites at the same time can create a Jack of all trades - master of none. I would train one activity to a level where you aren't working on a whole lot of new stuff, then introduce another new challenging activity. Part of the learning process is the time between training sessions when they have time to process what they've been shown.

 

Have fun with him. It sounds like you've got a good pup.