Macy and I had a bad experience at Shubie Park last fall, so we are pretty hesitant to go there but we worked up the courage for some mega socializing today.
We had a super sad experience. There was a big grey pitbull wearing a prong/pinch collar. The dog was very friendly and sweet. It was playing with Macy. The owners put it on the leash so it would stop playing for some reason, but Macy and the dog liked one another so it still wanted to play.
The pitbull was on a long line so twice it ran to the end of it to play with Macy and then shrieked in pain because the prongs dug into it’s neck when it hit the end of it’s rope.
I had to leave the park crying.
The people seemed nice and it is wrong that those devices are even available for people to buy.
If the owners read this, please know I mean you no harm but your poor sweet dog got hurt today for being friendly š
Please consider a strong, leather, buckled collar for large breed dogs or a chest harness.
Don’t do this to dogs. They don’t deserve pain.
Macy and me send healing vibes out to this dog and hope it gets a new collar please.
Macy after graduating from obedience classes at Sublime Canine
An incredibly sad tale ending in a dogās death was articled in the Herald this week.Ā My heart just breaks in two reading stories like that and itās the second dog killed by another dog thatās been reported this month.
First off, let me reiterate that my current line of thinking is that socialization is more important that training.Ā Iām meeting dog aggressive dogs all over Atlantic Canada these days.Ā Something is up with this for sure as dogs are social creatures and by default get along just fine.Ā Humans are mucking the whole thing up with shock collars and prong collars and lack of general dog knowledge.Ā Sorry I had to say it.Ā I even encountered someone in my neighbourhood a while ago who was correcting his dog for smelling another dogās butt and trying to make it go nose to nose.Ā Thankfully he owns a marshmallow dog, they can make the bad dog owners seem like they can take credit for an unshakeable great temperament somehow.
For the portion of the population who do not own marshmallow dogs, some skill and education in dog behavior is necessary to raise a good canine citizen.Ā A very smart dog behaviorist I know says it take two years of work with your dog to get the dog you want.Ā So that means two years of vigilance to properly raise a puppy, and two years of effort to shine up your rescued dog.
Anyway, a dog that is unfriendly to other dogs will rarely do serious damage.Ā Most ādogfightsā are all noise, with a healthy dose of snapping, growling, and knock downs but rarely draw blood.Ā A real dog fight that draws blood is scary and dangerous to dogs and humans.Ā Again, most dogs are not like this.Ā Most people have dogs who are simply not properly socialized or have had bad experiences that cause them to be frightened, or bully other dogs.
So, when I hear an actual animal shelter manager say something like we have no control over dog fights between dogs we have adopted out in response to a dog death, my heart sinks into my belly
As of the time this dog fatally attacked another dog, he had already been failed four times by human society.
1 ) by the breeder ā nobody who facilitates a puppy being born into the world should ever allow them to go to an unsuitable home ā nobody should put profit above the welfare of animals ā nobody should allow dogs with aggression problems have puppies ā and all puppies should be properly raised and socialized starting with the breederās premises ā the best lessons a puppy learns should be from itās furry family for a good early start
2) 1st owner ā neglected to deal with serious issues this dog had ā a qualified behaviorist should have been consulted ā if the dog was this dangerous euthanasia may have even been recommended ā as it stands now that is probably what is in store for this poor soul anyway
3) the shelter ā animal shelters and rescues should simply not adopt out red flag dogs ā if the dog came into their care exhibiting this level of aggression rehabilitation can be considered but more likely euthanasia is appropriate ā and in my opinion that is the job of the owner, not the shelter so take some responsibility please for your petās behavior ā do not let aggression continue to increase in intensity ā at first signs it needs to be dealt with or it becomes pretty much impossible to curb ā there is only management of serious aggression ā which would certainly mean this dog was not to be in contact with other dogs ā I donāt know what the screening process of the Moncton SPCA is either but hopefully they did NOT knowingly adopt out a dog that had the propensity for this level of violence ā and sorry but to chalk this up to a ādogfightā you have no control over is PURE bullshit
4) second owner ā read above ā this dogs was NOT to be in contact with other dogs ā perhaps the seriousness of this was not made clear ā perhaps the shelter didnāt tell you the dog was actually able to inflict damage, not just be a bully and posture with dogs and make a bunch of noise ā there is a huge difference ā either way it makes little sense as the story reads why you would allow that dog to have the opportunity to attack another dog this way ā and for you again to say itās just a dogfight and nobody can control that?Ā Sorry I call bullshit again.Ā Certainly, much of the fault lies on the shelter for a bad placement though as you could not provide a safe environment for a large, aggressive dog (who could?).
