Is this normal ?

[Pewot]

Hello all Border Collies owners, this is my first post and i want to explain how Chewbacca, my 3 months old female BC arrive our home. And i have some BIG questions that i cant find answers in BC Boards.

 

I hope understand my bad english.

 

I lived in México with my wife, my brother and a chihuahua "dog" named tachuela (Tack). We are a dog lovers, we have a lot of respect for any creature that share with us in the planet.

The only thing we know about BC is that they are very smart dogs, very quick, kind of hyper etc.

 

The other day i read in a local newspapper, a classifield advertisment about a Border Collie puppies, when i call these guy, he told me that he is moving out with his family and dogs and has the urgent need to sell these dogs. So i make and appointment for the next day. The house was full of boxes, no furniture all packing and ready to leave. The dog owner told me that if i dont take the last puppie, the Vet is going to kep it until can sold it, and i feel bad for these little dog with the most beatifull eyes so i bought it.

 

The night before i bought it, i made some resarch about the breed, and i found that a BC Dog it was made for work, herding and love to play , need a lot of exercice etc, we dont have problem with that, maybe the herding is the only thing we can´t afford because in a big metropolis like México is very difficult to find. Where we live there are a lot of big parks for dogs.

 

There are no problems between the BC and the Chihuahua, the problem is that Chewbacca is sleepy all day, she is very afraid of us, when she see me or my wife, even my brother that use a wheelchair, run under the bed, or any place far from us. She is very smart, she plays a lot with tachuela, ( when is not sleeping).

 

We never done anything bad with chewbacca, like hit her or anything like that, we use some "NO" when she bite something else aside the toys, she learn where to poop, piss and no problem with that, ...very smart for example, she is in doors, i put a blanket beside our bed and some newspappers in the bathroom, when we are sleep, she barks to tell us that the poop is in the newspapper, so i clean it up and put another newspappers and back to sleep.

 

To summarize and dont bore, these are the BIG questions

 

1.- It is normal that Chewbacca sleeps all day? i would expect that she is going to be like overexited dog

2.- It is normal that Chewbacca fear us in that way?

3.- The Law oblige me to use a leash with the dogs, not in parks for dogs, but, its bad to use it with BC?

4.- Royal Canin is a good dog food?

5.- do i have to expect a bad relation with chihuahua in the future?

6.- I discover the other day she eat her own poop... a big "NO" to her, and she hide in the garden under a small bush, i dont want to fear me, but what can i do? i mean, if she do something wrong, i have to teach her, but when i told "NO" she freaks out.

7.- Today we take my brother to the Dr, and i dont want to leave Chewbacca in the house, so i carried to the garden, because she was sleepy and normaly just walk and play with the chihuahua, so, when i leave it in the garden i discover that she make piss all over me, so it is normal? i began to think that maybe the guy that sold me chewbacca, treat her bad, any recomendation to change these behavior? when she do good things like the bark and the poop, we congratulate with nice words like ...good dog, great dog.

 

 

Chewbacca is with us three weeks a go, she got all the vet treatment like vaccine and pills for the parasite, she eat twice a day, we lover her, and she fear us.

 

Any coment, critic, advice will be appreciated

 

 

Best wishes for all from México

 

Pewot

[afrancis]

To summarize and dont bore, these are the BIG questions

 

1.- It is normal that Chewbacca sleeps all day? i would expect that she is going to be like overexited dog

2.- It is normal that Chewbacca fear us in that way?

3.- The Law oblige me to use a leash with the dogs, not in parks for dogs, but, its bad to use it with BC?

4.- Royal Canin is a good dog food?

5.- do i have to expect a bad relation with chihuahua in the future?

6.- I discover the other day she eat her own poop... a big "NO" to her, and she hide in the garden under a small bush, i dont want to fear me, but what can i do? i mean, if she do something wrong, i have to teach her, but when i told "NO" she freaks out.

7.- Today we take my brother to the Dr, and i dont want to leave Chewbacca in the house, so i carried to the garden, because she was sleepy and normaly just walk and play with the chihuahua, so, when i leave it in the garden i discover that she make piss all over me, so it is normal? i began to think that maybe the guy that sold me chewbacca, treat her bad, any recomendation to change these behavior? when she do good things like the bark and the poop, we congratulate with nice words like ...good dog, great dog.

Chewbacca is with us three weeks a go, she got all the vet treatment like vaccine and pills for the parasite, she eat twice a day, we lover her, and she fear us.

 

Any coment, critic, advice will be appreciated

Best wishes for all from México

 

Pewot

 

Welcome Pewot and I'm glad you came here for advice about your new puppy Chewbacca.

First, here is a link you can read: http://www.bordercollie.org/lwbc.html

It covers the basics about border collies, their temperament, training, etc.

I would also recommend you do some reading about raising a border collie puppy. Ian Dunbar is an excellent dog trainer and writer and has written a book called Before and After Getting your Puppy -- here is the link: http://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&id=...8&ct=result

I'm sure you'll be able to find it in a good bookstore or over the internet.

