Dealing With A Disobedient Dog

[koshergrl]

He needs exercise and a job. Four adults in the house and nobody can walk him? If you each did 10 minutes that would be 40 minutes.

 

[Katzndogz]

Walking a border collie isn't good enough. Not for this kind of dog. So he walks around, big deal. He needs something to occupy his mind, not just his legs.

 

[koshergrl]

My son had a wonderful border collie when he was a teen... the dog went everywhere with him. He was a wonderful dog, but he put many miles on him every single day. He didn't shut him up in the house day after day and expect him not to develop behavior issues.

They are not house dogs. If you're going to have one it either needs to be outside, on a "place" (not just a fenced yard) or it needs to be doing something constructive for a certain number of hours each day.

 

[Toro]

Walking a border collie isn't good enough. Not for this kind of dog. So he walks around, big deal. He needs something to occupy his mind, not just his legs.

My dog does my taxes.

 

[mememe]

Well, lately he has been. He's a three year old Border Collie, and in the past two days, he's pissed on the couch. Just cocked his leg and pissed on it.

Last night he did it, and he knew he had done wrong. This morning while my mum was in the bathroom, he did it again.

We know that BC's require lots of exercise, but there are always times when you don't have time to take the dog for a walk every night. He goes around four times a week, for a good, long run. The other days he gets to play ball we tire him out.
When he goes for a walk, no matter how far you take him, he comes home and wants to continue playing. He's very demanding.

Plus, he barks to get attention, and if you tell him to stop, he humps your leg. Literally flings himself at you and batters away at your leg, and will continue to do it until you have shaken him off enough times.

He's been trained, as have all our dogs, he just seems to be going through his stage where he is disobedient.

For those who own dogs, is just a stage, like a toddler stage for dogs? He's a good dog most of the time, we love him to death, he wants for nothing, but it seems he is just ungrateful for the love we give him.

Its driving us nuts! Can any dog lovers here give us some tips on how to deal with this?

Get another one, and let them entertain each other!

 

[koshergrl]

Two dogs like that entertaining each other would be a bad mistake.

In fact, mostly two dogs together in a house is a bad mistake. They're fine when you're there...the minute you step out of the house, all bets are off.

I have a terrier and a saint, when I'm not in the house, they're in separate rooms because together they decimate the house and annoy all the neighbors...the terrier keeps the big dog hyped up and barking and they play tug of war with my couch.

 

[koshergrl]

And it's better to have one unexercised, anxious, freaked out dog than two.

 

[MikeK]

Well, lately he has been. He's a three year old Border Collie, and in the past two days, he's pissed on the couch. Just cocked his leg and pissed on it.

Last night he did it, and he knew he had done wrong. This morning while my mum was in the bathroom, he did it again.

We know that BC's require lots of exercise, but there are always times when you don't have time to take the dog for a walk every night. He goes around four times a week, for a good, long run. The other days he gets to play ball we tire him out.
When he goes for a walk, no matter how far you take him, he comes home and wants to continue playing. He's very demanding.

Plus, he barks to get attention, and if you tell him to stop, he humps your leg. Literally flings himself at you and batters away at your leg, and will continue to do it until you have shaken him off enough times.

He's been trained, as have all our dogs, he just seems to be going through his stage where he is disobedient.

For those who own dogs, is just a stage, like a toddler stage for dogs? He's a good dog most of the time, we love him to death, he wants for nothing, but it seems he is just ungrateful for the love we give him.

Its driving us nuts! Can any dog lovers here give us some tips on how to deal with this?

". . . he is just ungrateful for the love we give him." And therein lies the tale!

He certainly does seem ungrateful for the love you give him, which he's clearly come to take for granted. So I suggest you give him something else and see how he likes that. Border collies are smart dogs. It won't take him long to figure out which response he dislikes and how not to provoke it.

However, animal psychologists condemn my reasoning as that of a dog Nazi. So if your Mum prefers to follow the advice of the animal behaviorists I suggest you shop around for some urine-resistant furniture and get accustomed to the odor of dog piss.

While nice is preferable, when nice doesn't work I firmly believe in the spare the rod and spoil the child ideology.

 

[koshergrl]

You don't get abject servility from cattle dogs. They're work partners.

 

[MikeK]

You don't get abject servility from cattle dogs. They're work partners.

But when your purpose is to adapt a cattle dog to living in a human household it is necessary to employ expedient measures. If you're not willing to do that -- get a chihuahua, a yorkie, or a dachshund instead.

And I prefer the term reasonable cooperation to "abject servility."

 

[Big Black Dog]

Tie a string around his pecker. Just kidding. What has changed in his daily routine?

 

[Noomi]

Nothing. He doesn't like the fact that we all work and he is often alone by himself, but he should be used to that.

He is so demanding when you get home though. I arrive home from a 9 hour shift at work and he grabs his ball and starts barking, demanding I go outside and play. I want to rest, I don't want to play just yet, but he expects it.

