When we got our rescue dog just over a year ago he had no basic training, so all the training I have done myself, but because he wasn't lead trained he would roll over and thrash about biting at the lead when ever a lead was put on him. He did stop this, slightly, for a while but now he has started again.

Yesterday my oh took him and his sister's dog for a walk, let our dog (Mutley)off his lead and then Mutley bit through my SIL's dog lead with her dog still attatched and through his own lead when it was put back on him.

Another problem we had with him was barking when we came home, this I did manage to stop but now he has started to bark again. I am still training him but all the work I am doing with him seems to be worthless.

I feel as though I take one step back and he takes two. I think we took on too much when we got him, but we wanted to give him a chance, and now sometimes find myself thinking perhaps we shouldn't of got him at all. Does that make me sound a bad person. He is very much part of the family and is good with my daughter, we really don't know what else to do.

Rspca did offer to pay for a behaviourist/trainer to see him, but as we've had him over a year would the offer still stand? and that if things didn't work out they would find him another home, but don't want to take the last option. He is very much part of the family and is good with my daughter, we really don't know what else to do.

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Lynn, Mum to Buddy and Mary my two fur babies.

With regards to the lead thing- why don't you use a chain lead?
And teach him a good heel (clicker train/positive reinforcement).

The barking when you return sounds like over excitement, although it is very difficult to say without seeing it "in the flesh". If it is over-excitement, I would be enclined to totally ignore him until he calms down.

You mentioned speaking to a behaviourist. Whereabouts are you based? Someone might be able to recommend one.

A few questions:
What is he fed on?
How often is he walked?

What is he walked on? Just collar and lead?

Hope this helps x

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We have used a chain lead and he also bit that and made his teeth/mouth bleed. I have been giving treats when he does right.

With the barking we do ignore him, but he seems to bark louder if you do, I only pet him when he is calm and settled.

I am in Cambridgeshire at the moment, so if someone could give a bit of help, that would be great.

He gets half can of Pal in the morning and a handful of Baker's complete at night.

OH usually takes him for his walk, takes him in the car, to the field without his lead on, oh does put his leash on him as he knows that we have to get him used to just a collar and lead. We did get him a harness but he out grew it, and he was still trying to bite his lead then.
I want to be able to take him out myself, so we need to get the lead issue sorted out.

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Lynn, Mum to Buddy and Mary my two fur babies.

Going to answer this is bits to address each point

Ah right. You are doing 100% the right thing in rewarding him for walking nicely and not chewing the lead. The only thing I can think of would be to put some anti-chew bitter spray on your material lead and see if that makes a difference?

Here is a list of Cambridgeshire based APDT behaviourists and trainers. I like the APDT in particular because they only use positive reinforcement based methods which I feel is so important.
Local Dog Trainers in Cambridgeshire UK
The APBC are also very good:
Cambridgeshire | Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors

One thing that might be worth trying is a headcollar- you could use it as a training aid whilst rewarding calm walking on the lead. Because of the way that it holds the nose and back of the head of the dog, it is said to have a calming effect on some dogs and works on a simular basis to a head collar for a horse. It may also restrict his ability to bite/chew his lead also?
You'll need to make it a super positive thing- i.e. when you put it on him feed him treats or let him play with his toy and praise him. You want to him to associate it with really good things.

Headcollars look like this. The one below is called a Halti:


As you can see they are not muzzles as the dog is still able to open it's mouth, however the fact that you have control of the head may restrict the dog's ability to chew the lead?

Changing his diet might help. Bakers complete isn't a particularly good food in my opinion. It is full of additives and colourings which really do make dogs HYPER When my friend's dog came to her he was being fed on Bakers and was completely loopy- they immediately changed him on to Nature diet and the change in his behaviour was amazing.

I would suggest any of the following foods (many are alot cheaper than Bakers and better quality or work out cheaper when you compare how much you need to feed )

DRY:
CSJ - email Ceri and she will help you find a suitable food
Dog Food for gundogs, sheepdogs, agility dogs, and show dogs.

Whites Premium:
Whites Premium Dog Food

Skinners:
Skinners Petfoods - Feel good factor for Dogs

Orijen:
ORIJEN Biologically Appropriate Dog and Cat Foods | Orijen Pet Foods .co.uk

Burns:
Burns Pet Nutrition - Real Food For Pets

Arden Grange: (also does wet food)
Natural Premium Dog Food & Cat Food From Arden Grange

Wet:
Nature diet
HOME | Naturediet

Natures Harvest
http://www.natures-harvest.org/

Natures Menu:
Natures Menu Natural Dog Food & Natural Cat Food | Feeding as Nature Intended

I certainly think changing the Bakers side of his diet could help his behaviour.

Oh and one quick question:
How old is your dog and what breed is he?

Hope this all helps. You seem to have done a good job with this dog so far and to me none of this sounds serious. I'm sure you can get it sorted soon enough.