 

Yes, it is very possible that she was mistreated or at least not handled or socialized properly by her former owner/breeder. But as a young dog, this will only require your patience, consistence and dedication to resolve.

Border collies, in my experience, are usually very cautious and often shy dogs when they are experiencing something new. Especially puppies. The most important thing is for you not to be intimidated by the fact that she's a border collie and to treat her like a dog who needs your direction. As she gains confidence around you and your family, she will get more outgoing and begin to figure out how she can wrap you all around her finger !

 

Puppies do sleep a lot when they're not playing, so I wouldn't be concerned about this. It is important that you and all your family members play with her as well and not just your chihuahua, Tack.

 

She has been taken from her mother, original home and dropped into your world -- so yes, she will be nervous and fearful at first, but it is your responsibility to reassure her and reward her (i.e. praise her) when she does something right and begins to make positive adjustments within your family and your home.

 

Walking her on a leash is no problem. Puppies find this strange at first but soon get used to it. My dog Skye used to bite her leash when I began to use it so I put a little bit of hot sauce on it to keep her from grabbing it. It worked. But I would gradually introduce her to leash walking rather than try to do it all at once. You can start by attaching the leash to her in the house and walking her around inside; then you can take her outside on leash and use this to train her to go to the bathroom outdoors as well. I walk Skye on leash all the time; we live in a city with dog parks as well.

 

I've not fed Royal Canin, but any good quality puppy food is an appropriate choice. Many people are concerned with feeding puppies a dog food that is too high in protein, which can stimulate too much early rapid growth (I believe this is right -- someone correct me if I'm wrong), at the expense of bone development, so watch out for that.

 

No, if your puppy gets along well with your chihuahua now, there is no reason to believe this will change. There might be some adolescent posturing when she gets older, and the play may get a bit more raucous, but I imagine they'll continue to be friends. If your chihuahua is elderly or in any way infirm, I would ensure that he is allowed time to himself.

 

It is good that you are praising her when she does something right. I would also encourage you to mark that good behaviour with a single word like "yes" -- this way you can use it like a marker when you train her, sort of like clicker training, but without the clicker .

 

Good luck with her and keep us all up to date on her progress with you and your family,

Ailsa

[juliepoudrier]

Hi Pewot and welcome to the boards,

It sounds to me like Chewbacca just lacks socialization. I think that with time and patience on your part, she'll come around just fine.

 

1.- It is normal that Chewbacca sleeps all day? i would expect that she is going to be like overexited dog

 

Puppies do sleep a lot, just like human babies. If the vet has examined her and pronounced her healthy, then I wouldn't worry about the sleeping so much. The last puppy I had I took to work with me and she spent most of the time sleeping--out twice at my breaks to go to the bathroom and then out to play on my lunchbreak and then pretty much sleeping the rest of the time.

 

2.- It is normal that Chewbacca fear us in that way?

 

You didn't say how old Chewbacca is, but puppies go through fear periods at certain ages. She could be in a fear period. If that's coupled with the fact that she wasn't socialized (handled) much as a little puppy, then that could explain her fearfulness. Remember she's gone from a litter with mom and siblings to a strange new place with new sights, smells, and sounds. If she's never been anywhere before you got her, then this could be quite overwhelming to her.

 

3.- The Law oblige me to use a leash with the dogs, not in parks for dogs, but, its bad to use it with BC?

 

Border collies can be leash trained like any other dog. You say you have plenty of parks to go to, and I assume she can be off leash there, so I wouldn't recommend breaking the law by letting her off leash where the law requires her to be on leash. I also would limit her access to areas with lots of dogs for now, until she's fully vaccinated and trusts you a bit better. At this point, everything you do with her should be in keeping with her safety and health. Give her time to bond with you and your family before throwing a bunch of other new stuff at her.

 

4.- Royal Canin is a good dog food?

 

I don't think it's a bad food, and if she's doing well on it then I see no reason not to feed it.

 

5.- do i have to expect a bad relation with chihuahua in the future?

 

Not at all. If you teach her manners and make sure she knows from the start that the chihuahua isn't a play toy but something to be respected, they can have a good relationship even once Chewbacca is grown.

 

6.- I discover the other day she eat her own poop... a big "NO" to her, and she hide in the garden under a small bush, i dont want to fear me, but what can i do? i mean, if she do something wrong, i have to teach her, but when i told "NO" she freaks out.

 

Some puppies just do this, and most will outgrow it. I would recommend regularly disposing of all poop that's out in the garden. There are also products you can put in her food that are supposed to discourage poop eating. Others here have recommended pineapple for that purpose, but I've never used it so couldn't tell you how much or how often to feed it.

 

7.- Today we take my brother to the Dr, and i dont want to leave Chewbacca in the house, so i carried to the garden, because she was sleepy and normaly just walk and play with the chihuahua, so, when i leave it in the garden i discover that she make piss all over me, so it is normal?

