Now a double BC house.

[Nzbc]

Hi,

 

Last weekend our house went from having one 6 year old border collie (Floyd), to one 6 year old and one 7 year old border collie. One of the biggest things I've noticed is how different they can be. The new BC is very people orientated and food driven, whereas the younger one is not at all interested in food, and would rather sit on his chair outside than with me inside. I will admit that its nice to have two dogs that are so contrasting. There are some issues though. The older BC is super laid-back but doesn't like other dogs at all (including Floyd), she will tolerate Floyd and they happily walk side by side basically leaning on each other, they are fine being fed whilst sitting beside each other also. It is worse when she is near me or my wife and Floyd comes close to us, she will growl and at worst lunge at Floyd. I've been trying to walk away from her when she starts growling, is this a good thing to do? When they are both outside they move happily passed each other. I suspect that its got something to do with possession/protection??

 

I'm not looking for them to become best buds, but I would like her to stop growling at Floyd as he can be sensitive to things like this.

 

To finish on a positive note - She is a really great companion dog and loves to get lots of pats.

 

Any advice/ ideas much appreciated.

 

thanks

 

Dave

[juliepoudrier]

Well since no one else has bothered to reply, I will take a stab at it. I would guess that your female (does she have a name?) is being a bit possessive of you. You can take a couple of approaches. If she's obedience trained, ask her to sit or lie down and call Floyd to you while giving her treats as long as she stays in a sit or down. Over time she will come to associate Floyd's approach with good things and hopefully won't be as possessive.

 

I would probably combine that approach with a correction approach. Floyd was in your home first, right? She needs to understand that Floyd has rights within the household, and that includes being able to walk up to you or your wife without fear of being "corrected" by the new dog. So I would correct her ("no!" or "ahhh ahhh!") for growling or lunging. I would then ask her to sit/lie down and encourage Floyd on over and use the treats as long as she's behaving.

 

I'm sure someone else will come along and explain it better than that.

 

We also love pictures of everyone's dogs. Welcome to the BC Boards.

 

J.

[Gloria Atwater]

..... There are some issues though. The older BC is super laid-back but doesn't like other dogs at all (including Floyd), she will tolerate Floyd and they happily walk side by side basically leaning on each other, they are fine being fed whilst sitting beside each other also. It is worse when she is near me or my wife and Floyd comes close to us, she will growl and at worst lunge at Floyd. I've been trying to walk away from her when she starts growling, is this a good thing to do? When they are both outside they move happily passed each other. I suspect that its got something to do with possession/protection??

 

I'm not looking for them to become best buds, but I would like her to stop growling at Floyd as he can be sensitive to things like this.

 

 

 

Hi there and congratulations on the new dog! Border collies are like potato chips - you can't have just one.

 

If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say it sounds like a bit of jealousy. I'm not sure which is the original dog in your household - Floyd or the female?

 

But anyhow, I agree with Julie. If your girl dog will respond to commands like Sit and Stay, I'd work with that, along with some corrections. It may be that a simple, "No, sit" will be enough to deflect her, but if not, be a little sterner. Have her sit and wait, call Floyd to you for pets, and then while she's still being good, pet her too and tell her what a good girl she is.

 

Use a leash if that makes it easier to govern her behavior.

 

And the minute she growls or otherwise acts out, plant her little butt and make her sit. She just needs to know that, A) this is not acceptable behavior, and B ) you can love/pet two dogs at once.

 

If they're okay being fed together, then maybe you can work on giving them both treats for mutual Sit/stays. Teach them to sit and stay for treats, one on either side of you, until they are more focused on the treat than you.

 

And if Floyd is not that food motivated ... no biggie, just teach her to sit and stay for food, while he just sits there and lets you pet him. The main thing she needs to learn is that when Floyd comes near, her job is to sit quietly and let him be there. She gets a reward when she's good and a stern verbal correction when she's not.

 

Time and management may be the key, and consistency.

 

Best of luck with your two!

 

~ Gloria

[arf2184]

Also know that it will take a while for the two dogs to get used to each other. They may get along well enough, but they don't really know each other yet.

 

When Meg first came to live with us, for the most part Bear did great with her. For the first few weeks though he did growl at and 'correct' her for a lot of things. I think he was just trying to set the ground rules, so to speak.

 

We allowed it to a point because they do need to be able to work things out on their own and establish boundaries with each other. Don't be so quick to step in and take over if you don't have to. (I would definitely intervene in the situation where the dog is being possessive of you. That's not ok.)

 

After a while Bear relaxed AND Meg learned to read him better. She learned what was ok with him and what wasn't. Over time, she's gradually pushed the boundaries a bit. Now they have a good relationship where she'll respect his desire to control all toys that are within two feet of his head, and he'll give in and play with her every once in a while when she's got the zoomies and won't leave him alone.

 

You want to be observant and try to not let things escalate. Pay attention to your timing. If you are going to intervene, be sure to do so immediately, not after the third or fourth growl.

 

With Bear, usually all it took was a firm 'no' or 'aaaht'. Time-outs came next if more was needed. They have always worked well for Bear (who hates being left out and hates not having a toy in front of him), but they don't work for all dogs. You just have to know your dog and how to best get your point across. That can be arder with a new dog, but you'll figure it out as you go.

 

Sometimes you may need to take it further if the situation warrants. Bear pinned Meg to the floor 'guarding' the doorway one day. I don't think he would have hurt her, but doorway guarding is not allowed, and 'attacking' Meg is also not acceptable. I immediately went ballistic on him, moving into his space and yelling harsh tones at him. He cowered and whined/cried, tail between his legs. Then I walked away and ignored him for a while. Sometimes that's what it takes. We've not had a problem since.

 

Harsh tones (and really meaning them) and forward movement can really get your point across. Just be careful doing that with a dog you don't know too well. You don't want to send them into 'fight' mode and you also don't want to ruin a developing relationship with a soft dog.

[Nzbc]

Thanks so much for the replies, there is some really great info there for me to try with floyd and jess (is her name by the way!).

 

Thank you again and I'll be sure to keep you updated.

 

Cheers

 

Dave