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I have adopted a dog from the pound about 4 or 3 moths ago, he is a very good dog but when someone enters my room, my dog starts growling and he won’t stop. The behaviour has gotten worse when my fathers partner hit him with a leash with a metal spring on it, now whenever he hears someone walking outside of my room (going upstairs or to the bathroom) he immediately starts growling, his growling got more loud and now when someone passes him, he’s scared and walks away. Another thing is when I leave the house, he starts howling and it’s annoying my father he wants me to sell him but I still believe there is something to help my dog. He is a sheepdog collie mix and 2 years old, he is a very good dog and I presume his previous owners must have been abusing him since he’s scared of everything. Is there a way to teach him not to do it?
My brother just returned from his mission a few days ago. While he was gone we adopted a border collie mix puppy, she’s now around a year and a half years old.
She has interacted with people at the park and gets along with most family members when visiting at their place. This her first time having a someone she doesn’t know at home like this, usually have her away from visitors.
She is not getting a long with my brother, she’s constantly barking at him. When he offers one of her favorite treats she tries to hide behind someone she trusts or she runs down and hides in the basement. My brother is getting really frustrated with her.
Expecting that this is going to take a while. Hoping that she gets used to him/desensitized to him over the next few weeks. Any advice would be appreciated.
In what way is she not getting along with him? My first thought is that he calmly go about his business and not attempt to interact with her. Let the dog approach your brother for interaction. Is he wearing a ball cap, something that she’s not used to? Everyone needs to be calm and act normally.
Hello, this is perfectly normal. Dogs adapt, and it may take time. Good luck!
Thanks!
She has been getting better. She isn’t barking as much, but tends to avoid him whenever she can now. Want her to get used to being around him, but don’t want to force it. Now she usually hides downstairs or in one of the bedrooms. Gets really nervous and wants to be close to someone she knows when he is around.
She does bark and get snappy when he’s interacting with one of us, she thinks she is protecting us from him?
Slow going, but are improvements.
I have a miniature collie that was in a house fire very stinky very thick hair also has like a stye on it so I can I save this dog what should I do
Was supposed to say stye in its eye and can I shave this dog
So lately I’ve been thinking about getting another dog. My current dog is a Chihuahua and possibly Rat terrier mix; he’s about 13 years old. Before I got him he used to have another chihuahua he always hung around with, but that was when he was around five. He only barks when there is someone making noise outside or that get too close to our fence, the same goes with barking dogs or ones that pass by our house. Other than that he is very friendly with strangers, especially when they come into our yard. He does however, have an issue if dogs come onto his territory, like most dogs do. He has never been to a dog park and has gone to a pet store a couple times, either for shopping or to be groomed. Our neighbors have a dog who barks at everyone and everything, even if I open the back door for a second. My dog occasionally fights with him through the fence, and by that maybe every few weeks. My dog doesn’t bite, growl, nip, scratch or anything at strangers when they come over, even if it’s our pest control. I’m not sure how he will react when we bring another puppy home? We’re either thinking of getting a border collie, lab, doberman pinscher or possibly an italian greyhound. Any tips on what to do when they first meet? Do you think he’ll be alright with another puppy? Any advice helps, thank you!!
Has he ever been around a puppy? Are you willing to separate the dogs and rotate which is out, if things go south?
A warning about dobes, because I have one – they are NOT gentle with littles. You’ll have to work very hard on teaching a dobe puppy to be gentle with smaller animals – our girl is nearly three and still occasionally stomps my cat. They’re also tough puppies and are quite literally a full time job until they’re around 2 years of age…I’ll happy talk more about the breed if you want, but I don’t want to flood this particular answer with my babble. 🙂
This is how my rescue recommends you introduce a new dog to your home (and I do this with all fosters coming to live with my pack of 4 terriers, one of which is a Cairn/Chihuahua mix):
Before the new dog arrives pick a place in the home for him to live most of the time for 3 days. I use my guest bathroom some times, and other times I use my craft room – both have tile floors so it is easy to clean up any accidents that may occur with the new dog. Inside that room I place a dog crate appropriate in size for the new dog/puppy.
