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Guide To Australian Shepherd Training & Care

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Over Excited Outside - Jumps, Nips, Bites Boots, Tears Clothing

by Mimi
(Seattle)

I have an Aussie puppy 5 months old and we go out for long walks 3 times a day. Sometimes I have a long lead for when we play "fetch" with a frisbee or a ball. She will chase and fetch several times before she becomes super excited and hyped up - and then she turns on me. The frisbee and ball then become less interesting to her than biting on my clothes or boots. She'll jump up repeatedly, bite at my boots, grab the ends of my jacket or clothing and thrash around if she can. When I try to put my hand out to tell her off or settle, she will bite my hand and jump up even more. She will jump up and bite at my clothes, gloves and boots (the primary caregiver) more than anyone else. In fact it hardly happens to anyone else. She does not bite my hand at home - just outside.

She will sometimes listen to "sit" and sometimes "settle" for brief rest, but will get right back to it when she gets excited again. It is terribly difficult while outside to get her full attention and she'll get hyper while were halfway out on our walks. Sometimes that means dragging her home clamped down on my pant-leg or fighting her off me as we shuffle home for another 30 minutes. I've taken to wearing gloves and I fear it's only made it worse - but it's snowing outside.

I could really use some help here. If it's a leadership thing, please be specific as I am doing all the be firm, pack leader stuff already. If it's an escalation thing, how do we get her to exercise enough without being excited?

Thanks for your help!

Aussie Behavior Problems? Australian Shepherd Lover's Guide To Australian Shepherd Training & Care

Comments for Over Excited Outside - Jumps, Nips, Bites Boots, Tears Clothing

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jumping, biting
by: Gayle-- Big Run Aussies

It would be good to get the pup into a puppy class ASAP. Of course, it should be one familiar with herding breeds. Aussies can be jumpers and nippers. You can do "settle" by picking up her front legs from behind and wrapping your arms around her while she calms. You can also teach her "puppy push-ups" -- sit, down, stand -- in rapid succession. I had to do that with one of my dogs through his entire life and he was a very calm Aussie under most circumstances, just excitable at certain times, like mornings. You might also want to bring treats along on your walks to practice focus. You can practice the "watch" command in which she would only get a treat if she focuses on your face with eye contact. Make sure you use really good treats like real meat or cheese. Good luck. Things will get better, believe me. If you have any more questions, please contact me at bgrnaussie@sbcglobal.net

Been there!
by: Anonymous

Hi Mimi. Everything you described above is exactly what I have experienced with my Aussie! When she was between 5 and 7 months I received some very bad bites during our walks when she turned on me. I wasn't sure if it was a dominance thing, teething, or flat out aggression! It was very painful and embarrassing. When she became overstimulated she would attack. One time, a guy on a bike had to distract her to get her focus off of attacking me! My only concern was walking her home and getting home safely! I understand your frustration. Now at the age of one, she is a lot more predictable and better behaved. It was not a matter of training, it was a matter of off-leash running. Start mixing up your walks with a few days of off-leash running at the Dog Park. 30 minutes of running with other dogs (HARD) really does the trick! She is better behaved on our walks, as long as she has an outlet for that destructive, overstimulated energy that you describe. This breed needs a lot of running, and you will notice they are a lot easier to deal with and live with:) The nipping has improved a lot lately do to the Dog Park:) Hang in there and it will get better! Aussies get out of their minds if they haven't had many opportunities to run hard and get that energy taken care of! Long walks on a leash are important, but MORE important is running time.

So Helpful!
by: Mimi

Thank you thank you thank you! :) Your understanding & empathy have been a tremendous relief! It feels much better knowing this is something from which we can recover! I think you are correct that walking and fetching are not like running and chasing. So that will be my next task to find a place where she can do that. We've had formal puppy playtime but she may still be too young for the dog park. I've heard it's tough for smaller dogs & pups like mine under 6 mos. I get now that it's really important. Thank you!

