# I need help with my border terriers



## Jem29 (Dec 28, 2008)

I have 2 border pups, Fudge is 11 months old, he is a sweet heart, he has such a nice nature. Holly is 9 months old and she is gorgeous but a total madam, lol!

We have a utility room, quite large that we have their large crate in and we leave their food and water in there and the back door is open when we are at home for them to roam in and out of the house as they please. They sleep in the utility room.

I just feel terribly guilty because they are not house dogs as such. We can't let them walk around the house, they are hypo if anyone comes to visit, they jump around them like nutters and it takes about 10 minutes before they chill out and just sit down. They are the same when it is just us in the house, they just seem too lively to have them around the house if you see what I mean.

I took them to puppy training a few times but the woman doing it drove me mad to be honest and totally ripped me off so I never went back. 

The dogs don't bite and are good with the kids but they are always jumping up on us (Holly mainly), they bark as soon as one of the neighbours are in their garden or if people walk past the gate, so we have to bring them in. 

They are just very happy lively dogs, not naughty but am I doing something wrong? they sit when we give them treats, they do obey us like that but if you asked them to stay somewhere for example they wouldn't they would just follow us

How strict do you need to be? does it sound like we need to do more or do they sound just like normal borders?lol! Do you have your dogs in the house walking around or do many of you do what I do?

We have a shihtzu and she just walks around the house but in time is going to have her crate in the utility with the othe 2 dogs. They all get on fine, but I think the borders will get annoyed if we are letting Nessa walk around the house and them just having the utility room and garden.

We do have a mad house but we love it, 3 young children aswell

Any advice appreciated


----------



## Guest (Jul 26, 2009)

Well if they are not allowed in the house then they are going to get over excited when they are allowed in, it's like taking then out for a walk to them, just so exciting because it's different.
How do you expect to teach them manners around the house if they are only allowed in occassionally? 
They are still quite young and they are terriers, so it will take time and patience but you will probably not succeed unless you give them time to calm down in the house.


----------



## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

Did you have a good reason for getting a third puppy when you have two that are not out of puppyhood. My dogs sleep in the utility room, stay in there if I am out and have the run of the downstairs if I am in. Having two pups even with 2 months between them is going to be very hard and now you have introduced a third one life could get very difficult. And with 3 young children it is going to be even harder to spend the time needed with each pup. If you dont want your borders in the house then they will accept that, but why exactly do you want them if you dont want them with you and probably dont have time to train them. You dont say how often you take them for walks, do seperate training with them etc. They need at least two half hour walks a day, and that is walks, not meandering around with 3 children in tow. I would imagine they are bored and confused with their place in your life.
I am a little confused as to whether you let them in the house all the time you are there or just for the odd few minutes. It sounds like they are desperate for attention but they still need to learn to calm down. Dont fuss them till they sit, just turn your back and ignore them if they are jumping up and being silly. And until you have got them a little better mannered leave them in the utility room when you have visitors then gradually introduce them to people you know well that wont be annoyed if they get over excited.
What was wrong with the dog training class you went to. I would go back or find another one that suits you better and just take one dog with you and concentrate on one at a time. It isnt fair on everyone else if you take 2 over excited dogs to class that are winding each other up.
You have 3 pups, be prepared that they will take up a very great deal of your day and if you dont have the time I would seriously suggest you rehome one or two of them before they become too set in their ways.
Sorry if this sounds hard, but purely judgining it by what you have posted it sounds like you have taken on a bit too much.


----------



## Jem29 (Dec 28, 2008)

HI,

I am there with my dogs as is my husband when he isn't in work and we have a large house so we do have the room for them. 

We take our borders out twice a day for walks, or should I say hubby does We don't look them away in the utility all day long! and it isn't like we don't want them around us!!!!! 

We do have a busy life and yes we may have taken abit much on but we love our family and do our best by all of them, the dogs included.

I was just wondering how to change things abit and whether people had their dogs outside or in, personally I would not want my dogs to live outside.

Our dogs are very happy and healthy, we take great care of them. They are not wild or nasty towards anyone, just very excitable.

The puppies were not mad at training at all, the trainer one day said she thought they had kennel cough and asked us to leave (they didn't as I took them to our vet) and she then never let us back and took our money. Enough said


----------



## Guest (Jul 26, 2009)

To be honest I dont quite get what you mean when you say you dogs are too lively to be around the house? What exactly do they do that worry you or make them unsuitable to being in the house with you? do they knock things/people over? do they mess the place?

To answer your question as to whether I would have my dog outside ; No, being a pet dog, my dog is very much part of my family and he is in the house with us, he does not have a room of his own apart from us, he has the house just like us.