I expect this poor Mastiff that has been failed four times is already dead.Ā His young life filled with confusion and violence.Ā Who likely should never have been born.Ā My heart breaks this tortured soul who never had a chance to be happy in this world.Ā I would really like to know who was responsible for him coming into the world.Ā Blood is on your hands.Ā Especially with a giant breed dog litters of puppies are not to be taken lightly.
My heart breaks for this poor husky who was torn to pieces and died.Ā My heart breaks for the owner whose beloved pet was killed violently.
There is every reason to expect that dogs are evaluated and homed properly by rescues.
Sadly, there are some bad rescue groups putting aggressive dogs into homes in Atlantic Canada (and many great rescue groups too of course).
Please do your research when adopting a dog.Ā And for that matter, when buying a puppy.Ā Because raised improperly, a dog can become a liability.
Many amazing dogs come from rescues and shelters.Ā Almost everyone I know has a wonderful rescued dog.Ā Some have problems and quirks to work through, but aggression is rarely one of them (and never that level of severity) and never to be taken lightly.Ā It is extremely irresponsible of a rescue group or shelter to send a dangerous dog out into the community.
My hope is the Moncton SPCA did not understand the issues this dog had.Ā And my greater hope is that the shelter, and all shelters and rescues in our community are looking to this as a lesson and consulting with professionals and behaviorists for advice and screening recommendations.
Most dogs can be saved.Ā Most responsible rescues are ālow killā which means they save every animal they can and only euthanize for serious aggression or illness.Ā Nobody who is doing things right can be āno killā because unfortunately by the time a dog is surrendered to a shelter or rescue it has already been failed many times.Ā Itās their last hope.Ā Some of them are out of chances.
Spay or neuter your pet please.Ā We need less of these stories.Ā We need animal shelters and rescues to be for emergency only and have the resources to do things properly so tragedies like this canāt occur.
Because this time, no kill was anything but no kill.
RIP to all the dogs who lost their lives due to the fault of humans.
Itās funny because Iāve back-country camped in Keji about 25 times and only had one tick on me until this year.Ā Now Dartmouth and Eastern Passage are loaded with ticks and they have become a daily problem for me and my dog.
To be honest they are much bigger problem for me then for Macy as I pick up a lot of them birding as birds do best in wooded habitat and marshlands.Ā Thankfully a lot of birds eat ticks, but I digress.
Most of the ticks we encounter are what we call dog ticks so are more of a nuisance than anything, however deer ticks are also about and I believe both myself and Macy have had the odd encounter.
Realistically, Macy is only getting a few ticks per week and Iām getting pretty good at making sure they donāt bite her and removing them quickly when they do.Ā Vigilance is key as ticks donāt tend to spread disease until they have been attached for the better part of a day.
In the year Macy has lived with me she has never had one flea so combined with the fact she only gets a few ticks on her I am hesitant to treat her with any chemicals.Ā As the ticks increase in numbers I may change my mind about that and canāt blame anyone who is dealing with large numbers of the little buggers for treating their pets.Ā But for now, there are more ticks on me than Macy so unless Iām going to get a monthly treatment from the vet I think we will be losing the battle.