 

This is extrememly normal. One of the first things a puppy will need to do upon waking up is go to the bathroom. By picking her up, you probably put pressure on her bladder and caused her to pee. I've had that happen to me on more than one occasion while trying to carry a puppy outside in hopes of preventing an accident between whatever room we were in and the door....

 

I would caution you against leaving a puppy in the garden unattended. They can get into trouble pretty quickly, and bored puppies can do a lot of damage to the yard in a very short time. If you can set up a pen or kennel for her in the house for when you have to leave home, it would keep her (and your yard) safer.

 

i began to think that maybe the guy that sold me chewbacca, treat her bad, any recomendation to change these behavior? when she do good things like the bark and the poop, we congratulate with nice words like ...good dog, great dog.

 

Time, patience, consistent training from you (and that's very important), setting clear boundaries of what behaviors are acceptable and what are not will go a long way toward helping her to adjust to her new situation. Remember that she's just a baby and has had her life turned upside down in a very short space of time. I doubt the previous owner abused her. It's more likely that they just didn't handle her or give her new experiences so she went from a very simple situation with little in the way of mental stimulation to one where there's lots of noise, activity, etc., and thanks to not being socialized as a little pup she's finding it all very overwhelming now. With time, patience, and consistency on your part she should come around and eventually start to behave like a more typical puppy.

 

Good luck!

 

Julie

[Sue R]

Welcome! I am sure people will be happy to give you good advice about your new puppy. We have board members from all over the world, who share a love for the Border Collie.

 

Border Collies tend to be dogs smart, active dogs that require mental and physical exercise - but they do not need to be "hyper" and they can live very successfully in city conditions if their needs for mental stimulation and physical activity are met.

 

1. Younger puppies do spend a lot of time sleeping. They tend to play and be very active, and then sleep in between active periods. If your vet has not found any issues to worry about, I would not be too concerned about this. She will probably become a bit more active and spend longer periods of time awake as she grows and, as she matures, she will learn to control her activity levels (learn what we call an "off switch", or the ability to be quiet and restful for periods of time when she needs to be).

 

2. Your puppy sounds a bit shy or fearful. She may grow out of that with care on your part, making sure that you are kind and gentle, not over-reacting to her "mistakes", and also not forcing attention on her but rather allowing her to become more comfortable with you. As Border Collies tend to be very senstive to noise and movement (it was a necessity for dogs that would be working livestock), you can find some that are a bit too sensitive. That can improve over time for many dogs as they grow to realize that you are a source of good things and not something to be anxious about.

 

3. Most dogs need to learn to walk politely on a leash (or lead) and a Border Collie readily adapts to leash training. You can find a number of topics about this on these boards, using the "search" feature at the top of the page. Remember to use a properly-sized flat collar (nylon or leather is fine, and wider is gentler than narrower) and not a chain collar, while the leash can be nylon, leather, or light chain (remember to not let her chew the leash).

 

4. I believe Royal Canin is a good food but you can also find reference to that with the search feature. Remember to not over-feed a puppy, feed a younger puppy with more frequent, smaller meals (and reduce the number of meals to fewer, larger meals as she grows), and only feed puppy formula foods until about three months of age or so, and then change to a quality adult formula (to avoid too-fast growth). When changing foods, always change gradually, replacing a small amount of the old food in each meal with the new food the first day, and switching over in small steps over several days until she is eating the new food successfully.

 

5. No, she can live happily with another dog as long as you help train her to do so. Make sure that, if your Chihuahua is not able to defend himself (let the puppy know when play is too rough or unwanted), that you step in and take care of your dog, letting the puppy know that it's time to stop and do something else - make sure you give her something else to do that is rewarding for her (like playing with her yourself, giving her something enjoyable and safe to chew on or play with by herself, and so on). Also, I find with my dogs that they tend to be very "interested" in small, active dogs (I think it's related to their being Border Collies and being sensitive to motion and noise, and showing "herding" behaviors to other, smaller animals), and you need to notice if this is occuring and correct her for this type of behavior (say "ahhht" or some similar discouraging sound, as softly as possible to get the result that you need) and, again, give her something else that is rewarding for her to do.

 

6. Many pups will go through a poop-eating stage. You can deal with this by cleaning up her poop (on the paper or in the yard) as soon as she goes. There are also products that can be added to her food that will discourage her from this behavior because they will make the poop unappealing to her). Don't make a big issue of it, just say "ahhht" if you see her approaching the poop or eating it, and remove it, remembering to give her something that is more rewarding - maybe a dog cookie, playtime, or a chew toy. Most pups grow out of this pretty well by the time they are a bit older.

