I'm getting a puppy!

My parents wouldn't let me have one when I was little (they didn't want to take care of it) and my husband and I lived in an apartment that didn't allow them.  But a couple of months ago we finally bought a house, and now we're getting a border collie.  I get to take her home Saturday, and I can't wait!  I'm looking forward to lots of time in the backyard playing with her, and she's going to take me for walks and keep me active. 

Any tips for the first time dog owner?

ooo your so lucky. i had a black lab mix since i was 9 until 14 but then we moved and my mom gave him away...

and now with college i live in an apt with roomates who have allergies so i cant get a pet...

but i come home this summer and i've decided im getting a rabbit. i don't care what my mom says. :)

oh you asked for tips...well be extremely prepared. i loved my dog but i wasn't prepared. my mom kind of bought him randomnly for me out of divorce pity one saturday. and he was newly born, very few months old so he needed LOTS of care. the first few nights i was taking him out every 2-3hrs, and potty training was HELL, so start that quick...also he went througha nipping phase which alot of puppies go through. take care of this fast also. i was young and encouraged it a bit at first and it got out of hand. my dog was extremelyyyyyy friendly though. loved everyone. but too much. so much that he'd get overly excited and kind of frighten ppl. he'd NEVER bite anyone but he could be intimidating to new guests, because he'd jump on them. he had biggg social anxiety. we could never take him out to parks or anywhere really. vet trips were horrible because he'd get really nervous around new people, like i could feel him shaking, and hed just yip like over and over in his nervousness, and not be able to sit still... so definately take your dog out ALOT. socialize him. i didnt socialize mine early on and wasnt prepared so made alot of mistakes being 9ish with my first dog that i now know better from. i looooved him he was the sweetest dog ever but alot to handle. so socialize your dog, train him, potty train him--all that stuff early, don't encourage bad behavior no matter how cute and innocent it starts out to be...oh and love him of course.

you're alot older and im sure mature than i was so youve probably read up on the tempermants of border collies and things they need yadda yadda. so im sure youll make an excellent "dog owner" (always been a weird phrase to me but theres no other one you can really use i don't think) dogs are amazing and always make you're days that much better. great distractions from any types of problems too. oooo i want a dog again. one day...

(hope i helped and didnt scare you. im sure you're very prepared)

AGHH! Don't do it!

I got a puppy 2 months ago with NO idea what I was doing, and HOW much work it is going to be! Be ready to surrender your free time to this dog, and clean up pee and poop from every surface of your house.

I hope you don't like your furninture because when they are teething that bite everyhing.

Oh, and be prepared to wake up 5 times a night for the first few weeks, and never sleep past 6 am on a sunday morning ever again.

If people had warned me that having a puppy was going to be 95% work and 5% fun, I would not have jumped into my decision.

I hope you puppy is a better behaved puppy than mine is!!!!

2-3 hours?  wow, I didn't realize they had to go that often.. But yeah, I figured it would be quite a bit of work.  And I'll be sure to buy plenty of chew toys and treats!

My little puppy is nearly 4 months and we have had her since she was 8 weeks. She is currently going through puppy training - Check out the pics on my profile!

Yes it can be a pain in the arse mopping up piss and scooping all that poop, and Yes - they chew EVERYTHING.

But they can be so funny, and cute, that all the bad stuff doesn't mean anything.

I got my 1st dog two years ago!! When I told friends and family I was getting a puppy to years ago they told me not to do it! IT WAS ALOT of work. BUT it's worth it!! I love my monster!

I have a border collie mix.   He is still techinically a pup, turned one in janurary.

Here are some tips:

They tend to be diggers, crate train him from the beginning (i didn't do that b/c I didn't like the idea of him being in a crate) BUT i paid for it, coming home to carpets dug up and lineolim dug up and stuff.  He is starting now to be okay when I leave him.

To potty train him/her:  If it poops in the house, take the poop and put it outside where you want him to potty outside. 

