5 Month old with eye

[jrhodo]

Well, Buck is doing great (got him a week ago). I won't say he's smart, I just think he understands english.

 

In three days knew: Come, In (let's go in), Out (want to go out?), Crate (means hide in kitchen), Bring it (most of the time)

 

He has had one accident and that was the first night. He is figuring out frisbee.

 

 

Here's the question. We played frisbee this morning. Reb has to lie down until I throw it. Buck started creeping towards her with eye while she was waiting for me to throw it. Is there any problem with this? Any other pitfalls to avoid? Buck will be a goose dog like Reb.

[juliepoudrier]

I wouldn't let a 5 month old chase anything but rollers, and not do much of that. Jumping shouldn't even be in the picture at that age.

 

Are you going to start Buck on stock in the near future?

 

J.

[jrhodo]

At the risk of sounding stupid, what are rollers?

 

I don't think I'm going to start Buck on stock, but he will go along with Reb and I when we chase geese. Still thinking this through.

[flyer]

I have a pup that was doing exactly this to my older pup. I let her do it for a couple of months, very cute (aak) but at 4 mos. old I taught her to wait using a long line and another ball for her. Only took about a couple of ten minute sessions over two days. I can now put either dog on a wait and throw for the other. This has worked well to inhibit my youngster's hyper focus on her brother. She does not do this with any other dogs. Just him, though she would get very assertive with any other dog that might try to play with her when she was in this mode. The wait and a "chill" whenever she got too revved took care of all of this very nicely.

 

I was told it was not a good thing, so I am glad I got on it. I just found it annoying.

 

Frisbee is hard on the growth plates. The jumping is too high. I didn't do any frisbee until Colt was about 8 or 9 mos. old and then only for about five or ten minutes or so every few days. I kept the frisbee low. Stick to the ball. It rolls, no need for leaping about.

 

Growth plates finish around 14 mos.

[Sue R]

Rollers are just like it sounds - frisbees rolling along the ground, no flying at all, for reasons mentioned.

 

I would avoid having your pup fixate on anything - your other dog, birds, planes, leaves, shadows. You can either play with them separately, so that you can keep him occupied with good things, or distract him from the unwanted behaviors.

 

Best wishes!

[jrhodo]

I guess I should have explained what I mean when I say frisbee. My older dog, Reb, lies down and I throw the frisbee. She waits until I release her to run after it (it's how I trained her to lie down for sheep). So this is really fetch. The pup runs after her and picks up the frisbee after she drops it. He started eyeing her when she's down. I can easily divert his attention which my gut tells me I should. Pretty darn cute though.

[flyer]

I guess I should have explained what I mean when I say frisbee. My older dog, Reb, lies down and I throw the frisbee. She waits until I release her to run after it (it's how I trained her to lie down for sheep). So this is really fetch. The pup runs after her and picks up the frisbee after she drops it. He started eyeing her when she's down. I can easily divert his attention which my gut tells me I should. Pretty darn cute though.

 

Exactly what my pup was doing and would still do if I let her. Lots of eye right off and crouch and stalk. My older pup is easy going and would simply drop his ball or frisbee for her to return to me. Extra cuteness, her returning the ball. Than I would throw again, he would fetch she would jack it by jumping at him, growling and so on. Cute when she was really little. As I say at 4 mos. it got annoying. Both Colt and I began putting the kibosh on it. He didn't think it was so cute any more either.

 

I have noticed that Bea will try to control situations that feel edgy or a little hyper/wild i.e. over the top labs, dogs that jump on me. Fortunately she listens well and has good impulse control so all I have to say now is "Bea chill, I'll take care of it" and she will sit my side. I so wish the owners of said jumping dogs who are inevitably years older than her would take care of their dogs.

 

I think these behaviors of Bea are linked. I think the controlling is prey driven.

 

She has never shown any tendency toward obsessive behaviors such as hyper focusing on the things Sue mentioned.

 

I have been doing lots of "wait" and "stay" exercises with both pups on advice from this forum.

 

Although Bea is very assertive even aggressive in these circumstances she plays with other dogs completely appropriately. Gently with little dogs and pups and outright rambunctiously with the bigger guys. She will also take cues from more assertive dogs appropriately, as in she will back off if told she is too rough, but not when the other stuff I talked about is happening. I am the only one who gets through then. I think she would take on a grizzly during those situations.

 

I'd be interested to know if you see any of this in your pup.

[jrhodo]

Thanks for your answer. Right now frisbee fetch is a quick way to use up puppy energy and get my dogs used to playing together. Buck (pup) still can't tell the difference in Reb's play growl and discipline growl, so frisbee helps. I'll get to the wait exercise soon, it's a great idea.

 

I get up everyday before work and throw the frisbee until the dogs get tired. They didn't realise that it was Easter today or that we could sleep in. 6:00 am was a bit too early for me! I always say, if you do something with a border collie three times, that means you will always do that in their minds...