Problems with new dog

[gonefishin]

Our cow dog died a few weeks ago. We had our baby (12 years old) and never had another dog until now. I called the vet and inquired as to whether they had a dog for adoption and they did. We took her, she is a good cow dog *border collie* but this morning she got out of our fence somehow. I don't know what to do. Our dog that died was a roamer and we never had to worry about her getting hit or going on other's property and bugging them or doing anything mischievious.
Now we are in a fix because this dog is 6 months old and VERY much the adventurer it seems.
I tied her up for about 30 minutes but it bothers me to have to do this. What would you recommend I do? She seems lonely to me but maybe she's not. I don't now know what to do because I cannot have her getting out and getting hit
We live in the country. Thanks for anyone who can offer advice on this. Oh, and btw, just noticed that she had been digging in our yard!

 

[ChainedLightning]

Personally, I prefer to kennel them instead of tying them.

Border Collies are very special though, and need a LOT of attention at this age. Think, toddler. They are that smart, and if they don't have something to occupy them then they will FIND something. I would suggest finding a border collie group to join and getting ideas from them.

 

[MaxTheKnife]

Well, I don't know much about border collies. But I have a dog whose breed is notoriously hard to train. She's half Anatolian Shepard and half Great Pyreneese. They're much like a cat in many ways. They come when you call them. When it suits them. I've learned a certain whistle that works most every time. But it took some doing.

Anyway, I'll tell you what helped this pup more than anything I've done for her. I put her on a leash and walked her all around the border of my place (100 acres). I did that for several days until I felt she would stay with me on the walk without the leash. It worked like a charm. Now she stays with me when we take our walks and when I stop she stops. She'll lay down and watch me to see what I'm doing. I'm training her to hunt coyotes so I do a lot of sitting in the woods. When she gets bored she'll come over and nose me to see what I'll do. And I mean she pokes me with her nose! I love that dog.

So, teach your dog the boundaries and don't lose patience with him or her. That dog will look to you for clues and if you give them in the proper way then he'll listen to you and learn from you. The best thing you can do is just ignore the bad things you think your dog is doing. He doesn't know it's bad unless you tell him. And how you tell him is very important.

Here's an example. When I first brought this dog of mine home she was totally enthralled with my free ranging chickens. She chased them and did her best to catch one. She was especially interested in the baby chicks. I'm very protective of my chickens and she learned the hard way not to mess with the chicks. I caught her with a baby chick in her mouth and picked her up and body slammed her into the ground. Then I laid on top of her and growled at her while I extracted the chick from her mouth. It wasn't hurt and she didn't understand why I was so mad. But she never bothered another baby chick after that either. The important thing for you to know here is that your dog should respect you and know that you are the master. When I body slammed my pup she was totally submissive and was even wagging her tail while I was on top of her. That shows submission. She could have just as easily whipped my butt for me. She weighs about 90 pounds and is far superior to me in the fighting field. But she doesn't know that. See what I mean? I realized that I could have been seriously hurt if she didn't understand my intentions. I took that risk because I had to. And she learned that I was superior to her because I wasn't afraid of her and she knew it. That's all it took.

So if you want your dog to learn something you have to teach it something. And there are many ways to teach your dog. I choose to teach by example and with force when necessary. I never hit my dog even when I'm mad at her. I use my body just like a dominant male would. She respects that and knows that I'm the boss. And she stays with me or any other member of my family when we're outside. She has the wandering blood in her but she would rather wander with me than by herself. Don't ask me why because I don't really know. I think it's something I've taught her without knowing. Just be patient with your dog and be sure and take it for plenty of walks. Every day. If I miss a day of walking with my dog she lets me know by doing something I don't like. Instead of punishing her I just take her for a walk and everything is fine then. Dogs are wonderful critters. You just have to treat them like you want them to act. That's the best way I can say it. Good luck.

 

[gonefishin]

chained,
finding a group is an idea..I had thought of getting another collie for her. But then thought, well if she grows out of this lonelyness and mischieviousness, since she's just 6 months now, I thought i could tough it out. I took her off the chain yesterday after 30 minutes and she never got out again. When I went out to see her, she was lying down in the spot where I had told her to stay after she got in trouble, they are smart aren't they She didn't bark for 3 days after we got her. Then I was in the house and heard her for the first time- she was barking at the cows in the back...
When we got her she had been in a shelter for most of her life.. poor thing.


max,
walking her today around the property. I've done it three times but that's not enough ., Will try doing it every day like you suggested. and then take the leash off and see if she stays with me.If not, I'll put her back on the leash and try it again.
Thanks you two

 

[rockcreek]

My FIL had Border Collies. They are very smart and very energetic. They need alot of exercise. They seem to get bored easy and need things to play with. They are the fastest dogs I have ever seen but are also sweet and like attention. You have your hands full.

 

[Caplock50]

gonefishin,
you might think I'm totally looney with this suggestion, but I think it would/should work. Before your next 'walk' collect some urine in a bottle and when you reach a corner of your property; 'mark' your territory with a small amount. Then move on to the next corner and do the same there. Also, let your dog 'investigate' after you've done your 'marking' thing. Like Max said, ya gotta teach your dog what you want it to do.

Good luck.

 

[blue gecko]

Try putting her on a leash tied to your belt and have her go everywhere with you. It's a good way to get her 'connected'. Border Collies are one of the smartest dogs and they get bored very easily...they simply have to have things to do. You can also pick up some toys that have holes to hide treats in. I have one that is a ball with lots of small holes. When my dog rolls the ball an occasional treat will fall out...its a real bordom reliever. Big knuckle bones help too. She's probably been with other dogs and misses the fun and games. Have you considered a second dog? Good Luck! BG