ONLY punish him when you see him do something bad.  For instance:  if you come home and there is poop on the ground or pee, don't punish him then b/c he won't know what he did, only do it if you actually SEE him doing it.

Train him early!!!  My fiance and I took about 20 minutes everynight to train our pup.  It's soooo worth it.  He knows all his basic commands (sit, down, side (we made that one up, but it really comes in handy when I want him to calm down), stay, high five) But anyway, people are really impressed when they see a trained dog, especially since Border Collies get pretty big, they can be intimidating to some people, but if he is trained then you won't have a problem

Border Collies need TONS of exercise.  They are HYPER and they are working dogs and if they don't have a job they tend to get destructive.  I walk mine every morning before work, and now that it's nice I take him to the park everynight. 

Hmmm more....

They do need to go outside every 2-3 hours, and right after he eats, drinks, or plays take him outside, and wait for him to potty, if he doesn't potty then take him back inside and put him in his crate for another 10 minutes and then take him back outside to potty.

LOTS AND LOTS OF PRAISE WHEN HE DOES SOMETHING GOOD.  Take treats with you outside and when he does his business give him a treat. 


Thats all I can think of right now, but there are good books.  I actually got puppy for dummies, and that one was pretty accurate.  I did a lot of research because I wanted a very well behaved dog, and it all worked out and was very worth it.  The first 6 months might be hell (i contimplated giving him away once when I came home and he had gotten a water bottle of crystal light, bit into it, shook his head and i had red stains all over my cream carpet and chewed through 2 lamp chords) but it gets easier, and he will get calmer and you'll love him.  haha

Good luck and congrats!!!

if you need any other help feel free to message me, I have done so much research on dog training and behavior I feel like I could be the next dog whisperer.  haha

Thanks for all the great tips!  Keep em coming!

I did get a crate for her already this weekend.  There's only about 6 hours during the day when neither my husband nor I are home.. but hopefully if she's in her crate she can hold it in for that long.  If not, I'll be ready for cleanup detail after work everyday. 

Honestly for a puppy especially a collie which is a fairly sturdy breed.  Leave it outside during the night and in the day when you aren't home, it's warm out right now and dogs really enjoy being outside where they can run and jump and roll around without getting in trouble.

When we got our puppy we put up a fence around a small area with a warm dog house and toys, and lots of shade.  This became his safe spot. When he was older and we trusted him not to leave the yard we just left the door to this area open and it's where he would go when he was bored or tired.

He may cry a little when you first leave him alone but he has to get used to it.  The last thing you want is a dog who you can't leave alone without it going crazy and spazzing out in the house/car. 

Puppies are just like children they learn quickly.  If you cave in everytime they cry you will end up with a spoiled misbehaved puppy who crys all the time.

Getting a dog is totally worth the hassel.. so cute to come home to and play with and walk with.... :)

From what we learned from experience, is that you can only leave them in their crates for 2-3 hours at a time. Puppies DO NOT have the bladder control to hold it while you are at work all day. It is also cruel to make them sit in their own feces.

If you can't go home on your lunch break to give the pup a potty break, look into a pet sitter, a family member, or a neighbor to help.

If you are leaving the pup alone for 6 hours it CAN'T hold it that long, so it will go in it's crate. If it is FORCED to go in it's crate, then potty training is going to be very diffiicult.

I have been through all of this, My pup is still being housebroken at 4 months. It is not a quick and easy process.

My recommendation would be to buy books on potty training, and even consider a puppy kindergarten program.

good luck.

Watch "The Dog Whisperer" on National Geographic channel. You can pick up a LOT from that show, even if some of it doesn't come in handy until later.

Here is a good article on crate training

http://www.cuhumane.org/topics/crate.html

Read a LOT about dog training!

The best thing that I can suggest is to not let the puppy do things when it's little that you will not allow when it's grown  (like jumping up, getting on furniture, etc)  They grow quickly and it's best to set ground rules from day one.  Also, puppies can be trained from the day you get them.  Like, make the pup sit before it eats.  Border collies are soooo smart, it won't take long.  And, like someone said, watch the  Dog Whisperer and/ or read his book.