Ticks are hitchhikers.Ā You brush by they grab on for a ride.Ā So, you must make that difficult or undesirable for them.Ā There is some talk that they may blow in the wind too, who knows but you aren’t going to avoid these suckers anymore even if you just driving with your windows down so you better get tick savvy.
The risk of Lyme disease is growing and for people a round of antibiotics will do the trick but can run undetected.Ā Thatās not something I know a lot about so do your own research, but I know in dogs it is a much more serious risk sometimes leading to death.
I have been reading extensively about ticks and all evidence points to the fact that you must discourage them from getting on you and if they do you must remove them as quickly as possible. Ā There is not a chemical for sale that will repel them all so even if you and your pets are treated you will still have to do a tick check when you come indoors.Ā Nova Scotia this is your new normal Iām afraid.Ā For me to gain perspective I remind myself much of the world is having far worse problems than this and Iām certainly not staying inside so trying to toughen up and get better prepared.
There are no reports of ticks breeding indoors in Nova Scotia thankfully but I would rule nothing out.Ā If they are in the house they have hitchhiked in so remove them and kill them to avoid that problem.Ā I believe some got in my laundry basket when it was on the floor when I was not careful one day coming home from birding.Ā As well sometimes the dog removes them from herself and they get onto clothes lying on the floor, etc. so this has taught me to check EVERY day. Ā It just should become part of the routine for us outdoorsy types.
Okay, now that you are completely terrified of the outdoors get the heck over that.Ā Nature is wonderful and somehow ticks have a purpose even if it is to feed birds.Ā I donāt know what to say about that except all manās messing with nature is creating new and interesting problems every day so consider the effects of all interference and support conservation groups.
Frankly, Iām a big sookiebaby when it comes to bugs.Ā My hugest fears are leeches (not a bug but it does stick to you), Junebugs (will get caught in hair and clothes), and the little monsters we call ticks.Ā I have been having nightmares, waking in the night screaming because the blankets are touching me, and developing OCD checking behavior a la Howard Hughes.Ā And Iām not staying inside.
Here is a checklist of things Iāve been researching on the internet and through speaking to friends that might help you and others as we try to cope with the recent invasion.
I welcome all feedback as I am no expert or professional, just a simple outdoor enthusiast and pet owner trying to deal.
For the home:
Hang clothes up and line drawers with Cedar.
Do not leave clothing lying on the floor or on the bed
Use the dryer instead of the clothes line for anything in question. Especially dark coloured materials may be difficult to inspect.Ā
Put clothes in the bathtub when coming in from high risk areas to see what crawls out.
Wash pet bedding in hot water and put in the dryer frequently.
Vacuum frequently.
Run a dehumidifier as these critters thrive on moisture.
In the yard:
Keep the lawn short enough to keep it dry but not so short it is unhealthy.
Ticks multiply in woodpiles and leaf piles so clean up.
Ants and wasps eats ticks.
Birds eat ticks.
Cedar chips repel ticks.
Guineafowl eat ticks. We need some levity, right?
Beneficial Nematodes may work but may create other problems please do your own research.
Diatomaceous Earth may work but may be unsafe for humans and pets please do your own research.
Borax not known to be effective.
Pesticides dangerous and illegal.
Repellents and clothing for humans:
Light coloured clothing with elastic cuffs. Tucks pants into light coloured socks.Ā Rubber boots and slippery clothing.
Deet on clothing not on skin, so socks, hats, scarfs etc. all great places to spray deet.
Frequent inspection and removal while in the field.
Natural sprays may be effective against ticks I have not tried any personally but lots of great ones on the market such as my friend Lauraās new Wilderness Spray.Ā Laura and her family and their Golden Retriever do spend a lot of time outdoors so that leads me to believe this is worth a shot.
Repellent and treatments for pets (my focus on dogs):
Check frequently remove and kill any ticks before entering home if possible.
