Insanity out the door

[kelpiegirl]

Okay, I need to query the group en masse. Those of you with multiple border collies, when you let your dogs out after you've been away, or in the morning, how do they behave? Do they run out, and basically act nuts, or do they just run out, and then calm right down? I am not talking behaviour before you open the door, rather, once they have been released.

[juliepoudrier]

Mine are pretty anxious to get out, but once out, they just go calmly about their business. (That is, they will take off down the porch and into the yard and then they settle right down, no running around acting all crazy or anything.)

 

J.

[Maralynn]

The two older ones run out and calm down. If I don't go out with them, they soon be back at the door waiting for me to come do something with them. Kenzi is a little nutty, but I'm guessing she'll calm down as she gets a little older.

 

If I take them out in the field for a run, they'll act a little crazy.

[juliepoudrier]

Yeah, if KG had asked what they do when they go through the gate to take a walk on the back of the property, the story's different. It's a mad race for the creek, where some dive in and others bark. The LGD also races to the bottom of the pasture to bark at the border collies as they go charging by. Cleary, "walks" (I'm the only one walking) are way more exciting than just being let out in the yard!

 

J.

[ejano]

Because I'm making every attempt to avoid tussles between the pups, I control the going out very carefully for the most part. IF they've been crated for a time, all they have on their minds is "pee now!" so they all go out at about the same time, do their business and trot back in.

 

For exercise and as a prelude to their training times, Ladybug, being an older lady (hard to believe she's nine this year!) trots out, does her thing and comes back to the porch. If we were going on a mouse hunt or training, she'd be right there, but generally, with the snow and cold, she's back to the warm fire.

 

The pups - today is their 11th month birthday! - get let out anywhere from three minutes to ten minutes apart (sometimes I let one out, and bring the other in). Usually when Ladybug is ready to come in, I let the other out...sometimes she goes back out with the second pup so all three are together.

 

When they're alone they stand waiting for the other, then barrel up to the fence line to do their business separately. After that, they'll play a bit or just roll in the snow or go nosing around the pine trees and tromp through the raised beds (Some silly person fenced in the garden as part of their yard and now she's got to convince her "I told you so" DH to run another fence line to keep the pups out of the garden if I"m going to have any crops this year!) Yesterday I observed them somewhat longingly looking through the fence toward the field where we walk, like children waiting for recess.

 

Once they've finished the rounds, they start to play with each other. ..as long as their tails are up, they're free to play - I give them about five minutes of goofing around, then they're back under my control. Sometimes the three of them play together. Ladybug is trying to teach them proper Border Collie games.

 

 

ONe thing that puzzles me is that the Glen Highland website talks about dogs getting comfortable enough to play "herding games", If I'm understanding the term correctly -- dogs taking turns chasing each other about, I'd seen Scotty and Ladybug do that - I called it sheep and wolf and unfortunately Scotty was always the sheep, but he never took offence.

 

However, with the pups those kinds of pursuits and eyeing up lead to hurt feelings and trouble so I monitor really closely what they are doing. I wonder if its because they come from strong herding lines, or is it just because they are young and lack self control? Both perhaps?

 

Liz

[kelpiegirl]

Julie- your walkies behaviour is same as my out the door. It's ANNOYING. One of my Kelpies is just a hyper nut, and squeals when I let her out, and just acts "unbalanced" as CM would say. If I stand tall, and ask for a down, she will do it, but when she gets up, nutso, not for too long, but still, it makes Lucy want to "work" her, and it makes Danny posessed. That's the best way to describe it. The behaviour seems to be diminishing in length of time (it was never more than 2-3 mins), but it's just insanity. In fact, when he's done, he comes over, head down, body swagger, tail wagging, and sweet, to check back in with me. I wonder if he's reacting to the complete insanity by my other dog...

[juliepoudrier]

I do think they feed off of each other. I have some that insist on barking at the gate when they know I'm coming out to walk them. They don't *all* do it, but I've noticed that one or two others have picked it up from the two who do. They are let through the gate one at a time so there's no crazy jostling at that point at least. the difference with your problem at the door is I can simply leave the troublemakers in the house, let everyone else through the gate, and then let the others out....

 

J.

[Mariji]

In the morning I go into the animals bedroom (they share it with the rats) and open all the crate doors and stand there for a sec or two and release each dog one at a time (they have different release cues). So for a split second they are dead still waiting for that word, but the moment I release them they are like a wild pack of hounds. Of course I go straight outside as one is just a puppy and desperate to pee but they all leap around me like maniacs till I go inside again. I give it about 15 mins at the max for them all to have a drink and toilet until they start screaming around at top speed like combatting jet fighters, usually with something in their mouths. They do this for about 2 hours and by 9am they are good to come inside, where they all crash out and sleep for the next 3 hours.

