chezzyr

Hello Well, there is no "action" going on inside LOL. I am just trying to do some work and housework. We have floorboards so she can probably hear me pad around too. She seems to have very acute hearing - ears always up! I do go out and visit/talk/play with her, just not all the time. There are periods where she will have to be alone in the backyard maybe for a couple hours or maybe more if Im out. I dont want her in "too" much and she can be a bit of a bugger to coax outside once shes in (even if I go outside she will slink off and hide in one of the rooms...) Even treats dont work, so I generally have to go get the collar and lead and walk her outside.

I have put a couple of cushion things outside which she has available to sit on. Ive decided if she remains quiet for a reasonable amount of time, I will take her for a walk. Just waiting for the weather to fine up a bit (dreary Melbourne). She has been quiet for about ten mins now which is good. But she tried her darnedest to get in when I replaced her water outside.

Hi I have a new Collie (shes almost a year old). We got her on the weekend so this is day 5. TODAY she has discovered that if she bangs on the back security door with her nose, or paws at it, that is makes a lovely din. She KNOWS I am inside but I am trying to ignore the banging. The is also sooking. The noise she is creating is starting to stir up the neighbourhood dogs. I dont want to go to her while she is carrying on because I dont want her to feel "rewarded" for the behavior. But what can I do? Its a dreary cool morning so perhaps she is cold.....or perhaps she just wants to be inside with company! We have been letting her in with us but mainly at night while we watch tv and then she goes into the laundry to sleep. Prior to this she was not an indoor dog so she obviously loves the experience but I dont want bad habits to develop. Please help! (By the way shes not interested in the toys and balls I have outside for her - she just sits by the step attempting to get inside)

Well, here is a picture of Rosie showing off a wonderful furry thing she found in my room!

Ive just been outside taking photos of Rosie playing soccer. She loves the "soccer" ball but seems to ignore other balls. This is so distracting having a dog! Heres a photo of her before she marched off again.....

"With collies being a little shy, i wouldnt go to overboard with the hugs,kisses, loud voice rewards as it may intimidate her a little, keep it to praise and rubbed head/chest" Funny you mention this. I have discovered Rosie loves to be hugged quite firmly, especially if Ive not seen her for a couple hours and I go out to spend time with her, I enthusiastically say "cuddles for rosie" and give her a big cuddle around the head/chest. I am normally sitting on the step so Im down at her level. She gets so excited and moans and groans (as collies do) , the tail wagging and she licks me all over - neck, face, ears!!

Thanks Dogdayz, thats pretty good advice some of which had never occured to me. I feel "Rosie" is bonding really well. She responds quite well to a happy "Rosie, come!" and normally I just praise her or give her a little morsel of something. She is eating, drinking, sleeping (and pooping!) well and doesnt seem stressed. She is a bit of a nosey thing (nosey rosie....). The first night she was angelic and placid, happy to be a couch (floor) potato with us. She has been doing alot more exploring and portraying cheeky behavior the last day or so. She was sitting up like jackie on the sofa while we were eating dinner in the kitchen (we are NOT encouraging sitting on sofas/beds). She never seems to go in my office yet I found tissues strewn all over the floor. She must be attracted to soft things. Last night she was carrying something furry around and getting all excited. When I removed it from her mouth I found it to be an old coin purse I had that was made of rabbit fur. Cheeky thing had been in my storage room and i have no idea where she found it.

I have some cocktail franks here but not sure what my plan of attack should be. Its a nice day so she has been outside all morning although Ive visited her and had a couple of play sessions. She seems happy resting, sniffing around her new garden and stalking pigeons. Theres a few balls in the garden. She loves kicking big ones around by herself but loses interest if you try to join in the game. Ive got a funny green dimpled squeaky ball thingy that I tried tossing, and she actually fetched it for me, brought it right back. She did this three times and got lavish praise in return. I then tried it again an hour or so later, and whilst she ran up to it all she did was plant her nose on it and sniff it and then walked off. So I feel she hasnt really learnt and I feel disappointed. How can I motivate her to get interested in that object again? (if I have food with me she will just hang around for food and wont go off anywhere)

