hi im new to champdogs and wondered if anyone can help with my problem, i have just taken on a 5 month old border collie, i dont think he has been socialised. when taking him out he barks at everything dogs, tree stumps,people i cant seem to do anything to stop him, once he gets near to another dog he is friendy and wants to play, but most owners just pull their dogs away as he appears quite fierce, i cant let him off the lead yet as i tried it and he shot off. i am working on his recall. he is intelligent and learning basics very quick. thankyou for reading this and maybe someone has an answer

still only a baby then,my gwen is the same age!do you go to training classes?does he like a ball?If ive got a ball in my hand,my dogs will usually ignore other dogs that pass.Lovely of you to take on an older pup.Im sure someone with more knowledge than me will be along soon,to give more specific advice,there are some lovely people on here,welcome to champdogs!and i hope you and your little dog have loads of fun together!

> he is intelligent and learning basics very quick

They do don't they!  :-)  Really clever dogs.  I have a Border Collie and would say that you would really benefit from joining a class with him.  Apart from the fact that they can train you to do things the right way, it will be great socialisation for your boy.

hi he does seem to like toys, i have only had him 3 days the 3rd owner in a week, i also have a small cross breed 9 years old who he baits constantly, i know this will improve in time. its the barking i find difficult i have two dog steady cats but they are terrified of him as he barks and goes crazy and they have been upstairs since sunday, and they usually spend most of the day in the garden. i am looking for a local dog trsaining as i dont have transport, i have had dogs for years all different breeds and not had this problem before, thankyou for your reply i will persiviere

hi, i am looking for a local trainer, i am sure its socialisation that is the problem, its just the barking at all and sundry that seems to be the problem, and once he starts he wont stop, no kind of distraction works, thankyou for your reply

Your poor boy - 3rd owner in a week and well done to you for giving him the opportunity of a happy life!  He must be very confused and he is still very young.  I agree a good training class will help you a lot.  I'd also consider using a DAP collar with him to take the edge off his anxiety whilst he settles in to your home and gets to know you.  I've had some very good results with them.  Perhaps also some dog toys and games with you that encourage him to use those collie brains - that will help use up some of his energy and give your cats a break :-)

Also forgot to mention - if you've only had him 3 days, whatever his previous "owners" have fed him may still be making itself felt!  (for instance if he were fed a poor brand of dog food with lots of colours and additives).

i do sympathise,ive no transport either,im lucky that i can have a lift to my class.if you put your area,someone on here may know of somewhere local to you.Poor dog,3 homes already!Im sure he will be worth persevering with,collies are very clever and quick to learn-bad as well as good things!but they arent always the easiest of dogs.oh,a thought!If you find you cant find a training class(sometimes vets have adverts in)maybe have a one to one trainer come to you?one I know charges 25pounds an hour,I dont know how average that is ,though.Good luck!

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">whatever his previous "owners" have fed him may still be making itself felt!  (for instance if he were fed a poor brand of dog food with lots of colours and additives).

I can vouch for that, my 5wk old pups got hold of Baker's and spent an hour hyperactive and not wanting their food, they kept going back so now off the floor and out of sight.

Mine small one's did this, some from excitement and some from fear.  I did the squeeky ball trick to distract them and just said to people they want to say hello if you'll let them, most did.  i also explained pup was a little worried about people/things so it would help if they let pup near.  i made many hello people from this on our walks.  i would also give a gentle tug on the lead and a 'no', when pup turned to me i praised and sqeeked the ball.

Soulds like your dogs had a lot of upheaval so don't worry to much, they're probably not sure how long they'll stay with you or how you'll treat them.  i wouldn't worry about the cats, mine were dog tollerent also but a new dog they still have to get used to and they also spent their time upstairs for a little while.  the cats will be fine.  Maybe put pup on a lead when the cat are about and do a little training not to bark at kitty, have plently of treat ready for when they get it right.

Good luck xx

I suspect he's barking through fear if he's not been socialised, and as he is growing he is learning that he can make things go away that he is scared of.

On a lead, dogs can't use "flight" so tend to use "fight" as the other option has been removed by the lead.

Try not to put him in situations where he can practice his behaviour and try to alter his emotional reactions by helping him start to associate scary things with really nice things, look up for example Jean Donaldson's "bar open/bar closed" and you can also use clicker training and use the method re. Leslie McDevitt ("look at that").

If he gets worse, I'd recommend seriously considering a reputable behaviourist because at this age, weeks and even days can set up the dog's behaviour for life.

Kind regards
Lindsay
x

I had a little sheltie bitch who just couldn't cope with the excitement... you had to see everything before her, get her in a seat, get her attention on you until the "distraction" had passed. No aggression - just pure excitement at seing people, dogs, cars, bikes. She had a very strong herding instinct for my breed (collie like) and she did get better with consistency although she still barks her head off if she can!!