If they are very excitable it could be because
- they are young  they are still puppies! and they are not used to being in the house much.
- they may not get enough mental and physical stimulation - maybe they need longer walks to be more chilled in the house or even better more mental stimulation (training etc)
I would also suggest you consider walking them as well; lead walking is a big part of the bond you build with your dog, it allows the dog to see you as the leader and generally helps in your relationship (in my opinion at least) so if you can take them all for a small walk at least they could help also!

Good luck 

xx


----------



## Badger's Mum (Mar 23, 2009)

Jem29 said:


> HI,
> 
> I am there with my dogs as is my husband when he isn't in work and we have a large house so we do have the room for them.
> 
> ...


Don't worry they do calm down with age, i used to pop mine outside if they got too excited, And let them back in and they start again back out the soon get the idea  Hope this help's abit


----------



## bucksmum (Jul 19, 2009)

Jem29 said:


> HI,
> 
> I am there with my dogs as is my husband when he isn't in work and we have a large house so we do have the room for them.
> 
> ...


Hi ,we breed the occasional litter of labradors and because my husband and i bi=oth wanted to keep a pup at the time(working gundogs) we kept two from same litter.They are kennelled now but up to six months were indoors for maximum socialization and the only way to teach them manners in the house is to have one in at a time otherwise they just 'pack up' and their ears fall off!!
You just will not get through to two pups together,maybe let one in at a time until they learn some manners,and the age they are at is probably them at their worst ,they will calm down.Good luck x


----------



## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

Oblada said:


> To be honest I dont quite get what you mean when you say you dogs are too lively to be around the house? What exactly do they do that worry you or make them unsuitable to being in the house with you? do they knock things/people over? do they mess the place?
> 
> To answer your question as to whether I would have my dog outside ; No, being a pet dog, my dog is very much part of my family and he is in the house with us, he does not have a room of his own apart from us, he has the house just like us.
> 
> ...


Good post as usual x


----------



## Guest (Jul 26, 2009)

Nobody else has mentioned it,So I thought I would ask what are they been fed ?


----------



## Colliepoodle (Oct 20, 2008)

Find another trainer and take one pup at a time.

TBH you've got your work cut out - even most experienced trainers wouldn't have dogs any less than 18 months apart, age-wise.

They sound totally normal.


----------



## aurora (Aug 16, 2008)

Hi, sorry to hear you have been having a few problems, and yes i have all 3 of my terriers in the house as part of our family which is jrt who is 12 years old and 2 BT's who are 3 half and 15 months. the fact that you have got 3 puppies makes it so much harder, i appreciate that you love your dogs and look afterr them, but like other have said i feel you have taken on a bit much especially with the new addition. borders are lovely little dogs and happy and easy to train, if you find the right training classes. Poppy who is 3 half now has her Good citizen silver award and Little Meg is working on her bronze. but each of mine have had individual training sessions at classes, and then individual training time at home. It need not be long sessions at home 1o mins each every day to start with. but you have to keep it up and do it on a one to one with each dog. I do some of the training when out on some of our walks, like walking to heel, sit, stay, recall which is important and a must especially if having dogs off lead exerciseing, which borders need has they have lots of energy and need that time rrunning around, but i'm lucky as i have the space having a farm to let them have off lead time every day. Because yours are shut in the utility, they will get excited when you let them into the house, and they are still only babies and have not learned what is acceptable in the house because they are not in there often enough.

:idea:when they come in the house, ignore them firstly for a few minutes until they calm down, i would seriously rethink letting them come in the house and stay there with you during the day and get them use to be around you more, and put them in the utility just at bed time or if you have to go out etc. they are never going to change or learn if left in there as they are.

As some one else mentioned what are they fed on, are they fed on a high protein diet of more than 18-20%, if so find a good food that is 18-20 percent and with out additives and preservatives some thing like James welbeloved which i feed mine on. Some foods can make dogs hyper and its not the dogs fault.

border terriers are great little dogs, and they love company and to please you, and be part of the family. if i was you i'd spend more time with them, join a club that does obedience and both of you take one terrier each and do work with them individaully, get a good bond going between you and you will notice a real difference with them.

This bit is my own persoanl opinion and i don't want to upset or cause offence, but i would seriously rethink having this new pup at this time in your life, until you have worked on the other 2 and got them sorted, the 3rd pup is now also going to need one to one training and indivial attention, which is an awful lot of work to do and with you having 3 children as well. i would either get the breeder to have it back or find a good home for it and concentrate on the 2 you have and with a little bit of patience and training you will have to wonderful little terriers.

