# My border collie is a nightmare!



## nathd91 (Jan 5, 2012)

Hi there guys,
I don't know what to do! I have a border collie who is 8/9 months old and she is terrible! 
- My main issue, we have a gate outside of our garden, and she is barking non-stop at whatever is out there.. Including my neighbours, paperboy etc. People are even scared to walk in the gate because of her persistent barking! Even though she is harmless..
I can't seem to get her to stop barking, shouting does nothing and she even barks at birds flying over the garden!

- Another issue.. She is constantly jumping on the furniture, no matter how much you say get down or put her on floor she thinks its a game and jumps back up.. it's wrecking the furniture.. 

- She gets over excited whenever a new person comes into the house, or when you let her out of her room.. She jumps up at you constantly and will not leave you alone.. Ignores orders when being told to get down from a visitor..

- Shes wrecking the garden by sprinting up and down it constantly, chasing birds etc. 

- she pulls when she walks, I have a harness which has made it slightly better but she is still pulling..

- She keeps going upstairs.. Although we have a stair gate to prevent her, my family arn't going to want a stair gate up for the rest of her life..

- Other then that she is pretty good, understands sit and paw etc. No mistakes in the house etc.

Sorry for a long list but I need these things squared away within a month or so! As I am going to the Royal Marines in February and if she is not well trained before I go my parents will get rid of her!


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

I think the best thing you can do is start looking for a new home. You're not going to have a well trained dog in a month after it has been allowed to do as it pleases for 8 months


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## nathd91 (Jan 5, 2012)

hawksport said:


> I think the best thing you can do is start looking for a new home. You're not going to have a well trained dog in a month after it has been allowed to do as it pleases for 8 months


I'm just saying a month as an example, it's going to be ongoing training but I mean as im leaving in a month or 2 she needs to be slightly better then she is now! 
My family are clearly going to be training her while I am gone


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## alyssa_liss (May 4, 2009)

whats she fed , 
what excerise ?
mental stimulation?

what training has she had so far 
is she left alone ?


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

Set yourself some realistic targets
Sit down with your parents and decide what can be dealt with by management and what needs training


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

My first question: what sort of exercise is she getting and what sort of mental stimulation? She is a high energy working breed who needs a lot of exercise and a job to do. Of course shouting does nothing. She is getting attention when you shout. 

You need to realise what sort of breed you have and satisfy her needs.


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## nathd91 (Jan 5, 2012)

alyssa_liss said:


> whats she fed ,
> what excerise ?
> mental stimulation?
> 
> ...


The main priority is the barking...
Shes fed 3 times a day a mixture of dry and wet pedigree puppy food.. 8am, 1pm and 6pm..
She's walked twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon..
She's had no puppy classes or anything so far.. Only basic training such as house training, but behavioural trianing is getting nowhere..


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

She's bored!

It's that simple.

Do you do any training with her, walk her, engage her brain in mental activities?

I have to say the only problem I had with my puppy at that age was chasing birds. He didn't chew, bark (unless needed to), wreck my garden... etc

What you should do is enrol in a training class. Either that or find her a good Border Collie knowledgeable home. With the risk of sounding harsh and judgemental - it doesn't seem you did any research on the breed in the first place and also that you don't seem to understand HER needs.

My points are in red, the issues you have are in blue - just so it made it easier to answer them all.

- My main issue, we have a gate outside of our garden, and she is barking non-stop at whatever is out there.. Including my neighbours, paperboy etc. People are even scared to walk in the gate because of her persistent barking! Even though she is harmless..
I can't seem to get her to stop barking, shouting does nothing and she even barks at birds flying over the garden!

I'd teach her a "speak and quiet" command tbh. Shouting won't work - you will find the more you shout, the louder she barks.

Take her out to the loo on a long line and the moment she starts to bark at the gate for no reason (there will be a reason - which is probably boredom) then turn heel and pull her away and put her inside - she will soon learn barking equals going back inside BUT you have to make sure she isn't telling you there's something there! 

- Another issue.. She is constantly jumping on the furniture, no matter how much you say get down or put her on floor she thinks its a game and jumps back up.. it's wrecking the furniture..

Do you want her on the furniture? You have to decide and stick to it. I can't tell my dogs of 8, 10 and 1 that they now cannot use the sofa or get on my bed - it would be unfair as they have been allowed on for so long. So you need to decide - is she a floor dog or can she come up when invited or when she wants?

