OBEDIENCE TRAINING, SOCIALIZATION, AND MANNERS TIPS AND ADVICE
Do not allow your pup to learn any behaviors as a pup that you do not want him/her to do as an adult. So no
herding cats, kids, other dogs, bikes, cars or anything else. This will not hinder your dogs ability to herd
later in life. Herding kids and the cat may be cute to watch when your dog is a little pup, but when he is full
grown and weights forty pounds it is not cute at all.
Please do not take your pup to a dog park or ANY pet store until he has had all his shots and your vet says it
is okay. (usually not until 2 weeks after last puppy booster !)
Please do not take your dog to a herding instructor for training unless you are serious about herding and
you are going to do it on a regular basis. It is not a good idea to get your dog's instincts going and then
stop. It also serves no purpose.
Do not overstimulate your pup when you get him/her home. Give him/her a few days to settle before you
have people come over to play. Don't over do it. You are going to have your pup for many years so what is
the hurry?
If you have children please consider 4H dog projects for them. Call your local 4H and ask if they or
surrounding groups offer it.
Umbilical training is wonderful for the whole family. Please try it if you need info on umbilical training call
me or you can look it up on the Internet.
A bonding tip for your pup is to hand feed him. You don't have to do it everyday, just from time to time so
he will associate food with you not a bowl.
Please put your hands in your pups bowl to keep him from being food aggressive. TIP: Let your pup
associate your hand with a good thing.. Put a piece of hot dog in your left hand so the dog does not see it.
Put your right hand in the bowl and move it around. After a few seconds switch hands and open your hand
to reveal the hot dog. Tell your pup "Good BOY/GIRL" and give the treat. Repeat every day for at least the
first 2 weeks. Your pup will associate hands in his bowl with something good. While you are getting your
pup used to hands in his bowl you will also want to get him use to people touching him while he is eating.
While he is eating pet him and talk to him.
Make sure your pup is gets use to being handled in every way possible. Pet him all over, play with his feet,
play with his tail and face. Make this a positive experience for your dog so he will be friendly and not stress
out when a child pulls his tail or steps on his feet. (The more you do now the more you can enjoy your dog
in the future)
Remember your pup will go through stages just like a human baby. He will have a fear stage that must not
be babied. If you baby him when he spooks you are teaching him that there is something to fear or you
would not be trying to protect him. Example: A new person comes to your home that is loud and tall and
moves quickly. Well your pup may bark, back up and shake. You try to comfort your pup by holding him and
tell him it is okay and you don't let the stranger come near him. You just taught your pup that strangers are
dangerous and you protected him from the bad man. If the man was not bad then why did you cuddle him
and protect him? Not only did you protect him but your pup picked up on your emotions and knows
something was wrong.... Instead tell your pup "Enough" and ignore his foolish behavior. Have the stranger
toss him a treat and leave it at that. Once he has good experiences he will be fine.
STAGES IN YOUR DOGS LIFE
Birth to Seven weeks ( 0 - 49 days )
Socialization Period ( 7 - 12 weeks )
Fear Imprint Period ( 8 - 11 weeks )
Seniority Classification Period ( 12 - 16 weeks )
Flight Instinct Period ( 4 - 8 months )
Second Fear Imprint Period ( 6 - 14 months )
Maturity ( 1 - 4 years)
Do not allow your pup to learn any behaviors as a pup that you do not want him/her to do as an adult. So no
herding cats, kids, other dogs, bikes, cars or anything else. This will not hinder your dogs ability to herd
later in life. Herding kids and the cat may be cute to watch when your dog is a little pup, but when he is full
grown and weights forty pounds it is not cute at all.
Please do not take your pup to a dog park or ANY pet store until he has had all his shots and your vet says it
is okay. (usually not until 2 weeks after last puppy booster !)
Please do not take your dog to a herding instructor for training unless you are serious about herding and
you are going to do it on a regular basis. It is not a good idea to get your dog's instincts going and then
stop. It also serves no purpose.