And Gayle, we are in obedience classes too which I hope will stick some day! I have done some of these things you've suggested & I think they all help but ever so slightly; that "settle" hold (when I can get near her), the treats (which feel so counter intuitive to treat her but food DOES distract her from nipping) & the eye contact (when I can get it!). The tough part is that she is such a tornado, getting her attention is a challenge! She is so smart that I know this is her go go puppy impulse taking over. Thank you so much for your support! In case of updates my contact info =
n o r t h w e s t b u g at yahoo - that's northwestbug without the spaces ;)

Been there!:) Part 2
by: Anonymous

Mimi - Glad to have helped. Trust me, there were times when we thought "We have a liability on our hands!" with this dog! No one wants to feel like they own an aggressive/dangerous dog! The dog park has turned our lives around. I can not say enough good things about it. I have met a couple of Australian Shepherd owners and a Border Collie owner at the dog park that bring their dogs there daily! The running sessions really help settle them down... otherwise you get a nippy or destructive dog to deal with. Cesar Milan said "A tired dog is a happy dog"... and that is the honest truth! Hang in there, it does get better!

dog park
by: jcrply

To those of you who have had experience with dog parks: I have taken my dog just twice to run with the other dogs (once at about 6 months and again at about 8 months). Both times she wanted to run, run, run and other dogs would chase after her and knock her down, roll her over and be too aggressive and I had to rescue her - seriously! It was different dogs the two times that I took her. It's as if they thought she was their prey or something - when all she wanted to do was run and play. She's very gentle but runs at top speed. I recently took her a third time (10 months old) and since the small dog area was empty, I put her in there and she ran with the other dogs along the fence separating the two areas. That way she could run like crazy but was out of their reach and could not be attacked. Has anyone else had this problem? Any ideas? I would really like to be able to take her to the dog park regularly.

About Dog Parks
by: Mimi

At my puppy school, they've warned us that "dogs about 6 months of age were the target for the most aggression in the park, more than any other age group". So we're going to wait until we're better trained to go. Puppies get lots of playtime opportunities at schools (although you have to pay for it). The school has an excellent article re: (Seattle) Dog Parks on their blog that may be of interest:
http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/seattle-dog-parks

In looking for other studies on dog parks I came across this article that says aggression at dog parks is infrequent so I guess it depends on the dog park. "Results indicate that aggression in limited-control dog parks may be relatively rare and probably presents only a limited risk to dogs and their caregivers" http://3d.f9bed1.client.atlantech.net/assets/library/173_jaws060102.pdf

I'll probably wait until she is a bit older before I take her to an official dog park and Seattle has some major ones. She is still learning social behaviours and there is yet another study that proposes that because Aussies don't have tails, they may have a more difficult time socially "being read" by other dogs. Not sure if that is true but just in case, I'll wait until she's got better recall and attention before I take her.

Hope that helps!

dog parks
by: jcrply

Thanks Mimi for the info about dog parks. You mentioned playtime at puppy classes. I have had my dog in several puppy classes, but they are always on leashes and not in contact with the other dogs. I wish they could have some off-leash playtime.

Can't change instincts, just redirect them
by: Anonymous

Hey Mimi, I recently adopted a 3yr old half Aussie/ half Border Collie. She is a great dog. Obviously she is highly intelligent, athletic, and incredibly loyal. She's a bit insecure around other dogs and strangers.

I have noticed however, that when playing outside she will turn a corner in which she completely transforms from submissive and wanting to please to treating me like a 1000lb steer... We will be playing fetch of frisbee and sometimes (not often) she'll start sprinting in large circles around me then come in growling and nipping. Your description is spot on of the nipping/ biting/ growling tornado. The first time it happened I attempted to ignore her which did nothing to stop it. I next (ignorantly) tried to calm her by holding her down, which got her more fired up. I then, talked to a trainer w/ experience w/ aussies and bc's and she laughed, and ensured me that "You can't change a dog's instincts, just redirect them". She then advised me to have a tug rope on hand during off leash sessions and when she comes in to "herd the steer" get the rope in her mouth. The next time it happened I of course didn't have the rope, but did have a leash. She grabbed it, pulled, I grabbed her harness, clipped the leash to it, and she instantly calmed down as if I had flipped a switch. I didn't use one stern word, just praised her when she calmed.