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Thank you for replying.

Not sure of the dogs age, we were told he's about four but the vet says he's younger (possibly 2) as his teeth are to white to be any older. We think he is a bassett x border collie, maybe a bit of corgi and staffie in there.

I will take him of the Bakers and will go to P@H to see what they have got that is suitable for him, also the head collar sounds great. Do they come in different sizes, if so how do I measure his head for a suitable fit.

We do have a walk in store in the village that does all accesories and some of the dog food that you have listed, and you can take your dog in there, as we got his harness from there, so maybe they could fit him with a head collar also.

I appreciate all the help I can get as this is our first ever rescue dog and finding it hard work to get him right. So thank you again for replying.

Here's a pic of him

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Lynn, Mum to Buddy and Mary my two fur babies.

Hiya- absolutely no problem- glad to help.

Wow- what a great little cross
I have a collie- they're busy dogs but fantastic all the same
Just one thing I'd thought of- in my experience with collies (especially the worky ones like mine), they are working dogs and thrive if they have a job to do. They'll happily work non-stop for their person Is he motivated by toys or food? Have you considered doing something like agility or flyball with him? That would really give him a chance to use that clever brain of his and strengthen your relationship with him. Plus it's so much fun for both dog and owner He sounds like an active little dog who'd love something like agility or flyball?
The following video, features some dogs having fun doing agility and flyball:
YouTube - Border Collie Central

Yes the headcollars do come in different sizes.
There are different makes of head collar though but essentially they all work on the same principal:
Gentle Leader
Halti
Canny Collar
I think P@H do their own headcollar too

Here's the size guide for the Halti for instance-
Size Guide

BCs are apparently size 1-2, Bassets- 3 , Corgi- 1, Staffies -2
That doesn't really help does it? I'm sure the people at the shop will help you try each size and see which suits

Good luck with the foods- some of the foods I mentioned like you said only sell online (the likes of CSJ, Whites Premium).
I'd recommend Burns if you see any at P@H but it is quite pricey- I know Whites Premium and CSJ are cheaper and just as good but you can only buy online.
Autarky is also a good food and one that I forgot to mention.
Autarky Dog Food - CSJK9 Ltd.
I know some foods (Skinner for instance, maybe CSJ? not sure?) do have local suppliers, so if it might be worth emailing them and asking who your local supplier is. It's sometimes trial and error though finding a food that suits. Let us know how you get on

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Any update on this boy?
How is he doing?

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I am, presently, teaching him to stop barking when OH comes home. He recognises the sound of the motorbike and will then go into barking frenzy. I give the quiet command/signal and when he is quiet I reward him, and I do this until OH has got in the house.

Our biggest challenge is us going out every monday to do shopping and Mutley left at home for about 4-5 hours, but my son is home so he's not alone.

His constant barking before we even get out of the car, which carries on whilst we take in the shopping, we do ignore him until he settles down, which is usually upto half hour, he is highly excitable so takes a while for him.

We did stop the barking for a while but he seems to go backwards once he's doing something right. We now ignore him if he doesn't sit before we pet him, get his food etc, and he seems to get the message that if he doesn't sit he doesn't get attention.

Going to get him a head collar this week, so hoping that will make a diffrence. I never knew a rescue dog could be such hard work.

When we first got him he basically did as he wanted, running around the house, jumping on the furniture etc, which he now knows he's not allowed to do, and his biggest challenge, I think, was not chasing my cats. He was supposed to of lived with 6 cats, but he didn't show any sign of that , now he knows not to touch the cats and he gets on really well with them.

He has come along way since last year, just these few problems to sort out then he will be great.

He is also still very nervous, any ideas how to overcome this?

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Lynn, Mum to Buddy and Mary my two fur babies.

I think you are doing right ignoring him until he stops barking, he will eventually realise that barking = ignoring!
BUt- he might be barking more for attention because he knows he gets a treat for stopping?
I would get him in a down and get your partner to wait outside until the noise has stopped? Then greeting your partner would be the reward?
Also if you son can get him to do the same when you get back from shopping??

My pair get hyper when I get up/home from town/oh gets home I just stick them in the garden to toilet then wait until they calm down before giving them attention.

How about teaching your dog a trick to do once someone comes home? Tricks when taught properly requite alot of comcentration and most dogs cannot bark and concentrate on a trick at the same time.

I had a friend with a grat dane and he barked at visitors but she taught him to carry his fave toy and well you can't really bark with a toy in your mouth!

xx

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With the barking when you get back (which I assume is excitment); I would go as far as to, as soon as he barks, turn around and walk out of the door again and only return once he has quietened down.

What you are doing sounds brilliant, particularly rewarding him for being calm/quiet.
Poison girls idea of giving him something to do (give him a toy- maybe just lob one for him to catch, if he's got a toy in his gob it'll be harder to bark )

How did you get on with the food change?

Best of luck with the headcollar and heelwork training and keep us updated

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