Have you taught her "on/Off"? Start by teaching her to get on the sofa, then teach her off using a clicker and treats.. Make it a game in which she always gets rewarded - telling her off isn't going to help. Also if you haven't already - get her a bed of her own in the same room and then teach her "bed" by using a clicker and treats and making it a game also. 

- She gets over excited whenever a new person comes into the house, or when you let her out of her room.. She jumps up at you constantly and will not leave you alone.. Ignores orders when being told to get down from a visitor..

Long line/house line and everytime she jumps she is put in her room for a few minutes, left to calm down, then brought back out and repeat. OR you can get your guests to ignore her, turn around when she jumps up.. repeat it until she calms down. It would also be an idea to walk her or play games to engage her mind BEFORE your guests come round, to use up some of her energy. DO NOT give commands if your dog isn't going to listen - she'll learn to just ignore you. 

- Shes wrecking the garden by sprinting up and down it constantly, chasing birds etc.

BOREDOM!

- she pulls when she walks, I have a harness which has made it slightly better but she is still pulling..

Halti? Training? 

- She keeps going upstairs.. Although we have a stair gate to prevent her, my family arn't going to want a stair gate up for the rest of her life..

I still have a stairgate to stop mine coming in the living room when they are wet. If you're not willing to make sacrifices or put in the time for training then I'd rehome her or put up with having to go through a stair gate.

TBH it sounds as if you did sit and paw and house - training then expected her to know the rest. She's a puppy. Training continues for the rest of their lives and if you want to keep her and work with her then you need to enrol in a class, either obedience or agility as it sounds as if she would do well in either or both and walk her regularly and also invest in some Nina Ottoson games and clicker training books.

I'd get her off the pedigree as it is mainly sugar and water - just look at the meat content.. rubbish! More sugars you put into your dog the more wild it may become. 
I'm a raw feeder so naturally I will tell you to opt for a raw diet as it balances out (as well as exercise both physical and mental) but there are plenty of wet and dry feeders who can advise you on a better diet for her.

I apologise if it sounds harsh.. and I hope it helps.


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## Devil-Dogz (Oct 4, 2009)

nathd91 said:


> She's had no puppy classes or anything so far.. ..


That answers your own questions...You so far have failed her, she has no boundaries set. She seems to do as she pleases, dogs arent robots an their good manners come through time and training. BCs are a very intelligent breed, and will quickly learn bad habits - it is at times hard to get them out of those habits. Hence training is started as young as possible before habits are picked up.

BCs have a strong instinct at times to herd, you need to work on a strong recall.. I know just how difficult that can be with an over eager, strong minded BC..

Likes been said you need to put some realistic targets in place and stick to them. Your dog isnt to blame for this, overall you are therefore its your job to correct your mistakes and start working with her.


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## nathd91 (Jan 5, 2012)

SLB said:


> She's bored!
> 
> It's that simple.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the reply.. Just to confirm I previously did have a border collie, who lived to the age of 15.. But As I was only a baby (1 year old) when we got her, I did none of the training!

So clickers are worth investing in? I am starting to take her to puppy classes as of this Saturday.. So hopefully that will help too!
P.S. The barking is due to someone being outside the gate on the road, or a bird flying over the garden.


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## peds (Oct 15, 2011)

Dog needs a jog, yo. That hound just wants something to occupy her time.

30 weeks at RMTC Lympstone... are your parents willing and able to give the dog _more_ attention than she is getting now whilst you are away? What happens to the hound when training (yours) is complete?

Best of luck getting the beret, don't emulate the training techniques you'll encounter there with your dog


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

right, i'm going to try and answer your queries.



nathd91 said:


> - My main issue, we have a gate outside of our garden, and she is barking non-stop at whatever is out there.. Including my neighbours, paperboy etc. People are even scared to walk in the gate because of her persistent barking! Even though she is harmless..
> I can't seem to get her to stop barking, shouting does nothing and she even barks at birds flying over the garden!


Can I aks why she is out there? Is she left out there on her own? My dog (cocker spaniel) will bark in the garden if he's left out there alone, so we always go outside with him. Although its not solving the overall problem, it does at least help and it prevents him from practising the barking behaviour. I go out with him with treats if its just a toilet break, or if we are playing outside, I'll take a ball and play fetch games with him. It prevents boredom, prevents barking and gives him something to do.



nathd91 said:


> - Another issue.. She is constantly jumping on the furniture, no matter how much you say get down or put her on floor she thinks its a game and jumps back up.. it's wrecking the furniture..


