Killi

Thanks for all the tips. I did have a border collie growing up but you forget what the early days with them are like (and don’t see how much work your parents do...). I took up the Zak George tip so I’m trying out some of his things tomorrow. Max is very smart so hopefully that will help us both. Fingers crossed!

I will be back in the office pretty much as soon as the state government says they can open up again. I’ve been trying to get him onto self reliance tasks - hiding toys and treats around the yard for him to find, leaving him alone for longer periods, whatever I can think of during the work day, because 4 days a week I have to work even if it’s from home. I check him at break times at the moment. Looking for some more advice on self reliance that is not destructive though because at the moment every time I leave him he does something. I try not to immediately react to those things (and some of them I only find later) so he doesn’t associate that activity with getting my attention, but when there are loud crashes followed by barking (he barks at the things he destroys, letting them know he has won) it can be hard. He is my first puppy, at least of my own not shared with family growing up. I generally live alone (although have a housemate during the COVID restrictions to save a commuter being on long train journeys). I’m looking for company and a reason to get out and about, that’s why I got a dog.

My comments probably make it seem more high energy than it is. He gets the active stuff in bursts in the morning, in an effort to burn some of his manic first thing energy off. I am using treats to help with training, which is much more of our day, and he is generally more responsive to that after some running around first. Having said that, it was five minutes after I left him alone following treat based training that he dug a hole in the garden big enough to hide him today. And similar yesterday that he dragged pot plants back into his bed. I haven’t launched straight into walking him either, spent time getting him used to the idea first, but being in the other side of the fence freaked him out. He is good when he’s with me, generally responsive and well behaved for his age. It’s as soon as he can’t see me that the trouble starts. And given I am likely to be back in the office soon rather than working from home, I’m having doubts about how well matched we are.

At the moment our training is around basic commands - sit, getting him to recognise his name, trying to get him to come when called. For games we play tug and I throw a few things for him to chase, let him run a bit. We did manage to get the lead on and get out the front gate for the first time this morning but he is fairly timid and was shaking so much I picked him up and brought him back inside before we’d gone past the neighbours house. He rough houses with my housemate as well.

I have a new 10 week old puppy named Max. His dad was a kelpie and his mum a border collie x koolie so I expected him to be high energy. I spend time with him through the day, run him around a bit, play games and try to get some training in but after having him for about a week now I’m starting to question my sanity because he just. Doesn’t. Stop. He’s good through the night but during the day he is an absolute terror. I don’t have the biggest yard for him to run around in - think smallish suburban block - so I know I need to get him out and about but I can’t even get the lead on him. I’m not generally the most active but I’m working on changing that and having a dog to motivate me to move my butt was part of the plan. Any tips for getting through these early stages are much appreciated. Or any thoughts on whether we are the right fit for each other as well...