The last week we've moved Jinks off puppy food and onto adult food, and in the same week (not due to the food) she's started to go through that annoying fear stage all dogs go through somewhere between 6 months -12 months depending on size and breed. Although she was doing really well with strangers before, we're back in the 'where'd he come from' department. The key is to "work" through it. With food and commands and enough of a distance she can quickly work her brain through the scary. After all, you can't think 'fear' and 'food' at the same time. Fear goes back to flight or fight. Dogs in this emotional state are very hard if not impossible to feed. If your dog can still accept food, you know they haven't hit the threshold and you can start to increase it. Anyway, she's doing well, we're just in for a month or two of those dreaded "teen" years.
Also, did you know that although on average a dog ages 7 years to our one, that in the first two years it is more close to by one your dog is about 15 years old (depending on size), and around two when they mellow out some more, it's more like 20-25 or so? That's why by three you're winning. Dogs age faster when they are young, slow down for the bulk of their lifespan, and then in the later years age faster again. So you can imagine how many 'stages' of perception they go through in the first year. All of them, at one point or another start noticing there's a big world out there and that's scary.
Heck, when I realized I was just a little speck in the world I was a little fearful too!
Anyway, possible growth spurt, food change and fear period all tied together I might have the laziest 9 month old border collie pup on the planet. With only an hour of exercise yesterday, a few short (1-2 minute) training sessions, and she crawled back into her crate with the door open until 4pm! Then she was up, had a little walk and a chew on her nylabone and came to agility. She is doing awesome by the way, nervous and skitty to do something the first time but once she catches on you can't stop her. Anyway, after agility she came right inside and jumped up on the couch where she was zonked out for a half an hour until she starts whining. Her head had rolled off the couch but she was too lazy or too tired to do anything about it. So Kathleen, being my spoiling sister, picked Jinks up off the couch and tucked her into her kennel. A BC who needs a transport service to get off the couch!!
Today was similiar, although I think now that it's supposed to be the work-week she's going back to routine. Usual routine for most of the week is that she goes out with everyone for the morning pee break, has a little run in the field, and comes back to bed, has her breakfast and sleeps for 4-5 hours in her crate (my version of time away from me, as it's quite possible down the road she would need to be comfortable by herself for this long). At noon she comes to work with me or if Jerrad is home, she goes for a hike with Jerrad and then out to Canadian Tire for an hour to work on her socialization with strange/new people. When we or I get home there's a few little training sessions for her to have supper by hand, then she can do whatever for a few hours, and by about 9:30 she puts herself t bed.
So here's hoping when I take her out for her noon-time walk -since it's family day there's no work for us!- that she isn't quite as lazy. She isn't lethargic so I'm not worried that way, she's just turning into a lazy bones.
Memo to self: next time, a few years down the road, get a bit more 'collie'. Heck, most of the time she isn't even as much energy as what Beckett was at 3 years old!! He would have tired her out no problem back in his day, run circles around her too.
In foster news, Sunshine went home yesterday. This afternoon Vibo will be going home too :) We'll be fosterless until next weekend when a TG pup is scheduled for arrival. Who it will be I'm not quite sure, but chances are it won't be verified until the bus is actually leaving :P
Updates from new homes soon,
Emily
Fostering dogs in Victoria, BC. Giving them lifeskills, cushy pillows, structure, confidence and copious snuggles. From chihuahuas to Rottis, to huskies and anything in between, amusing stories, mostly useless dog tips, and cute dog pictures abound.
3 comments:
A lazy border collie ... sounds like my kind of border collie.
Sounds like she is eager for the challenge/job when it's time though and laid back when nothin's going on.. isn't that ideal..?
Wendy
We have a 2/12 year old border collie/englsh shepherd. I laugh when i read about jinx, cause sawyer can be mr mellow. If there is a ball around, he can go a little crazy and almost never stops fetching, sometimes i think he would do it til he dropped. Once in the house though, he is pretty content to lay around, snooze, watch my daycare kids, or just hang out. Love reading all your tales. Do you have any tips on barking, sawyer likes to bark at people and dogs, and it can be embarrassing, especially since he loves everyone he meets and is very dog friendly( his bark doesnt always sound friendly so it drives us nuts)....
Nothing wrong with her and wouldn't trade her for the world, but it goes back to expectation. When you take a collie pup on you figure you're in it for more than an hour or two a day! How lazy is she going to be when she's grown :P
----For the barking it's not fair to give advice when I don't know what is triggering it. How you deal with a 'likes to hear himself talk' dog greeting people, and one who is potentially fearful, or being territorial or protective (alerting) are all different circumstances.
What seems to work with Jinks is me saying hi to everybody, makes her feel like I'm acknowledging it so she doesn't feel she has to. But she's the more skittish one, so her barking stems from insecurity.
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