shyfig

shyfig, I suggest you change the sub-title of your topic to attract someone who can recommend a trainer. If you're not sure how to do it, click on the "Edit" feature on the bottom right hand corner of your original post and select "Full Edit", which will also allow you to change the sub-title (perhaps put "recommendation for trainer, Tenterfield, NSW" or similar) Thanks for your advice spotted devil...have done as you suggested.

It would be really helpful if anyone could recommend a professional to help as so many of you suggested. Remembering I am in Tenterfield in Northern NSW

I think this is spot on advice for me! Unfortunately teaching my male cat not to bully is not easy and I also have to protect Jed from damage he may inflict. Most definately agree regarding this problem

I actually have taught Jed "Back" and he knows that he has to go out of the kitchen onto the loungeroom carpet. He can still see the kitchen door that the cats come in but he is a good 20 ft away from it. When the altercation happened I had been distracted and didn't see Jed get off the carpet and sneak up just behind me. It's an open plan lounge/kitchen so there are no doors to shut or doorways to barrier. I do have a wireless indoor boundary corrector which works off Jeds collar (we have a hidden fence) which has kept him out of 1/3 kitchen where the cats eat....so will now use this to separate him from entire kitchen and entry to my bedroom. I would probably also describe Jed as pushy rather than agressive.

The easiest way is to seperate them. Changing those rules won't confuse Jed. He may object/complain initially, but you make the rules so he just has to suck it up. If you want them to co-exist then you should probably refer to an experiences behavioural professional - no doubt you will get recommendations from others. FTR - My BC's and cats are never left unsupervised and ANY nastiness or sideways look from either cats or dogs is cause for seperation. The cats are just too small and precious to risk an altercation. I agree with the separating....will be making some boundary changes inside the house over the weekend. A behaviouralist would be welcome....we are fairly isolated in Tenterfield (Northern NSW) unfortunately so I don't know if I would be able to get some one to travel. My cats and dog are only left unsupervised if I go to shops or out briefly. I am a stay at home mum/carer and if I am away for longer periods someone else is here looking after my boys. They are all schooled at home through Distance Ed. Funnily enough Jed and Pudicus can sleep only feet away from each other on the front lawn waiting for me to come home if I have been out. So far no altercations outside

OK I agree OK Tenterfield Northern NSW No formal training...basic obedience. Tricks would be ideal I know and unfortunately sports etc are not convenient as most centres are to far away

Jed is now 11 months and I'm still having considerable trouble with him becoming aggressive towards my male cat (he's OK with our female). Admittedly the cat usually makes the 1st move and snarls and claws out at Jed....as in this afternoon when I opened the side door to let said cat into the kitchen. Jed stuck his nose around the door and cat clawed, hissed and snarled! Jed chases Pudicus barking, growling and lunging aggressively ...almost cornering him but fortunately cat got away. My 11 year olds crying and I'm frozen thinking he's going to kill the cat!! Our cats are precious to us also and I would appreciate advice. Jed can access all areas of the house except where the cats eat. He sleeps on my bed but I have him on a long lead so if the cats sleep on the bed also he can't chase them if animosity breaks out. I am wondering if allowing him access to all parts of the house is causing issues also. Perhaps the cats should be the only ones to sleep on my bed? Perhaps they should have sole access to the kitchen and my bedroom which run off from each other so they have a safe area? Will changing the boundary rules adversly affect or confuse Jed? Looking forward to some advice

Hi BC Crazy, I have a now 10mth old male BC (Jed) who resource guards his food and toys....not from his humans....but from our cats. We got him at 5mths and the resource guarding started about a month after with our male cat....yet he was cuddly and cosy with our female. It has now started with our female cat. So just be aware that for us...it started with one cat food guarding, then toy guarding ...then just this month has extended to 2 cats food and toy guarding. I am devastated because he also is a beautiful dog...so affectionate and responsive to MOST training etc,. I don't have a crate...but now when I feed him he goes on a 6ft lead and I stand with him until he has finished and then remove "bits" of leftover food. The other day for some reason I sat Jed and gave him a chicken neck without realizing I hadn't chained him. My female cat was approaching our direction from about 4 metres away and Jed went ballistic and chased her well away. I cannot give Jed bones or anything that can be buried unless I stay with him and remove any uneaten portions. He has earlier in the piece....dug up a bone...a cat has walked past him and he has obviously thought that the cat was coming for his bone....so a chase resulted. I have not considered a Proffessional to help but perhaps it is something I need to do also. It is particularly good to know that we are not always alone with our problems!!

My boy Jed is a now 9 mth old Border Collie. He is an inside dog and is ALWAYS under supervision. If I cannot watch him (i.e. when having a shower) he goes outside where there is nothing for him to destroy. However, even with 24/7 supervision Jed has cost me: 1 $600.00 mobile phone 1 spare set top box 1 TV remote (replacement $80.00) 2 pairs of $150 shoes and countless items of clothes, pillows etc. He is however getting much better.....and every moment is an opportunity to train him. My point being committment and consistency are essential to raising a "good" dog. Not so much different to a child in many ways. But....it does not mean the road will be perfect. Twelve to 14 years is a long time to either "commit" or "put up with" a dog. It sounds like your sister is on the internet too.....I am curious as to why she is not posting and researching for herself?

