NCR - I need Border Collie advice Please!

I have a border collie we received from a "friend" when the pup was 8 weeks old. She is totally food and treat and ME possessive. If my other dog tries to eat or just goes too close to the BC when she's eating a bone or something or even near ME...the BC freaks and wants to eat the head off the other dog.

Is this normal BC behavior???

Not for a BC it is not... I would suggest your freind take this dog to a trainer

Sounds very food aggressive this dog needs a professional trainer

Do you think there is ANY way this dog could've gotten this type of behavior from it's parents who have been food deprived before?

Originally Posted by fluffysimba

Do you think there is ANY way this dog could've gotten this type of behavior from it's parents who have been food deprived before?

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Not likely.. My yorkie has it well she did I trained her it was a long process .... She got it from being around another dog that must have taken her food...

Originally Posted by fluffysimba

Do you think there is ANY way this dog could've gotten this type of behavior from it's parents who have been food deprived before?

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if they taught the pup that food was a possession to be defended then maybe.

i agree with everyone else, your BC needs professional help.

I would suggest you do something NOW about the aggression.Our male Cocker was food aggressive towards our foster dog.We thought nothing of it and let it go on.That was the BIGGEST mistake that we made.My son went to pet him while he was munching on a treat and he bit my 7 year old son on the face. Because of that one time thing, my son lives with dog fear now.(we no longer have either of the dogs and never will have another one, the fear is that bad)

How old is your border collie?
My advice would be to restrict treats such as soup bones, etc. that tend to make the dog aggressive-- and I would recommend obedience training at the very least.
Border collies need something to occupy their active, agile minds and bodies, and obedience training is a good start!
Feed the dogs seperately, and if you can afford a dog trainer, I would get some advice.
Good luck-
Robyn, Alpha to 5 dogs and companion/slave to 8 cats

Its normal DOG behavior - not breed specific. The bone is their possession. In the pack you have the leader and then work down from there. Any dog above you can take whatever you have and you can't (or better not) object.

As long as your BC is not acting that way to you, and only to the other dog, ignore it. Apparently the BC is "higher" then the other dog and can do it.

BTW you should always train your dog that YOU or any person can take the bone from them and they are NOT to growl or threaten in any way. Our lab will let any person take food/bone but if the cat trys it, the lab will growl, or sharp bark and the kitten runs. The dog is allowed to boss the cat, but not us.

I'm not sure what you mean by "eat the head off the other dog"..

Do you mean she growls, barks, or physically attacks the other dog?

Food aggression is never pretty but the mode of treating the behaviour depends on the action of the said dog and the RE-ACTION of the other dog..

No, this isn't BC behaviour. This is dog behaviour.
But its not acceptable dog behaviour.

As someone mentioned, BC's need serious mental and physical stimulation to remain healthy and happy..

You say that this dog is also people possessive of you.
This indicates to me that this dog feels she has to be Alpha leader. This is stressing her out because its really your job...(its much less stressful for a dog to let the human be the leader of the pack..but when a human doesn't step up, a dog feels he has to).

I would get her evaluated by a trainer.

Good Luck!

I'm with critter mom on this one.

This is a potentially EXTREMELY DANGEROUS situation for all of you. Food aggression as you described is one of the critera that many ASPCA and Humane Societies will use to put a dog to sleep - because they consider it to be too dangerous to adopt out!!

Why? Because (and they are experts!!) these kinds of dogs CANNOT be trusted in homes. These dogs *will* bite sooner or later. And if you report the bite, then even if you are the owner being bitten there are consequences... God forbid it is someone else he bites, like a child's friend or a visitor to the home!!!

So please get your dog to a trainer pronto - evaluate her, and please, please, please take the advice you are given from the trainer. Properly socialized dogs should NEVER exhibit this behavior - and YOU should always be the top/alpha dog in your house - not your dog!!

We had a cocker spaniel that was possessive of my mom once. I hope you don't have children . That cocker would snap at me (I was only about 4 years old). It finally bit me and the dog was out of there at that point. I know cockers tend to have this personality but an even larger dog like a BC could pose an even bigger threat (they are cunning too!). I've always know BC's to be really sweet dogs. This dog is dominating you though. A trianer will tell you how to get control back.

This isn't an issue that can be solved in regular obedience classes - you'll need to see an experienced trainer or behavior consultant for some one-on-one sessions.

I'd suggest asking your vet or local shelter for a recommendation for a good behavior consultant - don't just pick a name out of the phone book. I don't know where you live, but in the US anyone can call themselves a trainer or behavior consultant, so you need to be selective and get a referral from someone you trust (such as your vet).

Here's a link on selecting a pet behavior consultant:
http://www.webtrail.com/petbehavior/guide.html

Addressing this problem ASAP with someone qualified can help prevent serious issues later on down the line.