Again, natural repellents are thought to be a good deterrent spray thoroughly and frequently and donāt miss hiding spots such as armpits.
Flea Collars are frequently accused of being toxic and harmful. At the very least please do not shop at discount retailers for these products and do your research heavily.Ā Shop at boutiques and pet supply shops with knowledgeable staff and ask a lot of questions.Ā Consider a bandana spayed with natural repellent as an alternative.
Monthly chewables to prevent fleas and ticks for dogs are the most popular solution Iām encountering. Nobody can convince me that ingesting an insecticide is safe and they have only been on the market since 2013.Ā There are numerous reports of dog deaths and lawsuits filed in the US.Ā So, for me and Macy this is a resounding NO.Ā Do your own research and make your own decision.
Monthly spot on topicals for flea and tick prevention are still not very appealing to me personally because again I think anything that is in the bloodstream for a month that will kill and repel insects approaching your dog has to do damage to their internal organs and nervous system but they have been on the market a lot longer. There is more study information available, and in my opinion, they could be safer.Ā Again, please do your own research.
Lyme Vaccine is controversial. Iāve contacted the Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association for a position statement and will share the results.Ā If a vaccine is considered safe, it would be a no brainer for me.Ā Vaccinate to reduce risk of Lyme disease, use natural repellents and do frequent inspections and removals.Ā
Tick comb. Resounding YES.
Good luck and please send ideas and feedback. I understand many of you are encountering much higher number of ticks then Macy and I are currently facing and you may have weighed out the options and chosen chemical treatment for your dog.Ā No pet wants to be covered in parasites.Ā I get it, just be informed and do your best.
Happy birding and dog walking and be safe out there!
Macy and I are meeting a tremendous number of dogs who donāt like other dogs on the trails suddenly.Ā In fact, I may stop taking her on leash walks and just find some friendly dogs we know for her to play with until the snow comes back.
By and large here in Atlantic Canada the thing we seem to be best at is messing up dogs.Ā There are too many aversive trainers and people who think dogs need to learn ālessonsā.Ā Appropriate behavior from well socialized dogs to put unruly dogs in their place is okay, but getting beat up and meeting nasty dogs who freak out for no reason is not good for your friendly dog.Ā Not one bit.
Iāll let you in on a secret.Ā The best way to make your friendly dog into an aggressive dog is to let it meet aggressive dogs.Ā Dogs donāt need to sort it out.Ā They need you to keep them out of bad situations.
I am appalled at how many choke chains, pinch/prong collars, and shock collars I encounter in my daily travels.Ā Kids, these things make your dogs mean and angry.Ā Wouldnāt you be mean and angry if you were in pain?
If your dog is not social keep it out of social situations and get some professional help from a positive method (ie gentle no pain no dominance theory) to see if you can overcome the situation.Ā Do not force your dog into bad situations and spread bad vibes.
My previous dog became dog aggressive because of bad advice and encounters with unfriendly dogs.Ā So I kept him away from other dogs unless I could control the situation and bought a house with a fenced in yard.Ā I worked on the problem and reintroduced him to as much as he could handle and he still had dog friends throughout his life.Ā If people with friendly dogs entered our public space we stepped off the trail out of respect for others.Ā Somehow, I keep encountering people with dog aggressive dogs who donāt even try to get out of the way.Ā While Iām on a rant please letās ban retractable leads too.Ā They are a great tool for creating leash aggression though if that is what you are after.
Anyway, my young adoptable friendly and social dog is learning that dogs are mean this spring and Iām going to protect her sweet personality by keeping her away from all the mean dogs who have come out of the woodwork with the nice weather.
Somehow in the winter we were meeting all kinds of friendly, social dogs and meeting them on leash with no problems.Ā This leads me to believe there are dogs who only see dogs in the summer and that certainly explains a lot.
