# getting a border collie



## flagrl

well i am getting a border collie, i think she is a border collie she is too young to tell and she was dropped off in a dumpster with her 11 brothers and sisters, pics attached of puppies i think they were a couple weeks old then. i will be living in an apartment but i plan on working with her and teaching her alot of commands and when she gets older biking with her and getting her into being a disc dog. but i have a few questions if im going to be clicker traning her can i incorprate that to crate train her? and if so how would i do that? since she will be crate trained and will be in there when i am not home and at night untill she is potty trained would i need to buy her a seperate bed? what should be the first commands i teach her? any tips would be helpful. i have read up alot on them but am just looking on how to take care of a puppy. i will have about 1 1/2 weeks off from school and then i will be gone the max 4 hours a day. there will be i think 2 other dogs at the house, am moving in with a roommate.


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## hutch6

First command - Recall. Most important for a vast majority of tasks.

Second command - Stop! Stop what you are doing right now.

Third command - anything you want really.

I don't use clicker training as such so I can't provide you with a step by step on the crate training with a clicker. Just remember that a crate should be somewhere nice for the dog to be so put chew toys in there, kongs filled with nice cold things to help with teething i.e. frozen cream cheese, frozen tinned food or just straight from the freezer. Some folk use frozen tea towels for chews to help with teething when the time comes.

Just start as you mean to come on as consistancy is the main key to training so get it clear in your head and others that will be regularly in contact with the dog what the rules are for the dog and make sure they are adhered to.

With any dog that is of a young age exposure to a large variety of things and lots of interaction will only create a better dog in the long run.

Have a look at local dog training classes and go along to sit in on them - just because you don't have the dog yet doesn't mean you can't ask to sit in and see if the class is right for you  - and remember to go with one that will fall in with the methods you want to incorporate with your dog. No use going to a training class that feels uncomfortable to use th emethods so they are not used outside of the class as this leads to a confused dog. Speak tot he trainer afterwards about the meothods they use and why - you want a positive reinforcement trainer if you are clicker training and mention you want to use clicker training.

Remember that pup will be desperately trying to make sense of the world around it so make sure your body language is clear - dogs read this more than any other form of communication. If you want the dog somewhere i.e. at your feet, then clearly point and the dog will come to see what your finger is all about and then you can reward them.

Oh, don't forget to breath  Try to do too much too soon and you will end up tearing your hair out not to mention stressing the dog to high heaven.

Get the dog used ot its name by calling the name and when it gives you the slightest inclination it is paying attention or responding the call reward it. 

You will get more out of the dog too if you sit on the floor with it. A small dog doesn't really want some giant looming over it and they play more when you are at their level which helps build a relationship and trust.

Every 15-20mins or after play or sleep or food put the lead on and take the dog out for a toilet break. As soon as it raises its body from going to the toilet reward and praise. Stay away from puppy pads as best you can as these can teach the dog it is ok to go in the house and then you'll be back asking why your 6month dog isn't house trained yet.

Anything else just ask


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## PennyGC

get Gwen Baileys 'The Perfect Puppy' and don't do too much exercise with your pup when young - no stairs at all for as long as possible are my two main tips, otherwise, enjoy your pup and don't leave it in a crate for very long at a time


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## Mese

Hutch and Penny said it all really


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## Bowwowpets

Above all...have fun!...Border Collies are 'special' :001_smile:


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## AnnC

I'd second that. I lost my beloved BC Badger on Monday having to have him PTS due to his increased frailty and just not able to cope with life anymore. Though still grieving at the moment I remember all the good times we had and so look forward to getting a young pup to fill our lives again in the future.

I would agree with the recall being the first thing to teach, the second is stop. Those two things once saved Badgers life when he was a young dog.

We'd gone walking on local heathland and we'd been playing with a tennis ball [of course they were made for collies wern't they?] and although it was a local beauty spot and cars wern't allowed, somebody chose not to read the signs and started careering around the grass land in their vehicle. I had just thrown Badgers ball in the direction this car suddenly appeared from and Badger was heading straight for it.

I had trained him to the down command and made it part of our regular walking routine anyway to ensure he was always practised in it.

I was able to stop him immediately with the down command followed by wait, until the vehicle was past and he could go and collect his ball.

Collies are the most amazingly funny, sensitive and loving dog you will ever share your life with.


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## Old Shep

Make sure you don't exceed the 5mins per month rule. No more than 5 mins walk per day, per month in age. So at 3 months that's 15mins. Be very careful if taking your dog running when you are cycling. It's very easy to overdo it. Collies can work till they drop (literally. My own collapsed unconsious on a walk with a friend and his dogs. He just didn't know whan to slow down). Be aware of:

The terrain--is it steep (up or down puts stress on their joints)

The surface--soft grass is best. made pu tarmac surface can cause excessive wear on their pads. Remember, you may not notice the damage till the dog gets home and has rested. Collies tend to feel no pain till after it's too late!

The speed you are going--they will do all they can to keep up-regardless of how fast you go. _You_ must dictate the speed

How far you have gone--again, they will go all out to match you and this is not always in their best interests.

Above all DON'T go cycle with your dog untill it's fully grown at the _earliest_ 18 months.
You can, of course, train it to run alongside you befre this--but only over extremely short distances.

Personally, I'm not in favour of cycling with dogs because it's too easy to lose track of any of the above. I prefer to walk.

Have you considered Cani-X? Better than cycling, I think. Dogs are less likely to sustain injuries than with cycling.


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## IncaThePup

I didn't know about the 5 min rule myself.

I use a mobility scooter and my older dog gets 45mins-1 hour in morning and 30 mins in afternoon. I don't have the physical energy to do 3-4 walks a day so can I just take the puppy with me on the walks if he rides on the scooter footplate until we get to the field, do a bit of training whilst my other dog is sniffing about off-lead then give him a ride home? 

At least he's getting socialised rather than only walking down the road 5 mins. i live on cul-de-sac so 5 mins will only just get me to end of estate and back to my house, he's not going to get to see much that way for his socialising?


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