Brian, by "free running," do you mean alone outside? I'm hoping not.

Here's what "playing outside alone" is worth, pretty much: 0



Structured exercise is what Ian is asking about. What does that hour of free running consist of?

In addition, two short ob sessions a day .... I'd probably be looking at many VERY short sessions instead. (As pointed out, mental exercise contributes a lot.)

If you've had a chance to look at the links I posted, you know that this little issue can turn big and serious very fast. I'd nip it in the bud, now.

If the one hour free is actually just one hour of the dog hanging around outside, then the activity you describe, IMHO, is deficient. And the ob sessions should be upped in frequency (even if they go down in length).

All in addition to:

 Quote: Anne Jones

Often with younger dogs & some high drive dogs...excessive stimulis is more then they can handle. Sounds like this might be part of the the case with your dog. He is just overstimulated by alot of people being around. Kids expecially can be over stimulating just becasue of the fast & often erratic movements that they make. The noise of alot of people in the room can also do it for some dogs.

As I had said before...it would be just better to remove him from the room to a quieter place. Maybe as he gets older & calmer & better able to settle in the house (not sure how old this dog is) this problem may improve.

It may sound like overreaction, but experienced folks here have seen how quickly the beginnings of an obsessive behavior can turn very bad.

Hi Connie
When i say free running, i mean off leash. I am with him the whole time. I play fetch with him with his ball using one of them ball throwers. I always get him to sit or down before i throw it and he will always bring it back to me. Here is how my day with him as gone today.

7.30am let him into the garden to releive himself.

7.50am walked him around the corner to the shop which is only 5 minutes.

8.45am Took him to the park for about 1hr playing fetch with his ball.

11am Basic OB training users markers for about 15 minutes.

1pm - 2.30pm He was in the garden with me whilst i racked up the leaves, usually trying to bite the rake as i did it, which curbed pretty quickly with a few sharp NO's.

3pm 10 minutes of playing tug with OB.

4.30pm Took him to the park for about 30 minutes playing fetch with his ball.

5.10pm Chased his tail in the lounge for about 20 seconds.

5.15pm he had his tea and then into his crate as he started licking the couch and i thought he could do with a little time out.

He will get another little walk later this evening after i watch the football.

Whoa whoa whoa!

Didn't you read what you signed to get a Border Collie?!

There's no TV football for BC owners!

Also, he should probably swear off tea (caffeine).






OK, seriously, 15-minute marker sessions are long. JMHO, but I WAY prefer 5-minutes times three (or times five, even better). Marker sessions for ob spread throughout the day are more fun, more upbeat, and way less likely to turn frustrating or boring. In addition, his brain is worked much more often.

I'd like my marker sessions to be so desirable that just picking up the bait bag is enough for the dog to snap to in eager anticipation. This (in addition to attention to what Anne said about not letting him get stressed, when he might resort to tail-chasing to relieve that), is probably what I would use, instantly, to divert him from tail-chasing.

More shorter tug sessions, too, I think.

So .... more engagement with you, less self-relief from stress from a room full of people.

Why not see how it goes if you take him to the side end engage him in a short marker session when the kids are in the room and he's getting wound up?

I guess I'm really saying that no matter what you have to do to nip this in the bud, I would do it. I think that correcting for an OCB is the very last and least desirable action to take.

JMO!

Thanks Connie, points taken and i will make some adjustments.

Can't remember any small print about football when i got him. Never mind, he will have to sue me. haha

I'd be mixing up his ball session with brain work - right now you're just building endurance without really satisfying his need to use his brain. Hide the balls and make him find them. Do short OB session and reward him with the ball. Take up nose work and reward him with his ball. Mentally satisfying him will go a long way in solving the tail chasing issue.

Will look into it

Thanks Mara

P.S. Going to try to teach him Treiball as you suggested in another thread, i know you use this. Would this clip be the way you would teach it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFpH_WLC4qs

Thanks
Brian

bump