Nutty border collie!

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ohdearme

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Hi all,

I have an issue that is stressing me out big-time...I have a nearly-10 yo Border Collie, who I love to absolute bits. She is the best dog in the world 99% of the time, but as she's been getting older, there are certain issues arising...

She's always been scared of thunder/lightning/fireworks etc, not too bad but she pants excessively & paces. Anyway, she's always had mega association skills - 6 o clock bells = food time, car indicator = we're at the woods, sharp intake of breath = cat - and this is making it much worse. I am typing this as she paces, pants and occasionally digs at the corner of the room, all because....it's raining, and rain=thunder.

I'm leaving for uni next year, leaving my dog with my mom, who isn't as patient with her during her times of nuttiness (she just shouts at her really), and I really want to try to reduce this a bit for when I leave . We've tried rescue remedy, tablets from the vets, the plug ins & collars that emit calming stuff, desensitisation sounds on a CD...I'm at my wit's end! Does anyone have any suggestions?
 
Quite clearly you have a handle on your dog. Few have such a balanced approach with a dog which is clearly, unbalanced. They are Collies, and within a domestic residence, they can be trying! I suspect that you've managed her very well.

No advice, and no suggestions that you'll accept, except perhaps for one. About 3 years ago I met a girl from Humberside, and she was running her own dogs in a Cocker Trial. The point is that she had her dogs at UNI and with her, here in the South. Could you possibly take her with you? Sorry, but that's the best that I can manage!

Alec.
 
would second taking her with you to uni - I'm in my first year of med school and have both my dog and horse with me and am managing fine
 
just to sympathise, my lurcher has been the same today but we did have thunder at lunchtime...she paces, pants and tries to hide behind the furniture....I do use zylkene and this does make her a bit calmer if I can give it to her before she starts getting in a state...unfortunately I didn't catch her in time today!!!!
 
A thunder shirt has been a godsend for my hysterical pointer. I'd tried most other things to no avail and so decided another £30 wasn't going to break the bank.
Worked brilliantly with fireworks and he barely reacted.
The real test though was a night that I got home and there were already fireworks going off and he was already panting and pacing. I was doubtful the shirt would work at this point but put it on him and his panting stopped almost immediately. Within 10 mins or so he'd actually gone to sleep on the sofa.
I know you have other issues here that you're dealing with but might be worth a try? Good luck.
 
Alec Swan said:
Quite clearly you have a handle on your dog. Few have such a balanced approach with a dog which is clearly, unbalanced. They are Collies, and within a domestic residence, they can be trying! I suspect that you've managed her very well.

No advice, and no suggestions that you'll accept, except perhaps for one. About 3 years ago I met a girl from Humberside, and she was running her own dogs in a Cocker Trial. The point is that she had her dogs at UNI and with her, here in the South. Could you possibly take her with you? Sorry, but that's the best that I can manage!

Alec.
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Thanks for the reply - that is actually something I haven't considered! I'll definitely look into it!
 
mynutmeg said:
would second taking her with you to uni - I'm in my first year of med school and have both my dog and horse with me and am managing fine
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I'm (hopefully) going to med school next year so this gives me hope! How do you manage that? I assumed that pets weren't allowed in halls of residence?
 
ohdearme said:
I'm (hopefully) going to med school next year so this gives me hope! How do you manage that? I assumed that pets weren't allowed in halls of residence?
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I'm not in halls - I live with one of the fourth years and a second year - I'm doing graduate entry so no-one is in halls. Meg is older at 11 so she sleeps all day and is used to being at home while I'm at work so doesn't bother. Roo is at a yard about 3 miles away from my house so nice and easy to sort. I do miss out on a lot of other stuff like going out on a night as I have to do her in the morning and can't really afford to do much other stuff as have her to pay for but worth it for me.
I find it gives me a way to have time out of study

Good luck getting in - which med schools are you applying to?
 
mynutmeg said:
I'm not in halls - I live with one of the fourth years and a second year - I'm doing graduate entry so no-one is in halls. Meg is older at 11 so she sleeps all day and is used to being at home while I'm at work so doesn't bother. Roo is at a yard about 3 miles away from my house so nice and easy to sort. I do miss out on a lot of other stuff like going out on a night as I have to do her in the morning and can't really afford to do much other stuff as have her to pay for but worth it for me.
I find it gives me a way to have time out of study

Good luck getting in - which med schools are you applying to?
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Oh, so in a non-uni house or something? Aw mine is a Meg too! How on earth do you balance it all, with the workload & exams?! I've applied to Bristol, Nottingham, Brighton Sussex & Cardiff, so all quite far from me in Birmingham. Do you mind me asking which one you're at?
 
ohdearme said:
Oh, so in a non-uni house or something? Aw mine is a Meg too! How on earth do you balance it all, with the workload & exams?! I've applied to Bristol, Nottingham, Brighton Sussex & Cardiff, so all quite far from me in Birmingham. Do you mind me asking which one you're at?
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Yeh the house belongs to the fourth year and I rent a room from him as does my other house mate.

I'm at nottingham (although based at Derby for the first 18 months as it's GEM)
So far balance has been ok - I'm up at about 6 to go do Roo before uni, then I treat it like a job and study all day from about 9-5 - only have lectures/clinical skills etc about 1/2 - 3/4 of the time so the rest I spend writing lectures up and preparing them etc then go do pony on the evening, come home, eat and if time do an hour or so but usually chill in front of tv. So far I've had to also spend most of the weekend working to stay on top but the first 18 months of the GEM course we do the equivalant of the first 2 1/2 years of the normal 5 year medical degree so it's pretty full on.
It's actually been quite good having roo as it's made me get out the house every day - she's lame at the moment but once sound I'm planning on getting a sharer for her so that I'm only going up once a day several days a week and I have some help when I'm away on placement etc.
Meg comes to the yard with me and gets walked twice a day while I'm turning in/out - she is pretty arthritic now so can't go far so doens't need long walks so to the field and back and pootleing on the yard is enough for her. She sleeps most of the time otherwise - partly due to her meds - so is quite happy settled down while I study.
 
I have two border collie bitches. the old girl (13) sounds just like yours. The other bitch (2) is not phased by anything. You clearly love and understand your dog very well, so, if you could take her with you that would be the perfect solution. The last thing a hyper collie needs is someone shouting at it. Good luck.
 
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