I hope that helps. It is a bummer when one's dog seems to lose it, but great to know that the behavior can be redirected.

try the fishing pole game!
by: bluelight

Hi there..

I have two dogs - half German Shepherd and half Australian Shepherd. The female is almost totally Aussie in her temperament and intelligence. My husband and I employed a professional dog trainer to work with them. They are now 6.5 months old and we are surviving the teenage years and getting two great dogs but it required a lot of work and discipline!

Aussies need two things: heavy mental and physical exercise. Fetch can often be boring, as it is "too easy".

Heavy physical exercise, which includes lots of getting out and about but as others have mentioned, heavy running as well, can be difficult to get in as much as they need. Our dog trainer introduced us to game made for dogs that looks like a fishing pole with a little fake animal tied on to the end. You can then stand there and twirl the little fake animal (or whatever it is) around in a circle. The dogs love it!! Make sure to switch directions to ensure equal muscle training. Start off small, just 5 mins and work up to 15. Make sure to train that the dog should sit and wait until you tell him/her that is ok to play as well as when you are finished, that the game is over. Because they will be extremely excited. This also helps enforce your leader role, and helps them learn to control themselves. If you get a nice long pole, you can enjoy watching them run full out while keeping them close to you. Make sure to let them have some success once in a while, and work on training them to release it by trading them treats. Make sure to tell them "good dog!" when they do so -- it is not easy for them to let go. Do not ever try to forcibly remove it from their mouths - biting instinct can take over.

Mental exercise is just as important - Aussies are extremely smart, and like to use their brains. Instead of playing just fetch, try getting them to sit and stay while you hide the ball somewhere where they will then need to find it. Train this first with using treats and the command "search treat!" or "find treat!" then move up to other things, so they learn the vocabulary of multiple objects. This works great in the woods. Puzzle games are good too, where they have to figure out how to get the treats hidden in them. And of course, agility training.

A lot of aggressiveness and destructiveness is simply that this breed needs a great deal of mental and physical stimulation. Interestingly, I have noticed that without mental stimulation, my girl is still not really tired if I have run her around hard. After her brain has had to work a bit, she goes right to sleep.

Good luck!

Overly excited pup biting outside
by: Anonymous

My dog does the same thing when outside ever since I got her at 3.5 months. She is now 9 months. If I let her loose outside she is so excited and starts jumping and biting. I know she is only playing but it hurts. She's also started jumping on my son. Ripped his coat, gloves and accidentally bit his arm while doing this. I'm hoping I can get her into dog training but with the kids having 5 days of sport activities not sure when that will be and I'm hoping the classes do help.

puppy jumping and biting when over-excited
by: Anonymous

Our 6-months old Alaskan Malamute puppy used to do exactly the same somewhere during the 5th month of his life, and in the beginning we had no idea what to do. But then we managed to stop it like this: every time he was jumping on me or my husband we would throw a leash very high over his neck (making a kind of choke collar) and would start walking very fast. He would rebel but the fact that the leash was so high wouldn't let him reach us and he'd calm down very fast. In the end he got the pattern "he jumps = we are not happy = he gets leashed in a restrictive way = we go home" and stopped doing it. I have no idea how old the post is but if not too old hope it helps. We wish you all the best with your puppy!

Love the tips
by: Jenn

I am so happy to read the suggestions on this problem. We have an 8 mo old border collie/great pry mix and he is exhibiting a lot of the behaviours mentioned. Fetch and frisbee are of no interest to him and he very quickly turns it into a game of herding, jumping and nipping at my husband or I. I usually try to disengage pretty quickly and so he doesn't do it to me as much. My husband ends up turning that negative play into a game in an attempt to tire him out but I'm sure that is just reinforcing that the game is ok with us. We are working on more mental stimulation (hiding treats, etc..) and have to make time to get back to the dog park where he can play off leash and get all his energy out. One thing that tires him out really nicely is a game of hide and seek with our 11 month old kitten. They play really well together and if we keep them in a closed room with lots of hiding spots for the kitty, they can play together for an hour or more. Another thing I'm looking into is dog scooters where the dog pulls you on a kickbike. I know this shouldn't be started too early and we would have to get him used to light pulling and the commands first, but I can really imagine him having a blast doing it when he's big enough. Take care, Jenn and Polar