For the first 3 days after the new dog arrives, we play musical crates and/or rooms. I do not allow the dogs to see each other, they only smell each other on me, and under the door, etc. When my dogs are loose, the new dog is in the prepared room. When my dogs are crated or in their kennel the new dog is allowed to be out of the room, in the yard, or house with supervision. There is ALWAYS a closed door between my dogs and the new dog.
I spend time playing and training the new dog each day, and will crate my boys for an hour or so in the evening so I can just plop on the sofa with the new dog for cuddles. With a puppy you will need to be spending a lot of time with it as you will not be able to resist! Spend an equal amount of time with the older dog. One of the activities you want to focus on with the puppy is learning to walk on a leash – this is critical for the 4th day.
On the morning of the 4th day, put leashes on both dogs and immediately go out the door for a walk. Don’t give the dogs time to sniff or eyeball each other – the job is to walk together with you for at least 10 mins. If the puppy is older keep walking (5 mins. per month of age is a good rule of thumb – too long a walk puts too much stress on the bones and joints of a puppy).
Once we have finished the walk I take all the dogs into my fenced yard, drop the leashes and allow them to sniff, play, ignore each other as they see fit. Dragging the leashes allows you to step on a leash or pull one dog away from the other if things get hairy.
I have had 99% success with introducing dogs this way. The only exception was a foster that decided my smallest dog was prey – good thing I had that leash to grab! It saved my dog’s life.
We believe the reason it works is that it allows the dogs to smell each other without any misunderstandings of body language. In the wild a lone wolf will spend weeks haunting a new pack’s territory. They stay mostly out of sight, but scent mark in the territory. Then they start showing themselves to the pack from a distance. Finally they approach members of the pack. If the pack wants them they are welcomed (usually by the female members of the pack). So while our dogs are no longer wolves – smell is the first thing they pick up on. First scent, then sight, then hearing. So this 3 day of separation, but crossing each other’s scents helps the dogs get to know each other without confrontation.
With my dogs it works so well, they don’t even sniff each other’s butts once we are done the walk.
Since your dog is used to fighting through a fence I caution you to make sure that he and the new pup never see each other through a fence or crate during those 3 days. Keep that solid, shut, door between them.
Your 13 year old dog may never want to play with the puppy – but the puppy will want to play with him! Be sure your older dog has a place he can escape the puppy – such as a dog bed or crate, maybe in a different room. When your Chi is getting too much attention from the pup, tell the puppy to “leave it” and ask him/her to play with you. This will help the puppy learn to leave the older dog alone when he is in his quite place.
An Italian greyhound is a better size for your current dog, and they generally are ‘softer’ dogs. The other 3 breeds you mention will be a real challenge for you, and will overwhelm the Chi. It is a giant leap going from living with a Chi to living with these 3 other breeds. They all are high energy, need WAY more exercise, and a lot of training to become good canine citizens. The Border especially, will need a job. Borders are scary intelligent.
All that being said – give your dog a month with the new pup before you decide if it is going to work or not. Good luck!
Today out of the blue my 7 year old female Collie starting limping and it has gotten worse throughout the day.
She isnt in pain or distress and is not off her food, just unable to put weight on her front left paw.
Its been about 8 hours now and shes gone from being able to put a little weight on it to walking on only 3 legs.
Im thinking it could possibly be a bee sting but was looking for advice????
Firstly, I would beg to differ about the pain; there is a limp because there is a pain. Now, a limp in a front leg can be for a long list of reasons, sting could be one of them. Foreign body in the foot, infection in the foot … is there any swelling? But there could be an injury anywhere else on the leg and there even could be a neck issue resulting in a front leg limp (Jasmine had that).
If you’re comfortable doing that I’d start with a thorough inspection of the foot, toes, nails, looking for any swellings, lesions, nail injuries, foreign bodies … If you don’t find anything on the foot, it could still be the foot (Cookie had a piece of a purcipine quill embedded between the toes which was totally invisible until finally it got pushed out with pus. But it also could be something else all together.
