kennels advice

[Flamerouge]

Hello,

We have a 3-year-old border collie X kelpie. We had numerous issues with him but had a lot of good advice from this board and other sources, so I'm posting here again. We have had him since he was six months old as he was surrendered to a rescue and had a very unsettled first few months of life and was not well socialised. Since then he has worked really really hard with us and a couple of behaviourists to iron out a lot of problem behaviours we had with reactivity/redirected nipping/controlling movement, etc. He is now a generally lovely boy to be around – very good off-lead, still very reactive on it, but good recall and very smart.

But, we have one problem, which is finding a suitable place for him to go when we go away. We haven’t both been away since we got him, for lots of reasons, but he's a big one. This year I decided it would be my mission to get him used to kennels, so he has been to our local ones in January, February and this week for a couple of nights to get him used to it before we go away for a week in June. While he is in kennels he is apparently good as gold – no separation anxiety, comes in and out of his pen calmly, etc. There is one issue, however, which is the handover, where he will try and nip the kennels staff as I hand his lead over. As soon as I am out of sight (he is very focussed on me) he is fine, but the kennels are understandably wary about having him attempt to bite at handover. They are reluctant to have us muzzle him (my preferred option) as then they have to get close to him to take the muzzle off.

We’ve agreed that next time we go we will use their airlock gates – walk him in and leave him there with a slip lead on and they will then use the gate on the other side to bring him through. This might or might not work, so I am looking for other options also. Does anyone know any kennels or short-term fosterers in Cambs/Herts/Essex/Suffolk who are experienced with this type of herding breed? We would be willing to travel for the right set up. Or any advice/suggestions. I should add:

• he is not at all motivated by food. None of his undesirable behaviours have been issues you can bribe your way out of.
• He is super sensitive. As soon as we turn towards the kennels he knows what will happen - so he is already on edge.
• He is triggered by anyone approaching the car and tries to get back in it when I hand him over.

Thank you!

I own a kennel and have a whippet that comes in like this.
He comes into the kennels okay but gets uptight whilst we are doing the paperwork and starts nipping his owner.

The last time he came in, we met her outside and took him off her. She turned away as we took him for a walk before putting him away. He reacted when she drove off by mouthing his lead.
If that didn't work, the next plan was for her to put him in our play area and walk away from their.

He is as good as gold when in, it's just leaving him mum that is troublesome.

@coffeecupsandwaxmelts oh dear, you've made me a bit teary! But thank you - and for whatever capacity you are working with rescues in thank you even more - they need people on their side. He has nearly broken me so many times, but he is worth every moment of stress. And I should say, he has so many good points, too. Funny, smart, always ready for an adventure - and he has taught me loads.

@cryinglaughing thank you. It's so good to know I am not alone in this - sometimes I feel like the only dog owner in the world that has these problems - but of course, I'm not. We may need to consider moving kennels, but I think the current one is worth another go.

@Flamerouge big hugs for you 💐

I'm "just" a dog walker - but lots of my clients are rescue dogs and without fail, every single one has improved massively with their forever families.

@coffeecupsandwaxmelts that's so great to hear. Long may it last! And thank you for the flowers. It's been a tough day!

I had a collie × like this we had him on a halti lead for handover the kennel staff were great with him they would take 1 part of the lead. Anyway I'd probably do what the kennels have asked means the handover is safer.

Yes - the kennels have a complicated slip lead thing they want to use, and then a pole they can hook it off with. We used to use a headcollar with him a lot, but to be honest, the more resistance he has, the more he fights against it. So a slip lead, while not perfect, is actually pretty good on him. I think if he starts to resist a headcollar is too much pressure and makes things worse. But they have their uses!

@Flamerouge if the kennels are telling you he is fine when he is there, believe them. We don't want unsettled dogs in, not only is it distressing for them, it unsettles other dogs and we don't like to see them miserable either.
If that is the worst he does, he's doing alright.
You wouldn't believe some of the horrors we have in. If only people were honest, we could and would handle them accordingly. It's when we don't know what we've got until they're swanned off on holiday that we question why we do it.

@cryinglaughing thank you for this! Yes, the guy running the kennels said he will sometimes refuse to have a dog back (and suggest home boarding) if it is very unsettled, as it also upsets the other dogs as well as being unfair to that dog. So I do believe him when he says he is fine the rest of the time!

This might be a naive question as I have a cockapoo and no experience of collies…

Is he like that just with you or with everyone? For instance, would he be ok if someone else took him in? Or is his herding instinct for everyone?

Hello, a good question! It's definitely worst round me (he doesn't do this now, but when we first got him, if someone hugged me suddenly he would try and nip them). Next time we go I could get my partner to do the handover. I'm aware that I am adding to the tension as I am now anxious about it. I do also think it has the potential to become rehearsed behaviour from his POV - I did this once, it regulated my anxiety, so I'll do it again, even if I'm not feeling anxious - it's just what I do here! My partner will definitely be less stressed, but also potentially less alert to it if it is a problem... I tend to anticipate trouble, which doesn't always help.

It’s a catch 22 isn’t it? Staying alert to dog’s needs without slipping over into anxiety / causing them anxiety.

I hope you get it sorted as sounds like your dog enjoys the rest of his stay.

@TotheletterofthelawTHELETTER thank you. It's such a tightrope - he knows what I am thinking before I do half the time!

Kennel owners hold the end of a long line.

You clip it onto your dog.

You walk away from your dog and leave the room and leave the area and drive off.

Kennel staff have the lead but not close enough to the dog to get nipped.

Dog is taken to kennel

I think it’s a bit weird that they’re going for more complicated hand overs when surely the obvious fix is you putting him in the kennel yourself?