Problem with female, not male
by: Anonymous

I have 2 Aussies, Abby & Andy, 6 mo old. Abby jumps up, bites my clothing, hands, in the morning when she is excited. Andy sees the problem and comes over, throws her down and keeps her away from me. After the initial greeting, she then lays down after he "scolds" her or chases her around the yard (I have 3 fenced acres around our home place so they are safe from coyotes). I find that Andy has become my protector, but I want Abby to be same way. She is just excited in the morning and wants attention. I purchased training collars and it worked immediately on Andy so he doesn't jump on me, Abby won't jump at all if she has her collar on - she obeys me and stays down until the collar comes off. These collars are wonderful - try them when you take them to the park because they listen when the collars are on.

4 Month old puppy
by: Anonymous

Hey all,
I have read all your comments and I still have no idea what to do. I have had my pup for 1.5 months. When I go outside every now and then she seems to just flick a switch and her hind goes down and she is like a bullet running around and around me and that turns into biting at my clothing and me. I have tried ignoring her, throwing her ball over and over again and when I throw 1 I have another one to go if she does not bring back the first one, I have tried different toys to distract her. NOTHING seems to work. When I try to calm her she goes off. I have tried time out in the bathroom (cause am aware do not put her in time out where she sleeps). Dog school will be great as we start in 3 days but this I do not think will help when I am home. She even does all of this inside and tonight she jumped up on my elderly mother who was in her arm chair minding her own business.
I do not know what to do! I have gone from a prior well trained dog and am aware that it will take time for my pup to learn, she sits, drops and comes. But every now and then she seems to go psycho. Is it in the breed? The rescue place said they think sharpei cross staff? I am at a point that going outside to do little things is a task in itself now, just to put on the hose, put rubbish in the bin. And at all times I show I am the leader, I say NO in a confident loud manner when required and when she bites and it hurts I let out a big yelp and she does not seem to care.
Any other advise would be greatly appreciated. I want to be able to enjoy time with my pup and not be worried that she may turn on me down the track.

Great tips
by: mcfournier

Hey everyone;
My wife and I have a 9month old border collie/aussie mix and what everyone has described on here is what happens/happened with our dog, Gemma (named after the Sons of Anarchy character - very fitting name if you know the show).

As a younger puppy she used to herd us down the stairs to the backyard and now she still nips/bites when she gets excited.

We've had her in puppy training (a very good investment), and we just continually work with her but it's constant and we're seeing results.

As stated in another post, regular exercise really helps. We used to regularly take her to the dog park to tire her out until other dogs were getting aggressive.

When she went, she was a runner and would partner with like-minded dogs. They would go full-out for long stints, it was fun to watch.

Lately we found a good swim tires her out, games of fetch, teaching her commands.

She's also happy sitting at our feet outside if we're reading the paper. She seems to be a Velcro dog, which I've heard them referred to as. I can see why. Does anyone notice that they always have to be around us?

The one thing our trainer told us is that a puppy needs lots of sleep which we thought was counter-productive to a high-energy dog, but she was right.

Regular sleeps throughout the day, a regular bed time at night, and active play in between has taken Gemma from being a disaster, to a wonderful companion.

Granted, she still gets very excited so it's always a work in progress, but she's getting there.

Have patience and keep working with your Aussie. This is our first dog and while she can be a crazy misfit, she's growing into the kind of dog we've always wanted.

You Have Just Begun!
by: Liz

I have 2 Aussies that were born on Dec. 28 (female) and Dec. 29 (male) 2012 with different parents. The female, Abby, has been a jumper, nipper, doesn't listen to anyone, excitable and over anxious since she was about 5 months old. The male, Andy, has never been any of the above. He is a wonderful dog and when Abby starts jumping and tearing my clothes, biting my hands, he immediately takes her down. Then she stops! She only does this whenever I greet her first thing in the morning and is okay all day unless she hasn't seen me for an hour or so. Then it starts all over again until Andy puts her down.