Macy is a Border Collie and they wind up fast and furious even the friendly ones so my focus has been very heavy on socialization more so than training.Ā We do train, and will do a lot more once she has her surgery this spring but I stand by my decision 100% now that I see how lovely her temperament is and how important it is to protect that.
I know a lot about dogs from working in the industry for about 15 years now and I promise you that aggression begets aggression.Ā You wouldnāt send your peaceful, happy, well-mannered child out to play with the neighbourhood barbarians whose parents idea of supervision is screaming and yelling and spanking and expect that to be good for your kids, right?Ā Thing about it.
Protect your dog please and make sure it has happy experiences and learns that the world is a safe and happy place.Ā We owe dogs that much with all that we put them through.Ā For the most part, we are asking way too much of dogs these days.Ā They donāt fit well into our society.Ā They have become things to purchase, control, and ignore by and large.
Manās best friend deserves a lot better.
If you have made a mess of things, or adopted a dog with problems, or are otherwise in over your head that is okay if you are willing to get help here is a list of local trainers and behaviorists you can trust (will add more shortly):
Today I was paid a great compliment by a dog owner (nice to meet you Ryan and Riley) we met in the park.Ā And I realized something too, I am the āgood girlā dog lady.
Macy was in the car a lot of today save for a 5-minute visit with the staff at Global Pet Foods in New Glasgow and a stretch the legs/pee break on the trail at the Truro Agricultural College while I photographed hawks on the way back.
We are most often working in the home office, but on road trip days she works with me too, which means meeting a lot of new people in pet stores and being in the car a lot.Ā She has come to realize that I will always find her an hour of daylight to run free somewhere within that day no matter where we are.
So today on the way home we found an hour of daylight in Waverly where she met a few nice pooches, but one in particular was a good match for her so they ran and played for a bit and when another dog entered the mix I was able to call her away in another direction from the distraction which actually was great.Ā When she came running back I said āgood girl Macyā in my proudest voice and the other dog was so excited to her this she came for the āgood girlā reward too.Ā They were both super happy and wiggly, and it reinforced to me how well this method of recall has worked for us and why.
Anyway, the great moment for me was that Ryan was impressed by her recall and commented on this!
Most dogs really do love to know they got it right, and that you are very pleased with them but a Border Collie more than most it seems.
For Macy, this is a very high value reward so it works better than treating for recall training, which has been the primary focus of my work with her.
Treat training frankly makes me nervous in situations that involve other dogs/people because if you reinforce at the wrong time it can exacerbate behavioral problems, therefore I tend to avoid it.Ā Iām not saying other people should but Iāve seen behaviour at all ends of the spectrum in my 15 or so years working in the pet industry, and with rescues.Ā As a result, I tend to be overcautious, but knowing my limitations is useful when working with our 4 legged friends.
So, high praise is what I use for important behavior and for teaching new behavior.Ā I know from working with many dogs that I need to tone things down when I donāt want dogs too excited because dogs respond very enthusiastically to me.Ā My sister in law, Jenn, and I used to trade up dogs in agility classes years ago, when I was working with my old friend Nelson because her dog, Sherpa, needed to be wound up and Nelson needed to be taken down a notch and her and I have very different personalities and approach with dogs.Ā Training is rarely a one size fits all endeavor.
My black lab/setter mix Nelson lived a long (14 years) and wonderful life with me and taught me many things.Ā He was not an easy dog in many ways, but he was very enthusiastic and highly trainable which made him very easy to manage.Ā To be clear, Nelson was in no way a smart dog but that was a blessing because he rarely made his own decisions as I taught him quickly that I always know best and he only argued once about it.Ā It was just never complicated and he was very compliant, and it was well appreciated by me and I miss him dearly most days.
Macy is my āstep up dogā and she is a pretty smart cookie, although it took a few months for me to figure that out.Ā For the first month after I adopted Macy I was fairly convinced Iād made a giant mistake, and that she might be stupid.Ā Once I started to figure out how she ticks her brain started to turn on and each day got easier for us.Ā There was a bonding issue since at 15 months I was her 4th home, but primarily the problem was that I need to learn how to teach her.