How do you teach and reinforce this? I love the concept as a staring dog is very unsettling when eating.

For extra information about the risks associated with leaving dogs in cars unattended google AND read the many articles available.

If I'm doing something quickly while Jed is in sight ....i.e. get petrol...... I'll leave him in the car. If I'm longer...i.e. shopping for about 20 min.... he either stays at home or I bring a child with me so they can sit in the car with him and windows can be quite away down. Any longer he stays at home. I also love to take Jed with us as much as I can but I don't see the point (or enjoyment) from a dog's perspective of waiting in the car for his people. Whether it's cold or hot..waiting for a longer period of time by themselves must be sort of boring for a dog. They are not with their people if their people are shopping. I know some people take their dogs everywhere and use them like a car alarm. I won't do that either. A simple test for those who can't work out if it's too hot for their dog to be left alone in the car is this: Sit in the car for at least 5 minutes with the windows down at the same level you would have them for your dog. It won't take long to figure out .....if you can't stand it then they won't be able to. If you go out in the morning and it's pleasant but you know it's going to be hot when you going shopping later...leave the dog at home. It's not really rocket science I don't think!!

Thanks for your reply Golden Rules. This is really helpful

Good to see other people make mistakes too. Not good to know that you nearly lost your finger though. That's what I thought about for a long while this morning after "the incident"....that I was very lucky I didn't lose part of a finger or end up with tendon damage. Cointreau I am aware also of the damage that Pudicus can do to Jed...and I think he's been lucky so far. Perhaps the hierachy/pecking order has not been set in concrete yet...perhaps I haven't had clear enough strategies. I would appreciate feedback about how you might advise to establish the order.....as in who goes where and what methods might be used to reinforce that order. In our family we have: 1 mum 3 boys 1 dog 2 cats to clarify a pecking order about. Perhaps some of the difficulty is that we got Jed at 5 months instead of a 8 week or so puppy?

I have been trying to do this...perhaps I'm not succeeding. Could you give me some ideas about what I should be doing? Oh yes!! This I know The dog is not seeking the cat out to bother. He just happens to have to coexist with it. A bit like kids...you can separate them for awhile but eventually they have to cross each others paths several times in a day Jed does this sometimes himself...he knows if he goes near Pudicus he might get hurt so he excercises self control (as noisy as it may be) and manages to mostly keep out of the way. However, further suggestions about how to train Jed to keep away from cat are welcome

Oh this sounds just like my cat...and no he's not burmese. Tetanus shot done!! And one sore hand.

How?

This is exactly what happened. Dog walks past cat...dog minding own business...cat swats dog. Similarly the other evening cat on table....dog walks around to get to me at other end...cat swats dog...dog did not react but moved around to other side of table...cat crossed over and hung over that side and swatted dog. Today is the first time that Jed has retaliated. Usually he keeps a wide berth of Pudicus....yet they can sleep together on my bed, lie alongside each other on the verandah....and last night Pudicus walked over and gave Jed a head cuddle. So I can tell the difference between defensive aggression and troublemaking....the dog does not push boundaries with this cat. He usually keeps out of his way...today might just have been the straw that broke the camel's back

One of my cats hasn't like Jed since we bought him home. If ever Jed walks past him he likes to reach out and claw him. This has resulted in some animosity between them both. Jed has not however attacked Pudicus until he really lost his cool today. Pudicus was sitting on the kitchen chair which was pulled out from the table as Jed, then I walked past. Pudicus just had to reach out and claw Jed on the back. Well Jed turned around and barked, growled and snapped at Pudicus. In the split second that it happened I reached down and put my hand between Jed's face and the cat...intending to push the cat to one side and grab Jed by the collar with my other hand. Well what a stupid thing to do. Jed was obviously about to bite my cat and when my hand got in the way he clamped down on me. I now have 5 puncture marks and will be off to the Doctors at 12.15 for a tetanus shot. Does anyone have any suggestions about how I can change the situation between Jed and Pudicus or any other advice they may feel is important? Thanks everyone.

I feel a little silly but I can't seem to find these "Sticky" posts....can you point me in the right direction?

What does "target to the hand" mean?

How exactly do you implement the vibrations?.....I mean how does the dog know the behaviour is wrong? For example if the dog is on the bed and you want him to get off, how is the process put together? Do you command with "off" followed by a vibration if he doesn't obey? Did that make any sense at all?

My BC Jed (8mths) sleeps on the bed too.....but by his own invitation. I'm very interested to hear of the process involved in teaching the dog to hop up on the bed only by invitation.

My cats eat on the bench in the Laundry, or the table outside and I always remove the dogs when the cats are eating. Cat food bowls are never on the ground. One dog guards his buried bones from the cats to the point he sat outside in the rain all night until 4am. This is an inside dog! So cats and dogs are separated here at feeding times. You may just need to put dog outside for the short time it takes the cats to feed or feed the cats in a different room to where the dog is. Tethering your dog would be OK as long as it wasn't for long and you weren't far away. Thanks....I'll take this advice on board