Kelpie/Border Collie X. Hello folks from NSW Australia

[Tex Tillis]

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My dog, Clyde, 7 yo neutred Kelpie, has the following problems:
1. He will not abide being left alone at home, not for 10 minutes, without barking continuously and loudly;
2. He cannot be trusted off-leash in the park, as he will invariably run aggressively at the meekest pooch and "air-bite" it, trying to round it up, as if it were a sheep; needless to say, if he picks the wrong mark, there is a fight;
3. He will - if I am momentarily distracted - nip the heels of cyclists; he will will even give chase and try to bite the tires; and finally
4. He has no respect for children, seemingly regarding them as lower on the pack hierarchy: this means that if I am not constantly vigilant, he will jump up onto a child, as if to "tag" it, you know: "gotcha!"

As I grow older, I am fast arriving at a point where I am considering having Clyde euthenised, as I am radically bound to the home and to forlorn walks - always on the leash, whereas all he wants to do is run, piss on a boundary post, argue the toss with another dog etc - forlorn walks where he constantly drags against me (vexing fault, as he jerks and pulls me around all over the place)

I realize that his behavioural problems are my failing; so please, spare me the moralizing. What I am seeking is a sober assessment (unsentimental, and hard-nosed as you can) of his chances of reform, given that I have diminishing reserves of energy, time and money to seek remedial help.

Thanks kindly for taking the trouble to read this post.

Tex

 

[Josie]

Hello @Tex Tillis and welcome to the forum.

That’s sounds like quite the dilemma with poor Clyde.

I don’t have much behavioural knowledge but there are so many great people on here who do so you will definitely get some great advice and things to try.

I hope that you find some good solutions and euthanasia isn’t an option.

I know you mentioned about limited money but could you get a behaviourist to come and see Clyde? Would he do well acting out his natural herding instincts in a safe organised way? Or would he be too aggressive towards sheep?

 

[JoanneF]

No moralising judgement here, we really try not to be like that!

Kelpies are not easy dogs, so don't beat yourself up. They do need a lot of stimulation and can end up amusing themselves (with the cyclists and kids maybe?) It's not just physical activity though because then you can end up with a super fit, understimulated dog. The main concern for me is that he has been practising these behaviours for 7 years so they are pretty deeply ingrained. I wonder if you might benefit from some help from a behaviourist to give you some support. They will observe you and the dog in these environments then suggest strategies. Please choose someone who doesn't use dominance and pack theory, it has been disproved and is considered outdated, and on a sensitive dog like kelpies often are, it could make things worse. It may be that over-firm handling has put him in a state of constant anxiety and that is what causes these behaviours. The APBC and COAPE are good places to look. Your insurance may cover it. You could also try an Adaptil collar (it has a scent that replicates the hormone a bitch has after having puppies and has a calming effect on dogs as a management strategy while you work on his problems.

 

[Tex Tillis]

Hello @Tex Tillis and welcome to the forum.

That’s sounds like quite the dilemma with poor Clyde.

I don’t have much behavioural knowledge but there are so many great people on here who do so you will definitely get some great advice and things to try.

I hope that you find some good solutions and euthanasia isn’t an option.

I know you mentioned about limited money but could you get a behaviourist to come and see Clyde? Would he do well acting out his natural herding instincts in a safe organised way? Or would he be too aggressive towards sheep?

Thanks Josie, but euthanasia is an option.
And no, as I mentioned, I live on very modest means, as a pensioner, and I don't have the resources to go down the behavioral "therapy" route.
Regs,
Tex.

 

[Tex Tillis]

No moralising judgement here, we really try not to be like that!

Kelpies are not easy dogs, so don't beat yourself up. They do need a lot of stimulation and can end up amusing themselves (with the cyclists and kids maybe?) It's not just physical activity though because then you can end up with a super fit, understimulated dog. The main concern for me is that he has been practising these behaviours for 7 years so they are pretty deeply ingrained. I wonder if you might benefit from some help from a behaviourist to give you some support. They will observe you and the dog in these environments then suggest strategies. Please choose someone who doesn't use dominance and pack theory, it has been disproved and is considered outdated, and on a sensitive dog like kelpies often are, it could make things worse. It may be that over-firm handling has put him in a state of constant anxiety and that is what causes these behaviours. The APBC and COAPE are good places to look. Your insurance may cover it. You could also try an Adaptil collar (it has a scent that replicates the hormone a bitch has after having puppies and has a calming effect on dogs as a management strategy while you work on his problems.

The ocean of pseudo-science: don't "use dominance and pack theory, it has been disproved..."
By whom, how? By the scientific method of double-blind, repeatable (and repeated!) studies on large data pools?
If not, the "dominance theory" practitioners will still be out there touting their way as the royal way.
This is just the sea of half-truths and wishful thinking that I wished to avoid by eschewing the Aussie fora and going for what I hoped might be a more sober, more rational group (more like traditional Brits)
Alas, the black tidal sludge of occult and mystic "thinking" has surged world-wide.

I withdraw my original request and will soon withdraw my subscription.
Thanks anyway for taking the time,
Tex

 

[JoanneF]

I have absolutely no idea what you just tried to say. We can offer advice; you can choose to accept it or ignore it. Good luck.

 

[Tex Tillis]

I didn't"try" to say anything.
I made a just and pertinent comment.
Don't condescend to strangers, lest ye be found to be embarrassingly wanting.

 

[excuseme]

That's not very nice!

 

[Tex Tillis]

That's not very nice!

No, not particularly "nice" (a grossly overrated virtue, to the expense of straight-talking and plain speech) but is it really, REALLY reportable?
Surely you are open to the charge of an excessively soft under-belly if a measured response to Joanne's implied snipe at me: "what you tried to say" (my italics), such a measured response gets you pumped to the "reporting outrage" stage.