Help controlling herding behavior in a border collie mix puppy?
Help controlling herding behavior in a border collie mix puppy? Dog Breed Discussions
I rescued a six-month-old border collie mix pup last week and she's extremely bright. She starts in agility lessons and obedience training next week. She gets a LOT of exercise and stimulation but she's been trying to herd my five-year-old daughter. While she hasn't hurt my daughter and I understand that it is a natural behavior, it is something that I need to find ways to stop or redirect.I know that border collies and mixes CAN be trained not to herd children, and I need advice on helping her redirect her intelligence and instinct into something more productive. I hope that agility lessons will help some, but any help for at-home training is much appreciated.Last time I posted a question like this, I was attacked by people telling me that I shouldn't have gotten a herding breed and expected it not to herd, so let me make one thing very clear: My puppy is a RESCUE dog. There are not enough working farms in the world to provide loving homes for all the mixed-shepherd breeds in the world. Besides that, working farms want purebred border collies, not mixed breeds like mine.Are you saying that all of these animals are better off euthanized than in loving homes that do their best to care for them? I'm enrolling my pup in agility and obedience lessons and I take her for a five-mile walk every day, but I need to "grow a brain" for rescuing this poor baby's life? Don't judge me for adopting a dog that needed a home and has strong herding instincts. Blame the irresponsible jerks who didn't spay and neuter their border collies to begin with. I will NOT be shamed for saving a dog's life just because I don't happen to have a herd of sheep for her to tend. We don't shame beagle owners who don't take their dogs hunting or Dalmatian owners who don't give their dogs carriages to guide, so please don't attack me for adopting a herding dog. I saved her life, I am a responsible owner, and I will not accept people accusing me of animal abuse just because I don't own a freaking farm. (Sorry for how aggressive this sounds, but the answers I got last time were WAY out of line and inappropriate.)Clockwork, what gave you the impression that I bought this dog? She was on the euth list at my local animal control because she was very sick. She had been found abandoned in an empty house, half-starved and sick with pneumonia. I footed her vet bills for her recovery and paid to spay, vaccinate, microchip, supplement, and medicate her. And you're accusing me of being "delusional" for thinking I rescued her? You're the one who needs to get your head checked.And the reason that I have this dog (should I need to explain this) is because she's a wonderful, brilliant, loving dog and because I adore her. I shouldn't need to explain why I love my pet to people like you. Please just go away and keep your judgments to yourself. I dare you to go tell the millions of owners of non-working dogs that you think their animals are better off dead than in loving homes. Go to Hell.