Do not overstimulate your pup when you get him/her home. Give him/her a few days to settle before you
have people come over to play. Don't over do it. You are going to have your pup for many years so what is
the hurry?
If you have children please consider 4H dog projects for them. Call your local 4H and ask if they or
surrounding groups offer it.
Umbilical training is wonderful for the whole family. Please try it if you need info on umbilical training call
me or you can look it up on the Internet.
A bonding tip for your pup is to hand feed him. You don't have to do it everyday, just from time to time so
he will associate food with you not a bowl.
Please put your hands in your pups bowl to keep him from being food aggressive. TIP: Let your pup
associate your hand with a good thing.. Put a piece of hot dog in your left hand so the dog does not see it.
Put your right hand in the bowl and move it around. After a few seconds switch hands and open your hand
to reveal the hot dog. Tell your pup "Good BOY/GIRL" and give the treat. Repeat every day for at least the
first 2 weeks. Your pup will associate hands in his bowl with something good. While you are getting your
pup used to hands in his bowl you will also want to get him use to people touching him while he is eating.
While he is eating pet him and talk to him.
Make sure your pup is gets use to being handled in every way possible. Pet him all over, play with his feet,
play with his tail and face. Make this a positive experience for your dog so he will be friendly and not stress
out when a child pulls his tail or steps on his feet. (The more you do now the more you can enjoy your dog
in the future)
Remember your pup will go through stages just like a human baby. He will have a fear stage that must not
be babied. If you baby him when he spooks you are teaching him that there is something to fear or you
would not be trying to protect him. Example: A new person comes to your home that is loud and tall and
moves quickly. Well your pup may bark, back up and shake. You try to comfort your pup by holding him and
tell him it is okay and you don't let the stranger come near him. You just taught your pup that strangers are
dangerous and you protected him from the bad man. If the man was not bad then why did you cuddle him
and protect him? Not only did you protect him but your pup picked up on your emotions and knows
something was wrong.... Instead tell your pup "Enough" and ignore his foolish behavior. Have the stranger
toss him a treat and leave it at that. Once he has good experiences he will be fine.
STAGES IN YOUR DOGS LIFE
Birth to Seven weeks ( 0 - 49 days )
Socialization Period ( 7 - 12 weeks )
Fear Imprint Period ( 8 - 11 weeks )
Seniority Classification Period ( 12 - 16 weeks )
Flight Instinct Period ( 4 - 8 months )
Second Fear Imprint Period ( 6 - 14 months )
Maturity ( 1 - 4 years)
TRAINING
If you take time to train your pup right in the first year of his life you will be rewarded the next 10+ years.
A pup is a product of his environment please remembers that. You need to know that in animals there
are things that are instinct and there are behaviors. A behavior is learned and repeated when there is
a pay off or rewarded. Some things are self rewarding and some are rewarded by humans or other
Border Collies are like sponges and they absorb everything around them.
HOUSE TRAINING
A pup should be expected to hold his bladder for only short periods of time. The general rule used by
trainers is how ever many months old a pup is plus one. So if your pup is 5 months old he can probably
bladder for 6 hours. Your pup will need to go potty after every meal, after play and after a nap. I
suggest you feed and water the pup then take him outside and do not bring him back in until he has
went to the bathroom. When you notice the pup is starting to sniff the ground give him the command
"go potty" or whatever you are going to use and as soon as he goes praise and say "Good Potty." Then
toss him a small treat or toss a toy. I suggest you take your pup to the same area every time so he will
use the bathroom in that area instead of all over the yard. If your pup has not gone to the bathroom
after 10 minutes and you are tired of standing get a chair and wait. You want to be there with your dog
as soon as he finally does go to the bathroom so you can reward him.
If your pup does have an accident in the house, and you catch him in the act, you should clap your
hands loud and growl "No" and rush him out the door. The reason you clap your hands is it startles the
pup and gets his attention so you can rush him out the door. If you find that your pup has used the
bathroom and you did not catch him in the act. Clean the area with half vinegar half water but don't let
your pup see you clean it. Do not rub your pups nose in the spot. That teaches you pup NOTHING! Well
except that you are a crazy human who goes around rubbing his nose in urine. A pup has no idea why
he can not use your new carpet as his toilet. Your pup must be taught where he can go potty.
