Mini Hutton Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Hi all, I'm hoping I can get some advice regarding socializing my 10 week old BC. He has been around two other dogs and a number of different people so far and on every occasion he gets VERY excited and doesn't stop running, barking, nipping, growling and jumping. I understand some of this is what he needs to do but he gets himself so worked up that he can't calm down. He doesn't seem to listen to any commands we give him. When he is with the parents in law he jumps up excessively and even though we ignore it he continues to do it. We attended our first session at puppy school on the weekend and he was often so excited by all the dogs and people that he continued to jump around (on his leash) and wouldn't calm down. Has anyone got any tips on how to help train him about how to behave around other dogs. Thankfully one of the dogs he is around that most is very socialized and ignores him when he is barking etc at him but I'm worried that once we start taking him for walks and to the park that he will be to excited and I don't want him in any fights because he doesn't know how to behave (I don't want to be that person who gets pulled around by their dog)!!. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks :) PS - I'm a first time dog owner and my boyfriend had a dog as a child Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 (edited) Hmmmm....where to start :laugh: What training have you done already?? Did the pup's breeder give you any idea of just what you might be in for being a first time puppy owner & getting a BC?? I am a bit surprised the breeder didn't pick out a calmer pup for you, seeing you had no BC experience. Have you heard of Crate Training ?? Have a look here, there may be a few bits that could help you My link Edited November 3, 2015 by sheena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mini Hutton Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 Hmmmm....where to start :laugh: What training have you done already?? Did the pup's breeder give you any idea of just what you might be in for being a first time puppy owner & getting a BC?? I am a bit surprised the breeder didn't pick out a calmer pup for you, seeing you had no BC experience. Have you heard of Crate Training ?? Have a look here, there may be a few bits that could help you My link Hi Sheena, He was actually the quiet and calm pup of the litter and when he is home with us he is a very calm gentle boy. We have a lot of noises etc outside and he doesn't even flinch. It's only when another dog or people come round or we go to their house. All training is great at home although we are still working on him responding every time we say his name. We certainly new what we were getting into with a BC and I don't really think this is a specific BC thing he is doing. I imagine other breed puppies can be very excited. I'm thinking its just a matter of working on him responding to us more promptly and also the more he is around dog's might reduce the amount of excitement he feels?! We considered crate training and spoke to several people including the breeder and vet and we decided against it. We are happy with this decision. I'll take a look at your site and go from there. Thank you :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Not sure why the trainer would not like you to crate train him ?? A crate trained puppy has many benefits..it speeds up toilet training..it gives you somewhere for the pup to chill out when you get visitors..it gives him a lovely secure place to sleep (it becomes his den)..you can use it when travelling/camping (he sleeps in it)..if you are going to do any dog sports with him he will need to be crated etc etc. Lots of other benefits too...too many to list. But we have just had a terrific noisy thunderstorm...my guys who are storm phobic, go into their crates, snuggle up & go to sleep. If ever he needs to sleep over at the vets, it is handy. Have a read of my page on Clicker Training. First thing with puppy is that he gets NOTHING unless he has all four feet on the ground...no food...no pats...no attention. But as soon as his bum hits the floor, then deliver him a treat or his food bowl. Gradually work on duration. Make sure his treats are healthy ones & you don't have to spend a lot of money buying commercial treats..you can use his kibble if he likes his food. Just remember that a BC puppy at that age has the attention span of a grasshopper...so make his formal training sessions really short. Always have something in your pocket when you are with him, so you never miss an opportunity to reward good behaviour. If you have him in a puppy pen, don't lift him out over the top..open the door to take him out, otherwise he will quickly learn that the way out is over the top. Oh....& one more thing...we need photos :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 (edited) ...sounds very familiar ...you are not alone, this thread might give you some ideas My link...it is all about getting their focus, clicker training as Sheena mentioned is a very simple and easy game to train their focus... ...the good news :D : they are pretty smart and for all the time you spend to train and teach them you get heavily rewarded! Edited November 3, 2015 by Willem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mini Hutton Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 Not sure why the trainer would not like you to crate train him ?? A crate trained puppy has many benefits..it speeds up toilet training..it gives you somewhere for the pup to chill out when you get visitors..it gives him a lovely secure place to sleep (it becomes his den)..you can use it when travelling/camping (he sleeps in it)..if you are going to do any dog sports with him he will need to be crated etc etc. Lots of other benefits too...too many to list. But we have just had a terrific noisy thunderstorm...my guys who are storm phobic, go into their crates, snuggle up & go to sleep. If ever he needs to sleep over at the vets, it is handy. Have a read of my page on Clicker Training. First thing with puppy is that he gets NOTHING unless he has all four feet on the ground...no food...no pats...no attention. But as soon as his bum hits the floor, then deliver him a treat or his food bowl. Gradually work on duration. Make sure his treats are healthy ones & you don't have to spend a lot of money buying commercial treats..you can use his kibble if he likes his food. Just remember that a BC puppy at that age has the attention span of a grasshopper...so make his formal training sessions really short. Always have something in your pocket when you are with him, so you never miss an opportunity to reward good behaviour. If you have him in a puppy pen, don't lift him out over the top..open the door to take him out, otherwise he will quickly learn that the way out is over the top. Oh....