Border Collie nipping people on walks

@Marie4pat how are things looking a year on? I’ve just come across your posts while doing some research as my 9-month-old Border Collie is showing this kind of behaviour towards walkers and cyclists we pass... I’d love to know if you’ve managed to sort the issue with your dog and what you did to get there?

No, I’ve got the solution – follow this link: http://takemeforamug.com 😈

Gotta love a bit of competition! 😁

And what about chickens? Does it work for them too? 😋🐔

Yes, "mental stimulation" is vital for a Border Collie, and it can definitely involve learning "tricks".

Focus on exercises that teach her self-control and concentration, rather than ones that get her all worked up. Keep in mind that during these sessions, her mindset (staying calm and focused) is more important than the actual result (like her successfully taking the washing out). So, stick to short sessions where she has the right attitude.

All these tricks can be taught very easily (especially with a Border) using the concept of "shaping" (breaking down a complex behaviour into smaller, simpler steps that the dog offers naturally, which you then reward), with or without a clicker. It’s a bit too complex to explain exactly how to do it on a forum, but there are plenty of YouTube videos about it. Always keep the main goal in mind: it's not about learning the trick itself (you’re not trying to train a circus dog ^^), but about having a more settled, well-adjusted dog.

I mention this because unfortunately, in some videos on the subject, you see dogs that are over-excited—barking, jumping up at their owners, completely fixated on treats, and cycling through their whole repertoire like robots (sit, down, beg, paw, etc.) without even listening to what their owner is asking. In my opinion, that's not a good working mindset, and it doesn't help the dog become more mentally stable. It’s better to do less and keep it simple, but do it properly :)

To give you an idea, with my three-year-old dog, I’m currently going back to basics with "sit / stand / down". I could teach him much "funnier" tricks; he’s more than capable :)

But I’d rather do a few things well.

He’s known these commands since he was a few months old, but like a lot of dogs, he doesn't know them properly. By that, I mean if he’s sitting and you repeat "sit", he’ll lie down. If he’s lying down and you say "sit", he doesn’t understand, and usually just rests his head on the floor as if to say, "well, I’m already lying down". Basically, he "knows" the commands but can't properly distinguish between them. So instead of teaching him "funny" tricks, I’ve chosen to go back to basics, which actually makes him work his brain more (it forces him to concentrate to understand exactly which command I’m giving, so he doesn't just react on reflex but actually thinks about it). Because once again, it’s his mindset and cognitive abilities I’m trying to work on; the exercise itself is just an excuse :)

I’ve never tried it myself, but I think Treibball is a great idea, as long as you don't just see it as a way to let your dog blow off steam (that could actually encourage her "addiction" to movement). It should really be about developing her impulse control and her response to stop cues.

Basically, it’s only going to be beneficial if you pay close attention to her mindset during these sessions.

If you let her get over-aroused during these games, to the point where she stops listening and becomes completely fixated or hypnotised by the balls, yapping and nipping at anything and everything... it won't help her.

If you have the opportunity, I think herding is an even better activity because it’s more enriching and complex. A dog will naturally have to learn to control their behaviour better when dealing with real animals compared to just balls.

When you mention she has trouble focusing on you, that’s also something to work on.

At home, teach her to hold a command (a position like a sit, or making eye contact, etc.) no matter what’s happening around her.

The principle is always the same: keep it progressive (gradually increasing the difficulty).

Start by reinforcing a command (like 'sit') in a quiet environment with no distractions. Then, gradually introduce distractions into the scene. A ball rolling—slowly at first, then quickly. Have a friend help you by walking past calmly, and then once she’s comfortable, have them run. And so on. Break the training down so she isn’t failing too often; when I’m teaching my dogs, I usually set the difficulty so they have at least a 75% success rate, so they can effectively learn the right behaviours.