Please do not spank your pup with a rolled up newspaper. I don't know who thought this up but it is the
stupidest thing I have ever heard of. Hitting your pup makes no sense to a dog. If your pup does pee or
poop in the floor I suggest you roll up a newspaper and hit yourself in the head 3 times and repeat ' I will
not leave my pup alone and I will not forget to take the pup out, bad human.' Learn to pay more
attention to your pup.
Punishing the pup for doing something he does not know is wrong makes no sense to the dog.
Example: Lets say you were taking a foreign language class and your professor told you to 'take out your
blue ink pen' you don't speak the language yet so you have no idea what you are supposed to do. The
professor walks up to you and pops you on the head. You would be totally confused right? Then the
professor repeated herself and hit you again and the process is repeated. What would you have
learned? Well, you may have learned to duck or hit back but either way you still did not learn what she
wanted you to. Same goes for your dog. You may think he will eventually figure out peeing on the floor
equals a swat but all your pup really is going to learn is when his humans come home or walk into a
room he may get swatted for no reason so eventually he will hide or retreat when you walk into site.
You will think he knows he did wrong but really all he knows is you are unpredictable and he better get
out of your way.
CRATE TRAINING
Crates are great if used in moderation. Your pup may hate going into a crate at first. He will learn to at
least tolerate it or if you are fortunate your dog will be like my dogs and love stretching out in his crate.
A few tips for crate training are: Do not allow him to come out if he is crying. Be strong, buy ear plugs,
go out to eat, go outside do whatever you must do but do not give in. If you do your pup has learned
the most important lesson of his life. He is the boss you are not. Yelling 'Shut up' over and over will
teach him that 'Shut up' = BARK!
Put your pup in the crate once he has had a chance to use the bathroom outside, do not expect him to
be able to hold his bladder for long periods of time. If possible start out slow and introduce him to the
crate easily. I suggest you put his food in the crate with the door open to start. Let him go in and out on
his own a few times. Toss a toy or treat in so he will want to go inside. Once you have shown him there
is nothing to fear you can close the door and get ready for the barking.
COLLARS
Do not put a choker on your pup until he is at least 4 months old. (if at all) You can cause damage to
your pup with a choker. A trainer can show you how to properly put one on. A pup can wear a snap
collar, but I don't recommend it for an adult. Snap collars are known to pop off and wear out fast. A
buckle collar will stay put and not pop off. You can also use a Premier Collar for which is which a lot of
people use for walking because it will not slip off.
CHEW TOYS
*Only use cheese or peanut butter or other things as fillers hollow toys if your dog is not allergic and
they do not make your dogs stomach upset.
The Kong is a wonderful toy and great for both pups and adults. For a special treat I like to put
pasteurized cheese or peanut butter. Dogs love both! Or you can cook rice in chicken broth put it in
the blender to make a mushy paste then put it in the kong and freeze.
The Kong company also sells filling for the toy or you can make your own.
No matter what you put in the Kong Fill the Kong let the pup try to get it out for a few hours. You do not
want whatever you put in the Kong to spoil. Then you take a finger and scoop it out... BAM you are a
wonderful human for getting that yummy stuff out for the pup!
If you decide to give rawhide bones please be aware that the knots on the end are dangerous. If you
pup chews the middle first and leaves the knots, he may attempt to swallow the knots whole. If you give
rawhide be sure to check it often and when it gets small enough to put the whole thing almost in you
ups mouth throw it away!
Please be careful of rope toys. The string comes off you don't want your pup to have a belly full of
string. They are okay toys to use when under your supervision.
No toys with button eyes pop them off before your pup does.
Want a pup with a ton of ball drive?
Take a tennis ball and with a knife slice to lines on each side. You want to be able to squeeze it and
have it open up a little. Put hot dogs or treats inside then toss the ball and let him fetch it, when the
pup brings the ball back to you(or if you have to take the ball when teaching the pup to fetch do that)
then you open up the tennis ball and let a few treats drop out! BALL DRIVE.
