Jacobean Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 Any tips for how to deal with this? I know other breeds do similar but think this may be a collie thing too as the inlaws Border Collie used to do the same thing. Sheena my little collie x can be a bit of a bossy little madam and won't do anything that my hubby tells her to do. She has bonded to me and follows me and the Viz everywhere. She has a few little niggles but I need to deal with this one in particular as she does it to visitors to the home as well as my husband. When someone attempts to leave a room she will bark like mad and charge at them. She hasn't bitten anyone until today when she got oh's leg. It could be she actually caught him by accident as he was wearing shorts at the time and I'm assuming she would normally have got his trousers. Not that she normally actually runs that close to anyone when she does it. Scenario was different today though. Mobile phone went, signal was awful so hubby left room, to get a better one in a bit of a hurried fashion. Sheena for one cannot stand mobile phones and is frightened if a text message comes through. Doesn't like funny noises. She used to do the same to me in the early days but then bonded strongly to me and will do as I say. I normally walk calmly out of a room and tell her where I'm going and she sometimes follows me. Now obviously if we have visitors I warn everyone and don't let this situation arise. We have the space here so that I can take her with me somewhere else and then someone can go through the door lol. How can I stop her doing this? Sheena is the first collie type me and my husband have had. We have mentioned a few things to the inlaws along the way and they have said oh that's typical collie behaviour. They don't have the answer to this one though. Don't worry Sheena won't be going anywhere. I would just like to get this behaviour stopped really for her as well as everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redditchlady Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 Not sure sorry. Is it worth having a chat with Sarah Wiccaweys. Hope you can get to the root of the problem with Sheena. Kazz xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycas Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 (edited) Sheena thinks your husband is a sheep! She is rounding him up! I'm afraid that your visitors have become sheep as well. It may be nice to know that you at least are not a sheep. If it were me, would teach her a conflicting behaviour such as a fetch to do when problem situations like that come up. My mother's collies are taught to fetch their tuggies when people leave the room or things go 'BEEP', and that works well for them. Or you could go for a down-stay or send her to sit on a mat or something. The collie x corgi I grew up with was taught to 'go to box' whenever she tried to herd people. But I think that's harder because there's a tendency to shoot back to the box for the minimum possible time and out again, whereas the tuggie thing allows the distraction of starting a game. But I'm sure there are people here with loads more collie experience than me. I was just amused by the idea of the Sheena's-eye view of the world: a house inhabited by Jacobean, Sheena, and a bunch of sheep! Sorry, it's not funny if you get nipped I know. I'm being horribly unsympathetic... Edited May 1, 2007 by cycas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacobean Posted May 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 (edited) That's cracked me up Victoria because that is exactly what she does to people. I've tried to distract her attention at the time but it hasn't worked up to now. Edited May 1, 2007 by Jacobean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
safneo Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 Michelle, how are you trying to distract her? Neo is VERY herdy being from working stock. We have had similar problems, mainly with the kids. How old is Sheena? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacobean Posted May 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 Have tried a few things maybe some could have had an adverse affect and been the wrong thing to do. Not sure. I've tried talking to her and giving her attention by stroking her, walking in the opposite direction to the person leaving to try to get her to follow me, telling her no, everyone ignoring her, she loves food and treats so I've tried to tantalise her with a treat to take her mind off it but she ignored it. She doesn't play with toys all that much. Has tug toys and a little goat but only plays with them rarely so can't try that. Is too fond of play fighting with her boys. She's only knee high and is a collie x but everything about her smacks of collie. She's 12/13 now. I think she is a herder. Have you overcome your problems Andrea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
safneo Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 Well at 12/13 it might be more difficult to train her out of it but not impossible. The first thing I did,was stop playing ball with Neo. It just reinforces the herding instinct. And I've trained him to 'wait'. So when I go to leave the room I tell him to wait and he does. This took LOTS of practise with me going just outside the door and straight back in again, then a big fuss/praise reward. He loves praise as a reward but couldnt really be bothered with food. This time was lengthened very slowly to me waiting outside the door to me continually telling him 'wait' whilst he heard me walking upstairs and back again. You have to find what she is really into to get a good response (or who maybe in Sheenas case). Does she know any tricks that she will perform for her special person? What about teaching her to 'go to her mat' not to bed but to a special place where she will get what she craves? Attention from special person, treats or a game? Also. if she is nippy (and hasnt had bad experiences) leaving the room with something in your hand, like a rolled newspaper, one of those retrieve dumbell sack toys(?) so she can take that when she nips and learns to take the toy. Then you can progess to giving it to her before she tries to take it. Collies are very intelligent, you just have to learn to twist things around for them and be one or two steps ahead! Just thinking out loud as every collie is switched on by different things. Definately speak to Sarah at Wiccs. She must have dealt with oldie collies hundreds of times and probably had to deal with this in the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whizzie Posted May 2, 2007 Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 Have a word with Sarah & Paul - this is a common problem because Sheena is following her natural collie instincts and probably thinks she is doing a good job! If she is not nipping you in this way I'd agree that is because she is seeing you as her leader. Therefore it is down to you to take charge and make it clear to Sheena what behaviours you are happy with and what you are not. I definitely wouldn't shout and reinforce any possible excitement but would try a firm "no" and calling her back to you. If necessary, I'd go and retrieve her, get her to sit down and wait. I've had this problem with foster dogs in the past and using a lead indoors enabled me to get the message across quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacobean Posted May 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 Thanks folks I'll contact Sarah. Sheena does have some issues unfortunately. She was a terrified little girl when she arrived with us and depressed at losing her old mum. Thankfully she has now got over all of that apart from the odd little thing. She has to know where I am all the time when I'm home and will frantically run after me in a panic if I move too quickly for her or she doesn't catch on I'm going somewhere. Obviously I don't do this to her. I always say where I'm going to and move slowly to let her catch up. She knows wait as we still have a stair gate on from when Bracken was a pup. If that's closed I command her to wait at the bottom when we go down so I can open it for her. So she does know wait which is a start. Sheena doesn't play with balls at all. She just bounces around and play fights. The Viz have a lot to answer for. She doesn't take any nonsense and doesn't hold any prisoners. She has bitten me a number of times and once very badly. We've come a long way together but she will only let me do certain things if she's in the mood. Touching her collar is a big no no unless I want to be savaged basically. Found that one out the hard way. She will only let me touch her collar to put a lead on or if I'm grooming her or giving her a bath. I have to be careful how I touch her at times. If she's on a chair I can command her to get down and she will but I don't go to touch her to get her down. She had a coughing fit while lying upside once. I went to turn her over and was bitten. She was told off and knows now if that happens she sits up. She is intelligent as you say. She never shows any sign of remorse when she bites. I've managed the worst problem I had with her. She consistently tried to attack Issie our Spinone. Thankfully they are living together happily now. I have had to watch her like a hawk. They are nearly friends. A bit to go but definitely a lot better and I can leave them together in the same room now without worry. Not that Sheena stays in a room long without me. Anyways I'm waffling. I'll go speak to Sarah. Thanks folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycas Posted May 2, 2007 Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 Good luck! It sounds like she is a very bright little girl: but I can see it's difficult to find ways to channel that with her background. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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