chezzyr Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 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) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 (edited) Its a dreary cool morning so perhaps she is cold.....or perhaps she just wants to be inside with company! Sounds reasonable...the collie may be cold....&, as she's a dog which is a pack animal, would like company. Have you any ideas for providing for these 2 needs? Edited April 19, 2005 by mita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezzyr Posted April 19, 2005 Author Share Posted April 19, 2005 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tess32 Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 I wouldn't let her in AS she is banging if you don't want to encourage that. But collies do tend to want to hang around the family all the time, they love knowing what is going on even if they aren't centre of attention and hate being left out of the action. How much inside/outside dog do you want her to be? Nat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezzyr Posted April 19, 2005 Author Share Posted April 19, 2005 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidoney Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 She is still likely to have some stress from the transition. As Tess32 said, only give her attention when she's quiet ... this will reward her for being quiet. You will have to be VERY consistent with this. Is it really an issue to have her quietly inside when you are there? You could establish a bed and train her to stay on it. My dogs will certainly bark at the back door if I am home and they want in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koza Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 I'd be banging, too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tess32 Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 That's action enough for a collie I let Reilly in a lot when we first got him so it didn't become a "ooooh, I can't wait to get inside" issue as he is outside from 7am till 2.30pm every day. NOW, because it isn't an issue, he prefers to be outside as soon as he's satisfied himself that nothing amazing is happening inside. When he wants to come in, he bangs once on the door and waits. They are usually excellent inside though, he just sits down and watches us. Nat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 (edited) Chezzyr, I think it's because I'm a Queenslander that I'm shuddering at a dog left out in the cold of a dreary Melbourne day Seriously, the experienced Victorian collie folk are the best at commenting on that. On the second need of the Collie for company, I don't know what the back area of your house is like....but we've always found it helps with dogs to have a sort of halfway place between outside & inside. That is, a place where they can see what's going on inside the house...but is sheltered. Like, friends have a back door leading thro a laundry with a door leading into the kitchen. They have a doggie-door in the backdoor....& a large, strong baby-gate across the door leading into the house. So their ACD can use the laundry as a half-way place....there's a nice thick dog mat, water, toys etc. They've trained him to be content 'sharing' homelife for some time in this spot (like you're doing ignoring any protests but rewarding good behaviour with a treat or praise.) We have a weather-proof verandah deck room....with big glass doors leading into the house. This area becomes our dogs halfway secure place at some times (we can close the doggie door that leads from there into the house). I'm not suggesting you get a second dog....but we've always found that it's easier re the company issue, to have 2 dogs. Edited April 19, 2005 by mita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tess32 Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 It's not that cold outside IMO - they are smooth, not naked..hehe. Mita has a good point - I think Reilly likes outside so much because his main area is right outside the kitchen and he can always see inside. But depends on the dog, collies generally do prefer to be inside I'd guess - they are mostly "oh, you going to the toilet? ok I'll come too" type dogs. Nat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezzyr Posted April 19, 2005 Author Share Posted April 19, 2005 Hello Thanks to those who are posting. We are in a rental place, so I am not in a situation where I am allowed to let the dog have run of the place. In fact the dog clause said dog not allowed inside, but the agent is ok with her being in laundry or some restricted areas. So I am discouraging bedrooms, but laundry is fine and loungeroom fine at night with supervision. I work from home and Id probably be ok with her in my office if she can learn to lay down quietly. At the moment though she is going through a real nosey stage (dont know if that will pass) and she has got to sniff everything out and find "trophies". And I have ALOT of stuff and I dont want to be on edge unable to concentrate on my work, wondering what shes going to find next LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 It's not that cold outside IMO - they are smooth, not naked..hehe. Nat, I figured my Queenslander bias might be showing there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tess32 Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 They are very nosey (in more ways than one *g*) . I'd say everytime she is being nice and quiet outside - reward her. Ignore her when she's playing up. And then start teaching her the 'on your bed' command so she can stay in your room when you want her to without trying to find tissues to prance around with. Nat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 (edited) We are in a rental place You're right...another thing to consider. Our friends with the ACD who use the laundry as a halfway spot live in a rented house. Any chance of doing something similar with your collie? We own our house....so our verandah-deck was purpose- built to take dogs into consideration. Wherever you decide you want your collie to settle....try letting her have something that strongly has your scent on it...like an old unwashed T-shirt. The owner's scent is like a stand-in for its owner, to a dog. Rub the palms of your hands over her toys...or sit on them (truly!) for a while. That will get your scent onto those items, too. In fact, her sniffing out 'trophies' are likely to be things that you handle a lot or wear....that is, they have your scent on them. Edited April 20, 2005 by mita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezzyr Posted April 20, 2005 Author Share Posted April 20, 2005 (edited) to all the good advice. Glad Ive got DOLers I can call on! Remember I am a bit out of the loop when it comes to having a dog, and Ive not had a collie before. Ive noticed she likes to follow me/us everywhere (I draw the line at toilet). I went outside a few mins ago to play with her and she wouldnt budge from her "statue impersonation" at the back doorstep. It took some major coaxing to even get her to come play on the lawn. I had to stick my head between my knees and call her LOL. Seems like they are attracted to nonsense! On a positive note (??) she is learning to sit! It is very slo mo collie style but it happens. I reward her with tiny bits of cut up cheese. Edited April 20, 2005 by chezzyr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tess32 Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 Seems like they are attracted to nonsense! On a positive note (??) she is learning to sit! It is very slo mo collie style but it happens. I reward her with tiny bits of cut up cheese. hehehhe, you're learning collie-speak I'm sure she'll be fine....very very early days yet anyway. Tire her out with a walk or run if you want her to conk out for a couple of hours as well. Nat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 Ive noticed she likes to follow me/us everywhere (I draw the line at toilet). Oh, boy, is this bringing it back! Your collie girl is so like our first sheltie. Wanted my company so much, she developed what the vet behaviourist at the uni called 'separation anxiety'. That's where we had to learn all that stuff about the importance of an owner's scent & how to train her to be comfortable to spend time alone in her special spot....whether we were home or not. We were also told to give her basic obedience training in that she would have to obey 'Sit' to get all the nice things of life. It was a big learning curve for us...because we'd thought all the following us around & demanding company meant we should just reassure her. It was also why we then built on the verandah -deck in the way we did...to provide the 'special spot' for the dogs. But the vet told us that shelties are excellent 'learners' so she'd do well on all the things we had to do. Just like your collie girl! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tess32 Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 I don't think that's necessarily anything to do with a disposition towards sep anxiety. Reilly follows me all around the house and waits at the baby gate if I block him off from some areas. However he is reasonably independent and also loves to be by himself sometimes. I think it's quite collie-like to follow the owner around when they are with them but many can still be fine by themselves when the owner is not there. She's been there 5 days, and seems to be settling in well if she's already doing silly stuff. Just set all the rules now and it'll be easy in the long run Nat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdayz Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 i dont think she is cold chezzyr she just wants company. She was like you said an outside dog but was she at a kennel with other dogs around for company? Perhaps you can have her in your office with you if you crate her initially so she gets used to laying still, bot sure if she was shown but if she was she would be used to crating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 Oops, Nat, that was a wise correction....I DID make it sound as if every dog following the owner around would develop separation anxiety. Not true at all. I should have been clearer that our Sheltie's separation anxiety was just the circumstance where the vet showed us how to meet a dog's need for company & to train it to be content to spend some time alone. We now do that as a matter of course with any new or foster dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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