Owning a Collie -can anyone recommend a useful book?

[MotherOfGirls]

We have a collie/spaniel type who came to us as a rescue pup and is a fabulous dog. In looking for something similar as a companion for him we have ended up with a collie pup. Having known a couple of neurotic collies I'm keen to know all I can about the breed so we can get it right. Any advice appreciated.

[MotherOfGirls]

Border

[Piffyonarockbun]

May i suggest the little book of calm . Probably not quite what you had in mind but you will probably need it

I have 2 border collies and at 11 years old i thought they may have chilled out a little. Still found myself at the emergency vet on a sunday morning a couple of weeks ago after one of them decided to jump out of a first floor window!!!

I did dog training and agility classes with mine at first to take the edge off but they still drove me round the bend! On the plus side they are lovely mostly obedient, loyal companions. They just need a lot of input as puppies.

[Piffyonarockbun]

Ps. My bitch is slightly neurotic (the window jumper) but the dog is completely chilled. They have both been with me since they were 6 weeks old (found abandoned) and have never been separated so i figure the bitch must just naturally be more neurotic. She just has a few more foibles than my boy.

Luckily none of which involve aggression or being noisy or disruptive. I think if she had been an only dog it might have been harder. I'm sure you will be fine

[MoaningMingeWhingesAgain]

i have one called something like Understanding your border collie
we have a two yr old we had from a pup
very very clever. too clever
loves to play ball, adores the children. Much more obedient that our other dog but absolutely must be exercised thoroughly every day regardless of snow ice hail illness (yours) and occasionally feigns deafness
very loving too, lots of whole body wagging.

[MotherOfGirls]

I'm not feeling reassured!

Is this the one, Moaning? It seems to have good recommendations.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1861262809/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[MoaningMingeWhingesAgain]

Yes, that one.

Get 'Don't shoot the dog' while you are there.

I am no expert, at all. But he has been amazingly trainable.
Fab recall, used a longline plus treats but much prefers a ball to any food treats. Walks nicely off lead, sits at the kerb, crosses the road when you tell him to. Will sit for you when you are metres away. lies down outside the chinese while we wait for food, within view of course

He sheds like a bastard though I do love him.

[eurochick]

I think the book will say "lots and lots of walks". They need wearing out. I suspect you will end up with bulging muscles on your throwing arm!

[MotherOfGirls]

Thank you, Moaning. Much more encouraging!

That's fine, eurochick. Looking for the motivation to get more exercise myself.

My main concern is for him not to be nervous. Working on socialisation at every opportunity at the moment. He loves people but is a little wary of dogs, despite the fact he plays at home with our other dog very happily - and quite roughly!

[MoaningMingeWhingesAgain]

YY to lots of walks. But walking on a lead won't be enough, they need wearing out. That's why teaching recall is so important, unless you want to walk/run miles as well - I know I don't lazy

Lots of ideas on previous collie threads here about stimulating them -
www.cani-cross.co.uk/
Agility
Flyball

We don't do any of those atm due to it not fitting in the weekly routine with shiftworking, but if I could do a set day each week I would totally go for flyball myself, and my dog would love it.

[spiderlight]

Carol Price's book is also worth reading.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

The most important thing is to remember this is a working dog it needs it's brain as well as it's body exercised.
Agility or fly ball are a really great outlet for all that physical and mental power.

[MotherOfGirls]

We have started agility with our 2 year old dog but I haven't figured out how I'll organise myself to take both of them when the pup is old enough!
Will look at Flyball but don't think I'm up to cani-cross!

[EasyToEatTiger]

We have 3 collies and all of them are as cool as cucumbers. I have to say that I don't have any other kind of dog to compare them against. They are fine, as long as you remember that they are working dogs, and like to at least think they have a job to do. I mean to take the baby of the family to agility as I think he would enjoy it. If the dog is running around excitedly, it won't get worn out, it'll just become even more jangly, so it's important to finish a walk or a training session with something calm.

[idirdog]

I agree that collies need a job to do but they do not need hours and hours of exercise. They do need brain work.

Too much exercise and you will have a very fit collie that just needs more and more exercise but can still be very uptight etc

A collie that is worked or given brain work will be tired relaxed and chilled.

Re socialisation go very carefully with collies if your dog is showing a reaction to other dogs make sure that you are meeting calm, social dogs. Control all greetings with other dogs to dogs that you know.Do not let collies think for themselves that some dogs can be worrying - you will have a reactive collie in no time.

If you are going to puppy socialisation classes be very very very careful with a collie pup, many collies will find the rough and tumble of labs, retrievers etc bundling together to be way too much.

Collies will live off adrenalin so you need to make sure that adrenalin levels do not get too high. If they are ball chasers do not let them chase balls for hours and hours - the collies will want to but it will just make them way to hyper. You can hide the ball and get them to track it but keep activities calm.

Throw away your food bowls and make the collies work for all their food, tricks, scattering food, activity toys etc.