Do you use treats? If she gets up, get a treat and lure her off the furniture. Once she's on the ground, reward with a treat. If she gets up again, get her off and put her in another room. Stop the cycle of the game by taking her out of the situation. after a minute or two, let her back in, and repeat if she does it again. Only reward with a treat once, not again, otherwise she will see it as a game.



nathd91 said:


> - She gets over excited whenever a new person comes into the house, or when you let her out of her room.. She jumps up at you constantly and will not leave you alone.. Ignores orders when being told to get down from a visitor..


Her room? Is she locked away from people? My dog is excitable when people enter the house, but after a few minutes, he quietens down and then just ignores them. Do you let her greet them? Or do you prevent it? If you prevent it, she'll have all the excitement built up and make it harder to control her. If you just let her greet, then her excitement will decrease. Also make sure the visitors completely ignore her, and if she jumps up, get them to turn their back on her. She'll soon lose interest.



nathd91 said:


> - Shes wrecking the garden by sprinting up and down it constantly, chasing birds etc.


Again, I'd go back to the first query, don't leave her out there on her own. If she still does it when you are out there with her, then put her on a long line and prevent her doing this behaviour. She's a border collie and is essentially herding the birds, so she's doing normal collie behaviour. Do games with her in the garden and use treats and toys to distract her from the birds.



nathd91 said:


> - she pulls when she walks, I have a harness which has made it slightly better but she is still pulling..


The best way to prevent pulling is to train with treats to get her to heel. She's a collie and should easily be able to pick up the heel command. Training classes will help with this.



nathd91 said:


> - She keeps going upstairs.. Although we have a stair gate to prevent her, my family arn't going to want a stair gate up for the rest of her life..


My dog does this. we have a stair gate at the top of the stairs, and to be honest, its not that much bother to keep closing it. If you don't want her upstairs, then you need a stair gate, as it would be very hard to train her not to without it.



nathd91 said:


> - Other then that she is pretty good, understands sit and paw etc. No mistakes in the house etc.


If she can be trained to do sit and paw, maybe do more training with her, like roll over, beg, bow etc. It will put her mind to something.

Can I ask how many hours exercise she gets a day?

How much training do you do with her each day (like training sit, down etc)?

Pedigree food isn't the best food, maybe look at other foods that are more suitable, like Wainwrights, Naturediet or Natures Harvest (all can be bought from [email protected]).


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

nathd91 said:


> Thank you for the reply.. Just to confirm I previously did have a border collie, who lived to the age of 15.. But As I was only a baby (1 year old) when we got her, I did none of the training!
> 
> So clickers are worth investing in? I am starting to take her to puppy classes as of this Saturday.. So hopefully that will help too!
> P.S. The barking is due to someone being outside the gate on the road, or a bird flying over the garden.


Yes Clickers are worth it - my youngest (1) knows about 26 commands most taught or refined and perfected with the aid of a clicker.

But I have to ask as I didn't pick up on it the first time - what will happen to her when you go to your place after your training? My OH is in the Army and he'll be away weeks at a time - leaving me with the dogs (two of which are mine anyway and his parents have his).. She'd be more your parents dog then?

I'd talk with your parents about the situation - unless you have already, but you have to tell them that if you start a training class - they will have to come and keep it up (I'd offer to pay for the training class and the petrol to get there though ) Louie and I started attending classes April last year - we still go every week but it's worth it! He has come on so much since then and I mainly go now because I live in the country - don't have many friends here as I have just moved and there's nothing on tv on a wednesday night  But also because it's 1 hour a week where we do training and I can ask for help on certain things - perfect others, reshape things etc.. work his brain and I enjoy that part of having a dog.

But you have to ask your parents if they would mind keeping it up - they should know that training is continuous and if not then them agreeing to letting you have a dog was a bit silly of them - especially if they knew you were going to be leaving her with them. Also - if you teach her things then leave - unless it is kept up - she will revert back to her old ways so they will need to see how things are done, you need to settle on certain words such as; down - for lie down, Off - for get off, my family and in laws always got them mixed up and therefore Louie got confused...

