[DOGPERSON]

Hi,

I believe all border collies need a lot of exercise, whether they are domestic dogs or working dogs.

I have had two schools of thought about GIVING COLLIES AFFECTION, since being a dog person (a dog walker), and that is that too much affection ruins a collie working dog. And the other is that you can treat them like a family pet at the end of the day, and they can work out not to be slack outside \\

I have recently been told that giving too much affection story is rubbish,but I was just wondering what your opinion is?

 

[Mese]

My BC's are just pets , but I highly doubt that giving any animal affection will ruin it for working , tbh I would have thought just the opposite as then the dog would be very motivated to earn even more praise and affection so would work harder

 

[Guest]

I'm in Oz. Surrounded by a lot of uneducated, obstinate, completely closed minded farmers, some of whom have stock I would be utterly ashamed to admit were mine. I don't actually know a local farmer with inside dogs, who shows ANY kindness or affection. Most dogs are bellowed at, chained to hollow logs, even 44 gallon drums,when not working.

They All swear ANY compassion/kindness shown to dogs, ruins dogs and sneer at me. The only farmers I've ever seen show affection to their dogs, were competing at top, national level... so what do I know...

I do think most of those dogs have most of their behaviour programmed in. An idiot can only wreck the potential. Therefore, for the most part, most of the proudly uneducated, shockingly ignorant men ARE better with as little contact as possible. If you understand dog and sheep behaviour, if you bond like a cross species twin, with your dog, you can produce Unbelievable dogs.

 

[smokeybear]

It is impossible to give anything too much affection.

 

[See A Man About A Dog]

Echoing people's opinions here, positive training, encouragement and affection is the only option as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Guest]

I came back, because the question is flawed. Asking if TOO MUCH affection... implies the answer is yes. TOO MUCH implies excess. Rephrase to A LOT. In my first reply, I unthinkingly thought of my relationship with dogs.

Then you have to clearly define the affection. Healthy affection, or child substitute affection. If the dog is treated as a child substitute or status object, it can be made neurotic. It's a warped and self indulgent affection, but that wasn't the question you asked. In the phrasing of the question, you are not clear in the question, and I think you have been talking to someone who would be more at home with the saddo Australian farmers, and now someone has poured scorn on that terribly old generalisation, the mindset of dominance, of being the master, WITHOUT earning that leader/decison maker status, or understanding dogs, and you want reassurance your doubt is right and back up to argue back?

NO dog can get TOO MUCH healthy affection. It damages nothing. Holding back affection and healthy bonding, forever limits what you can ask of your dog.

Huge amounts of affection can be extremely enjoyable, so bonding, so strengthening of a human/dog bond, but only if it is a healthy relationship. In not defining even the QUESTION clearly, I think you will really discover a world of dog psychology, that will so enrich your life and the dogs you deal with, if you shake off the 19th century attitudes to animals.

 

[newfiesmum]

Hi,

I believe all border collies need a lot of exercise, whether they are domestic dogs or working dogs.

I have had two schools of thought about GIVING COLLIES AFFECTION, since being a dog person (a dog walker), and that is that too much affection ruins a collie working dog. And the other is that you can treat them like a family pet at the end of the day, and they can work out not to be slack outside \\

I have recently been told that giving too much affection story is rubbish,but I was just wondering what your opinion is?

Dogs are social creatures and need affection from their humans. A true working dog like a border collie can take any amount of love and spoiling and still want to do what he was born for and I personally do not like to see one that is so fixated on his ball he has no time for anything else. My dogs will do almost anything for me, because they get the cuddles, kisses and love.

I used to live next door to a retired farmer who had had his collie pts when he moved from the farm because according to him it was a working dog and would never have settled as a pet. Absolutely crap in my opinion. He may not have settled indoors, but he could certainly have retired as well.

 

[GingerRogers]

OH works for a sheep farmer - boss is the school of don't fuss the dog or it wont work - it gets a pat and a feed at the end of the working day. OH is a bit softer than that he always gave the old boy some fuss and he ended up working better for hubby than boss. When we first met this dog he was incredibly timid especially of women, eventually he even worked for me, I was never anything but nice to him. When he ended his days boss got two more part trained and very expensive - they didn't work for boss so they didn't get taken out, if I can't work them no one will attitude - who knows it could have been because he didn't have a welsh accent but........

 

[missnaomi]

Dogs are social creatures and need affection from their humans. A true working dog like a border collie can take any amount of love and spoiling and still want to do what he was born for and I personally do not like to see one that is so fixated on his ball he has no time for anything else. My dogs will do almost anything for me, because they get the cuddles, kisses and love.

I used to live next door to a retired farmer who had had his collie pts when he moved from the farm because according to him it was a working dog and would never have settled as a pet. Absolutely crap in my opinion. He may not have settled indoors, but he could certainly have retired as well.