Luckily Macy is a pet quality Border Collie (hot high drive working dog) with a little Aussie, because honestly Iām a pretty lazy dog owner by nature.Ā Iāve discovered as well that Border Collies are a very cuddly breed and she will happily have a pajama day with me and seem fine with it.Ā I wouldnāt dream of two in a row because it doesnāt take long before her furry little brain explodes and all kinds of barking, growling, and generally unbecoming behavior surfaces.
We actually can have super low activity day once in a while, but it better be sandwiched by two days of running wild with other dogs.Ā I always joke that my most important task of each day is to figure out what to do with the border collie, as knowing what she needs on a daily basis is very beneficial.
Welcome to life with a Border Collie.Ā Donāt get one if you arenāt up to the taskĀ š
There is however a great variance in personality in Border Collies I will say probably much more than in other breeds.Ā There is no ābreed standardā in fact and Macy and I have met a good variety in the 8 months sheās been with me.Ā I am very fortunate to know many wonderful trainers and behaviorists, and new friends with wonderful collies.Ā As an aside you would not believe how many birders own or have owned Border Collies!
When I first adopted Macy in May, many people had opinions on how I should train her and how to treat her.Ā I encountered a lot of the usual ālet her know you are the bossā advice which is well intentioned but not the right path.Ā Especially with a Border Collie being harsh or forceful or making physical contact when they are in a state of excitement can really backfire.Ā It makes sense to me now why there are so many aggressive BCs out there.Ā Being calm and teaching and reinforcing good behaviour is really the only way with these dogs.Ā And with all dogs I would say, just other breeds may tend to make bad trainers look better at what they doĀ šĀ When choosing a trainer my suggestion would be to choose the trainer who owns a difficult dog but doesnāt need a collar and never raises their voice.Ā My friend Rob used to say you wouldnāt hire a gardener with yard full of weeds right?Ā The last thing you want is an unbalanced dog so choose carefully and be wary of quick fixes and punishing devices.
Anyway, knowing that all dogs need heavy socialization in their adolescence (yes even if you did lots of puppy socialization) I decided that would be my focus as well as just integrating her into my daily life.Ā Border collies are hyper alert, hyper sensitive, and prone to over-react so I figured I better nip all that in the bud.
As a travelling sales consultant who visits pet stores, there is lots of opportunity for socialization.Ā As well my sisters 4 young children are happy to land a hand.
My parameters for adopting a Border Collie were friendly with all people and dogs and cats so she could fit into my life.Ā I got all that, but I got some things I didnāt bargain for as she chases things and could be under a motor cycle in an instant if I let her or over the cliff chasing a flying seagull.Ā That being said, recall training was also super important so weāve done quite a bit of work on that.Ā Iām going to say it took 6 months to really get a handle on that and involved several months of long line training.Ā 6 months in general was when everything started to kick in and I could see light at the end of the tunnel and everything is much easier these days it seems with her.
Of course on Saturday we start Agility classes at Lietash, so maybe ask me again on Sunday how Iām doing?Ā Iām pretty nervous but I did 2 years of agility with Nelson at āthe barnā so I have a foundation to steady me with any luck, and great faith in Bob.
I am not a dog trainer by any means but entirely fascinated by dog behavior and learning a lot from Macy.Ā I feel very strongly that Border Collies could be descended from foxes and Iām not alone in that theory, but believe me there is a wolf in there too.Ā A keen sense of play and bounce, but will not back down from much.Ā Macy in particular is very cat like and loves to stalk her toys and toss them around while lying on her back.Ā Life before toys was not much fun for her in fact.Ā Well I had the wrong toys.Ā The day before she arrived I got a variety of balls and Frisbees which she doesnāt care much for frankly (and which is very un-Border Collie like btw).