 

7. Many frightened or submissive (or dogs) will urinate when fearful. It is called "submissive urination" and pups will often do it when an older dog or pup approaches and they are trying to "appease" the older dog (they are letting the older dog know that it is in charge and that they are submitting to it). Most pups grow out of this. Chewbacca probably had a full bladder when you picked her up and she became fearful, and so she wet on you. This is not something that she should be scolded for. Avoid this situation again by allowing her walk along with you if you can rather than picking her up, and looking for opportunities to hold her where and when she won't be worried.

 

Her fearfulness seems like a big problem to you. As others have said, she may be in one of the "fear stages" that most all puppies go through as they grow and learn about their world. She may still be adjusting to her new home, surroundings, and people. My advice is to not "push" her but be kind and gentle (like you are doing), keep your voice and movements quiet (especially if she has made a mistake and you need to correct her, but don't want to increase her fearfulness), allow her to approach you when you are in a position that is not worrisome (don't stare at her, don't stand over her, bend over her, put your hands over her but rather crouch down or sit on the floor, look away or down, hold out your hand with a yummy treat and just let her come and take it from you), and continue to treat her kindly, quietly, and gently.

 

Some Border Collies (and dogs or pups of any breed) can be like this. As she adjusts to being in your household and learning that you are gentle, give good treats, and fair, she should improve. However, for some dogs, this can be an issue for them their entire lives, particularly with strangers (even when they adjust to their own families, which they usually will do). So, this is a critical time to "socialize" her - that means to introduce her to new people, new places, and new situations so that she can learn that these are not individuals or things to worry about.

 

It can be difficult to know just how much to socialize a dog or pup that is fearful because you want to help them to understand that new people and things are not something to be afraid of but you also don't want to push things onto the dog or pup that it can not handle. You will need to be the judge of what she can and can't handle. Perhaps one of the best things you could do is to find a good quality place to take her for a puppy class (I don't know if they have that where you live) where a good instructor can help you, where you and she will receive training, and where (most importantly) she will be able to interact with other puppies and people, and learn that they are not things to be afraid of.

 

One last thought - did you meet Chewbacca's mother and father? If you did, what were they like? Were they fearful or friendly and confident? Many people worry that their Border Collie was abused or mistreated by a previous owner but that is not necessarily the case. These are often very sensitive dogs and may react in ways to motions, sounds, and corrections that seem like they have been mistreated, but they have not been. It sounds like she was not socialized in her previous home and so that will take a little more time now.

 

I have written too much, and I am sure others will give you much better advice. We always worry about those we love, our family members and our pets. Very best wishes to you, your family, and your dogs!

 

(I see that while I was writing, others were giving you excellent advice)

[WildFlower]

Welcome to the boards.

 

I see that you have gotten lots of wonderful advice already.

 

Please keep us posted on the progress of your pup!

 

Good Luck!

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

I don't have anything to add to all the excellent advice already given. I have a BC that is 4, she is fearful/shy and she is very, very sensitive to corrections, so sometimes a firm "NO" was too much for her when she was a puppy, maybe instead, just try and re-direct her activity and only praise her when she's done something good, like bathroom outside, chewing on her own toys etc. There is a good chance that maybe your voice is very loud or deep (too her atleast) and that scared her. They can be very sensitive dogs.

 

Good luck and have fun. Oh, and maybe some pictures of her?

 

Julie

[Ooky]

Welcome Pewot,

 

Others have given you wonderful advice. I just got a Border Collie puppy too and he was sometimes fearful. A lot of times it seemed like for no real reason I could see, especially on walks. Be kind but don't baby him when he is afraid. Tell your family to just act like, "every thing's cool, its not big deal," if he is acting really afraid of something you know will not hurt him. If you are giving him a bath or something, where it is kind of a big deal and you have to hold him in the tub, just be firm but pleasant, but don't get all excited over him too much. I've found this really helps them not to get more and more fearful acting, and also if you don't freak out, and nothing happens, eventually Chewbacca will learn that you know when things are going to be all right and they trust you. Trying to comfort her like a baby too much could make the problem worse.

 

My brother just got a puppy he named Chewbacca too - they call her Chewie. Good name.

[Eileen Stein]

Hi Pewot, welcome to the Boards.

 

You have gotten good advice from people already, so there are just two things I want to add or emphasize.

 

1. You do have to let Chewbacca know when she is doing something wrong, but you should do it in a way that she can understand. Some dogs are tough, and need a strong "No" to understand, but some dogs are more timid, and need a softer "No." It sounds like Chewbacca is the more timid kind, at least at this stage. Sometimes a dog like that can be corrected with just a hard look. If she is starting to do something wrong, I would try looking very seriously at her, and saying "No" or "Ahhhp" very quietly and seriously, and then watch her to see if that is enough to make her stop what she is doing. If you can do this while she is just thinking about doing the wrong thing, but before she has done it, that's best. If she has already done the wrong thing and gone on to something else before you discover it, then I would not even tell her "No," because she won't understand what you're talking about. Let it go and wait for the next time to try to tell her that she is wrong.