We live on a farm and have about 5 acres completely fenced with horse wire and wood fencing. I let them run free now that they are older for about an hour or less and they come back just worn out. Abby doesn't jump or nip then because she is too tired. I find that a "tired dog is a good dog". You are not alone! I am hoping when they are no longer puppies, they will just slow down a little. Wonderful dogs, but very, very energetic!! Good Luck to you!

Chew Spearmint gum
by: Anonymous

I'm so pleased to have these ideas to read. One thing I have been doing is when ever I am with my 6.5 month old Aussie Bentley is to chew a stick of Spearmint gum. I try to hold my own excitement back when I see him in the morning. That way I can successfully put on his training collar without him trying to wiggle out of it.
When I walk him in the morning 6:45 am, I use the 10 foot lead so he can run around and zig-zag all he wants. I live on a country road and have to listen for cars and coyotes. But he does very well when I chew the gum. I know they are very intellegent and sense our feelings. I have had one Border Collie in the past along with a Aussie/Border Collie mix. They basically were a handful! When I would go to those vaccine clinics with alot of dogs in the waiting room I would chew the Spearmint gum and other people would ask me how I kept my dogs so well behaved. I would tell them to chew Spearmint gum. And also wear the training colar. I hope this helps! I still need to take Bentley to obedience school.
I'm glad to know about taking him to the dog park when he is a little older.
I have had Bentley for 1 -1/2 weeks now. I just love him to pieces. I figured out if I don't walk him before 6:45 am he makes a mess in his kennel. He's easier to control when I walk him if I don't feed him first. Also I gave him a real bone with marrow in it on the third day. He went insane. I guess once he's trained I can give him something like that again.
Has anyone tried Real Beef treats? I'm trying to find treats for training and rewarding him that are not like speed to him. Any suggestions?

Aggressive female Aussie
by: Anonymous

We have a 3 year old Aussie who is a loyal companion to our family. Anyone else or other dogs outside of our family are terrorized by her aggression. I want to take her to the dog park, but I'm afraid what she would go another dog in there.

I know she needs socialization , but no one would dare bring their dogs or kids near her. She has made friends quickly to our friends who come to our house. Initially, she will growl but after 10 minutes she is loving all over them.

Please help.

Kids and other dogs
by: Anonymous

I understand your frustration with socializing Aussies/BC's with other dogs.
Now that Gemma is 1 1/2yrs, we haven't taken her to the dog park for 8months so I'm wondering if we're hindering her socialization skills.
She's not bad with other dogs in a one-on-one but we have to be around her just in case.
With kids, she's great, and I'm sure yours will be too, but stay with Aussie for the first little while to ensure nothing happens.

Get's Better With Time
by: Liz

My 2 Aussies, Abby and Andy, are now 2 1/2 yrs old and have improved considerably within the last couple of months. They no longer nip and jump like they did as puppies. Just be patient and let them run as much as possible. My Aussies have full run of about 2 1/2 to 3 acres fenced yard and whenever they decide to go to the pastures to take a dip in the pond, they find a way out. Within a few minutes they are back for a nap or a good rub down. Just be patient and as they mature, the puppy in them will subside and they become wonderful companions. They do NOT like to be confined and will give you ulcers if they are! Let them run, play, and be free because as it has been said before "a tired dog is a good dog".

Socializing an Aussie
by: Liz

I started letting my Aussie have "friends" over at a very early age like 3 months. They learned to socialize with the other dogs without a problem. They allow them to eat along with them as well as the cats eat at the same time out of their bowl. Now that they are older (2 1/2 yrs), my daughter lives close by so her dachshund mix and Great Pyrenees come over to play and everyone gets along fine, even my neighbor's little Yorkie. It's like their friends have come to play for the day. I think you have to start at a very early age to socialize any dog and then they do not have problem with other dogs in their territory. We have a friend that has a very aggressive dog that always wants to fight. Abby and Andy do not have an aggressive personality so they usually ignore the dog or if it becomes a threat to them, they will chase it away. Two against one is just "common sense" to any dog.

