# Need advice for our 8 month old rescue border collie



## Hawkster (Oct 19, 2010)

Hi everyone,

I used this forum a couple of years ago (sorry for the absence!) and got some great advice so I'm hoping to get some pearls of wisdom on this new thread.

We (my boyfriend and I) already have a 2 and a half year old collie x (Effy) and decided to adopt a second dog just after Christmas. His name is Finn and he's an 8 month old border collie whose previous owners had kept him tied to a pole outside their house. We also have 2 cats.

We have only had Finn for 2 weeks so it is early days but we want to try and nip a few things in the bud before they get worse. Our biggest problem is the cats: whenever he sees them he wants to chase them, and when (on 2 occasions) he has managed to get close enough he has tried to bite our biggest cat (Oscar, who is a very tolerant tom cat).

We are trying to keep him on a long line when the cats are loose so we can correct him with 'leave it' if he looks like he's going to chase. Yesterday he did really well and we rewarded him with treats when he came back. But then we tried having Oscar on my lap with Finn next to me (on the lead). Initially he just stared then out of the blue tried to bite him again. Oscar hissed back but didn't scratch him.

At the moment we are having to keep the cats and dogs separate, and I feel terrible because we've had the cats for 8 years and also because Effy gets on fine with them.

Our other problem is travelling in the car (which I think is a totally new experience for him). He barks, lunges and tries to chase the passing traffic and scenery which is starting to stress Effy out. I should point out that I only have a hatchback but on the look out to part-ex it for an estate car soon - the plan is to use a crate with a cover to take away the visuals, but is this a permanent solution?

Any advice would be welcome!

Thanks in advance 


Hannah


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## Leanne77 (Oct 18, 2011)

I cant advise on the cat front as I had just a collie when I took on a cat and he hated it but since i'm not a cat lover myself I gave the cat to somebody who already had Persians. So my problem was easily solved.

But with regards to the behaviour in the car then if blocking his view from the windows works then why couldnt it be a permanent solution? I have a dog who makes alot of noise when we pull up at a walk destination, or even if we drive past one of our regular areas. However, when I take him in the van which has no windows at the rear or side, then he remains quiet as he cannot see where he is.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Hawkster said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I used this forum a couple of years ago (sorry for the absence!) and got some great advice so I'm hoping to get some pearls of wisdom on this new thread.
> 
> ...


Well of course it's very early days and the method you are using with the cats sounds fine. I'm sure if you persist he'll get the message before too long.

You can buy car window stickers to darken them which may solve the problem until you change your vehicle.

Ultimately I would want to teach him manners, one of which would be he lies down and stays down in the car.


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## sonya4403 (Oct 22, 2012)

I have a rescue border collie and when we got her she used to chase traffic and was seriously stressed. She chased cats and even now lives on her nerves yet she has settled down and through training and activities she has got better. I have put her cage for travelling at the bottom of my van where she can't see and she settles nicely, so cover the cage over and hopefully this will solve the travellling problem. With regards to the cats it is a little more tricky, all you can do is gradullay introduce the cats whilst keeping the dog on a lead. The dog may settle and gradually ignore the cat but this may take a long time. It is also worthwhile going to some sort of training and or agility/flyball so the dog has an outlet for all that energy and this will help focus the dog away from other distractions such as cars! If you can get the dog used to standing or sitting still with a stay command when you see a car passing and treat/praise accordingly this may also help. 
Get to know the dog you have and what makes it tick. Border Collies are good dogs but you need to get to understand them, they are loyal companions and need to be kept mentally occupied otherwise they will go self employed and find other things to do such as chase cars. You have only had the dog for a few weeks and with mine it took about a year to get her back into a semi-normal state after re-homing her. Be patient and with time, love and understanding I am sure things will get better. Good Luck
Regards Sonya


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

sonya4403 said:


