One of my dogs, who's a little more than a year old, has become progressively worse and worse over the last couple of months. She's a byb Border Collie. In the field working for a ball her obedience is top notch, if a little loose when heeling (she's sensitive to close contact). But lately she's becoming a little 'deaf' at certain times. For example, if we're going to the field, she'll start screaming and whining in excitement (as in, heard from across the street type of scream), and nothing will stop her. In the past it used to be I could ask her to fuss and she'll forget to scream and fuss nicely, but lately that hasn't been working--she'll try to heel for a second then start straining at the prong again, screaming once she hits the end. If I don't put her on a prong, she will scream as she tries to pull us across the street to get to the field faster. I tried treats earlier, and she's a food-gobbler--she ate it but didn't seem to notice it was there, seems as if her brains are all over the place. Won't work for a ball during this time. Once we finish doing obedience in the field and we go home, she's okay.

She used to obey at the drop of a command, now at certain points she seems to forget I'm trying to tell her something and just 'zones out' so to speak, gazing around blankly. Corrections will work, for the moment. I've proofed her recall and drop commands on a long line, and she's superb, but off the line, she gets deaf again. Earlier she thought a guy sitting in the grass was someone she knew and went straight for him wagging her tail. Pissed him off royally, pissed me of as well because she didn't come...before I managed to get her to drop when a child ran past her and she moved to give chase. She also lately goes on sporadic pauses when chasing the ball, forgetting it's there or dropping it in favour of sniffing the grass. When I ask her where her ball is, she looks at me blankly, as if she's forgotten, and then if I point it out to her she pounces on it in full drive again as if nothing happened.

Now, like the title said, could this be her nerves becoming more 'mature', and thus, getting worse over time? (She's afraid of everything, plastic bags, etc., and is the type of dog who'll make friends of anyone because she's afraid they'll do something to her otherwise). Can I do anything to help with her obedience, eletric collar, do long-line sessions for the next few months without off-leash, etc.? Can this be because she should be entering estrus within this or the next month (sorta like PMS)?

Question: If she's the product of a less than ideal breeding why not have her spayed? I don't know whether doing so would help settle her down a bit or not, but at least hormones would no longer play a possible part.

It sounds as if maybe you've tried to go a little to fast for her. Maybe take a step or two back and keep a long line on her a while longer. I wonder, too, if e-collar training under expert supervision at first might help.

Also, at just over a year, she may be testing you as most adolescents, canine and human, tend to do.

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Question: If she's the product of a less than ideal breeding why not have her spayed?

I am waiting for her to develop fully before she is spayed. There are arguments on both sides, I'm aware; I've opted for the more popular one in the board, and what makes sense to me.

Another thing I'd like to add is most of her training was done through drive and marker-type training. Hence, I only went as fast through her training as she allowed me--and she's a very fast learner.

I would tend to agree with the "teenage" dog idea. Also, how long have you had her? From a pup, or was she a rescue?

I'd try taking her back to square one again training-wise, and doing alot of NILIF. I wouldn't be letting her off the line anywhere where she would have the option of not obeying. BCs tend to learn very quick what they can get away with, and what they can't.

With the screaming and whining, have you tried just turning around and going home, and trying again 5 min later? She could be just so hyped up and excited that whatever you say isn't going to work - she wants to get to the park- period. It might also help to do obedience work and "brain games" at home for a few minutes before you leave.

I'll try going back when she whines. She actually starts to scream at the door when I put the collar and leash on--I've tried to wait until she calmed down, but then she'll start again the instant I open the door. I've tried to 'change' directions so it ended up we didn't go to the park, but she whined the whole time. I don't really mind much, since it's only a block down to the park, but the whole neighbourhood would think I'm abusing her. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

The reason I'm thinking on the electric collar--just as an extended prong, following the Leerburg articles on the e-collar--is because it feels like she's 'leash-wise'. I went back to the line once to correct her after she started ignoring me when I asked her to drop from a distance, and the instant the line was on her, she dropped down as dead--I never had to correct her or anything. At least I could rotate between collars to prevent her from being wise ont hat--it's pretty hard to 'hide' the line from her.

Thanks for the help.