Rachel Rodgers
What causes arousal in dogs? Dogs, particularly border collies who are prone to extremes of emotion, can become aroused in all sorts of situations, from excitement at meeting new people, to fear of new situations or other dogs. The more intense the emotion the dog feels, the higher the arousal. Arousal in border collies is … Read more
Owners often contact me to ask how they can teach their shadow chasing border collie not to chase shadows, a habit that, once started, is very difficult to break. If the habit is not managed properly it can quickly become an obsession and starts to take over a dog’s life. They can be so obsessed … Read more
Training the instant down is important and a behaviour that all dogs should be taught to do as it can be a lifesaver in certain situations. Imagine you are out walking your dog, when a car suddenly rounds a corner at close quarters. You are on one side of the road and the car is … Read more
The first stage in any behaviour modification program involves managing the problem behaviour. This is because the more a dog practises a behaviour, the more likely it is to perform that behaviour in that situation. We therefore try and ensure that, whilst training is ongoing, we don’t put the dog into any situations in … Read more
Border collies, on the whole, are not aggressive dogs, but they can very easily become overwhelmed and defensive. They are bred for working on farms, in the peace and quiet of the countryside, in close contact with their owner and a handful of other collies or farm dogs that are generally respectful of each other. … Read more
This is a great game for keeping border collie puppies amused during the long dark winter evenings, and it’s something you can do in the lounge at night while watching TV. It’s perfect for teaching dogs to bring balls back to you rather than just running off with them. Have at least three or four … Read more
A newly released paper (July 2022) reveals an extremely interesting link between “giftedness” and playfulness in border collies. In the paper, “A comparison of personality traits of gifted word learner and typical border collies” (click here to read the paper), the authors define “giftedness” as the ability of a dog to learn the names of … Read more
Contrary to expectations, border collie puppies tend to be a bit nervous of other larger animals, especially horses, cows and, surprisingly, sheep. The first few times they encounter them they may be alarmed to see a much larger animal, that does not appear to communicate in dog language, which may cause them to hide, back … Read more
If your dog is refusing to get in the car, then the chances are that he is afraid of car travel for some reason. However, it’s important to rule out any other issues such as motion sickness or pain, so always ask your vet to check him over to rule these out. Dogs with certain … Read more
Is your border collie resource guarding stolen items: stealing items and running off, then getting defensive when you try and take these items away? This is known as resource guarding and may occur alongside similar resource guarding related to food, treats or proximity to the dog’s owner, particularly the owner that controls most of the … Read more