> I have a rescue border collie and when we got her she used to chase traffic and was seriously stressed. She chased cats and even now lives on her nerves yet she has settled down and through training and activities she has got better. I have put her cage for travelling at the bottom of my van where she can't see and she settles nicely, so cover the cage over and hopefully this will solve the travellling problem. With regards to the cats it is a little more tricky, all you can do is gradullay introduce the cats whilst keeping the dog on a lead. The dog may settle and gradually ignore the cat but this may take a long time. It is also worthwhile going to some sort of training and or agility/flyball so the dog has an outlet for all that energy and this will help focus the dog away from other distractions such as cars! If you can get the dog used to standing or sitting still with a stay command when you see a car passing and treat/praise accordingly this may also help.
> Get to know the dog you have and what makes it tick. Border Collies are good dogs but you need to get to understand them, they are loyal companions and need to be kept mentally occupied otherwise they will go self employed and find other things to do such as chase cars. You have only had the dog for a few weeks and with mine it took about a year to get her back into a semi-normal state after re-homing her. Be patient and with time, love and understanding I am sure things will get better. Good Luck
> Regards Sonya


Well done you and I totally agree that training and activities makes all the difference with collies.

I also have a rescue collie who has been here for 12 months now and she is absolutely delightful.


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

Our dog barks at everything in the car. I think I'm a reasonably good trainer of my dog but thought it hard to get a reliable lie down in a car if the dog is so distracted and so was I with driving. We worked on it for weeks and with the basics already in place at home as Molly is well mannered. To be honest there is no reason for our dog to be in the car on a seat with a harness. So we have introduced a crate and all is fine. We crated trained her at home, progressed with the crate on the back seat as that's where she was sitting with her harness in the past, and this week we are moving the crate to the boot (and getting the car cleaned). We cover the crate with a blanket so she cannot see. It keeps the car clean and all of us safe.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

MollySmith said:


> Our dog barks at everything in the car. I think I'm a reasonably good trainer of my dog but thought it hard to get a reliable lie down in a car if the dog is so distracted and so was I with driving. We worked on it for weeks and with the basics already in place at home as Molly is well mannered. To be honest there is no reason for our dog to be in the car on a seat with a harness. So we have introduced a crate and all is fine. We crated trained her at home, progressed with the crate on the back seat as that's where she was sitting with her harness in the past, and this week we are moving the crate to the boot (and getting the car cleaned). We cover the crate with a blanket so she cannot see. It keeps the car clean and all of us safe.


Where there's a will there's a way - well done you too...


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Hiya, you may find the following links to advice re cats and dogs helpful

Introducing a puppy to your cat - Clever Dog Company
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/ca...troduction.pdf
Can Cats and Dogs Be Friends? | Karen Pryor Clicker Training

ClickerSolutions Training Treasures -- Cats and Dogs


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## Hawkster (Oct 19, 2010)

Thanks for all of the tips 

We're going to carry on with the introductions while Finn is on the lead, and hopefully the car will be changed soon.

Watch this space!


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## Hawkster (Oct 19, 2010)

Hi again,

Thought I'd post a quick update and ask for more advice . We've had Finn for nearly 3 months now, and whilst we're seeing some big improvements in his recall and housetraining, the cats and the car are still a big problem.

We got an estate car and used a covered crate, which seemed to initially work but now he just incessantly barks. We know he can't see anything so it can't be visual, we tried giving him treat-filled kongs, antlers, and even tied a rubber ball on a rope to the crate (which he loves playing with) but he is not interested in them at all. His barking is now stressing out our other dog (who sits on the back seat) to the point where she now has to be coaxed into the car. We can only come to the conclusion that his barking is triggered by the motion of the car . Any ideas on how we can solve this...???

Regarding the cats, they are having to live separately from Finn at the moment. If he catches sight of one through the baby gate he does become fixated and it's hard to break that once he's got it in his head (we have been able to distract him with a squeaky ball on the odd occasion). I let the cats go upstairs every evening but I am missing have them on my lap, and wonder if we'll ever get to a point where we can all be in the same room.

