I have been wondering why my border collie reacts in this way --- my husband comes in the door or makes a sudden noise for instance - she comes running to me to jump up often with a woof.  The opposite happens if I come down the stairs for eg and she gets excited.  I enter the room and she goes to jump up on my husband.  Is she just letting off steam because we try to train her not to jump on us as we enter the room?  She is so easily wound up.  I was sitting watching TV with the curtains open tonight and she stares out of the window and barks.  Puts the wind up me but more than likely it was only the light of a plane she has just noticed.  Nevertheless I still closed the curtains.

tsk tsk...are you actually looking for logic in the way a collie behaves CeeJay? :D  

i would say exacily the same thing! i dont think you should try and understand the behaviour too much as a collie is an intense working dog. imagine yourself as an imensley fit athelete kept in a room all day and night for two weeks! it would drive you barmy!, im not saying your collie is in this siutation but this is probably simular as to how she feels since she was bred to work in the fields for long periods of time. If i was you, id make the decision as to whether you can put up with the behaviour or you wish to change it. If its not hurting anyone id let it carry on, but maybe try and do some training with her to give her something else to think about and maybe create some kind of wonderful dog boredem buster which might keep her entertained for a while! Keep her thinking about something else for a while!

Hi, my Collie takes any movement on my part to mean that something is about to happen, hopefully a walk. Remember Collies are bred to work, so they are on constant standby for your next command. Can you devise an activity for those times you don't want her jumping up, eg Fetch a toy, or Down Wait, until you tell her to move again.
HTH a bit.

Thanks for those posts everybody - I was feeling on a high that day after going down with a bug on New Years eve - unfortunately I went down again with a flu like bug which has kept me flat out all week. First time I have switched the computer on since.  Poor dog keeps wondering where I am.  We missed agility yesterday and my OH has had to take her out for walks instead (did him good)  I agree with your ideas and will try to do something positive to divert her energy.  She loves to play.  If we won't play she holds one kong in her mouth and bats another ball around on the floor - another strange behaviour - why the one in her mouth?   We enjoy these quirky things - she is great fun but I am always open to habits that may become problems later.   She is our first Collie and it has been a real big learning curve - still is, but I wouldn't swap her for the world now.

"one kong in her mouth and bats another ball around on the floor - another strange behaviour - why the one in her mouth?"

Because she's a collie :D A normal dog could play with a kong or a ball, she's better :D :p

You can say that again :-)  She is the best dog in our agility class - always was - it just took me ages to get up to steam myself!  At least she has decided to accept me as part of the team now.  However because she is such a clever little madam she still has some problems lurking that I have mentioned before and will probably mention again.  I should really be working harder on her fears before our next vet's visit.  But that's for my New Years resolution - more training.  I have all the books - just need the time.

My border collie is my second dog but first BC
he is 1 year old
he is called Harvey but most people call him BONKERS
we bought him at 3 months old and he was very subbmissive when you went near him
he didnt like to be stroked, wouldnt go for a walk, and like to look at food rather that eat it

Then i realised he was a baby and had to be taught
what a chore! certainly not a bore!

at 6 months old he taught himself with the sound of cutlery comimng out of the drawer also came SHADOWS OF LIGHT
maybe thats were he fist picked up the name bonkers

he also learnt that the traffic noises were better than food, a van pulled up close and he went for the tyres!!!

He now loves to roll on his back and push off with his back legs against a wall

i remember at 4 months old every time you would sit he would paw you to play
like children YES IT DOES GET BETTER (well it has for me!)

He can now play himself -he takes a ball into the garden and throws it about and catches it
he jumps 6ft high at the garden door when he wants to go out
and he oftern tips out all his toys and plays with the container (giant flower pot)
he has a kong, wiggly giggly dumbell (note bite proof) but his favourite tioys are cardboard boxes (shoe one the best) and empty milk plastic bottles (2 or 4 litre)

hope to take him to agility classes soon (cant wait to see what they'll think of him)

Well I own two of the little blighters and wouldnt swop them for the world.  Love their intelligence and loyalty.

If you want to really tax them try using clicker training as they thrive on it.  I am now starting to run through the course books they do and the dogs are loving it.

Mine both do agility and compete at grade 4.  Not sure we will be the next big stars but hey they love it and what better way to spend quality time with your dogs.

As to kongs, trying freezing them - mine love low fat rice pudding or natures menu

Oh and by the way, my eldest does the holding a toy in his mouth and pushing the ball around - really cute to watch!

Hi DVNBIKER
Took ur advice and put my kong in the freezer
my BC loved it
*THANKS 4 THAT TIP*
any more will be greatly appreciated!!!
Helen

Claire - when you say clicker course books do you mean the 'learning about dogs' books?  They are a bit expensive - I have the click to groom one only.    
Kongs are about the only thing I can leave my dog with now because she is such a strong chewer.  She loves to play tug toys with me and often makes the Kong into one - a bit uncomfortable that!  We play hide and seek - she has to sit and wait while I go into another room to hide a toy.  I find at her age now (about 20 months) that she is more content to sit and sleep when we are not around and then she always wants to play with us or around us when we are with her.   Doing agility has been a godsend.  It wasn't easy to begin with because although she learnt very fast - I didn't - so she would be unsure of what I wanted her to do and waltz off to do her own thing.  Very embarrasing.  She did the same this week when we were faced with the tyre for the first time then see-saw followed by A frame followed by walk-way. (We have just moved up to the more advanced class I think.)   It was tail up and away again.  However she is much more alert to my hands to see where I am sending her now - we are beginning to work as a team now.  She has calmed down a lot - but it is the lively ones that take a lot of training and have so much potential - it really pays off in the end.