He'll get his walk tomorrow, so that is something.

 

[mememe]

Nothing. He doesn't like the fact that we all work and he is often alone by himself, but he should be used to that.

He is so demanding when you get home though. I arrive home from a 9 hour shift at work and he grabs his ball and starts barking, demanding I go outside and play. I want to rest, I don't want to play just yet, but he expects it.

He'll get his walk tomorrow, so that is something.

All right, if getting another dog is not an option, get a child!

 

[koshergrl]

Nothing. He doesn't like the fact that we all work and he is often alone by himself, but he should be used to that.

He is so demanding when you get home though. I arrive home from a 9 hour shift at work and he grabs his ball and starts barking, demanding I go outside and play. I want to rest, I don't want to play just yet, but he expects it.

He'll get his walk tomorrow, so that is something.

You need to give him to someone who doesn't resent him. You're going to make him nutty and he obviously is already miserable. I don't blame him.

He has been cooped up all day with no interaction. You're his world. Yes, he's frantic to let off some steam and have some real interaction with you when you get home. That's what having a dog is. Interaction. You don't shut him up all day and then get home and expect him to ignore you, and then expect sympathy when you piss and moan that he isn't grateful enough for what little you do.

What an ass.

Here's what your daily schedule should look like:

Get up before work, feed him, change his water, take him out for a trot around the block.
Go to work.
Get off work, play with the dog for an hour or so outside. Put him through his paces.

Then you get to rest. Two hours a day isn't that big a committment when you consider he's shut up in your house the other 22 hours of the day. Death Row inmates follow that sort of schedule.

If you aren't up for it, you shouldn't have a dog. Particularly a high energy, smart dog. Get a fucking cat.

 

[Noomi]

Koshergrl, he's not my dog, He's my mums dog - so is the other Border. She has back problems with started only recently so she can't exercise the dogs as much as she would like.

I start work at 5am most mornings - there is no way I can take the dog for a walk then, and besides, she wouldn't let me. Cooper is very strong and she reckons he will be too strong for me. He expects her to take him for a walk but she can't and I am starting to wonder why we have him when we can't walk him that often.

 

[koshergrl]

It doesn't matter. I don't like it when I hear people complaining about what a pet isn't doing for them, how they aren't sufficiently grateful or understanding of all the reasons why their lives are miserable.

If he's difficult to walk, then you need to train him to walk on a leash. If I could train my saint I'm sure you could train your mom's pets...that could be the time you spend together each day...You don't have to go far (I've done this) just put the leash on him and take him out in the yard and walk around the yard, dealing with whatever it is he does right there.

I do sympathize despite it though, I know it's difficult. But it's one of those things, you have to do it, it's the responsibility of having a dog. But you have to change your mindset...so if the dog can't be taken for walks, start by tackling the first challenge...maybe it's going through the door. Maybe he charges the door, pushes past you, hits the end of the leash before you're through...well then take 20 minutes to practice proper enter/exit protocol...put the leash on and go through the door, and then back, making him wait for you. Or if it's when you hit the sidewalk he starts to drag on the leash, ok, then practice going out to the sidewalk and back to the house until he stops...it takes some dogs more repetition than others. But Border Collies are smart. If you just take a tiny bit of trouble, he'll learn fast.

 

[Katzndogz]

A border collie needs more than a daily walk. These are working dogs. They need a job to do or find him another home. He's BORED and a daily walk won't change that. Go down to the pet store and see if they have any puzzle toys for dogs. Start some kind of training program that gives him something to think about.


I do hope you aren't a weirdo who thinks that putting animals to work is abuse.

 

[koshergrl]

The best way to deal with a dog who pulls on the leash...walk walk walk walk then suddenly spin and walk the opposite way, and just let the leash do what it does, then walk walk walk and turn suddenly in another direction. They pick up quickly that they need to focus on you, and keep the leash loose.

It's how I broke my dog of dragging me around. There were some walks that consisted of me just changing direction every 15 feet or so.

Also I taught him to walk behind me whenever we're on a narrow trail or walkway. He doesn't get to go first. He would LIKE to, but he's not the boss. So I go first and he walks behind me.

 

[Noomi]

Yeah, Cooper has learned that if he pulls, he gets turned around until he behaves, then we walk back the other way again. He catches on quickly -Suki still hasn't caught on, no matter how many times you stop and start, stop and start, she just refuses to walk beside mum!

Cooper was a right mongrel this morning, he decided to piss on the couch again. I come home from work, hung out the washing and played a game of ball with him. I had to take a nap because I've been sick the past few days, and when I woke up, I found the couch wet. Cooper was under my bed, I called his name, pointed down the hall toward the couch, and he bolted outside. He knew he did wrong, but he didn't seem at all bothered by it.

I'm not happy and neither is mum.

 

[koshergrl]

It doesn't do any good to get mad at him after the fact, and they do that sort of urination as a form of acting out.

Where do you play ball with him, and for how long?