Velcro Dogs
by: Liz

I had heard this once on a website about Aussies being like Velcro and at your side all the time so the woman was putting her Aussie up for sale. She said the dog stayed under her feet and with 4 children it was a nightmare. It is true Aussies are with you all the time. My dogs follow me all over the yard and when I stop, they lay down at my feet. If I am weeding, they lay down wherever I am sitting. I love them so much and they are so protective of me that I cannot get mad at them for being my shadow. They just enjoy being wherever you are. I had border collies when the kids were growing up and "Bonnie" babysat the kids. She was always following them when they went out to play and would lay down and watch them like they were little sheep. If they were to head for the street, Bonnie would go grab their clothes and herd them back into the yard. I was outside also, but it was wonderful to watch this dog in action. Enjoy your Velcro dogs because they are so loyal and attached to you that being next to you makes them their happiest.

My Mini Aussie
by: Anonymous

I am online looking for answers too. This is a great thread, but nobody has 'quite' the same issue. Our baby does not nip US, oh, he is 2.5 yrs old now, was rescued at 6 months, and has twice caused issues on a walk where he will nip. Once it was a runner and he jumped, nipped and got thigh skin, the second time it was a walker and he tore her shorts a bit! I want to walk them but I am afraid of what he will do! He is such a sweetie at all other times, and in fact this is NOT aggressive biting, it is clothing that 'flaps' that he grabs. NOT good if it is somebody else! I hate Ceasar Milans ideas and do not plan to bite my dog, etc., does anyone have any other ideas?

I found the Holy Grail to stop jump, tear clothing
by: Karen

We have a 5 1/2 month Blue Merle Male. He does exactly the same behaviors. After trying everything other than a shock collar. Shaking can with coins, timeouts, trying to calm, etc etc. By accident I carried his fetch balls to outdoors in a metal trash can lid, cause he chewed up the plastic one. We have 1 1/2 acre fenced in, he goes off leash to run his heart out, but that hyper herding sets in like a trance and he repeatedly jumps up, grabs, tears clothes. So after playing ball to tire him (also I make him settle between ball throws, this is also over exciting) We walk around and I carry my metal trash lid and watch for the assault...lol....it stopped him dead in his tracks! At times he circles and try to get to my clothes, but guess what....he can't! After about 30 seconds of this, he goes about his business chasing leaves, sticks, butterflys! Also stick with one correction word with the assault. We use 'Stop it" This is day 3 and our enjoyment with walks and fetch work outs are now fun! On one hard run toward me, I raised the lid, he stopped sat down and I swear his mind said "Oh DARN IT" walked away.....lol I am hoping he will calm as the gets older, and I shall lay the trash lid down one day for the last time....good luck to you they are wonderful pets.

Play the Waiting Game!
by: Merrilee

My two Aussies will be 3 yrs old in December 2015 and they are FINALLY settling down. They play with each other, but no longer jump, bite, tear at my clothes, etc. If you are close enough to a place to put your Aussie into obedience class, then DO IT!!! I lived so far from a city that offered the classes, so 100 miles several times a week was not an option. Oh my, how I wish I had driven 100 miles several times a week. It is exhausting to deal with an over excited Aussie, but believe me, when she gets older she will be worth all the jumps, nips, and biting.

My pain but i love her
by: Anonymous

I have an 8month old blue merel aussie..she is something else thats for sure... the biting, nipping, jumping and ih my gees us that dmother dig is headed for my mom...ooh no you dont doggie..I have socialized her since i first brought her home...there is no other dog allowed she insists in this and yes i indulge her because she is my service dog..she goes out of her way to make it clear I am her mom and no others are welcome..Its my believe this started when she was 10weeks old had her in petsmart and a pomachi bite her in the face..so i have to keep her muzzled only in pet smart and i must take a family member incase of a seizure..but i love her. i simply have used the redirct method yes it is a hassle but it does work most of the time. (after all she is an aussie...lol)