After a while she started stealing the big stuffed dog that lives on the bed in the spare room.Ā If I left her alone for a few hours, Iād come home to her sleeping with it on the couch and she was very sad when I put it back on the bed each time.Ā My boyfriend, who really know nothing about dogs, suggested that it might be nice for her to have a bunch of stuffed toys she could herd up like sheep to keep busy.Ā Bingo what a great idea and this led to the toy box, toy naming (she may think they are alive and looks for them in weird places sometimes if she canāt figure out where they have wandered off to), and toy sorting which is brilliant for this breed.Ā My friend Silvia suggested she can use her toys to self regulate when she is frustrated and it works great!
It’s good to have lots of ideas and brainstorming I find and my friend Vanessa (who really only knows about kitties) recognized right away that Macy is in a constant state of hyper awareness.Ā That helped me to realize how sensitive her eyes and ears and nose really are.Ā A Border Collie seems a wild thing to me a creature of nature not meant for indoor living.Ā True for the breed, indeed.
So, when she started to develop an obsession for chasing shiny spots on the walls and ceiling I thought and thought until my thinker was sore.Ā I reached out extensively for advice because that can get so bad in this breed that they can need medication or worse.Ā Exercise certainly helps, but there is such a thing as too much and it only masks the problem really.Ā Eventually after the worst week ever, I put up curtains.Ā Doneā¦next.
She actually does still have the problem but itās very under control.Ā And acknowledging her monsters helps too.Ā She really feels better if she thinks I see or hear what she does and tell her itās nothing to worry about.Ā She seems to be smart enough to pick up phrases too so talking to her in a calm voice is great.Ā When she is freaking out about anything if I get to her level and acknowledge it really helps.Ā She has a need to be understood by me it seems.
Because, Border Collies are meant to spend the day with one person on a mountain all day looking after a bunch of sheep.Ā Period.Ā So they bond tight and work in sync with their shepherd.Ā They are masters of entertaining themselves and get to the task pretty quickly in fact.
It’s important that Macy thinks I have situations under control Iāve learned and luckily Iāve convinced her to think her leash is a thing that ties us together to keep us both safe and connected.Ā This is largely because I mix up on leash and off leash a lot when we are out about.Ā This is somewhat because I take her birding sometimes and I donāt want her to chase birds, but also because I always make sure a situation is safe before letting her off-leash and leash her up quickly if I have any doubts.Ā I also use the leash in new situations to show her I am handling things and so I donāt set her up to fail.Ā The one time I failed to do so I realized my mistake in her behavior.Ā If I try to restrain her once she is agitated she frankly turns into a mongoose so I must continue to socialize and teach heavily for another year Iād say.
She doesnāt seem to have a great capacity to handle stress but she is young and weāll keep working on that.Ā She gets overloaded and needs to be removed from situations before sheās had too much.Ā And if she is simply stressed from a couple of days that have been too much, I take her to the ocean and she unwinds in minutes.Ā I expect this is because scent and search is so excellent for this breed her nose is very busy at the beach indeed.
As bad as a battle with a Border Collie can go, conversely their cooperation reaps great reward.Ā Everyone told me when I was struggling ādonāt worry she just needs a jobā.Ā To which I moaned āwhat job and what is a job?ā.Ā Well Iāve since decided that a job is anything that upon completion I say āgood girl Macyā.
She loves to string behaviors together and show me how clever she is and how great her memory is.Ā She seems to create a mental map of places very quickly and run the circuit with great pride like an obstacle course.
And wo we come full circle.Ā I may just be starting to understand this breed.Ā There is hope for us.
And look what these dogs can do!
PS ā Iāve done a lot of reading about Border Collies since Iāve adopted Macy and not been impressed by much Iāve read but this article really hits all the points Iād recommend giving it a read if you have the time and are wanting to know more about the breed:
