New border collie pup incoming. Help.
Discussion
After two years of pestering, it looks like I'm finally giving in to the wife and will get a 7 week old border collie this weekend.
Having only ever lived with cats before that weren't mine, I don't have a clue what to expect or what to do.
What are the basic things I need to buy or do to make this as painless as possible. Bed, food and a lead is all I can think of.
How do you make sure they don't poo in the house?
Having only ever lived with cats before that weren't mine, I don't have a clue what to expect or what to do.
What are the basic things I need to buy or do to make this as painless as possible. Bed, food and a lead is all I can think of.
How do you make sure they don't poo in the house?
Dick Dastardly said:
How do you make sure they don't poo in the house?
You can't - just get a lot of incontinence pads and be prepared to clean up some accidents! Collie's aren't stupid, if you praise him everytime he does go to the toilet outside he'll learn pretty quickly.Definately agree with puppy training books and classes.
Let him settle for about a week at home then get him down to the vets for vaccinations and worming treatments.
Consider crate training...did it with our 2 Goldens and it worked a treat, really helped with house training and with keeping the house safe from the "destructo monsters" overnight.
Have a bottle of soda water in the house, if they have a puddle accident on the carpet pour some soda on it when you're cleaning up, it masks the smell and reduces the chance of them going again in the same place.
Get into the habbit of when they wake up taking them straight outside to puddle and as people have said, plenty of praise.
Have a bottle of soda water in the house, if they have a puddle accident on the carpet pour some soda on it when you're cleaning up, it masks the smell and reduces the chance of them going again in the same place.
Get into the habbit of when they wake up taking them straight outside to puddle and as people have said, plenty of praise.
We have had our border collie now for nearly 2 years and we picked him up at 7 1/2 weeks. He was crate trained from day 1 (well actually day 3 by the time he went in there). We had him in our room for the first few night so that he got used to the change and his cage. We also made sure that we got up regularly to let him out to go do his business. This made him learn the proper place to go. It did not take too long for him to learn and since we had him we only had 7 accidents (1 entirely my fault). To make sure he doesn't poop all over the place, you just need to catch him/her before he/she does it. Easier said than done, but once they have done one in front of you, you will soon pick up on the signs pretty quick.
Even at nearly 2 years old mine still uses his crate every night and when we are going to do stuff to him he does not like. We always made a point of no matter what he has done, we do not touch him when he is in the cage (not even to stroke him). Because we have taken this approach, he used the cage as his "safe" place and is happy go there on command i.e. go to bed.
As for things we got for our collie when we first got him...here goes:
Toy for bed time. If you can have something with the mothers scent on it for the first few nights i.e. a towel or blanket and then something with your scent on it.
Toys to play with, both soft and hard. My collie loves squeaky toys.
Get some treats as well so you can reward him/her when he/she does something good. i.e. goes to toilet outside.
Teach them some basic commands such as sit and wait when you give them their meals i.e. make them sit before they get it. You will also need treats for this training as they do not know what you want them to do.
We also used UrineOff to clean up his mess when he did not make it outside. This breaks down the bacteria. I am sure that other suitable products exist.
In addition we also got GetOff spray which we sprayed on stuff he wanted to chew. It stopped him. The spray we got was supposed to be used to stop him doing his business where we did not want him to do it, but it worked for chewing just fine. The way I saw it was that if it will stop him doing his business there, it will stop him chewing.
You probably already know this, but don’t forget a food and water bowl.
If you want to ensure that your collie does not drive you too mad, make sure he/she gets plenty of stimulation. This can come from doing training, going on walks, socialising the dog with other dogs and taking him/her into new situations.
As your collie gets older, he/she will need a lot of exercise. I currently walk mine an hr in the morning, an hr at lunch and an hr in the evening. A dog that does not get enough exercise/stimulation will let you know by tearing your house apart.
Here is a picture of the first day home for mine (feb 2010)
He looks a lot different and bigger now!
Unfortunately he has gone lame now. He is going in tomorrow for an X-ray on his paw. He ripped a nail 6 months ago and it looks like our incompetent vet did not check him over thoroughly after the bandage came off. Now it looks like it has caused him some tendon damage and he may need to have part of his toe amputated oherwise he may keep going lame for the rest of his life. He is currently on 3 months lead exercise only (not even allowed in garden without lead) and he is miserable. Just hoping the X-ray comes up good and he will not need an amputation.
Edit: Don't forget puppy shampoo. Our Collie, when a pup, ended up having more baths in 6 months than most do in a lifetime due to his love of rolling in Fox poo. Make sure it is for puppies though.
One more point to think about is how are you going to transport the dog when you take it out in the car? For hatchback/estate you have the option of crate or dog guard. I currently use a crate. If you can't put the dog in the boot, then think of getting covers for the seats and a dog harness so the dog can be restrained. When I had my previous car, 5 series saloon, the dogs (I also have a springer) were in harnesses in the back cliiped into the seat belt thingy on a hammock style seat cover. I would never have a dog loose in the passenger cabin of the car.
Even at nearly 2 years old mine still uses his crate every night and when we are going to do stuff to him he does not like. We always made a point of no matter what he has done, we do not touch him when he is in the cage (not even to stroke him). Because we have taken this approach, he used the cage as his "safe" place and is happy go there on command i.e. go to bed.
As for things we got for our collie when we first got him...here goes:
Toy for bed time. If you can have something with the mothers scent on it for the first few nights i.e. a towel or blanket and then something with your scent on it.
Toys to play with, both soft and hard. My collie loves squeaky toys.
Get some treats as well so you can reward him/her when he/she does something good. i.e. goes to toilet outside.
Teach them some basic commands such as sit and wait when you give them their meals i.e. make them sit before they get it. You will also need treats for this training as they do not know what you want them to do.
We also used UrineOff to clean up his mess when he did not make it outside. This breaks down the bacteria. I am sure that other suitable products exist.
In addition we also got GetOff spray which we sprayed on stuff he wanted to chew. It stopped him. The spray we got was supposed to be used to stop him doing his business where we did not want him to do it, but it worked for chewing just fine. The way I saw it was that if it will stop him doing his business there, it will stop him chewing.
You probably already know this, but don’t forget a food and water bowl.
If you want to ensure that your collie does not drive you too mad, make sure he/she gets plenty of stimulation. This can come from doing training, going on walks, socialising the dog with other dogs and taking him/her into new situations.
As your collie gets older, he/she will need a lot of exercise. I currently walk mine an hr in the morning, an hr at lunch and an hr in the evening. A dog that does not get enough exercise/stimulation will let you know by tearing your house apart.
Here is a picture of the first day home for mine (feb 2010)
He looks a lot different and bigger now!
Unfortunately he has gone lame now. He is going in tomorrow for an X-ray on his paw. He ripped a nail 6 months ago and it looks like our incompetent vet did not check him over thoroughly after the bandage came off. Now it looks like it has caused him some tendon damage and he may need to have part of his toe amputated oherwise he may keep going lame for the rest of his life. He is currently on 3 months lead exercise only (not even allowed in garden without lead) and he is miserable. Just hoping the X-ray comes up good and he will not need an amputation.
Edit: Don't forget puppy shampoo. Our Collie, when a pup, ended up having more baths in 6 months than most do in a lifetime due to his love of rolling in Fox poo. Make sure it is for puppies though.
One more point to think about is how are you going to transport the dog when you take it out in the car? For hatchback/estate you have the option of crate or dog guard. I currently use a crate. If you can't put the dog in the boot, then think of getting covers for the seats and a dog harness so the dog can be restrained. When I had my previous car, 5 series saloon, the dogs (I also have a springer) were in harnesses in the back cliiped into the seat belt thingy on a hammock style seat cover. I would never have a dog loose in the passenger cabin of the car.
Edited by e320dave on Tuesday 11th October 22:47
Edited by e320dave on Tuesday 11th October 23:14
Are either of you experienced with dogs? Border Collies are not generally considered first dogs, which is why so many of them end up in rescue 
Is someone at home for most of the day with a pup? BCs (and many other dogs) can be housetrained by 8 weeks old.
They need both physical and mental exercise as they are very bright. An unemployed collie is a self employed collie. Many of them develop OCD tendancies as they are easily bored and so make their own entertainment. Don't forget what they are bred to do either. Many of them have issues with chasing joggers, bikes, cars, lawnmowers, hoovers - anything that moves basically.
I would advise you buy two books - The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey and Idiots Guide to Positive Dog Training by Pamela Dennison. Both are an easy read and make a lot of sense.
