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Dog owners - puppy advice

19 posts & 14 voices | Started 4 months ago by Bimbler | Latest reply from rickon

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Bimbler - Member

I'm in the running to rescue a Cocker/Collie cross puppy, anyone have any experience of this particular type of cross?

The information we've been given by the rescue peeps etc are that these dogs require a considerable amount of exercise, which we're fine with up to a certain extent, what we were looking for really. However we're just a bit wary of committing to a dog which would need in excess of an hour per day off the lead exercise. (it'll get plenty of on the lead exercise doing the school run)

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Posted 4 months ago #
Innes - Member

I don't have experience of cross breeds, but our Border Collie really needed off the lead exercise when she was younger and really still does now. She can handle lead walks if she has had off the lead exercise, but before that she gets very impatient.

I would think anything with a bit of collie in it could be the same. It could be that if your dog gets used to lead walks and off the lead walks being separate, it will be fine. It is only as our Collie is getting older that she can go for a lead walk and not pull most of the way, our last Collie was the same.

Posted 4 months ago #
bellys - Member

There a nice dog need lots of love and excercise. We got a dalmatian from rescue and he love to run next to the bike.

Posted 4 months ago #
bikeytom - Member

We have a Cocker Spaniel and he is very lively, needs 45 mins to an hour off the lead charging across fields to satisfy him otherwise he's bit of a livewire at home. He is very trainable though and has a lovely temperament. He's 19 months old now and has completely got the hang of heeling to a bike and following commands whilst i'm cycling.
I would imagine crossing him with a border collie would be just as lively but probably smarter. You will need to put in some time training him/her to exercise the brain as well as the legs! Possibly agility of gun dog club.

Posted 4 months ago #
andypaul99 - Member

Same with our Border Collie retriver cross, she has about 2 hrs excercise per day and still has energy for much more!! Very intelligent dog and even though she is only 13 months old everybody is amazed with the temprement and tricks she is able to do. I would really recommend and collie cross, i dont think i could handle a pure border collie from what i hear they are properly wild but i think the balance is just right with a cross.
Just bear in mind lots of time excerise (off lead) is required to get the best from them

Posted 4 months ago #
rickon - Member

Border / Cocker crosses, as with all energetic dogs will need at least 1 1/2 exercise a day. Exercising your dog on lead, isn't exercising it.

You'd need to combine this with more exercise at the weekends too, the less you do, the more frustrated they'll be.

Also, depending on how the dog is apportioned - more collie or more cocker, they will need mental stimulation, so training them to do things.

If you can only spare a walk to the school each day I'd recommend a dog that requires less exercise, and isn't going to be as manic. I would suggest something from the Labrador breed, but they will put on weight and require more exercise as they get older - so you should be looking at the smaller breeds.

I should say well done for considering a rescue, there are so many dogs without homes and it's a great way to help out a dog that is looking for a loving home.

As reference, I have two border collies and have spent good time as a trainer; performing at shows, competing at obedience , training for heelwork, agility.

Posted 4 months ago #
sambob - Member

if it's got the Cocker brain it'll be fine, if a little bouncy. Collie brained may be a bit more of a handful. We had 2 collies, first was lovely, but the second was a complete psycho, absolutely nuts, sadly in an aggressive way. Had to have her put down, now have a lovely springer who's softer than a soft thing, love him to bits.

Posted 4 months ago #
elaine anne - Member

my daughter has just recently bought a cocker spaniel.... he just had his 2nd injection yesterday.... she counting the days until he can go outside for the 'first walkies'.... he,s abit of a sod tho cos he,s biting everything at the mo, she going to have to be sturn with him i think,,, she keeps telling me "the dog is off his nuts"...... are males more boisterous than females...i guess so unless we get rid of his nuts ! hahha

Posted 4 months ago #
Royston - Member

I have a DOG

Posted 4 months ago #
rickon - Member

Boys are more stubborn than girls in general, but all pups require hard work.

WRT biting, this is important, and you need to do it now:

When the pup bites you, or something you dont want it to bite:

- Pick up the pup, quietly, and softly - dont say a word.
- pop them in a seperate room, ideally in their crate or bed
- walk out of the room without saying a word or looking at the pup
- shut the door
- count 1 minute
- go back in a pick up the pup
- take them back into the room and play with them

Repeat this until they get the idea, telling them off at this age isn't effective, you need to set their boundaries, and determine what it is they are trying to achieve - most of the time it's attention, so by isolating them for a short period you are removing them from what they want.