Don't give up!
by: Karen Rust

I had commented on my exact experience, this being our first Aussie. Overwhelmed in tears at the attacks. Just to let you know Odie at about 7.5 months finally got it, and started settling down. We stayed with one command...'stop it!' and shielding his advances with a metal garbage can lid. Never walking without it, he wasn't getting gratification of the jumping, grabbing clothes, and we were relaxed knowing he could not hurt us unintentionally. Then before we knew it, we left the lid behind, and he is turning 9 months old now and is the sweetest funniest dog we have ever owned. Mind you we have 1.5 acres fenced in and he free runs with a lot of fetch and keep away. I hope the best for you and your furchild child. Keep away game really burns his energy, and saves on yours.....lol

Dog Park
by: Anonymous

This is our family's 3rd Border Collie. They have each had such different personalities and levels of herding instinct but we have adored every one of them! Our previous Border Collie lived 17 years and was precious to us as we raised our twins with her herding help. She was highly sensitive (would hide in the bathtub behind the shower curtain when the twins would fight) and enjoyed frisbee and fetch and swimming in the lake or ocean and when inside she would watch out the window for anything moving especially "puppies" to keep body and mind tired. After she died and the twins went off to separate colleges, I got a Maltese which is more my present speed. One of the twins rescued a Border Collie puppy two months ago while a junior in nursing school and living in an apartment. Now I have a Maltese and a Border Collie! I love her of course but my Maltese is horrified. She herds him under the sofa and won't let him out and when she is bored she just randomly harasses him. Thankfully I live a block from a huge dog park with a lake and a block from the beach. She could chase seagulls all day if I didn't have a life. She's very submissive but I am on this site to learn how to stop her from jumping and nipping at me. I have to crate her when I want to clean... she harasses me so much as I try to sweep, mop, fold and put away laundry etc. I guess I will try the training collar. My other issue that I've never had with other dogs is her licking. We would like to pet her without her licking us so much! What can we do?! This especially annoys my husband (who of course told our daughter NOT to get a Border Collie and that we would NOT take it off her hands lol) she is also a counter cruiser. She pulls things off the counters just to be nosy I guess? The marinating pork chop I can almost understand (although neither of our other borders had ever done such a thing) but canned goods and boxes? Whyyyyy? She is about 9 months now and seems obsessed with ANY attention...positive or in a pinch, negative. Although I see in her soulful eyes her desire to please. The dog park is what saves us. I just wanted to say for those who have concerns: yes, the 6 month age is awkward...many other dogs will show dominance but that is pack life for the teen dog lol. Even aggression gets worked out if the humans keep their human emotions out of it. Any skirmishes or overly rough play is short lived because either my sweet and submissive dog rolls on her back, herds the aggressor or out runs/out maneuvers the beast ;). Also there's always someone better to play with than a grump. Normally the overly sensitive or helicopter human is giving off the bad vibes and causes the problem and when the balanced human/dogs ignore the behavior we never see them back at the park. Problem solved :). We have one old man who comes with a pack of schnauzers (3) and he brings his lawn chair and they bark incessantly. My sensitive girl gets so upset as we enter the park I was afraid she was going to kill them so I would use the other entrance. Eventually I got annoyed at the owner and decided to let her kill them if necessary (circle of life and all) and went in and released her! Cesar should have seen it! She did the border collie crawl to them and eventually stood over them patiently until they shut up and went to their owner! You could see her balancing them! It was cool for every one to witness.

Nipping & lunging issues
by: Kathryn

We've recently adopted a 10 week old deaf Aussie! She is smart as a whip & has several hand signs down already! We've just started puppy obedience class. But I'm very worried over her tendency to pull on my clothing & bite! Ive been trying to train her on her leash - but behavior becomes worse. I'm beginning to feel as if I've taken on more than I can deal with - she is 14 weeks old now & im trying to not expect so much from her but the above mentioned behavior is getting very worrisome! We have treats in our pockets 24-7 & reward positive behavior but I feel as if she has lost any confidence in me which is increasing the bad behavior. Can I turn this around?

to the person with aggressive Aussie
by: Anonymous

We had a rescue Aussie, she would have killed our other dog if we were not right there. Some Aussies are dog aggressive and nothing will help socialize them. The best is for them to live in a home where they are the only dog.