Using the Kennel Club website and also one beginning with A (can someone help - I can't remember it) find a class that trains using POSITIVE approaches only, then go an watch a class before deciding on taking her there. You must watch a class as many are £ per course so you do the one off payment at the start of the course - so if you take her and decide you don't like it, then you've lost your money (unless they give it you back - I have heard of some not doing that though) also if they say you can't come and watch first then I'd avoid them. 
Avoid classes that believe in the dominance theory and train using negative approaches like jerking the lead and choke chains etc.. A clicker training class is your best bet to look for.

She's 8 months old - you will need bucket loads of treats, Louie goes through two tins of cut up hot dogs when we go training - and he's a year, gradually I will reduce that so he is doing things the whole way through for the treat at the end.

Also for the barking - go for a speak and quiet command or a watch me command - sit out in the garden - when someone walks or a bird flies past, get her attention using a treat and say watch me then treat her for looking at you instead of what is going past...

HTH and makes sense? If you want and if it would be of some use to you, I have my own guide - which I complied out of what my dogs know (so I didn't forget how to teach them in the future to other dogs I may have) using a clicker and treats - I can email it to you if it would be any use?


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## nathd91 (Jan 5, 2012)

Thanks for the help guys, I didn't realise that she shouldn't be left outside alone.. As she always asks to go outside! With my old collie aswell she used to be outside and used to do her own business out there by herself! 
But I will get ahead with all these and take advantage of every comment!

She's a family dog really, im only one of her owners! There's my parents and sister too.. So im sure she's not going to miss me too much when I leave!

Regarding guests, we normally put her in her room, as she jumps up at them.. Especially my nan who is scared of her due to her being jumpy! It's hard to just turn away and ignore her when she jumps up though, as she just comes around the other side and does it again!


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## Spellweaver (Jul 17, 2009)

Some excellent replies so far that have given you lots to work on. Border collies are intelligent and learn very quickly, but unfortnately that means that they learn bad habits quickly too, which is what has happened in the case of your girl. It is a lot easier to teach them the correct habits in the first place than to train bad habits out of them, but it's not an impossible task - it will, however, take a concentrated effort by all members of your family, not just you.

Find a good training class and take her there to learn the basics - ie sit, stay, down, leave, walking to heel, return when called - and then you and all your family need to practice these with your girl inbetween classes until they become a second nature to you all. Training isn't just something one person and a dog does for an hour a week for six weeks and then that's it; it is ongoing for life. That's what having a dog means.

Once you start to use these commands around the home, you'll find that they will help with a lot of the problems you are experiencing. For example, once she knows how to "leave" and "return" - you will be able to control her barking at the fence. "Leave", "sit" and "stay" will have you controlling her jumping up at visitors. "Down" will have you controlling her jumping on the furniture. Teach her to walk to heel, and your walks will be enjoyable. Teach her recall, and you will be able to let her off in a safe environment so that she can run around, chase balls, play with other dogs etc.

At 9 months she should be getting around 45 minutes walking on lead a day - but that doesn't mean she doesn't want or need exercise inbetween. She will want to run aorund the garden and play - and this is where you practice the training you have learned. Make it a game, reward her, and you will soon find that she has learned what you want her to learn without even realsing it.

And - perhaps the most important thing - for border collies, mental stimulation is as important as physical exercise. Buy her toys that require her to think about things for her to play with on her own - eg kongs stuffed with treats. That way, she won't be interested in ruining you garden - although I have to say, my lot have always gone in for digging holes so watch out for that!

And as for the child gate - I wouldn't be without mine - and I've never had children


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

nathd91 said:


> Thanks for the help guys, I didn't realise that she shouldn't be left outside alone.. As she always asks to go outside! With my old collie aswell she used to be outside and used to do her own business out there by herself!
> But I will get ahead with all these and take advantage of every comment!
> 
> She's a family dog really, im only one of her owners! There's my parents and sister too.. So im sure she's not going to miss me too much when I leave!
> ...


Then you turn around again - it's not easy - if it was then she'd be trained already 

Hopefully in a month before you go you'll be reporting how she has reformed a little and we can give you a virtual pat on the back before you get beaten (or Beasted as my OH puts it) during your training  :lol:


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## nathd91 (Jan 5, 2012)

I will be persistent! She will be a well behaved puppy eventually!
A final quick question,
Why can she not be left outside alone? She constantly want's to be outside!


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## Spellweaver (Jul 17, 2009)

nathd91 said:


> I will be persistent! She will be a well behaved puppy eventually!
> A final quick question,
> Why can she not be left outside alone? She constantly want's to be outside!