 

2. I agree with Sue -- don't push her to interact with you, but "allow her to approach you when you are in a position that is not worrisome (don't stare at her, don't stand over her, bend over her, put your hands over her, but rather crouch down or sit on the floor, look away or down, hold out your hand with a yummy treat and just let her come and take it from you), and continue to treat her kindly, quietly, and gently." Pups like this can find even praise and loving a little overwhelming, so take it slow and quiet for a while, until she shows she is more comfortable with it and less afraid. And above all, don't take it personally. She is not afraid of you, she is just afraid in general. She will probably come out of it with time.

 

Good luck with her!

[diane allen]

Welcome! How great that you found this board - you will get lots of wonderful advice, as you can see!

 

I'll echo Eileen's thought about the "no" - if your pup has already associated this with "Oh my goodness, I've done something really bad and the world is about to end" - just change the word you use. I haven't a clue what it might be in Spanish! But something like "oops" (it's really hard to say that with any meanness in your voice!) or "uh-oh". You may find that just your tone of voice will convey your message.

 

Hopefully you'll have a great time playing and convincing her that YOU are the best thing in the world! She's probably a little freaked out, with the previous owner packing up and all that chaos, then a new home. It's great that she's playing with your chi - but spend time with her so she bonds to YOU not just the other dog.

 

Best of luck!

 

diane

[BustopherJones]

I can't improve on the answers already given, so I will simply offer this thought for future reference. The terms "Border Collie" and "normal" are mutually exclusive.

[RuthBelle]

Welcome! Would love to see pictures of your pups!

[momtotwo]

Congrats on the new puppy! As others have said you've gotten great advice. I just thought I would chime in since I have 2 border collies and a chihuahua (she's just over 3 pounds). She runs our house! My adult male lets her eat first, drink first, out the door first, you name it! The puppy is learning to respect her. It's been great to watch!

 

When I got Zahra (the puppy) she was very out going and lively at her home. When we brought her home she was a big chicken and so shy. We've just kind of let her make the effort. In 2 weeks time she is much better, loves to snuggle and is coming around.

 

Nothing makes me happier than my dogs! Enjoy your new little one!

[Pewot]

Alisa, Julie, Sue R, Daisy Doodle, Julie, Ooky, Eileen Stein, Diane, Bustopher Jones, Ruth Belle....

 

Thnx for all, the all information and the welcome you give me, me and my wife Liz are now more relax about Chewbacca.

 

All the advice and recomendation that all of you give me, start working perfectly.

 

Here you can find some pictures i take today, here you can see my wife Liz, my brother Memo, Chewbbaca, Tachuela and me, my name is Juan Carlos, A.K.A Pewot.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jccl/

 

Thank you all for the advice, i dont have the correct word to thankyou, in exchange i offer edit some pictures of your dogs in Photoshop, so feel free to send me pictures and i promise to make something nice to your pics.

 

Adios Amigos.

 

Juan Carlos Pewot

 

P.S. i will keep you up dated with any news and adventures of my dogs, for example, just for the record, we´re going to take tachuela to the vet, she need a surgery in her hip, she walk with three legs, she has some pain and need that treatment.

[esox]

Pewot,

Welcome. Yes there are great people here. They have helped me a great deal.

 

Your family is beautiful.

 

Esox

[RuthBelle]

What nice pictures of you and your pups! I love Chewy's zigzag stripe up her forehead, very distinctive!

[Pewot]

What nice pictures of you and your pups! I love Chewy's zigzag stripe up her forehead, very distinctive!

 

 

One of the candidate name was thunder, but i´m a starwars fan thnx for your coments

 

Pewot

[Pewot]

Welcome Pewot and I'm glad you came here for advice about your new puppy Chewbacca.

First, here is a link you can read: http://www.bordercollie.org/lwbc.html

It covers the basics about border collies, their temperament, training, etc.

I would also recommend you do some reading about raising a border collie puppy. Ian Dunbar is an excellent dog trainer and writer and has written a book called Before and After Getting your Puppy -- here is the link: http://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&id=...8&ct=result

I'm sure you'll be able to find it in a good bookstore or over the internet.

 

Yes, it is very possible that she was mistreated or at least not handled or socialized properly by her former owner/breeder. But as a young dog, this will only require your patience, consistence and dedication to resolve.

Border collies, in my experience, are usually very cautious and often shy dogs when they are experiencing something new. Especially puppies. The most important thing is for you not to be intimidated by the fact that she's a border collie and to treat her like a dog who needs your direction. As she gains confidence around you and your family, she will get more outgoing and begin to figure out how she can wrap you all around her finger !

 

Puppies do sleep a lot when they're not playing, so I wouldn't be concerned about this. It is important that you and all your family members play with her as well and not just your chihuahua, Tack.

 

She has been taken from her mother, original home and dropped into your world -- so yes, she will be nervous and fearful at first, but it is your responsibility to reassure her and reward her (i.e. praise her) when she does something right and begins to make positive adjustments within your family and your home.