Well, I have got myself a Collie - picked her up on Saturday. She is a good girl, quiet and very patient. I feel she is bonding very quickly and she wants to be with me/us all the time. I am a bit hesitant to try "training" her too much before I get some expert help/tips as I dont want to do the wrong thing by her. She has a check chain (yes worn the correct way and never used harshly). She has been a show dog so she is used to it and in fact wags her tail when she sees me carrying it. She moves really nicely on a lead, doesnt pull much. I am wondering what the best training food/treats would be? At first she liked smackos but now seems to have lost interest. She got a whiff of my dim sim the other day and nearly mobbed me for it. Not sure what her breeder would think if I was to start feeding her dim sims!

You guys: I havent got the foggiest notion what clicker training is *sigh*. I can imagine it involves a gadget with a clicker noise and in fact I think I heard one being used at the Collie show last weekend. Is clicker training the "in" thing and is it really more effective than other kinds of training? I am kinda wondering whether a constant clicking noise would drive me batty? I always thought dogs were trained with praise/food/repetition/voice etc, or is that the "old fashioned" method?

Reilly sounds like a clown! Not to mention a sneak. Maybe the fact that I am getting a girl she wont be so boisterous. But then again I dont know what Im in for. I am guessing that Im older and more decrepit than you, Nat, so I am not sure how Id take to being bowled over and pounced on by a hairy beast (maybe not so hairy as Reilly). I have heard she likes soccer balls and as Im not sporty at all I guess I better learn how to kick a ball around the backyard The training in small doses sounds like a real good idea to me. And Im not aiming for the world's fastest reacting dog so I think I will cope.

Dont get me wrong, I love Borders. I had even considered getting one, and had a nice solid bodied red or chocolate become available at the peak of my "searching" then I may have weakened. But they can be extremely switched on and hyper which is why I decided to consider "gentler" breeds. Hey we had even considered Boxer at one point Ive seen Collies do flyball though they dont seem as zippy as BCs and Kelpies - I wonder what Collies are like at agility? Anyone?

We will pick her up this weekend and I will try to get a few tips off the breeder when I do but from what I understand the dog hasnt really been an indoor dog (just brief visits) and things will be a little different for her (I expect) coming from the countryside into suburban home/backyard situation. I am excited and nervous. Nat, I promise I will take some pics. Thanks also for sharing some of your experiences with Reilly. It will help me understand Collies more (never owned a Collie). I am all ears to other's experiences and thanks to those who are posting! OK so I can expect a keen trainable dog but possibly lacking the "zippy"-ness of the Border Collie? (I must say that I observed an Obed Trial and some of those Borders are so fast/snappy/robotic - it was very military like). I would like to just see what develops, am not making any major plans at this stage and arnt a highly competitive person either. First things first! Chez

Thankyou, Pete. I didnt know about that site. It is a treasure trove of info! Ive printed off a couple of good articles to get me started

Hi there, I am about to get a dog and its been quite a lot of years since I had a dog, so I am a bit "out of the loop". The dog I am getting is older, not a pup, and I dont believe has had obed. training. I WILL be signing up for obed classes but Id really love some advice in the meantime on the following: - toilet training an older dog who will be living both in and outside (hasnt spent much time indoors previously) - training a dog NOT to jump on furniture/beds. Dog will have own bed and be somewhat restricted indoors because we rent and have a dog clause! I am aware that there are probably different training methods and even training equipment/gadgets, the thought which doesnt thrill me. I am after some basic/effective advice. Would be grateful for any tips, helpful internet sites or personal experiences. Thankyou. I am getting a Collie.

Hi Can someone please explain in simple terms what clicker training is? I am looking to get a dog and I feel quite daunted by all the different terminology, training methods and things Ive never heard of in my life. I am interested in good practical effective advice but dont want to be caught up in something just because its "flavour of the month". Can anyone point me in the right direction? I feel a little out of the loop :-) Owning a dog again (its been ten years) is going to be a big commitment for me but I want to be sure Im trying to do the right things by my dog and myself. Thanks in advance for responses!