My recommendation is if you don’t find anything obvious, see a vet. If you do find something obvious, you still may need to see a vet.
Dogs express pain very differently than people do and they are not usually big babies about it. If not walking on that foot eases the pain she may have no symptom other than not walking on that foot. Since it’s been getting worse over the past eight hours I suggest you see a vet. Even if you examine her and find the problem it’s very likely she’ll require some kind of treatment even if it’s just antibiotics or antihistamines.
My 1 year old American bulldog/border collie has been scooting her butt and licking her paws, had a previous ear infection with yeast present. How do I even begin to deal with this? I’m suspecting allergies….
border collie is 11 years old, he had TPLO leg when he was 6. He was running around the pool and he seemed fine, after laying down he had trouble moving. We assumed aggravated the TPLO leg, but he’s gotten worse to the point leg paralysis
No swelling that I can find, no neck or jaw stiffness, no visible discomfort. Unresponsive to prick test in the feet, all bowel/urination seems voluntary? It’s been two days of this now.
My lab had this procedure a few years ago. When she over does the running around she’s quite stiff getting up and down for a few days. We will restrict her exercise but she’s never been so bad that she couldn’t move. I’m afraid he might have torn something again. Once the tear happens, a dog will show no visible discomfort and will naturally distribute body movement to the three good legs. I would probably have an X-ray done quickly.
I am interested in making/baking my own dog treats. What ingredients are the best and are there some that are best to avoid? I have 3 dogs: 8 yr old Border Collie mix, 12 yr old Jack Russell, a 2 yr old German Shorthaired Lab mix.
I make my own treats all the time since I have one dog that is on a vegetarian diet. Peanut butter is a good ingredient, so are blueberries and bananas. We use oat flour in all the treats we make and substitute maple syrup for sugar.
http://www.dogtreatkitchen.com/blueberry-dog-treat.html
That’s the recipe we used as a starter and have experimented since then.
Thank you both for your help. I am excited to give it a try!
Making your own treats is easy and fun! There are lots of recipes online and treat recipe books you can use too. Almost any human recipe can be modified for pets. For dogs and cats omit the sugar. They do not need it and will never know it’s missing.
You can use regular flour or omit it if your pet has an allergy. You can use oat flour, rice flour, buckwheat flour, quick cook or regular oats. Grated carrot, applesauce, peanut or nut butters, eggs are also common ingredients
Steer clear of salt, garlic, onions, chocolate
Pinterest also has lots of recipes for pets too
Have fun!!
-Kelly
I rescue dogs. I am a foster failure. My recent foster failure is Shelby. I have had her for a year now. She is a border collie mix who was rescued at 1 1/2 years old at 7 lbs. (should have been 25 lbs.) with no shelter, no food or water, and on a chain. Couple of things that bother me and what I think attributes it. I want to get your opinion.
First, she licks constantly. If she can’t make contact, she licks the air. I attribute this to anxiety from her past. She has no reason to be anxious since being with me, she is treated like a queen !!
In public and around other people/strangers, she squats a lot. I have checked her for urinary tract infections….all negative. I, once again, attribute this to anxiety.
She constantly tries to herd everything. I know its in her blood lines but she never stops. She has an older brother she herds and she even herds me. ?? How do I correct the behavior with me ??
Lately I have noticed her humping stuffed animals in the house. I assume to establish dominance. I find this weird for a female dog. How do I correct this behavior ??
Hello Ed!
Thank you for your question but THANK YOU even more for being a foster parent to Shelby. Without people like you countless pets would never get a second chance at finding someone to love.
I hope that you can understand how grateful I am for your kindness, care, compassion, and generosity. Please don’t ever underestimate how special a person you are for giving your time, attention and home to a pet in need. You are not a failure!! You are just being challenged..and what’s worth achieving is only gained through challenges. So don’t give up and don’t beat yourself up..I will help, and I know of an army of people who have insights, experience, and ability to help you and your puppy. Best yet, Pawbly has a world of people to jump on board and be your support staff, your cheering squad, and even your safety net..