 

Walking her on a leash is no problem. Puppies find this strange at first but soon get used to it. My dog Skye used to bite her leash when I began to use it so I put a little bit of hot sauce on it to keep her from grabbing it. It worked. But I would gradually introduce her to leash walking rather than try to do it all at once. You can start by attaching the leash to her in the house and walking her around inside; then you can take her outside on leash and use this to train her to go to the bathroom outdoors as well. I walk Skye on leash all the time; we live in a city with dog parks as well.

 

I've not fed Royal Canin, but any good quality puppy food is an appropriate choice. Many people are concerned with feeding puppies a dog food that is too high in protein, which can stimulate too much early rapid growth (I believe this is right -- someone correct me if I'm wrong), at the expense of bone development, so watch out for that.

 

No, if your puppy gets along well with your chihuahua now, there is no reason to believe this will change. There might be some adolescent posturing when she gets older, and the play may get a bit more raucous, but I imagine they'll continue to be friends. If your chihuahua is elderly or in any way infirm, I would ensure that he is allowed time to himself.

 

It is good that you are praising her when she does something right. I would also encourage you to mark that good behaviour with a single word like "yes" -- this way you can use it like a marker when you train her, sort of like clicker training, but without the clicker .

 

Good luck with her and keep us all up to date on her progress with you and your family,

Ailsa

 

Thanx for all the coments, the links you send are perfect. im going to look for the book to.

 

Im going to be more calm to chewbacca.

 

Pewot

[Pewot]

Hi Pewot and welcome to the boards,

It sounds to me like Chewbacca just lacks socialization. I think that with time and patience on your part, she'll come around just fine.

Puppies do sleep a lot, just like human babies. If the vet has examined her and pronounced her healthy, then I wouldn't worry about the sleeping so much. The last puppy I had I took to work with me and she spent most of the time sleeping--out twice at my breaks to go to the bathroom and then out to play on my lunchbreak and then pretty much sleeping the rest of the time.

You didn't say how old Chewbacca is, but puppies go through fear periods at certain ages. She could be in a fear period. If that's coupled with the fact that she wasn't socialized (handled) much as a little puppy, then that could explain her fearfulness. Remember she's gone from a litter with mom and siblings to a strange new place with new sights, smells, and sounds. If she's never been anywhere before you got her, then this could be quite overwhelming to her.

Border collies can be leash trained like any other dog. You say you have plenty of parks to go to, and I assume she can be off leash there, so I wouldn't recommend breaking the law by letting her off leash where the law requires her to be on leash. I also would limit her access to areas with lots of dogs for now, until she's fully vaccinated and trusts you a bit better. At this point, everything you do with her should be in keeping with her safety and health. Give her time to bond with you and your family before throwing a bunch of other new stuff at her.

I don't think it's a bad food, and if she's doing well on it then I see no reason not to feed it.

Not at all. If you teach her manners and make sure she knows from the start that the chihuahua isn't a play toy but something to be respected, they can have a good relationship even once Chewbacca is grown.

Some puppies just do this, and most will outgrow it. I would recommend regularly disposing of all poop that's out in the garden. There are also products you can put in her food that are supposed to discourage poop eating. Others here have recommended pineapple for that purpose, but I've never used it so couldn't tell you how much or how often to feed it.

This is extrememly normal. One of the first things a puppy will need to do upon waking up is go to the bathroom. By picking her up, you probably put pressure on her bladder and caused her to pee. I've had that happen to me on more than one occasion while trying to carry a puppy outside in hopes of preventing an accident between whatever room we were in and the door....

 

I would caution you against leaving a puppy in the garden unattended. They can get into trouble pretty quickly, and bored puppies can do a lot of damage to the yard in a very short time. If you can set up a pen or kennel for her in the house for when you have to leave home, it would keep her (and your yard) safer.

Time, patience, consistent training from you (and that's very important), setting clear boundaries of what behaviors are acceptable and what are not will go a long way toward helping her to adjust to her new situation. Remember that she's just a baby and has had her life turned upside down in a very short space of time. I doubt the previous owner abused her. It's more likely that they just didn't handle her or give her new experiences so she went from a very simple situation with little in the way of mental stimulation to one where there's lots of noise, activity, etc., and thanks to not being socialized as a little pup she's finding it all very overwhelming now. With time, patience, and consistency on your part she should come around and eventually start to behave like a more typical puppy.

 

Good luck!

 

Julie

 

 

Hello, thanx for your coments and advice,

i´m not in favor about the kennel, i feel bad leaving the dog in there, i was thinking to use that toys where you put some food in, and the dog plays with that for a lot of time, what do you think?

 

Pewot

[Pewot]

Welcome! I am sure people will be happy to give you good advice about your new puppy. We have board members from all over the world, who share a love for the Border Collie.

 

Border Collies tend to be dogs smart, active dogs that require mental and physical exercise - but they do not need to be "hyper" and they can live very successfully in city conditions if their needs for mental stimulation and physical activity are met.