Hope it all goes OK
Is someone at home for most of the day with a pup? BCs (and many other dogs) can be housetrained by 8 weeks old.They need both physical and mental exercise as they are very bright. An unemployed collie is a self employed collie. Many of them develop OCD tendancies as they are easily bored and so make their own entertainment. Don't forget what they are bred to do either. Many of them have issues with chasing joggers, bikes, cars, lawnmowers, hoovers - anything that moves basically.
I would advise you buy two books - The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey and Idiots Guide to Positive Dog Training by Pamela Dennison. Both are an easy read and make a lot of sense.
Hope it all goes OK
I hope you're ready to give your wallet a hammering 
After vaccinations I would highly recommend going to a training club. Reading books on training is great too but I think hands on practice and advice from experienced handlers is best.
Collies are extremely intelligent and will cotton on to toilet training very fast if you are consistent with taking them outside every hour or more i.e. after meals and praising them for going outside. It sounds odd but in time you will get to know when your puppy needs to go, and can rush them out when they give off the signs too. My last Collie would 'be quick' on command.
Personally, I find b
hes easier to train than males.
Completely agree with the poster who mentioned giving BC's jobs. They are a brilliant breed but definitely not easy to keep due to their intelligence and ease of getting bored. IMO the best way to avoid a dog developing bad behaviours is to keep them well exercised (but remember only 5 mins per month of age to begin with) and plenty of mental stimulation be it in the form of training or mind toys.
- Crate, bear in mind how fast puppies grow when choosing which size to go for
- Bed, buy cheap and accept it will get ripped up at some point
- Lead and collar
- Tag for collar
- Food - ask the breeder what pup is already on and buy this at least initially as the last thing you want is a new puppy with an unsettled tummy
- A blanket or vet bedding with the scent of Mum and other litter mates on
- Variety of toys, but don't go crazy because different puppies prefer different types of toys so buy enough to keep him occupied and then watch to see which types he prefers. A kong is a must have, especially as puppy gets older and needs more and more mental stimulation
- Worming tablets, check when last wormed by breeder
- Food bowls, at least two, one for water and one for food.
- Clicker, optional but recommended as a positive training tool and are only a couple of pounds
- Will dog be travelling in a car with only the driver? You may want to think about investing in a way to restrain them for safety such as a harness or crate in the boot.
After vaccinations I would highly recommend going to a training club. Reading books on training is great too but I think hands on practice and advice from experienced handlers is best.
Collies are extremely intelligent and will cotton on to toilet training very fast if you are consistent with taking them outside every hour or more i.e. after meals and praising them for going outside. It sounds odd but in time you will get to know when your puppy needs to go, and can rush them out when they give off the signs too. My last Collie would 'be quick' on command.
Personally, I find b
hes easier to train than males.Completely agree with the poster who mentioned giving BC's jobs. They are a brilliant breed but definitely not easy to keep due to their intelligence and ease of getting bored. IMO the best way to avoid a dog developing bad behaviours is to keep them well exercised (but remember only 5 mins per month of age to begin with) and plenty of mental stimulation be it in the form of training or mind toys.
Contests!
Miss my blue merle bh like mad.
One thing to add to the excellent advice so far:
To cut down on the amount of st, and for a massively healthy dog, after a while switch to the raw meat diet. We fed ours 1lb defrosted blocks of meat/organ sold for working dogs. Bloody cheap too.
Supplement with offcuts from the butchers, bone, and make sure you don't feed too much liver/tripe (ours got one of each a week, green tripe if you can get it).
Work on the approximate basis of 1/3 meat, 1/3 organ, 1/3 bone.
Our puppy went from being a st factory, to one crap a day, and far more energy, concentration, etc.
We changed after realising that ash, cereal, rice, etc. weren't exactly natural canine foods, plus some kibble getting wet, and swelling a vast amount. No wonder she drank so much!
Miss my blue merle b
h like mad.One thing to add to the excellent advice so far:
To cut down on the amount of s
t, and for a massively healthy dog, after a while switch to the raw meat diet. We fed ours 1lb defrosted blocks of meat/organ sold for working dogs. Bloody cheap too. Supplement with offcuts from the butchers, bone, and make sure you don't feed too much liver/tripe (ours got one of each a week, green tripe if you can get it).
