High pitched yip

[krischase]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum. I adopted a Border Collie in April, 2017. He's a year old. I just had a question about yipping. I've never heard a dog yip like this one does. He has a low bark (like a normal bark) but rarely ever uses it. When he gets excited, he yips like a coyote. It's high pitched and sounds like he's being tortured. He yips if he sees another dog that he thinks he may be able to play with or when he knows we're going to play ball outside or if we're going on a hike in the woods. Is this something that's common in border collies ? I'm dealing with it by stopping the walk (or whatever) and getting him to calm down and be quiet, then he gets a treat and we continue. He's starting to get it but it's a slow go. Any other advice out there ?

[shayedits]

Our female is 3 and does a single piercing yip when she is bored and wants someone to entertain her. She can be hard-headed, so our training has been slow-going. We're doing the same sort of thing -- not rewarding the yip and making her stop and wait quietly until she gets to play.

[urge to herd]

^^^ This. Gibbs, at almost 10, gets yippy when he's really excited. I'm not very consistent at ignoring it, in part because I'm usually in a hurry and it really doesn't bother me that much. If it did, I'd be doing the same thing you're doing.

 

Ruth & Gibbs

[aschlemm]

Ugh, my 11 year old male Border has the worst, most annoying "YAP!!" when he is excited. He gets excited a lot, even at 11. When he was a puppy my older female used to discipline him for it but it never sunk in. If I ignore it, it just gets worse!!! If it bothers you, keep working at eliminating it now. At 11 years, I figure Logan is what he is. He is simply a vocal dog with an entire vocabulary of moans, groans, noisy yawns, sighs, grumbles, squeaks, whines, barks and the awful YAP!

[krischase]

Thanks for the replies. I'll keep at it. It seems like I take 2 steps forward with this dog and then he'll go 3 steps backward. He's a real challenge !

[urge to herd]

Don't laugh. Whatever you do, don't laugh. All of the b. collies I've had ~ ALL of them, and none of them related ~ have/had wicked senses of humor. And used it to manipulate me shamelessly.

 

Once you laugh at something they've done, they will continue to do it. I believe they enjoy the power it gives them over mere humans.

 

Ruth & Gibbs

[aschlemm]

I agree 110% with Urge to Herd. Don't laugh!!!!!! My Border, Logan, LOVES it when people laugh at him!! If someone laughs, he will do that behavior forever!!!!!

[shayedits]

That's so very true about the laughing!

 

Don't get discouraged by the two steps forward, three steps back, especially with your baby dog! It comes with herders. Border collies watch everything and learn patterns quickly -- and then constantly challenge. My husband calls it "trying to figure out if you're a sheep."

 

If it's any consolation, our dogs are 3 and 3 1/2 and we just now feel like we have a good handle on their training and behavior -- partly because we've adjusted to their two very different personalities, partly because they are getting older, and partly because they have jobs through agility and disc.

[Gloria Atwater]

Yup, it's normal. My big macho 9 year old male with the German Shepherd bark can yip like a darned girl! Getting your youngster to disengage from the trigger and engage instead with you is an excellent tactic.