For hot summer days.
Fill a 1 or 2 liter bottle with water and glue the cap on tight. Freeze the bottle then give to the pup to
lick, lay near and try to chew on. I would not recommend this for a pup who could get the lid off or chew
a piece of the bottle off.
My favorite thing to do is buy a Kong (great toy) fill the Kong with canned dog food, put it in a zipper
seal type of bag then freeze. The pup gets his own frozen treat that thaws as the day goes on.
Pet supply stores also sells toys that you can soak in water then freeze for the pup. Frozen toys feel so
good when teething. I even put bones in zipper seal bags then freeze them adults and pups like them
on hot days.
**I personally have never had a pup chew till the cold made his/her mouth sore, but I am sure a pup
could do that so it is something to watch.
Most pups will love a small kid pool that they can cool off in! Toss a few tennis balls and floating toys
into it to make it even more fun.
DANGER
Please be aware that a lot of common house plants are poisonous to your pup. You can get a list from
the net.
The above training tips and advice provided by Trish Boswell of G Force Border Collies
If you take time to train your pup right in the first year of his life you will be rewarded the next 10+ years.
A pup is a product of his environment please remembers that. You need to know that in animals there
are things that are instinct and there are behaviors. A behavior is learned and repeated when there is
a pay off or rewarded. Some things are self rewarding and some are rewarded by humans or other
Border Collies are like sponges and they absorb everything around them.
HOUSE TRAINING
A pup should be expected to hold his bladder for only short periods of time. The general rule used by
trainers is how ever many months old a pup is plus one. So if your pup is 5 months old he can probably
bladder for 6 hours. Your pup will need to go potty after every meal, after play and after a nap. I
suggest you feed and water the pup then take him outside and do not bring him back in until he has
went to the bathroom. When you notice the pup is starting to sniff the ground give him the command
"go potty" or whatever you are going to use and as soon as he goes praise and say "Good Potty." Then
toss him a small treat or toss a toy. I suggest you take your pup to the same area every time so he will
use the bathroom in that area instead of all over the yard. If your pup has not gone to the bathroom
after 10 minutes and you are tired of standing get a chair and wait. You want to be there with your dog
as soon as he finally does go to the bathroom so you can reward him.
If your pup does have an accident in the house, and you catch him in the act, you should clap your
hands loud and growl "No" and rush him out the door. The reason you clap your hands is it startles the
pup and gets his attention so you can rush him out the door. If you find that your pup has used the
bathroom and you did not catch him in the act. Clean the area with half vinegar half water but don't let
your pup see you clean it. Do not rub your pups nose in the spot. That teaches you pup NOTHING! Well
except that you are a crazy human who goes around rubbing his nose in urine. A pup has no idea why
he can not use your new carpet as his toilet. Your pup must be taught where he can go potty.
Please do not spank your pup with a rolled up newspaper. I don't know who thought this up but it is the
stupidest thing I have ever heard of. Hitting your pup makes no sense to a dog. If your pup does pee or
poop in the floor I suggest you roll up a newspaper and hit yourself in the head 3 times and repeat ' I will
not leave my pup alone and I will not forget to take the pup out, bad human.' Learn to pay more
attention to your pup.
Punishing the pup for doing something he does not know is wrong makes no sense to the dog.
Example: Lets say you were taking a foreign language class and your professor told you to 'take out your
blue ink pen' you don't speak the language yet so you have no idea what you are supposed to do. The
professor walks up to you and pops you on the head. You would be totally confused right? Then the
professor repeated herself and hit you again and the process is repeated. What would you have
learned? Well, you may have learned to duck or hit back but either way you still did not learn what she
wanted you to. Same goes for your dog. You may think he will eventually figure out peeing on the floor
equals a swat but all your pup really is going to learn is when his humans come home or walk into a
room he may get swatted for no reason so eventually he will hide or retreat when you walk into site.
You will think he knows he did wrong but really all he knows is you are unpredictable and he better get
out of your way.