Work on the approximate basis of 1/3 meat, 1/3 organ, 1/3 bone.
Our puppy went from being a s
t factory, to one crap a day, and far more energy, concentration, etc.We changed after realising that ash, cereal, rice, etc. weren't exactly natural canine foods, plus some kibble getting wet, and swelling a vast amount. No wonder she drank so much!
Thanks again guys.
We were supposed to be getting the little pup today but after investigating the owners of the farm it looks like they aren't the best. Another local farm has some thawe t are 2 weeks old and we've been promised one - just means there is a 6 week wait now, which is a bit annoying as my other half is like a kid on Xmas eve between now and then.
We were supposed to be getting the little pup today but after investigating the owners of the farm it looks like they aren't the best. Another local farm has some thawe t are 2 weeks old and we've been promised one - just means there is a 6 week wait now, which is a bit annoying as my other half is like a kid on Xmas eve between now and then.
Dick Dastardly said:
Thanks again guys.
We were supposed to be getting the little pup today but after investigating the owners of the farm it looks like they aren't the best. Another local farm has some thawe t are 2 weeks old and we've been promised one - just means there is a 6 week wait now, which is a bit annoying as my other half is like a kid on Xmas eve between now and then.
You have already had great advice, can I suggest a visit to a rescue centre in the meantime, you may be surprised,the missus is bound to fall in love with a dog and you will get a dog ready trained, rescuing a dog is extremely rewarding.We were supposed to be getting the little pup today but after investigating the owners of the farm it looks like they aren't the best. Another local farm has some thawe t are 2 weeks old and we've been promised one - just means there is a 6 week wait now, which is a bit annoying as my other half is like a kid on Xmas eve between now and then.
However if you def want a puppy thats your choice and completely understandable, for me tho the 'cuteness' of a puppy soon wears off once it dumps on your expensive rug every day and chews your fave shoes
R1gtr said:
You have already had great advice, can I suggest a visit to a rescue centre in the meantime, you may be surprised,the missus is bound to fall in love with a dog and you will get a dog ready trained, rescuing a dog is extremely rewarding.
However if you def want a puppy thats your choice and completely understandable, for me tho the 'cuteness' of a puppy soon wears off once it dumps on your expensive rug every day and chews your fave shoes
We looked around a dog home.Some lovely dogs but it was upsetting to see.Decided that they might have been mistreated and have unpredictable behaviour etc.However if you def want a puppy thats your choice and completely understandable, for me tho the 'cuteness' of a puppy soon wears off once it dumps on your expensive rug every day and chews your fave shoes
Got a puppy from a private home a year later but we are still considering taking in a rescue dog in the future.
OP, when out on walks be strict with lead behaviour and be cautious around small dogs - one nipped our spaniel and he is now extremely aggressive towards all small dogs - we can't walk him in public anymore.
Fantastic choice, but you may have your hands full.
I have had two, but have grown up with them. They are great jobs, but need stimulation. They do not need however endless walks, they will enjoy them however they need mental stimulation together with physical. Start training from the moment you get it. Purchase a crate and he will love it in the end.
Some things to start training:
Sit, stand, down, recall, wait, walk on lead. But the main thing is socialise him. Carry him into town, down to local schools (you may get odd looks if you don't have a child to meet). Take him near busy roads, basically try and take him everywhere. Far too many people wait until the puppy can walk before taking him out of the house. Take him to puppy training classes.
Border collies need to be trained and a trained one is a happy one. I try and do everything with mine, showing, obedience, agility, working trials.
A pic of mine and my Mum's
I have had two, but have grown up with them. They are great jobs, but need stimulation. They do not need however endless walks, they will enjoy them however they need mental stimulation together with physical. Start training from the moment you get it. Purchase a crate and he will love it in the end.
Some things to start training:
Sit, stand, down, recall, wait, walk on lead. But the main thing is socialise him. Carry him into town, down to local schools (you may get odd looks if you don't have a child to meet). Take him near busy roads, basically try and take him everywhere. Far too many people wait until the puppy can walk before taking him out of the house. Take him to puppy training classes.
Border collies need to be trained and a trained one is a happy one. I try and do everything with mine, showing, obedience, agility, working trials.
A pic of mine and my Mum's
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