It's been a very stressful last few months but we do love Finn and want all of our pets to live together in harmony. If anyone has any more advice or tips we can try I'd appreciate it.

I've added a picture so you can see him


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Hawkster said:


> Hi again,
> 
> Thought I'd post a quick update and ask for more advice . We've had Finn for nearly 3 months now, and whilst we're seeing some big improvements in his recall and housetraining, the cats and the car are still a big problem.
> 
> ...


It's still very early days with the cats and Finn is at the 'teenage stage' which doesn't help.

Just carry on with his training and particularly work on the 'leave' command.

Do you crate him in the house, because that would be one way of having them all in the same room some of the time?

As I said previously I took on a 11-12 week old rescue puppy 14 months ago now and have 3 other collies bitches. The oldest is now 14.1/2 yrs old and becoming very frail. The first lesson my puppy learnt was to leave the old girl alone, both in the house and out on walks. She was not allowed to steal the old girl's toys, jump on her, etc. etc. I am always firm but fair but simply would not allow it.

Have you tried taking Finn out in the car on his own and/or having someone sit in the back with him to see if he's then quiet? You really need to try and work out exactly why he's barking and it could be several things - fear - excitement - boredom - slight travel sickness - etc.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

He's a lovely looking dog.

I trained my BC cross out of barking in the car by putting a tube-type muzzle on her when she started barking - I'd just pull over and put it on (she travelled on the passenger seat in a car harness). She got the message within a few days.


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## Hawkster (Oct 19, 2010)

Thanks for the advice Twiggy and Burrowzig . 

Being an adolescent hasn't helped matters I must admit, although we have noticed he seems to be responding to us a bit better, whether this is a result of our bonding or his recent neutering I'm not sure but it is encouraging.

We do crate train him in the house - he sleeps in it at night and we have put him in there while trying to encourage the cats to come into the room, but they don't want to know. Obviously their safety is the most important thing but at the moment I feel like all we're doing is hiding the cats away and avoiding the problem, if you know what I mean. It's a shame because both cats get on great with our other dog Effy.

I've not tried a muzzle in the car, might be worth a try. We have had somebody sit in the back with him but he still barks. He jumps into the boot fine so I don't think it's because he's scared of the car, and we always take him in the car to go for a walk so he knows it will lead to something fun. He barks just as bad on the way home too - we can't seem to work out the common factor in his behaviour


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## kate_7590 (Feb 28, 2009)

Well done on taking on Finn 

With his age and the fact he hasnt been in a home environment before are all going to go against him a bit.

With regard to the cats- I cant speak from experience as Iv never owned a cat, but I have rabbits who live in the garden, free range and sometimes come into the house if the back door is open 
Iv had rabbits all the time who have been around longer than my current dogs, First dog came, not bothered by the rabbits, same with second and third (both as puppies) so I thought all was good. However since our 4th Pup has joined us its changed, she will stalk the rabbits and just hasnt grown out of it, even though they have been a large part of her life for the last 4 months! Shes not trying to hurt them, but I cant trust her not to play/ chase them. I am unable to stop this behaviour even though every other dog has not had a problem.
I think some dogs just dont like other animals and this may well be the case with Finn. And with a breed so obsessive as the BC you may have your work cut out trying to change his behaviour!

What will you do if he never gets used to them?


The car- Flint used to whinge and howl when I first had him whenever we went anywhere in the car, he would be silent if the car was still, but as soon as we moved he would start ...is this the same as what Finn is doing?
Try having someone in the back by him and giving him treats whenever he is calm and quiet..he will soon get the message


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## Hawkster (Oct 19, 2010)

I don't know what we'll do if Finn never gets used to the cats - we have a big challenge on our hands . I don't want the cats to be stressed. I think I could cope better with the other issues of travelling in the car at lunging at passing traffic if we could sort the cat thing out, but at the moment it all feels a bit overwhelming. To add to our problems our dog sitter had the dogs for us last week when we had to go to a funeral. Finn got very stressed and made himself sick - apparently started by obsessing over their ceiling fan.