Once you are confident that you can stop her barking at passers by if she is out on her own it will be ok - otherwise you will be giving her the impression that it's ok for her to bark when you are not there. Of course, she shouldn't be left outside on her own all day in preference to having her inside, training her, being outside with her etc etc, but there's nothing wrong in her playing outside on her own for short periods if this is what she likes to do - just make sure you keep checking that she's ok, keep interacting with her. Our border collies love to be outside - but they always like the door to be left open so that they can come in and check on us (sort of like "herding" us all up ). However, if she is in the garden on her own, make sure she has toys that keep her stimulated otherwise she will find her own entertainment - such as barking at passers-by (which is what she is doing now), digging holes, digging up plants ..... to a border border collie, the list of mischief they can get up to in a garden in endless.


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## dorrit (Sep 13, 2011)

I cant be any help ..It took time and patience with Oscar but the OP makes me quite sad..

Oscar is nearly 11 now his legs are stiff and his eyesight is failing ..Id give anything to have just one day of puppy play with him again, seeing him fit and healthy and young enough chase a ball or jumping a fence again..

You should be cherishing these times all too soon they will be gone forever.


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## Barkie (Aug 22, 2011)

nathd91 said:


> I will be persistent! She will be a well behaved puppy eventually!
> A final quick question,
> Why can she not be left outside alone? She constantly want's to be outside!


She's bored rigid indoors if you aren't giving her enough attention and doing something with her that engages her brain, but outside there are lots of exciting noisy moving things to see, sniff, hear and bark at. Collies are herding dogs, she can't get to them to move /herd them so she barks and they move = collie instinct satisfied...for a few minutes.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

*


nathd91 said:



I will be persistent! She will be a well behaved puppy eventually!

Click to expand...

*


nathd91 said:


> *A final quick question,*
> *Why can she not be left outside alone? She constantly want's to be outside!*




Yes of course she does - to her mind thats the job you've given her to do, barking at the gate...!!

Its too late to say this now but BC need training from the minute you get them. They also need something to do otherwise they invent their own jobs, as you've found out. They also need a lot of exercise but much more important is exercising their brains.

I've got three BC bitches here and I've just taken on a 12 week old rescue BC puppy. She would be just the same as yours by the time she gets to 8/9 months left to her own devises. The difference is that she will be trained, in fact she already is ie Name - Come - Go weee wees - etc. so that by 9 months old she will be well on the way to competing in obedience competitions and will be good mannered to boot.

Sorry I'm not being unkind but somebody in your family needs to enrol in training classes with her, where they will be shown how to thoroughly teach the basic exercises resulting in a well mannered dog.


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## TheFredChallenge (Feb 17, 2011)

At 9 months I'd have thought she'd only need feeding twice a day now....not 3 times? (as you only really do that when they're anything up to about 3 - 4 months old) but then it get's phased out after that.

I'd also look at perhaps a different food than the Pedigree. Maybe less sugars/additives/colorants will help you slightly on the training side. I found the thread in the Nutrition section very good as it points out the good and the not so good ingredients. There's also red too which the person that compiled the chart places the lowest food examples that _they _believe to be out there on the market. It's up to you how much you agree/disagree but I liked it.

Good luck with your training :thumbup1:


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

nathd91 said:


> Thank you for the reply.. Just to confirm I previously did have a border collie, who lived to the age of 15.. But As I was only a baby (1 year old) when we got her, I did none of the training!
> 
> So clickers are worth investing in? I am starting to take her to puppy classes as of this Saturday.. So hopefully that will help too!
> P.S. The barking is due to someone being outside the gate on the road, or a bird flying over the garden.


Clicker training is excellent, but you have to know how to do it. Try to get Karen Pryor's book on clicker training.



nathd91 said:


> Thanks for the help guys, I didn't realise that she shouldn't be left outside alone.. As she always asks to go outside! With my old collie aswell she used to be outside and used to do her own business out there by herself!
> But I will get ahead with all these and take advantage of every comment!
> 
> She's a family dog really, im only one of her owners! There's my parents and sister too.. So im sure she's not going to miss me too much when I leave!
> ...


It is not that she should be outside alone, but that she has decided her job is to bark at everything. And she is going nuts running up and down the garden because she is a herding breed with nothing to herd and she is bored stiff.