 

1. Younger puppies do spend a lot of time sleeping. They tend to play and be very active, and then sleep in between active periods. If your vet has not found any issues to worry about, I would not be too concerned about this. She will probably become a bit more active and spend longer periods of time awake as she grows and, as she matures, she will learn to control her activity levels (learn what we call an "off switch", or the ability to be quiet and restful for periods of time when she needs to be).

 

2. Your puppy sounds a bit shy or fearful. She may grow out of that with care on your part, making sure that you are kind and gentle, not over-reacting to her "mistakes", and also not forcing attention on her but rather allowing her to become more comfortable with you. As Border Collies tend to be very senstive to noise and movement (it was a necessity for dogs that would be working livestock), you can find some that are a bit too sensitive. That can improve over time for many dogs as they grow to realize that you are a source of good things and not something to be anxious about.

 

3. Most dogs need to learn to walk politely on a leash (or lead) and a Border Collie readily adapts to leash training. You can find a number of topics about this on these boards, using the "search" feature at the top of the page. Remember to use a properly-sized flat collar (nylon or leather is fine, and wider is gentler than narrower) and not a chain collar, while the leash can be nylon, leather, or light chain (remember to not let her chew the leash).

 

4. I believe Royal Canin is a good food but you can also find reference to that with the search feature. Remember to not over-feed a puppy, feed a younger puppy with more frequent, smaller meals (and reduce the number of meals to fewer, larger meals as she grows), and only feed puppy formula foods until about three months of age or so, and then change to a quality adult formula (to avoid too-fast growth). When changing foods, always change gradually, replacing a small amount of the old food in each meal with the new food the first day, and switching over in small steps over several days until she is eating the new food successfully.

 

5. No, she can live happily with another dog as long as you help train her to do so. Make sure that, if your Chihuahua is not able to defend himself (let the puppy know when play is too rough or unwanted), that you step in and take care of your dog, letting the puppy know that it's time to stop and do something else - make sure you give her something else to do that is rewarding for her (like playing with her yourself, giving her something enjoyable and safe to chew on or play with by herself, and so on). Also, I find with my dogs that they tend to be very "interested" in small, active dogs (I think it's related to their being Border Collies and being sensitive to motion and noise, and showing "herding" behaviors to other, smaller animals), and you need to notice if this is occuring and correct her for this type of behavior (say "ahhht" or some similar discouraging sound, as softly as possible to get the result that you need) and, again, give her something else that is rewarding for her to do.

 

6. Many pups will go through a poop-eating stage. You can deal with this by cleaning up her poop (on the paper or in the yard) as soon as she goes. There are also products that can be added to her food that will discourage her from this behavior because they will make the poop unappealing to her). Don't make a big issue of it, just say "ahhht" if you see her approaching the poop or eating it, and remove it, remembering to give her something that is more rewarding - maybe a dog cookie, playtime, or a chew toy. Most pups grow out of this pretty well by the time they are a bit older.

 

7. Many frightened or submissive (or dogs) will urinate when fearful. It is called "submissive urination" and pups will often do it when an older dog or pup approaches and they are trying to "appease" the older dog (they are letting the older dog know that it is in charge and that they are submitting to it). Most pups grow out of this. Chewbacca probably had a full bladder when you picked her up and she became fearful, and so she wet on you. This is not something that she should be scolded for. Avoid this situation again by allowing her walk along with you if you can rather than picking her up, and looking for opportunities to hold her where and when she won't be worried.

 

Her fearfulness seems like a big problem to you. As others have said, she may be in one of the "fear stages" that most all puppies go through as they grow and learn about their world. She may still be adjusting to her new home, surroundings, and people. My advice is to not "push" her but be kind and gentle (like you are doing), keep your voice and movements quiet (especially if she has made a mistake and you need to correct her, but don't want to increase her fearfulness), allow her to approach you when you are in a position that is not worrisome (don't stare at her, don't stand over her, bend over her, put your hands over her but rather crouch down or sit on the floor, look away or down, hold out your hand with a yummy treat and just let her come and take it from you), and continue to treat her kindly, quietly, and gently.

 

Some Border Collies (and dogs or pups of any breed) can be like this. As she adjusts to being in your household and learning that you are gentle, give good treats, and fair, she should improve. However, for some dogs, this can be an issue for them their entire lives, particularly with strangers (even when they adjust to their own families, which they usually will do). So, this is a critical time to "socialize" her - that means to introduce her to new people, new places, and new situations so that she can learn that these are not individuals or things to worry about.

 

It can be difficult to know just how much to socialize a dog or pup that is fearful because you want to help them to understand that new people and things are not something to be afraid of but you also don't want to push things onto the dog or pup that it can not handle. You will need to be the judge of what she can and can't handle. Perhaps one of the best things you could do is to find a good quality place to take her for a puppy class (I don't know if they have that where you live) where a good instructor can help you, where you and she will receive training, and where (most importantly) she will be able to interact with other puppies and people, and learn that they are not things to be afraid of.

