I'm about to give up on her.

[Maple Grove]

You may have seen a topic I made before here about my dog Reggie.

I'll start at the beginning.

We got her two years ago when we where sposta be getting two border collie puppies, but the man who was selling them said they where going to die, they were very sick. So my parents started to look for a border collie for us, we had been waiting quite a while for the puppies and they didn't want to let us down. They found a two-year-old female with papers, not spayed for $200 (I believe). That's how we got Reggie, afterwards one of the puppies we wanted got through and we then had two.

Toby is a really cute nice BC, comes when he's called, knows normal commands, is not to hyper. But Reggie... she runs away if she gets outside, nips, knows sit and "kennel up", she is very hyper... she stayed in our garage for a while, not really near the family. But I was trying to make things better for her and was trying to make her into a better dog so my parents let me bring her in our house; she has gotten a bit better but she's still crazy. I try to train her but it doesn't seem like I'm doing a very good job, or teaching her anything.

 

I don't know what to do with her, she just needs professional help or something.

I was thinking it might be better if she could get a new home with someone who knew how to train her and take care of her.

 

I and the dog need help. Any suggestions or comments would be great.

[Maralynn]

I do remember your post from last summer. What are some of the things you have tried over the past several months? And how would you describe a typical day with Reggie now?

 

If I remember right, you had sheep or goats and wanted to try herding with Reggie? Were you able to find anyone to take lessons from?

[Allie+Tess&Kipp]

It sounds like you are both just kind of adrift without any plan, and a plan from a class with goals might be a huge help (besides being a lot of fun ).

 

If there are no classes near you, there are a lot of options, including using a book like The Power of Positive Training or Dog Friend Dog Training or something. There are a lot out there with good information. You could also try a mailing list like Clicker Solutions, too.

 

Is she getting much exercise? Is she getting much individual time with you?

 

Can you say what state you are in? Folks here might be able to direct you to obedience, agility, herding, and flyball classes/groups where you could get a good start.

 

I'm sorry but I do not remember your post from last summer so sorry if this is a repeat of suggestions/questions from responses there...

 

Allie + Tess & Kipp

http://weebordercollie.com

[Maple Grove]

I set up a training area with jumps and boards, she really did like that but we had to take it apart because it was in our big house that we are still building on...

Typical day for Reggie...

When I get up at 8:30am we go for about a 12 acre walk. She goes back to her kennel until about 12:00pm (before I eat lunch) when we take a walk again. She runs around the house or kennels herself until she eats at 4:oo then at 4:15-30 she goes for another walk. Then she gets to run around the house, gets walked at 7-8, runs around the house, and gets a walk at 10-11 before I go to bed.

 

I'm in New York, but I'm out in the country.

[bailey44]

I do not consider myself to be a border collie expert, but I can tell you that walking is not enough for my dog. For example, this morning we walked for almost an hour. I came home with my butt dragging and the dog settled in for about five minutes, then came over to me and wanted to do the REAL exercise. Meaning that she wanted to fetch, have me hide some toys for her to find, practice tricks--these dogs need to THINK everyday. WORK everyday. (which is play for my dog, we don't live on a farm.) The mental stimulation is almost more important than the physical. Reggie might really miss the fun that you used to have on the jumps and boards, do you think you can come up with some more "work" for her to do? Someone else needs to advise you on the nipping--my dog went through a short nipping phase when she was a puppy--quickly fixed by us yelling ow! when she was rude, but has never seriously bitten anyone or any other animal. I hope things get better for you...Charlene

[Kitch]

I sent you a PM.

[Maralynn]

Reggie needs something to do. I'm pretty sure the reason you're having problems with her is because she is bored.

 

Instead of just taking walks, play ball or frisbee with her. Work on sit and down - she sits, you throw the ball. Hide the toy and have her find it. Set up the jumps again.

 

Get a long leash (you can make one with a spring snap from the hardware store, and a light weight rope) and keep her on that. It will give you space to play ball and work on recall in without her being able to get away. To work on her recall, get a pocket of yummy treats (1/4 inch hot dog pieces work great), call her excitedly and give her 3-4 when she comes to you.

 

For the time she is loose in the house take a pocket full of kibble (remember to reduce the amount she gets at feeding time), and call her to you every 30 min or so and work on sit, down, stay, or whatever for 2-3 min using kibble pieces as reward.

 

These are just a few ideas that may help. Give them a try for a week, and see if things start to improve at all.

[Allie+Tess&Kipp]

That list of tricks someone else asked about in another thread might be helpful for you, too. Here it is:

 

http://www.bordercollie.org/cgi-bin/ultima...t=000505#000000

 

You will be AMAZED at how much your dog will learn with just three 5-minute sessions a day!

 

Allie + Tess & Kipp

http://weebordercollie.com

[JackoDog]

I agree - she needs better exercise and more work/play/mental stimulation.

 

Jacko was much the same way until we learned a few things - 1, he needs a lot of structure. He can't be allowed to wander aimlessly or he gets himself into trouble. Our trainer encouraged us to look at the "on your rug" command (his command to be in one place and stay there calmly) as a working command. He gets a bone on his rug, but he is not allowed to get up to wander aimlessly - he can get up to go to the door to go potty or to get water, but that's it unless he is invited off his rug. His rug is right at my feet, so it's not like he's far away, and sometimes one of us sits on the floor with him. We got him to like his rug by giving him good treats, petting him, praising him, and giving him bones there.