Don't tell them off, and then give them a second chance - they'll only learn they can get away with something and you'll just confuse them as they will identify that they can do what you dont want them to do.

Remember you have about a 15 second window to pick them up, otherwise they wont know what they are being isolated for.

If they are a biter, which your pup sounds like, give them things they are allowed to chew to help with teething - pop to your pet shop and ask them for some puppy chews for teething.

Forget about covering things in chilli sauce, or something horrid tasting, dogs have far less taste buds than us, so they'll just plow through the heat eventually.

If you don't lay down the rules now it will be a lot harder once they get older. A younger dog is far easier to train than an older dog.

They have no boundaries - so at the moment, anything goes - you need to build up mental fences in their mind about what they can and can't do, you're the shepherd and the pup is your herd

Posted 4 months ago #
Del - Member

an hour a day breaks down into 3, twenty minute walks. this is fine for some breads. you may need to think about this a bit more.

Posted 4 months ago #
redfordrider - Member

Yelp every time your puppy bites you! This lets the puppy know that it's causing pain just like its litter mates would do. Keep doing it until it knows not to bite or uses less bit pressure. Our Cocker responded really well when everything else failed.

Posted 4 months ago #
anagallis_arvensis - Member

problem with collies is the more you exercise them they fitter they get, mental stimulation is a key thing.

Posted 4 months ago #
sambob - Member

Might not be a good idea to put them in a crate when they bite as they'll associate this with punishment so wont want to use it. Any empty room works as long as they can't destroy anything.

Posted 4 months ago #
singlecrack - Member

Don't use their crate as a punishment......

Posted 4 months ago #
redfordrider - Member

Crates are meant to be safe, happy places. Not places for punishment as this becomes a trigger for stress.

Posted 4 months ago #
Bimbler - Member

Thanks for all the feedbacks. Not averse to an active dog, didn't realise that walking on the lead did not count towards any of it's exercise, the school run is a bit over 4 miles daily so thought that would be worth something. Saw the little critters tonight, my fave taken though Bastardly cute.

Posted 4 months ago #
ditch_jockey - Member

problem with collies is the more you exercise them they fitter they get, mental stimulation is a key thing.

This +1,000

Just had our 2 collies out for around 4 1/2 hours today - if I went and rattled the leads, they'd be up for more. You have to bear in mind that they're working dogs, bred to cover large areas of rough terrain at speed, while doing a bit of impromptu vector calculus and some animal psychology. If you have one as a pet, you need to exercise them mentally as well as physically - either as part of their physical exercise, or separately. Obedience training counts as mental exercise by the way.

The other vitally important aspect of owning a collie is to be very careful about the amount of protein you feed them. The ideal amount varies from dog to dog, but if you give a collie too much protein, you end up with a dog that's permanently 'high'. We've tried various dry foods and ended up with Wilsons of Dundee which the dogs seem to like and which gives them about the right level of protein.

I've owned a few BCs, but found this book very helpful when we got our last puppy

Posted 4 months ago #
rickon - Member

Crating them for isolation isn't punishment, it's discipline. You're not telling them off, you're giving them time to calm down and relax.

This is what the crate should be for, it's a safe place for them to chill out. If you use it in this manner they will choose to go there when they want to sleep or have time alone.

You should never punish a puppy, only discipline them.

This is why when isolating them you don't react, or say a word to them, and move them calmly.

I'm not going to argue, as this technique works very well, and very quickly. I also agree with the above that yelping can work, although I've seen less effectiveness with bitey puppies. Excessive biting can be a result of the pup being removed from their litter too early, or having their litter mates removed too early - so they don't have their boundaries set for play by their brothers and sisters - this is when yelping can be very effective.

I always recommend Gwen Bailey's puppy book, as it's such a good positive reinforcement introduction, and if you follow it, it's hard to go far wrong: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/060061722X/?tag=googhydr-21&hvadid=4236186410&ref=pd_sl_9kq8a8pzku_e

Posted 4 months ago #