OK, here’s where I would start. It sounds like you have done some medical work-up, but if you haven’t done a complete physical exam, especially with a veterinarian who either focuses on behavior and/or neurology this is a very good place to start.
Secondly, I think it is very important to talk about this breed. Border Collies are very very (like THE MOST very) active dogs. They need constant exercise and a serious job.
I agree that the licking might very well be anxiety (if the mouth is clean, the physical exam,blood work, and all other diagnostics are normal), a veterinarian or behaviorist can help diagnose this. The squatting, humping, and maybe even the herding are all examples of exerting or claiming dominance. They all could be anxiety, or magnified by anxiety also.
I think that you are providing a loving, caring, and compassionate home to Shelby, but I do think that you and Shelby might need some help in figuring out what needs Shelby has that you might be able to resolve and also help her deal with her anxiety.
As a last note I want to add that ten years ago very few of us vets ever thought about prescribing anti-depressants to dogs. I have changed my tune over the last five years. I now urge my clients to consider using this when we have a pet who seems to be struggling to be calm and happy. They are relatively inexpensive and I promise you I have seen miraculous results in some dogs. All of the clients I spoke to about trying this drug were very very skeptical, but ALL of them have come back to me saying that their pet is so much happier. I am not suggesting that this be the answer for Shelby but it might be a discussion to have with your vet along with a behavior plan.
Try to find a behaviorist that is local, reliable, and works with a veterinarian. They are incredible resources and can help immensely.
I hope this helps, and I thank you again for your question and your helping Shelby.
Please don’t hesitate to ask me for any additional information, or to find me at the clinic.
Have a wonderful weekend..go out and play some fetch, and see if Shelby is calmer afterward.
Best of Luck and warmest of wishes,
Sincerely,
Krista
Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com
My dog Bandit is an 85 pound Border Collie mix rescue. On my morning run today from 10 to 11 am, he had diarrhea. He went three times and by the third time it was straight water. What should I look for or do for him today?
Hello Diedra,
If your dog is not feeling better , or if the diarrhea continues you should bring him to see your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Diarrhea can cause dehydration and an anti-diarrheal, or fluids may be indicated.
In most cases acute diarrhea is short lived and self limiting. But diarrhea of longer than one day, or severe in its onset should be addressed by your veterinarian.
If the diarrhea persists, or you get concerned you and Bandit can see me at the clinic.
Sincerely,
Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Thanks!!!
Have you spoken with a trainer yet?
No, there isn’t any trainers around where I live so it’s hard
Well hitting has made it worse. Your dog has several anxiety/fear issues. you can teach a dog confidence but it
takes time and dedication. Start by always having your dog on a leash with you. when he lays quietly, tell him good dog. start teaching him to sit on command. then start teaching him to sit in place on a carpet or matt. All this will teach him proper behavior, and make a bond. once he and you have developed a bond, start asking a friend to come over to help work with your dog. Put a bowl of treats outside of the door, have your friend come to the door, your dog on a leash, you ask your dog to sit, treat him. the friend comes in, no eye contact, talks to you, if dog stays sitting, no growling treat him. Once dog accepts friend, let friend treat him.
Start teaching your dog that all good things come from you when he listens. Get what we call High value treats, something he ONLY gets during training, cheese, chicken, moist dog treats, whatever, but he only gets it during training.
Collie and shepherding dogs have such a strong desire to be with their people, to please them, that you should be able to train him.
As for crying while you are gone, he should be crated, with a cover over the crate, and give him a large Kong to work on while you are gone. He only ever gets the Kong in the crate. Fill it with dog food, and mix in some peanut butter, plug the whole over with peanut butter and freeze, give it to him when leaving, but make sure you feed him less so he doesn’t get fat lol.
Take time, he will be a good dog, dogs know when they are rescued.
Good luck!