 

I have recently had to cut out the barking my 7 month old does whilst playing. Barking makes me livid mad and my older two don't bark at all, so we have gotten better with my pup. And she only occassionally barks whilst out running around like a mental. Slight mayhem

[martySQ]

Kelpiegirl.. Bess only does that in the snow....

[AmandaMJL]

All my dogs typically go about their business, except Fluke! He's a freakshow, I tell myself that's the aussie in him! LOL I always release him last, they have to sit and make eye contact before being let out and even if he does it before the others he's still last as he goes out and thinks he should chase everyone as they come out. If he's last then he runs around for a second and then does his business.

 

However, in the snow (which we finally got ALOT last night yayyyyyyyyyyy!) they all act like puppies - especially my 10.5 year old girl! I love it!

[bcnewe2]

We would have chaos at the door if I didn't take huge amounts of time controlling it. Sometimes it gets away from me.

But it's who's going out with who that causes issues.

Mick is the worst culprit. He is a door troll so no dogs will go out with him except Raven, and Mick wouldn't dare troll Raven. Raven the calm dog goes a bit wack getting out the door. So if she goes out with Mick they run all of 2 seconds hell bent for what ever then that's it's calm

The old dogs go out alone, Raven Jazz and Pach will go out and amble around not causing a stink.

Now if I let Dew out with Raven she is bad about trying to work her for all of 2 seconds then it's again calm waters.

So Mick goes out alone usually, then the old dogs go out. Then go figure, Dew doesn't want out unless she can go out with Raven so she acts like she wants to go out then backs up and sits.

I have to actually go out with Dew late night and "make" her go out in the am.

 

Now if I go out with them even if it's just to go out with them it's a totally different story. They are excited but way better cause they're waiting to see what I'm going to do.

Same story as Julie's if we are going to go for a walk.

 

I'm not fond of our getting out the door deal but it's working and I guess I'm to lazy to make it more calm.

[ItsADogsLyfe]

Out of my 5 Border Collies ( I won't count the poodle in this) only my young one runs out crazily. In the morning I let them out of their kennels into the yard. Then I load them up in the back of the truck (with shell) and drop them off at my shop then take my daughter to school. When I get back I let them all out back of the shop. There is about 1/2 acre lot back there. Crue (the young one) runs out and looks for any movement that might be a squirrel in the trees. So he runs around full out for a few minutes. The others just go about their business. Nobody is completely wild and all are easily controlled.

[Root Beer]

Sammie and Dean go right out and pay no mind to anyone else. Speedy and Maddie almost always have a brief . . . I don't know - play "tussle" for a few seconds after they go out the door. It is literally seconds, and then they rush off and ignore each other. This has been their habit since they were youngsters together, and they still do it at 8 and 9! They seem to like it. They don't do it every single time they go out the door together, but most of the time. Also, if only one of them goes out, they don't try to play the game with any of the other dogs. It seems to be their special thing. It is actually the only direct interaction I tend to observe between the two of them most of the time.

 

If they think that I'm actually going to come out and let them out into the big yard, they all gather at the gate together and turn and look at me expectantly. They don't tend to interact amongst themselves, though. When I do take them out into the big yard, they don't interact as they leave the gate. The mutts scatter to sniff and the Border Collies are at the ready for a game.

[Carson Crazies]

When I let the dogs out the back door they basically act a little stupid for I'd say 2-3 seconds and then run into the yard and subsequently go about business as usual. No big exciting thing. When I take them to Julie's to go with her dogs on a walk it's a different story. They crank through the gate, race for the creek, barkscream or just bark, and generally act the fool. Once we catch up with them they seem to settle down and mostly run around and explore, which is mostly the point.

 

Obviously going outside to potty at home or play is a completely different animal to my dogs than going for a walk somewhere else.

[BC-Liz]

For us it mostly depends on the time of day. In the morning they are the most calm and everyone just walks out the door to the nearest patch of grass or tree and does their business. In the afternoons and evenings it's a totally differently story. We make them wait at the door usually and release slowly, trying to get them to walk off the deck but it's usually a failed attempt. Our poor grass right off the deck is non existent. But as soon as they've burst out the door they are calm (except Lucky who hasn't quite got the idea yet...he'll kinda stand upright looking at the other dogs as if he's saying "come on now, we're outside, why aren't you running around?" and then do his business once he realized they aren't interested).

 

One thing that worked for a while to quell the insanity was we'd grab treats before we let them out and release them one at a time and make them stop before the end of the deck and get a cookie. But in the end this only meant they would tear @ss on the deck instead of the carpet. Anywho, good luck.