HoosierMike Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 My pup Dave has just started, within the last few days, to show a great little crouch and even a little stare when he's really intent on something. He is 4 1/2 months old now. Granted, we have no sheep, but he will do this with the deer and turkeys he sees in the woods, and to our other dog too. I was wondering if this behavior is something that the pups are born with or a learned trait? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pansmom Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 I was wondering if this behavior is something that the pups are born with or a learned trait? Pan does it, and we don't even know if she's pure border collie (all we know for sure is 50%), and she was taken away from her mother at 5 weeks, so I'm going to go with instinct or genetic memory on this one! P.S. Dave is precious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 I think Speedy was about 4 or 5 months old when I first noticed it. We were upstairs in our old house and he was on the bed. I had thrown a ball down the hall for Sammie and he had chased it. I suddenly noticed Speedy, who did not yet play ball, standing on the bed in a crouch with one paw up, and he was staring at Sammie and was slightly rocking forward and backward. I had never seen anything like it and really didn't know what to make of it! I didn't really start to see it on a regular basis, though, until he started playing ball himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie Meier Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 I have a 3 1/2 week old pup that started showing it the last few days, yesterday she was just crouched a little, what she was staring at (my foot) moved a little and she lied down, when I pulled my foot back she rose with the release back to the crouch and stare. I think I know which one I'm going to gamble on!! Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 Pups will play at stalking each other as soon as they get their legs well under them, in the whelping box. I've seen it many times. Sam, three weeks old, stalking Christine when she "disappeared" behind the camera. He still can't stand it when his "prey" goes out of sight. Seven weeks old, stalking my Chinese crested: And last week, at about ten and a half weeks old: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejano Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 My pups have been exhibiting since about 8 weeks, either toward each other, or when watching Ladybug (our older rescue dog) as she and Ken play fetch. The intensity that they present surprises me. When you lay a ball before Robin, he crouches and stares at it, daring it to move Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc friend Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 Within a week of moving into my home, then 8-week old Sara was crouching, stalking the cats and attempting to move them - these were very tolerant old cats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody & Duchess Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 I don't know the answer- but I wish I was Rebecca - boy are those dogs cute. I would get nothing else done - just watching the puppies and taking pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejano Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 I don't know the answer- but I wish I was Rebecca - boy are those dogs cute. I would get nothing else done - just watching the puppies and taking pictures. I love my little red pup, but there's nothing prettier than the "tuxedo" black and white BC Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtran Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 I recently had an outting with a few buddies and their dogs and mine did it when the other dogs tried to leave the area we were at. Even tried to herd them back in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertranger Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I've seen stalk and stare start among puppies as soon as they can focus they're eyes and walk. It's so cute. My fave stare picture is the one of Jin at 10 wks in my sig. I also lost a GF because my dog stared at at her incessantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllieMackie Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Finn was doing it since I brought him home. Caught him in the act with my camera at about four months. He was intensely focused on a tennis ball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet_ceana Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Ceana has stalked and crouched for as long as I can remember, and we first met her at 5 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorderlineCollieaholic Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Lucky people for your adorable and talented puppies! My BC is eight months old and rarely even stares, let alone adding a crouch to that. Perhaps my dreams of sheep-herding will not be realized with him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herdcentral Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Even my Barbie Border does it. She has a very intense crouch and stare especially with my other dogs, and will crouch and crawl close to the ground when strange dogs are moving towards us with a very intense look on her face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody & Duchess Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Cody, our rescue that we got at approx 1.5 yrs, no crouch - maybe a little stare. Now we have had him for a year. About 6 months ago that crouch and stare showed up big time. Is my dog just slow? He loves to go visit the cows. He will stand there in his crouch with one paw up for as long as you let him. I am holding onto the leash. The farmer does not want his cows herded. I am sorry - the term could be cattle - they are for eating not milking. If they come to the fence - Cody will wait till they come as close as possible and this lunge at them with a big single bark. What the heck is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThunderHill Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I believe it's genetic. Here's Joss at about 12 weeks. She was "working" my other Border Collie, who was out running around in the field with another dog, too fast and far for her little legs to keep up. You can see she was with them in her mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Bo Boop Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Serious Stelly at 7 weeks ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizmo Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I don't remember exactly when he started doing it. But these were taken at 10 and 12 weeks old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyer Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Oh yeah, my very serious fella has been doing it since we've had him. 7 wks. old. I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medic4taz Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 Our BC was doing the BC crouch and stare at about 9 weeks -- here's her photo from then: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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