CRATE TRAINING
Crates are great if used in moderation. Your pup may hate going into a crate at first. He will learn to at
least tolerate it or if you are fortunate your dog will be like my dogs and love stretching out in his crate.
A few tips for crate training are: Do not allow him to come out if he is crying. Be strong, buy ear plugs,
go out to eat, go outside do whatever you must do but do not give in. If you do your pup has learned
the most important lesson of his life. He is the boss you are not. Yelling 'Shut up' over and over will
teach him that 'Shut up' = BARK!
Put your pup in the crate once he has had a chance to use the bathroom outside, do not expect him to
be able to hold his bladder for long periods of time. If possible start out slow and introduce him to the
crate easily. I suggest you put his food in the crate with the door open to start. Let him go in and out on
his own a few times. Toss a toy or treat in so he will want to go inside. Once you have shown him there
is nothing to fear you can close the door and get ready for the barking.
COLLARS
Do not put a choker on your pup until he is at least 4 months old. (if at all) You can cause damage to
your pup with a choker. A trainer can show you how to properly put one on. A pup can wear a snap
collar, but I don't recommend it for an adult. Snap collars are known to pop off and wear out fast. A
buckle collar will stay put and not pop off. You can also use a Premier Collar for which is which a lot of
people use for walking because it will not slip off.
CHEW TOYS
*Only use cheese or peanut butter or other things as fillers hollow toys if your dog is not allergic and
they do not make your dogs stomach upset.
The Kong is a wonderful toy and great for both pups and adults. For a special treat I like to put
pasteurized cheese or peanut butter. Dogs love both! Or you can cook rice in chicken broth put it in
the blender to make a mushy paste then put it in the kong and freeze.
The Kong company also sells filling for the toy or you can make your own.
No matter what you put in the Kong Fill the Kong let the pup try to get it out for a few hours. You do not
want whatever you put in the Kong to spoil. Then you take a finger and scoop it out... BAM you are a
wonderful human for getting that yummy stuff out for the pup!
If you decide to give rawhide bones please be aware that the knots on the end are dangerous. If you
pup chews the middle first and leaves the knots, he may attempt to swallow the knots whole. If you give
rawhide be sure to check it often and when it gets small enough to put the whole thing almost in you
ups mouth throw it away!
Please be careful of rope toys. The string comes off you don't want your pup to have a belly full of
string. They are okay toys to use when under your supervision.
No toys with button eyes pop them off before your pup does.
Want a pup with a ton of ball drive?
Take a tennis ball and with a knife slice to lines on each side. You want to be able to squeeze it and
have it open up a little. Put hot dogs or treats inside then toss the ball and let him fetch it, when the
pup brings the ball back to you(or if you have to take the ball when teaching the pup to fetch do that)
then you open up the tennis ball and let a few treats drop out! BALL DRIVE.
For hot summer days.
Fill a 1 or 2 liter bottle with water and glue the cap on tight. Freeze the bottle then give to the pup to
lick, lay near and try to chew on. I would not recommend this for a pup who could get the lid off or chew
a piece of the bottle off.
My favorite thing to do is buy a Kong (great toy) fill the Kong with canned dog food, put it in a zipper
seal type of bag then freeze. The pup gets his own frozen treat that thaws as the day goes on.
Pet supply stores also sells toys that you can soak in water then freeze for the pup. Frozen toys feel so
good when teething. I even put bones in zipper seal bags then freeze them adults and pups like them
on hot days.
**I personally have never had a pup chew till the cold made his/her mouth sore, but I am sure a pup
could do that so it is something to watch.
Most pups will love a small kid pool that they can cool off in! Toss a few tennis balls and floating toys
into it to make it even more fun.
DANGER
Please be aware that a lot of common house plants are poisonous to your pup. You can get a list from
the net.
The above training tips and advice provided by Trish Boswell of G Force Border Collies
Do not copy or use any
excerpt from this page
without written permission
from Trish Boswell of
G-Force Border Collies.
excerpt from this page
without written permission
from Trish Boswell of
G-Force Border Collies.