Help! My 4-month-old puppy is becoming a nightmare

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We’ve got a Border Collie puppy who’s nearly 4 months old, and he’s becoming a total nightmare!

He chases anything that moves, runs after us and nips at our legs or grabs our clothes—basically anything he can get his teeth into to bite us.

He does the same with the chickens, the goat and my cats.

Not to mention he jumps up at everyone who visits, regardless of whether they’re dressed up or not!

Plus, with his sharp little claws, he’s always batting at us with his front paws and it really hurts. We have two young children and we don’t want them getting bitten or scratched; it’s really upsetting.

Since he first arrived, I’ve been saying ‘no Chipie, no’ in a firm voice whenever he’s naughty, but I don't think he’s listening. He just wants his own way. He hides under the sofa or a cupboard and then starts all over again as soon as I’m not looking.

He makes off with everything in his path... whether it's shoes, clothes, stones, kitchen roll, or the newspaper—sometimes he shreds it so much you can barely read the headlines!

As for walks on the lead, as long as it's long enough for him to come and go as he pleases, everything is fine. But the moment I shorten it, he starts thrashing around on the ground—he’d practically choke himself on the end of the lead!

We live in the countryside but I don't dare let him off the lead in the fields because if he doesn't want to come back, the more I call him, the further he runs away...

People we know say we should take him to puppy classes, but we don't have much time and there isn't a training club anywhere near where we live...

We’ve had him for six weeks now and it’s getting worse and worse. Does anyone have any good advice? We’re at our wits' end... Thanks in advance to anyone who can help, because it's becoming unbearable now—to be honest, I'm fed up with this mutt...

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    Camou1 Icon representing the flag French
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    +1 @junlo

    If he’s left on his own for too long, he’ll act out and get into mischief. If you aren’t going to look after him, there was no point in taking the poor little fella in.

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    "I'm fed up with this mutt"... at what point do you actually start considering his needs? We’re sick of people taking on dogs without doing their homework on the breed and its requirements!! And then you come whingeing here for advice when, let’s be honest, given the way you’re speaking... you’re already past the point of no return with this dog. Spare a thought for this poor pooch, who’s only showing the behaviour you’ve allowed him to have... because you haven't used proper training techniques... I’ll stop there because it’s driving me up the wall... best of luck... but not to you, to the dog.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    "That mutt"... I think it's awful to talk like that about a little puppy who's just trying to explore his surroundings. It sounds to me like you have neither the time nor the inclination to properly commit to training your little one. So, please, quickly find him another home with a family who actually wants to look after him. Or contact the breeder. Most breeders will take their puppies back without any fuss if things aren't working out.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Everything you've described is perfectly NORMAL behaviour for a puppy of that age! You just need to take the time to teach him how you want him to behave at home, make sure his basic needs are met, and give him plenty of attention and affection.

    Border Collies are herding dogs; they need an enormous amount of activity to be happy and settled.

    This "dirty mutt", as you so put it, isn't at fault for any of his behaviour — it’s you who is getting it wrong in the way you're looking after him.

    Have you actually tried teaching him not to jump up at people? Not to nip? Etc etc.....

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    we haven't got much time

    Not enough time + Border Collie = Absolute carnage!

    They’re a high-energy breed, but you should’ve known that when you got her.

    She needs around 3-4 hours of activity a day with her owner to be happy and more well-adjusted. Is she getting that?

    If not, look no further and rehome your dog with someone who has a lifestyle better suited to this breed.

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    To be honest, getting a Border Collie puppy without knowing the breed's temperament was a bit of an ill-thought-out move!

    Borders are very high-energy, intelligent dogs that need to be kept busy both physically and mentally.

    Without that, it’ll be hard to channel his energy and train him, even though they are naturally very eager to please.

    Chasing other animals is simply down to his herding instinct.

    The fact that he’s getting into mischief is just down to his age.

    You really need to commit to his training and definitely get some help using positive reinforcement if you want results; he’ll turn into a brilliant dog if you do.

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    You haven't really picked the best breed for a quiet family life; their behaviour is exactly the same as my Border Collie's. They’re hyperactive dogs and you need to know how to channel that energy and give them brain games to keep them stimulated. With my girl, I play with her a lot to burn off that energy, and I do plenty of training with her (obedience and agility). The fact that she chases cats, people, chickens and so on is just her herding instinct taking over; mine does the exact same thing with my cats. However, when she tries to nip me, I don't say anything, I just ignore her. I’ll grab one of her toys that she loves to chew on, and when she takes it, I give her loads of praise. Basically, to get a Border Collie to listen, you have to keep them stimulated and channel their energy through exercise.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    +1 *****

    It doesn't seem like you're willing to put the time in with this poor dog.

    A dog takes a lot of time, patience and LOVE, especially at 4 months old! Since he’s hiding, it suggests he’s scared of you, and it’s not normal at all for a dog to be afraid of its owner.

    Aside from telling him "no", do you actually praise him when he does something right?

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    If you haven't got the time to look after your dog, what's the point in getting one in the first place???????

    He's a puppy, he has everything to learn; shouting at him isn't going to help him learn.

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