A couple of walks a day are no good to a border collie. She should spend some time off lead in a secure area or on a long line if you cannot recall her.

I used to have a border collie x gsd who used to race around the trees like a mad thing for ten or fifteen minutes at a time. The garden we had then was about 1/4 acre so he went nuts just doing that.

If she knows sit, when she jumps up people, tell her sit. She can't sit and jump at the same time.

But you must be more prepared to make some sacrifices. If the gate has to stay, it has to stay and you can't expect to have an immaculate garden and a dog.

I have never found turning away from a jumping dog to be very effective, but telling them to sit works fine.

Oh, yes, and Pedigree is one of the worst foods on the market. Have a look at some quality foods but find something that is not for working dogs unless you intend working her. Don't give her anything you can buy in a supermarket, they are mostly all rubbish.


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## northnsouth (Nov 17, 2009)

Good luck and well done for being accepted as a Royal Marine.
To get into the marines you have to be an intelligent and very fit person?
Now imagine all that intelligance and physical fitness was not used... yep you would be going stir crazy. BC needs to be occupied a BC is a working dog and one who is not given a job to do will find one for them selves and if that is shredding a house that is what it will do.


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## peds (Oct 15, 2011)

northnsouth said:


> Good luck and well done for beingaccepted as a Royal Marine.


He's not in yet! 

Thirty weeks of _incredibly_ tricky training await, and only after doing a few superhuman stunts at the end of it do you get to join the club. You have to be pretty nails to even be selected for training, but there's a whole load of hell still to come!

Best of luck with it dude - when I was 17, 18, I had a series of interviews with my local ossifer about joining up... I was about to book a PRMC date, but then I decided to move to the Alps and go skiing instead.


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## northnsouth (Nov 17, 2009)

peds said:


> He's not in yet!
> 
> Thirty weeks of _incredibly_ tricky training await. You have to be pretty nails to even be selected for training, but there's a whole load of hell still to come!
> 
> Best of luck with it dude.


OP says he is going in February so I took it he had already passed selection.

I had family in RM's so I know what balls it takes:thumbup1:


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## Manoy Moneelil (Sep 1, 2011)

BC are high energy working dogs that need to be occupied.

If you want something to sit quietly get a stuffed toy.

If you want something to take for walks get one with wheels on.

From what you say the dog is bored out of her mind, if your parents are not going to be the *motivated primary carers *of the dog spend your time re-homing her now.

As you will find during training it's time to man up and accept responsibilities and make decisions.

*Well done for attempting to resolve the problem*, but this is not like painting a door that can be done once then looked at again next year but is an on going responsibility.

If you don't like the answer - don't ask the question.


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## Longton Flyball (Nov 6, 2011)

My husband was in the Marines so I understand but if your dog is going to be with your parents then my advise is that you need to involve them with the training as she will become their dog as you will be away alot.

Clover our beloved Border Collie is almost 10 months and a nutter so do sympathise.

Ok the biggest question I have is do you have TOYS, TOYS and more toys?
The reason I ask is stimulation for her but she's a doggy child and imagine how a child would feel without toys (or my husband without xbox, playstation) she's bored and just going for two walks isn't enough she needs to play. My two would drive me even madier if they didn't have toys.

Do you take her out and play ball off the lead?

She should be down to two meals a day by now.

If she's a treat dog you can use treats to train with that works with Clover and recall.

Duke's never been nuts but boredom is a big thing with him sometimes and luckily we found flyball, which he loves so maybe if your parents want to try agility or flyball that will help in the next couple of months.

Barking can be a nuicence but I find my two do it if people are round, which my neighbour likes...seriously. Try to stimulate her and the long line is a good idea too.

Enjoy the time you have with her but make training fun. Duke hated behaviour school and it made him worse so we found training games worked better for him.

Good Luck but involve your family.


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## nathd91 (Jan 5, 2012)

northnsouth said:


> OP says he is going in February so I took it he had already passed selection.
> 
> I had family in RM's so I know what balls it takes:thumbup1:


Thanks for yet again more answers guys!
In answer to this question I have passed PRMC (the selection before entering, my entry date for basic training is February). I was previously in basic training last November for 3 months aswell, but unfortunately I got injured in training so this is my second time around!

I don't dare let her off the lead to play ball as shes not very good at coming back yet.. But yesterday I took her for 2x1 hour walks and it seemed to have zapped alot of her energy so that was good!

