8-week old puppy help

[Maureen]

Hi! We are the proud new parents of an 8-week old female border collie. She already has the typical habit of biting our feet while we walk and she's starting to jump up on us, too. Any suggestions for teaching her not to do these things? Also, what are the best puppy and herding training books for border collies? I'm going to order some books as soon as possible, and I'm considering "Training the Sheep Dog" by Longton & Sykes and "The Complete Border Collie" by Barbara Swann. Thanks for your help!

[Guest PrairieFire]

Hi Maureen -

 

Right now just concentrate on socializing that "awful puppy"...I have one at home just about that age right now, and socialization is critical not only to manners, but to how well she'll take to her training.

 

Some of the best books on basic puppy and dog training out are those by Patricia McConnell - a PhD zoologist who also raises and trains working Border Collies. Amazon.com should have her books, as should the National Public Radio website as she has a syndicated advice show on that network.

 

Don't worry about training for stock until she is much older (I don't start training until around 9 -12 months), when they can start listening and thinking a bit...

 

Glyn Jones' "A Way of Life" is very good. As is Bruce Fogt's "Lessons from a Stockdog". A good video is "Training your Borde Collie for Cattle, Sheep, and Ducks".

 

These can be purchased many places, including Border Collies in Action, and Francis Raley's Dog House - both of which are listed as links from the home page of this website.

 

In the meantime, insist she do as you say. Try varying your tone of voice as you say no, getting gruffer, softer, raising and lowering volume, etc. Go so far as giving her a "timeout" in her crate if she continues. Also when being pushed out of the way or being jumped on, bodyblock, do not use your hands...again expressing disapproval with your tone of voice.

 

Bill Gary

Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center

River Falls, WI

715.426.9877