 

One last thought - did you meet Chewbacca's mother and father? If you did, what were they like? Were they fearful or friendly and confident? Many people worry that their Border Collie was abused or mistreated by a previous owner but that is not necessarily the case. These are often very sensitive dogs and may react in ways to motions, sounds, and corrections that seem like they have been mistreated, but they have not been. It sounds like she was not socialized in her previous home and so that will take a little more time now.

 

I have written too much, and I am sure others will give you much better advice. We always worry about those we love, our family members and our pets. Very best wishes to you, your family, and your dogs!

 

(I see that while I was writing, others were giving you excellent advice)

 

Hello,

 

Great, i feel great about your advice, thnx for all the things you write, im printing all the coments so i can read it any time.

 

Pewot.

[Pewot]

Welcome to the boards.

 

I see that you have gotten lots of wonderful advice already.

 

Please keep us posted on the progress of your pup!

 

Good Luck!

 

 

Ive got a lot of advice and of course im goiing to keep the progress of Chewbacca

 

Thnx

 

Pewot

[Pewot]

I don't have anything to add to all the excellent advice already given. I have a BC that is 4, she is fearful/shy and she is very, very sensitive to corrections, so sometimes a firm "NO" was too much for her when she was a puppy, maybe instead, just try and re-direct her activity and only praise her when she's done something good, like bathroom outside, chewing on her own toys etc. There is a good chance that maybe your voice is very loud or deep (too her atleast) and that scared her. They can be very sensitive dogs.

 

Good luck and have fun. Oh, and maybe some pictures of her?

 

Julie

 

Maybe she is very sensitive, i began to use just the "NO", my wife belive the same about my voice so right now im goig to whisper all

 

Thnx

[Pewot]

Welcome Pewot,

 

Others have given you wonderful advice. I just got a Border Collie puppy too and he was sometimes fearful. A lot of times it seemed like for no real reason I could see, especially on walks. Be kind but don't baby him when he is afraid. Tell your family to just act like, "every thing's cool, its not big deal," if he is acting really afraid of something you know will not hurt him. If you are giving him a bath or something, where it is kind of a big deal and you have to hold him in the tub, just be firm but pleasant, but don't get all excited over him too much. I've found this really helps them not to get more and more fearful acting, and also if you don't freak out, and nothing happens, eventually Chewbacca will learn that you know when things are going to be all right and they trust you. Trying to comfort her like a baby too much could make the problem worse.

 

My brother just got a puppy he named Chewbacca too - they call her Chewie. Good name.

 

 

Hello,

 

That is important, my wife treat her like a baby when she is afraid, but from now, that is never going to hapen, thnx for your coments, by the way, what breed is chewbacca?

[Pewot]

Hi Pewot, welcome to the Boards.

 

You have gotten good advice from people already, so there are just two things I want to add or emphasize.

 

1. You do have to let Chewbacca know when she is doing something wrong, but you should do it in a way that she can understand. Some dogs are tough, and need a strong "No" to understand, but some dogs are more timid, and need a softer "No." It sounds like Chewbacca is the more timid kind, at least at this stage. Sometimes a dog like that can be corrected with just a hard look. If she is starting to do something wrong, I would try looking very seriously at her, and saying "No" or "Ahhhp" very quietly and seriously, and then watch her to see if that is enough to make her stop what she is doing. If you can do this while she is just thinking about doing the wrong thing, but before she has done it, that's best. If she has already done the wrong thing and gone on to something else before you discover it, then I would not even tell her "No," because she won't understand what you're talking about. Let it go and wait for the next time to try to tell her that she is wrong.

 

2. I agree with Sue -- don't push her to interact with you, but "allow her to approach you when you are in a position that is not worrisome (don't stare at her, don't stand over her, bend over her, put your hands over her, but rather crouch down or sit on the floor, look away or down, hold out your hand with a yummy treat and just let her come and take it from you), and continue to treat her kindly, quietly, and gently." Pups like this can find even praise and loving a little overwhelming, so take it slow and quiet for a while, until she shows she is more comfortable with it and less afraid. And above all, don't take it personally. She is not afraid of you, she is just afraid in general. She will probably come out of it with time.

 

Good luck with her!

 

 

Hello, i need to learn the lenguage of my dog, like you say, maybe she dont undestand what i want, any way, i have a lot to study with all the coments and advice, thnx a lot

 

Pewot

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

"On talking terms with dogs" by Turid Rugaas would be a good place to start if you are interested in learning your dogs body language.

 

By the way, she is beyond ADORABLE! I love her little zig-zag on her head!!

[Ooky]

Hello,

 

That is important, my wife treat her like a baby when she is afraid, but from now, that is never going to hapen, thnx for your coments, by the way, what breed is chewbacca?

 

She is a rottweiler/husky/lab/mix, I think.