I don't really have any advice, but best of luck!  Border Collies and BC mixes are pretty common shelters b/c of their high energy.  They are just georgous dogs, though.

For anyone else thinking of getting a dog and frightened by the puppy stage - adopt an older dog from the shelter.  I used to foster dogs for the local SPCA - they are just as wonderful and loving as a puppy, without all the hassles!  I fostered one puppy - after that experience (only one week - the puppy was just a little sick, which was why he was in fostering), I requested only adult dogs.   They are so much easier!

Congrats on the new puppy.

I work with animals and have been doing so for the majority of my life.

I have owned a border collie and now own their not so distant cousin, the Australian Shepherd.

Dont leave a border outside unattended at ANYTIME. They are extremely smart and if they are not given a task to do, or a distraction (playing frisbee/fetch with you) they will make their own fun which normally consists of destroying something or getting out of the yard. This goes for inside the house as well. They are not naturally diggers, as someone else said. They are born to work - to herd. They need a job to do ALL the time. I suggest doing some homework online or picking up a breed specific book before bringing her home so you know what to look forward to and what to avoid. Dog Training for Dummies and Dog Tricks for Dummies are both EXCELLENT books

I could overload you with information, but I wont since I must get back to work. If you'd like some more info feel free to PM me.

prkushun, it's good advice to read as much as you can. and definitely i recommend the "crate training" method. i house trained charlie completely in one week. (but it was a 24/7 commitment.) he's my third dog, and the only one i trained this way, and he is sooooooo good. he's a shepherd - greyhound mix. smartest dog i've ever had, too! puppies are a lot of work, but once you're past that, you'll have the best friend you could ever have!!!

Congratulations!  Owning a dog can be so rewarding -- I love my little one!

Your on track with the crate training.  It works.  Consider getting a dog walker to break up the six hours, but you'll only need it for a couple weeks or so. 

Get tons of toys so the dog doesn't chew on your stuff while teething. 

Don't laugh when the dog does undesirable behavior, even if it's just the cutest thing (and its hard for puppies not to be cute).  The laugh is positive reinforcement of the behavior and can hinder training.

Lots of good tips on purina.com.

Make sure you understand that dogs don't really understand verbal language (though they can learn to respond to words).  The sooner you understand this the better, because then you will realize that you have to use TONE OF VOICE and BODY LANGUAGE to discipline, praise, punish, correct and train. 

Also make sure the dog understands that it's a DOG and not a person; or rather, that YOU are a person and not a dog; and yes watch the Dog Whisperer or read his book if you are able to.  It will help you understand this last concept. 

One practical note!  When you leave the house or leave the dog outside or in his kennel, DO NOT coddle him/her or try to reassure it that everything will be ok.  Dogs don't understand 'soothing' in these circumstances and you will just make them nervous and fearful.  Instead, just leave them calmly without saying goodbye as if you are coming right back.  You won't hurt their feelings!  If you are calm, they know you'll come back, but if you coddle them or try to console them they will be a nervoous wreck until you are back, and will forever dread being put out, crated or left at home. 

YAY!! I have 2 pups! 20months (staffy cross) and 11 months (staffy).

My tips - helped me survive!

1 - don't expect brilliance from them, they are young and will learn
2 - be patient
3 - get your stomach set for muck hehe
4 - have fun :D

Border collies are high energy dogs.  The need a lot of physical activity or they get bored and naughty.  My favorite border collie, Ollie (ollie the collie, get it?) can chase a frisbee for hours or until your arm falls off.  He herds his toys and if there is a large group of people, he tries to keep them all together in a bunch.  This can get annoying, but it's only natural.  Obedience training helped.  Ollie is very smart.  He knows what all his toys are called, so you can tell him to go get the green frog and he'll bring you the green one, not the yellow one. 

Another collie I know tried to herd the cats in his barn and also the chickens.  They can't help it!

Oh, and male border collies are aggressive towards other dogs.