I know it was too soon for him to go to another house but we were really stuck that day and I stupidly thought he would be ok if Effy was with him. So now we have to find somebody who can dog sit at our house if we are both away for any reason (which will be the case for a week in May). 

Sorry - feeling a bit down about it all today, probably a result of lack of sleep over the last few months


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## springfieldbean (Sep 13, 2010)

Well done for taking Finn on  Just a quick word of encouragement about the cats - it sounds as though you're doing the right thing by teaching Finn that he shouldn't chase the cats. We had a similar situation when we brought our puppy home and he couldn't seem to resist chasing our cat. It took many months, but he did eventually learn not to chase her, and she learnt not to run. Now they're fine together, nearly two years down the line.

I know your situation is different, as Finn is a bit older, and he's shown signs of aggression which our dog didn't, but hopefully given enough time Finn will learn not to chase them. I think maybe if you focus on the car first, and don't worry about the cats at the moment, so you can concentrate on one thing at a time and not get too overwhelmed.


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## Hawkster (Oct 19, 2010)

Thank you for the words of encouragement - been a bit of a rollercoaster since the New Year. We'll keep going with the training, hopefully I'll have a more positive update soon :smile5:


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## Dandelion64 (Aug 11, 2010)

Hawkster said:


> Thank you for the words of encouragement - been a bit of a rollercoaster since the New Year. We'll keep going with the training, hopefully I'll have a more positive update soon :smile5:


Hi,
I hope you've had some improvement. I'm in a similar position. I had three cats when I got my rescue Border Collie, Bluebell. My oldest cat died three weeks after we got her. She was over 20 so I can't say whether it was anything to do with the dog.

Bluebell chases the two cats (both 10 years old). They are used to dogs so they sometimes stand their ground. Most of the time they just run away.

I'm trying very hard to stop her from chasing them.

Let me know if you have any luck!

Just so you know, Bluebell was a nightmare in the car at first, but now she's fine.

Dx


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## Dandelion64 (Aug 11, 2010)

Here's a photo of a rare moment of peace between Bluebell and Maisie.

I hope things turn out ok for both of us!


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## Hawkster (Oct 19, 2010)

Good to know I'm not on my own! (By the way, I couldn't see your picture....??)

We took the dogs out in the car today and Finn was quiet for the majority of the journey home (I suspect this was just because he was tired, but it was nice nevertheless!)

Fingers crossed for us both then, I'll let you know how we get on with the cat situation....


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## Hawkster (Oct 19, 2010)

Finn jumped over the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs yesterday when he saw one of my cats on the top step. He's never done that before. He chased Oscar into our bedroom, luckily Oscar hid under the bed, Finn did come back (eventually) when I shouted. 

It seems whenever I say things are improving he does something like this!


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## Megan345 (Aug 8, 2012)

We got one of these the other day: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8704346.htm?CMPID=GS001&_$ja=cgid:5312944127|tsid:41259|cid:116728487|lid:46591197407|nw:search|crid:20211943967

It's a bit taller than most baby gates. Neither my GSD or collie have got over it yet, and they're both pretty good jumpers! Not too expensive, either.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Hawkster said:


> Finn jumped over the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs yesterday when he saw one of my cats on the top step. He's never done that before. He chased Oscar into our bedroom, luckily Oscar hid under the bed, Finn did come back (eventually) when I shouted.
> 
> It seems whenever I say things are improving he does something like this!


Have you thought about actually teaching him an unconditional leave command?

As I said previously it was the first lesson my little rescue pup learnt. I simply couldn't allow her to interfere with my old lady or knock her over.
In the past 12 months she has never jumped on the old girl, knocked her over or attempted to steal her toys, all of which she does with the other two bitches.


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## Hawkster (Oct 19, 2010)

Thanks - it might be worth investing in some higher baby gates.

We are teaching him the leave it command, and it works when it comes to most things, but not the cats. It is very hard to break his fixation once he has either seen or heard them .


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