Update on Abby and Andy
by: Anonymous

My Aussies are now over 4 years old and Abby is still hyper about attention, but has calmed down a lot. Andy just lays around and sleeps with an occasional run in the pasture. Both of them love to run and explore the forests, but enjoy just laying around with a toy and sleeping. They are so beautiful and regal and I have never regretted my choice of Aussies. Be patient and you will be rewarded.

Greeting, overly excited
by: Sassy

Hello!
We recently adopted a 10 week old deaf Aussie - who is now 7 months old! I just want to say that I have experienced almost everything that you have all mentioned - except for the vigorous nipping. I would like to add that our local dog park saved our lives! I started taking Sassy at 12 weeks, right after her 3rd set of vaccines. We go daily/ weather permitting, & if is amazing how much more settled & focused she is when we get home! I keep an eye on her as she is a rather robust girl & so that she doesn't annoy a dog who does not want to play! I think that is the key to having positive experiences.

Training collars
by: Carolyn

What is the training collar people are referring to?

It's a wild and wonderful world!
by: Sean Durbin

Hey man I love my dog but I don't want her biting my girlfriend or future kids. Plus she starts off hard and then burns out. I still want her to be able to keep up with me. She a Shepard!!! That's why I bought her. I was sunbathing and she accidentally made my face bleed. That's how I knew to contact. Please send me the answer to my question. Hyper in the house when guests come i and girls are comin as well as family and marriage.

gets zoomies and hurts itself
by: Anonymous

my rescue is a rough collie/ aussie or border mix. he gets the zoomies like no other pure rough collie we have ever had. nipping , biting , growling...as if he thinks he is playing with a dog instead of a person. if I tell him no he stops dead in his tracks but that seems like I am taking away his outlet! The thing is , if i let him continue he moves his big body faster than his legs and feet and trips himself up and falls down and lays and barks out the rest of his energy. I am sure he is making his bad hips worse... what to do

he gets xrays in 2 weeks and takes all of the supplements and now gabapetin for pain...
after a romp like that he can't do stairs and is so stiff later in the day...
its like he doesn't know what is good for him...

Experts that know little
by: Anonymous

I have read a lot of information on how to get puppies to stop biting and jumping etc and all the experts have the attitude of knowing more than they actually know what they are talking about but they really don't they act like one size fits all which is arrogant thinking. I read the advice that Gayle gave this lady about her puppy the first advice was a training class which don't necessarily work if the pup is excited with the owner it will be so with the trainer as well. And the advice about pulling the pups front legs sounded ridiculous if the owner can't get the pup to stop biting how is she going to grab the pups legs without getting bit. these pups are strong and muscular and sometimes hard to handle and can be very stubborn. I don't know if the breeds are more aggressive or what but I wish these so called experts would stop pretending as if they know so much when they really sound stupid in the advice they give.

Attacking puppy
by: Anonymous

Good thing I read your problem. My Australian Shepherd is almost 3 months old. She just started with the biting and almost attacking me. I grabbed a folded up newspaper and cuffed her with it. She stopped immediately. Now if she starts biting all I do is show her the newspaper and she walks away. Hope this helps.

Over Excited puppy
by: Anonymous

So glad to have found this thread about over-excited Aussies grabbing, biting and barking. We have a now six-month-old puppy who, when over-excited, inside and out, jumps, grabs, bites and barks at us. He will sit and do a down even in a state of high excitement but then goes back at it right after. We have started letting him run and sniff in our fair-sized yard for an hour or so and then walk him. Running off leash does tire him but he gets that way again in the evening. We also go on decompression walks in neighborhood trails, allow him plenty of time to sniff, watch and observe. Hopefully, with time he will turn into a loving, fun companion.

I don't know how old this thread is, but we now have Sniff Spot to help us out. It's an online app where you can find and book private open spaces, for your dogs to run and play safely. I am very wary of taking our puppy to a public dog park, after hearing about so many dogs getting bit and injured by other dogs.

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