 

2, he needed much better exercise than walks. It was exactly like bailey said - we would go for LONG walks and get home and he'd still be hyper. Try bike rides - J loves them! You can get a device called a WalkyDog from Amazon for about $40 that attaches to your bike, then has a clip that attaches to the dog's collar or halter, and they run alongside you. He adores it and freaks out if we say the words Bike Ride or get the walkydog out. Plus, it tires him out which means he has the ability to sit/lie still for longer times on his rug.

 

3, he needs jobs. We play fetch - you'll have to teach this if she doesn't already know how - we do tricks and work on his obedience. Most recently we're working on distinguishing between balls and remembering where he left things. He's awful about leaving balls someplae and then not being able to find them, so we're working on "where's the ball?" and more recently, "where's the yellow ball?"

 

In the 4 months we've had him we've seen a HUGE improvement, and we see a bit of a regression if we back off on working with him or slack on the exercise.

 

We try to incorporate him into our lives - if H and I are riding bikes to the store, we take J and one of us stays outside with him while the other goes inside. We ride to the dog park, we ride just for exercise. We play outside, and now he's learning to throw a ball for himself as long as one of us is outside with him.

 

His recall is also awful, so we work on it and make sure he's not in a situation to be able to take off and not return (fenced yard, long leash, that sort of thing). Basically, set her up for success, which it sounds like isn't happening to the fullest right now.

[kelpiegirl]

Wow, she had lots of physical activity- and that is very good (compliments to you!). I would surmise that perhaps she needs some work. Yep, real work, be that sending her out to find hidden toys, working her on stock, anything where she can use her brain, and body at the same time. I have dogs at home who believe walks are only to get some where to work.

So, they don't really love them Sounds like a normal BC, don't give up hope yet. Where are you located? If I remember correctly, you are near some good trainers...

Julie

[Maple Grove]

Hmm, a list of tricks/what reggie knows

 

-Sit

-Kennel up

-Come...kinda...only inside. she comes but only half the time and sometimes needs a whistle with the word.

-Jump

-Up and over

-lie down

-Nada...don't touch/off.

 

I wish I could set up an agility course but we have very limited room, the dog room is 16x10 feet, and has furniture in it.

 

 

She doesn't like playing fetch. I'm pretty sure she knows how, she just doesnt like to play...I think.

 

I don't think I have the money to buy a DoggyWalk right now, but I'll have to keep it in mind. Do you think there could be a way for me to make a makeshift DoggyWalk?

 

The nipping is just on my little brother who is 4 and quite annoying (I'd bite him too if I was a dog )

 

 

We are in Washington county in NY, if that helps anymore. We did have a training person but she wasn't very good and was expensive.

[JackoDog]

Maple Grove -

 

Save your pennies for a WalkyDog, it really is worth every penny, I promise. I held off on it, too, and wish I'd bought it sooner.

 

In the meantime, you could take her on a leash. It's a little harder and a bit scarier, but it can work. We used to do that with J - we'd put his leash on him, then wrap it around our hand to shorten it and he'd run beside us. Maybe doing it that way would give you an idea of if she likes it or not, to know if it's worth getting a WalkyDog. Perhaps you could ask your parents to buy it and you could pay it off buy doing chores around the house?

 

As far as trainers, check the APDT website (American Pet Dog Trainers, or maybe it's Association of Pet Dog Trainers). That's where we found ours and she was WONDERFUL. It might still not be cheap, but again, it's worth it. I think ours was $150 for 8 weeks of 1 hour classes.

[Skye]

I agree with the others ... it really sounds to me like Reggie needs something intellectually stimulating to do besides her regular walks. I taught my dogs "hide and seek" indoors, which went over really well during the coldest of winter days when their paws froze up before they had their fill of exercise. I'd hide their favorite toy in the house, then get them to find it. They are so good at the game now that I literally have to put my oldest in a "hide" in my bedroom, then go stash his toy somewhere in the living room (usually up high somewhere), then let him come out. He goes into a search pattern til he finds it - it's amazing to watch!

 

Stuff like that is what gives these BC's their thrills. Make their brains churn and swirl and they are in 7th heaven! The more creative I am, the happier they are!! And if Reggie's recall isn't so hot, why not work on that a bit each day, too? And, it certainly doesn't hurt to get a bit of "professional help" if you're stuck with what to do next with her training - a good positive-based professional training can really change the relationship and make it into a win-win situation for both you and Reggie.

 

All the best!

 

Skye

[Kitch]

Howdy neighbor! You are right next door to me!

 

Mental stimulation does go a *long* way toward tiring these guys out. We just got home from class a little while ago and mine is passed out right now - not because it was physically tiring, but because we must have worked on 6-7 new behaviors tonight. Lots for his busy mind to process.

 

I volunteer with New England Border Collie Rescue (which covers NY and NJ in addition to New England) and there are quite a few volunteers in this area. In addition to taking dogs into rescue, we will work with people to help them get a better handle on training or working through behavioral issues so they can keep their dogs. We even have a volunteer in your county who is a very good trainer (she doesn't train professionally). I can try to hook you guys up if you like.

 

There is a Pet Expo going on in Greenwich on October 28th. NEBCR will have a booth there. The women who will be manning the booth are both good trainers as well and would be more than willing to help you out with any questions you might have on training issues. Sometimes it helps to have a face to face conversation.

 

Let me know if you are interested and I'll tell them to keep an eye out for you.