& one more thing...we need photos :) Thanks Sheena, When I got home last night I tried the keeping all fours on the ground and it worked. If they come off he got no attention so I think we will continue that. Regarding crate training, we aren't going to be doing any sports and he does have is own bed inside as well as a kennel outside which are his little safety zones. He is already excellent with toilet training (we get up at the same time every night and take him out to the toilet and he goes straight away and then walks back to his bed and goes back to sleep) so I believe we have already trained him well without the crate. I guess our issue is more how we can calm him when he is around other dogs and people (when we are out). Attached are some pictures. He has grown a little bit since. Thank you again for your advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 (edited) Mischief written all over his face :laugh: Just remember that he doesn't have to mix/play with all other dogs to be well socialised & letting him run nilly willy with strange dogs could come back to haunt you later on with his training when he decides that other dogs are far more exciting than you. A well socialised dog in my mind is one that tolerates all other dogs without reaction. Read the link to Willem's thread. If he gets a bad experience with another dog when he is young he may carry that fear throughout his life. Have you had a read of this pinned topic Puppy Development Calendar ?? Oh...& I have a 3 second rule when meeting new dogs on lead....3 seconds & then we separate. It only takes three seconds to meet, sniff & then they want to play/react or whatever. Dogs on lead are far more likely to be reactive than loose dogs because they feel vulnerable/restricted. A dog straining on a lead presents a far more bigger picture than one that is loose. ETA...if you never buy another book in your entire life...this book is a must The Focused Puppy by Deborah Jones Edited November 4, 2015 by sheena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casima Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Hi Mini Hutton, your pup is very cute! welcome to the world of Border Collie ownership :) You have been given some really good advice here, especially make sure he gets nothing (attention,treats etc) unless all 4 paws are on the floor, try to have visitors or other people he wants to meet do the same thing. I would also like to recommend a crate, not to keep him in full time, but as somewhere to put him when he is being overexcited to calm him down, never give him attention, let him out or give him treats in there unless he is calm and soon the crate will act as a switch to bring him back to a calm state when needed, just pop him in, wait for him to calm down and then let him back out. Very useful if you have visitors or are visiting friends houses, also a great skill for him if he ever needs to be rested after an injury or operation. The best way I know of for working on his excited behaviour when out in the world by using distance to make it easier for him. Find a mostly empty park or large space, start with him at the far end from any people or dogs and reward him for being calm, slowly move closer to the exciting person/dog and give him treats for being calm. If he becomes too excited again move further away until he can control himself. Some border collies need a very large distance at first, but you should be able to work on it so that he can be calm closer and closer to the person/dog quite quickly if you are consistant with your training. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Hi Mini Hutton, your pup is very cute! welcome to the world of Border Collie ownership :) You have been given some really good advice here, especially make sure he gets nothing (attention,treats etc) unless all 4 paws are on the floor, try to have visitors or other people he wants to meet do the same thing. I would also like to recommend a crate, not to keep him in full time, but as somewhere to put him when he is being overexcited to calm him down, never give him attention, let him out or give him treats in there unless he is calm and soon the crate will act as a switch to bring him back to a calm state when needed, just pop him in, wait for him to calm down and then let him back out. Very useful if you have visitors or are visiting friends houses, also a great skill for him if he ever needs to be rested after an injury or operation. The best way I know of for working on his excited behaviour when out in the world by using distance to make it easier for him. Find a mostly empty park or large space, start with him at the far end from any people or dogs and reward him for being calm, slowly move closer to the exciting person/dog and give him treats for being calm. If he becomes too excited again move further away until he can control himself. Some border collies need a very large distance at first, but you should be able to work on it so that he can be calm closer and closer to the person/dog quite quickly if you are consistant with your training. Good luck! I would just like to add to that...put him on a "long line"..so he can't self reward Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casima Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Hi Mini Hutton, your pup is very cute! welcome to the world of Border Collie ownership :) You have been given some really good advice here, especially make sure he gets nothing (attention,treats etc) unless all 4 paws are on the floor, try to have visitors or other people he wants to meet do the same thing. I would also like to recommend a crate, not to keep him in full time, but as somewhere to put him when he is being overexcited to calm him down, never give him attention, let him out or give him treats in there unless he is calm and soon the crate will act as a switch to bring him back to a calm state when needed, just pop him in, wait for him to calm down and then let him back out. Very useful if you have visitors or are visiting friends houses, also a great skill for him if he ever needs to be rested after an injury or operation. The best way I know of for working on his excited behaviour when out in the world by using distance to make it easier for him. Find a mostly empty park or large space, start with him at the far end from any people or dogs and reward him for being calm, slowly move closer to the exciting person/dog and give him treats for being calm. If he becomes too excited again move further away until he can control himself. Some border collies need a very large distance at first, but you should be able to work on it so that he can be calm closer and closer to the person/dog quite quickly if you are consistant with your training. Good luck! I would just like to add to that...put him on a "long line"..so he can't self reward Oops I had assumed he would be on a lead, a normal one since you want to have some control to be able to leave if meeting people and he becomes excited Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 another BC specific behavior that might be important to point out: depending on how much 'herding instinct' he has, nipping and biting will likely be an issue (it was an issue with our BC where both parents are working dogs). It took me quite a while to teach her that she doesn't want to have any fingers or limps in her mouth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 (edited) ...You have been given some really good advice here, especially make sure he gets nothing (attention,treats etc) unless all 4 paws are on the floor, try to have visitors or other people he wants to meet do the same thing... I want to see this :D ... Edited November 5, 2015 by Willem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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