My cousin was a shepherd until work became hard to come by (not an intentional pun) - his collie retired from herding at the same time, and lived happily as a pet for another 11 years, until dying peacefully at the age of 17.

 

[Kayp]

My border collie is the most spoilt boy.. He loves a cuddle and loves the house.. This takes nothing from
His instinct as when we are out he loves being of the lead running circles around me and my partner rounding us up when we run different directions.. He's a brilliant BC and a brilliant pet!!!

 

[Sussexplumber]

Border collies are my fave dog. Highly intelligent, agile, athletic and hardworking.

 

[Moobli]

My hubby is a shepherd and all our dogs (including the working sheepdogs) get plenty of fuss, affection and attention - and they thrive on it.

 

[lozzibear]

I don't agree with that... My aunt has working BCs (one at a time) and they are pets first, then workers. They live in the house, are fussed, are taken on walks to the beach etc... just like any other pet dog. They are still fully capable of herding her sheep though.

A nieghbour of hers is an old widow, and she has sheep too. Someone else looks after the sheep though, and works the BCs, but the last time I visited (a few years ago now) she had 3 BCs, all of them worked. She had a large herd of sheep, much bigger than my aunts. This woman spoilt her dogs rotten, after becoming a widow they were all she had... well, them and her chickens. She had the sheep too but she was too old to do anything with them.

My BC would hate if he got little affection, he is the cuddliest dog I have ever met.

 

[hutch6]

I have recently been told that giving too much affection story is rubbish,but I was just wondering what your opinion is?

Of course it's ******!!! Go see some actual working trials if you want to see how the handlers get the best out of their dogs.

What a ridiculous train of thought. Nothing would work for something that didn't it right in any walk of life.

Affection creates trust and a bond FFS, what better combination is there for working together?

 

[CaveDweller]

Sorry but that is a load of bull***t whoever told you that lol My old man is a Shepherd and puts on daily displays of sheep herding for the public, it's very popular especially with the tourists to the area. His dogs just run free around the farm and the parking for the visitors is in the farm grounds. The dogs go to meet everyone out of their own will and get cuddles before they start the display. Also if the dog is not working for a minute in the display it will quite happily go into the crowd and get cuddles before he is sent back out to the sheep. His dogs have won many championships before and they get as much affection as your average house dog...tell that to the person that told you that crap lol

 

[Hali]

I think I can see where the 'too much affection' idea has come from...
in my opinion there needs to be a balance between affection and respect/discipline.

I have known collies (including one of my existing rescues when I first got her) who have had plenty of affection but no discipline and it doesn't do them any favours. The clever ones (and most collies are clever) will often learn to take the mickey. I've found that with these dogs, less affection (at least in the short term) is better for them.

The people that I know who work their collies never use food/toys as a reward - the dogs work for the love of the job but also for praise. Their is plenty of affection between dog and handler, but it is not OTT, the dogs aren't permanently cuddled/stroked/clapped but there is a very strong bond between them.

So yes, I think that in certain circumstances and for certain collies too much affection can be a bad thing.

 

[Colliebarmy]

Im of the opinion that collies should maybe never have collars on, and dont take to leads (generally) as they prefer to run free and unfettered, we tried to "rescue" a WBC we found by the roadside in Bala with no collar, till the owner came out and spoke welsh to it.....lol

 

[Sussexplumber]

Im of the opinion that collies should maybe never have collars on, and dont take to leads (generally) as they prefer to run free and unfettered, we tried to "rescue" a WBC we found by the roadside in Bala with no collar, till the owner came out and spoke welsh to it.....lol

Isn`t it a legal requirement that they (all dogs) are collared?

 

[Spellweaver]

Hi,

I believe all border collies need a lot of exercise, whether they are domestic dogs or working dogs.

I have had two schools of thought about GIVING COLLIES AFFECTION, since being a dog person (a dog walker), and that is that too much affection ruins a collie working dog. And the other is that you can treat them like a family pet at the end of the day, and they can work out not to be slack outside \\

I have recently been told that giving too much affection story is rubbish,but I was just wondering what your opinion is?

It's absolute rubbish. It belongs in the same category as other stupid things people say about dogs - things such as rubbing their nose in any mess they make to stop them messing in the house, or that a bitch should have one litter before she is spayed etc etc.

Anyone who knows anything at all about dogs knows that affection between humans and dogs are the basis of working partnerships.

 

[Moobli]

Im of the opinion that collies should maybe never have collars on, and dont take to leads (generally) as they prefer to run free and unfettered, we tried to "rescue" a WBC we found by the roadside in Bala with no collar, till the owner came out and spoke welsh to it.....lol

Not sure where this school of thought comes in?