She has plenty of toys, both in the house and the garden.. Mainly balls though as unfortunately she destroys the nice toys  But she loves running around with a ball in her mouth and then kicking another ball with her feet!

I know she will mainly be my parents dog when I leave, but she is a family pet and not just mine.

From now on I will start feeding her 2 meals a day instead of 3, but she is a tiny border collie! Im guessing shes also a late developer too as she is only just in her first season..


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## nathd91 (Jan 5, 2012)

I thought you all deserve to see a picture of her too 









EDIT:
My other post seems to of not come through? Anyway... Regarding the Royal Marines first.. I have completed selection, PRMC being the last part.. My date for basic training starts February! I was previously in basic training last November for 3 months, but I got injured in training so had to leave.. Have a year out the restart my whole application! So ive been through selection twice..

I took her for 2x1 hour walks yesterday and it seemed to zapped alot of her energy away yesterday! Which was good, I think i've been a bit harsh on her to be honest.. She isn't too badly behaved, she only barks when someone is at the gate.. It's not persistent non stop barking!

I don't dare play ball with her off the lead in a public place, as shes not too good at recalling at the moment! Shes too fast for me to chase if she runs away aswell! haha

She's also a family dog, not just mine.. So she will be fine when I leave and so will my parents

She has plenty of toys, both in and out of the house, mainly balls now though as she rips the soft toys up! But she loves running around with a ball in her mouth, and kicking a ball with her feet at the same time! She keeps herself entertained with them in the house.. it's also a routine, every night when my dad's on the sofa she brings the ball over to him to play with her ha

Ok I will look for better food, and feed her twice a day.. I thought you have to feed them 3 times a day up to a year old? Shes a bit of a tiny border collie! I think she's a late developer as she's only just had her first season..

Just something else to add, when she barks she's never aggressive.. As soon as anyone walks through the gate she's the world's soppiest dog and just looks for attention and for them to stroke her!


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

nathd91 said:


> EDIT:
> My other post seems to of not come through? Anyway... Regarding the Royal Marines first.. I have completed selection, PRMC being the last part.. My date for basic training starts February! I was previously in basic training last November for 3 months, but I got injured in training so had to leave.. Have a year out the restart my whole application! So ive been through selection twice..
> 
> I took her for 2x1 hour walks yesterday and it seemed to zapped alot of her energy away yesterday! Which was good, I think i've been a bit harsh on her to be honest.. She isn't too badly behaved, she only barks when someone is at the gate.. It's not persistent non stop barking!
> ...


She's gorgeous!

Twice a day for food. And I'd cut out one of the walks and just do some training with her;

I personally think this would be hilarious for you to teach and watch and also if you decide to do it - you should film it for us! And it would be interesting for her.
No Sheep? Try Treibball for Your Herding Dog

This is a good one
Mental Entertainment for Dogs

HTH  Just google "mental games/stimulation for dogs" to find more though


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## TheFredChallenge (Feb 17, 2011)

I'd do 2 walks *AND* training 

If there's one thing I've learnt it's - a puppy can bloody hard work (depending on breed and especially if you've got a toughie to crack), patience is tested and you sometimes go all out of ideas (hence needing forum help and guidance)...............BUT it does improve when you put in the effort and with their maturity - it's nice to see the rewards as they grow.

With you going away the family members that will be looking after her need to be just as focused as yourself and singing off the same hymn sheet in how she is trained and with what commands etc you prefer to use.

Good luck and all the best for the Marines, but I still prefer the Cavalry


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## Longton Flyball (Nov 6, 2011)

Oh she's gorgeous I want her now do you want to swap Clover :lol:

Two walks is good that's what we do with our two and if she loves balls then flyball would be something to consider not just being biased but trust me it works as it's fun for owners, teaches her recall and gets her socialising :thumbsup:

She seems a really happy girl so I'm sure the barking is her way of saying hello everyone I'm here.


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## kate_7590 (Feb 28, 2009)

She's such a cutie! 
I have 3 Border Collies and I can tell you they are a lot of work, as you know.

First thing Id suggest is change her food! Pedigree is all colours, sugars and artificial preservatives. Good quality food doesn't have to be expensive either.

As everyone has already recommended, clicker training is great! 

I hope you have gained lots of useful info and helpful tips, and end up with a beautifully trained Border Collie  she's worth the training, she's lovely


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