Also there is the concern that having 3 young dogs so near in ages, as they get a little older one of them is going to make a point of trying to be top dog of the 3 and there you may start having problems with fighting in the future. i personally would not have 2 so near in ages, as if you have one that is older they will remain top dog and keep the younger one in check. Poppy was 2 before i got our new border so by that time i'd established poppys obedience and training and she is a pleasure to have, then i could concentrate on Meg once i got her and give her the individual time that she needed.

wishing you the very best of luck with what ever you decide to do, let us know how you get on.

with my girls i know i couldn't keep them in a seperate room in the house as i'd miss there cuddles, especially at night time when they come up on the sofa and cuddle by me, it what having a dog means to me, there my best little friends, there there when your lonely or sad and make you laugh when they do something funny, have fun with yours, as i feel you are missing a lot having them in the utility most of the time.

sorry for the long post


----------



## Jem29 (Dec 28, 2008)

Thank you for all your help.

Re the walking, I take my dogs out (or should i say hubby does) twice a day for walks, so it isn't as though I keep them shut in a room all day and they have the run of the back garden whenever they want as the door is open for them, it is a large back yard.

We have alot on, of course we do but the dogs are not nasty and are not bad at all, I just wanted advice on how to introduce them into our home without all of the excitement. They do sit and do obey us, they are not nasty at all, just very excitable which is probably their age and the fact they are terriers.

Giving the pup back is not an option at all, we love her to pieces already and losing out cat recently because of my husbands allergy devastated us all, Nessa has brought so much to us already. She is being very well behaved and we adore her.

We had all 3 together today in the house and the borders were so well behaved, they sat with her and they ate together. We shall introduce them more and more into the house but obviously there are times when they have to go into the utility or into the garden as I have 3 young children and sometimes you need space when they are doing activitites or have friends around that don't like dogs etc... You get my point

My dogs are loved and cared for and that's all that matters, obviously some of you don't think so so I shall be quiet now maybe I shouldn't have posted.

Alot of people have outdoor dogs and don't have them as part of their family, that is not what we do here, I just wanted advice about involving them more really. Life is hectic but we love them.


----------



## Jem29 (Dec 28, 2008)

I forgot to mention that they are fed on Royal Canin Mini Junior, they love it and eat very well.


----------



## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

Jem29 said:


> Thank you for all your help.
> 
> Re the walking, I take my dogs out (or should i say hubby does) twice a day for walks, so it isn't as though I keep them shut in a room all day and they have the run of the back garden whenever they want as the door is open for them, it is a large back yard.
> 
> ...


Try not to take it too personally, the trouble is people come on the forum for advice, but you need to accept when mistakes have been made.

Unfortunately love is not enough when you have 3 dogs. I myself have 3, all be in problematic rescue dogs. But you also have 3 children.

From our perspective, your dogs just want to be part of the family and it sounds as though you are excluding them, because they get hyper. To be honest you would have been better suited to older, calmer dogs and not terriors. You get to hear of so many stories where people take on pups and then it doesn;t work out, so they end up getting re-homed.

I understand you love your dogs, but cannot see that you can give them the time they need to become calm, balanced dogs.

Best of luck though


----------



## hazel pritchard (Jun 28, 2009)

We have a Lakeland x (yob) i sometimes give him a Kong with cheese spread in it ,when we have visitors,he is so interested in it he ignores everyone,another thing i do is put his lead on,take him over to the visitor,if he sits ,then he can be stroked and spoken to,if he keeps trying to jump at people then i sit on the other side of the room with him untill he has calmed down ,then repeat it after about 10 mins,after a few vistors over a few weeks hes now alot better.


----------



## Jem29 (Dec 28, 2008)

Thanks.,

We have had them in the house today and they have been grand

They are in here tonight with our new pup aswell and we are having no trouble at all. I should have done this sooner.


----------



## Guest (Jul 26, 2009)

Great, hope it continues.
You have taken on a handful with three pups so best of luck with them


----------



## Jem29 (Dec 28, 2008)

Thank you

I love being under pressure, that's why I am a nurse and a mum of 3


----------



## aurora (Aug 16, 2008)

Jem29 said:


> Thanks.,
> 
> We have had them in the house today and they have been grand
> 
> They are in here tonight with our new pup aswell and we are having no trouble at all. I should have done this sooner.


that's a great start really hope things go well for you, hope you don't think i was having a go at you earlier, enjoy having your dogs with you.

and yes i appreciate that there are times when they do have to be in the utility, we all need a bit space etc, and especially with the kids as well

wishing you all the best with them


----------



## Badger's Mum (Mar 23, 2009)

aurora said:


> that's a great start really hope things go well for you, hope you don't think i was having a go at you earlier, enjoy having your dogs with you.
> 
> and yes i appreciate that there are times when they do have to be in the utility, we all need a bit space etc, and especially with the kids as well
> 
> wishing you all the best with them


well said i agree wish we were all purfect. enjoy your dog's they will calm down in the end, as anyone who's had pup's no's


----------



## Jem29 (Dec 28, 2008)

Thanks again


----------



## Badger's Mum (Mar 23, 2009)

No prob's we're all on here to help and be helped arn't we?


----------

