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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / July 2006Why cats are better than dogs.
OK. Has anyone's cat tried to kill them yet? Kayla is still a pup and is still learning and trying new things every day. She would like to play ball 24/7. Or pretty close to it as far as I can tell. One of her goals in life is to figure out how to get me to spend more time cooperating. She is big on wanting to be in the room with her human and I try to spend as much waking time as possible with her. But often that means I'm in the family room watching TV or napping while she tries to get just one more toss. Today she tried the direct approach. I was half asleep on the sofa. She had already put the tennis ball in my hands. That didn't do it so she jumped up and sat on me. When I got to where I could ignore that she started moving up. To where she was jumping up and leaning on my face. Anyone ever hear of anyone being smothered by their Border Collie? If I go missing, she has succeeded. Jo > OK. Has anyone's cat tried to kill them yet? > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Jo Ah, Jo, she is going to run rings around you unless you are more assertive with her. At the point when she tried to prove her point by sitting on you you should have removed her from the room. Are there any dog obedience classes you can go to with her? It seems to me that she thinks she is the boss of you and this must not be allowed to happen or she will make your life a misery. She needs continually re-affirming of your higher status just now, she is old enough to be confident and challenge your authority. Once you get the dominance sorted out (that it's you and not her) she will be a delight. She seems to think it's her at the moment and she needs to know it isn't before it gets out of hand. If there are no obedience classes you can go to, spend 20 minutes a day outside training her to do heelwork, sit, stay, lie down and stay, come and sit in front when I call you. I can help you with this if you need it, on private mail if you want. I did competitive obedience competitions with mine so I feel qualified to offer advice if you want it. Tweed > Ah, Jo, she is going to run rings around you unless you are more assertive > with her. At the point when she tried to prove her point by sitting on you > you should have removed her from the room. Are there any dog obedience > classes you can go to with her? It seems to me that she thinks she is the > boss of you and this must not be allowed to happen or she will make your > life a misery. What Tweed said. All dogs benefit from training and from being confident of their place in the pack. Border collies pretty much require it.  Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca >> Ah, Jo, she is going to run rings around you unless you are more >> assertive [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > confident of their place in the pack. Border collies pretty much > require it. Believe me I know. Trouble is most dogs only need convinced a few dozen times. She heels. Sits. Down. Long stay at distance. Return circle and sit. Comes when she's called. Goes into her crate on command (and for a cookie) And we spend about 30 minutes a day working. But when we aren't working she has a real problem with no and off. Its plain too hot right now for classes, even in the evening. They will start back up in September. I'd have pitched her outside sooner today, but was watering the yard and didn't want her out there playing with the hose. So can I ask your opinions on so called shock training collars? (Don't anybody get upset. I wouldn't injure her for anything. I'm just asking) Jo > So can I ask your opinions on so called shock training collars? (Don't > anybody get upset. I wouldn't injure her for anything. I'm just asking) I wouldn't go down this route just yet. She's just a horrible teenager and I hope we can work it out. BC's can be difficult as pets, the one I got for my mom was dreadful as a youngster even with lots of exercise and training classes. She ripped all the wallpaper off and tried to eat through the walls. Once she got older she was great. Not much consolation now, I know, but something to look forward to perhaps. Tweed >> So can I ask your opinions on so called shock training collars? (Don't >> anybody get upset. I wouldn't injure her for anything. I'm just asking) [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Once she got older she was great. Not much consolation now, I know, but > something to look forward to perhaps. I just will be glad if and when this playing who's the boss stage is over. Its like every morning she wakes up thinking "today's the day I take over the world" I know I'll miss the exuberance and don't want to wish her youth away, but some days. I watched a program a few days ago on Borzoi's. Whippet's are a near relative, right? You have my admiration for training them to competition level. I understand it isn't that easy to train sight hounds, especially to work off lead. Jo >>>Ah, Jo, she is going to run rings around you unless you are more >>>assertive [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > Jo One of the reasons why I live with a cat is because, with a cat, I never have to make such an unbearable choice. My cat has some behaviors in common with your Collie. This morning, for example, I slept in. This meant that the cat, which is now accustomed to being fed his breakfast shortly after the time when the alarm on my clock radio goes off, had to adapt to a new schedule today. Of course, he was QUITE diplomatic. I got kissed. I got my ear purred in. I got every measure of kindness that one could ever imagine (especially if that one is a cat). I also got climbed over, sat on and meowed at with equal kindness amid the fanfare. The cat doesn't quite weigh 20 pounds. And that's why I'll never have to torture myself thinking about torture devices like shock collars. If you can bring yourself to employ such a device, Jo, you're either much more sadistic or much braver than I am--and I'd put my money on the latter. :) :) :) Jeff >>> Ah, Jo, she is going to run rings around you unless you are more >>> assertive [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Jo I wouldn't go down that route. I know clicker training is normally very succesful, I'm sure there's someone around that could give advice on it. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk >>>> Ah, Jo, she is going to run rings around you unless you are more >>>> assertive [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > very succesful, I'm sure there's someone around that could give > advice on it. My former fiance, Ray, used to train his [hunting] dogs using pebbles in a tin can. Apparently the sound scared the dogs (they were labrador retrievers) and when tossed would stop the dog from whatever bad behavior they were doing. But they were outside dogs in a dog-run, not indoor dogs. From what I've read about border collies, they are outdoor dogs. She needs room to run. Build a dog-run. Jill >>>>> Ah, Jo, she is going to run rings around you unless you are more >>>>> assertive [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > > Jill She has access to a large back yard, weather permitting. Plus daily visits to the park for longer distance ball chasing (at least until animal control catches up with us. A local dog park is in the works) Jo > >>>> Ah, Jo, she is going to run rings around you unless you are more > >>>> assertive [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > > Jill I don't think they're outdoor dogs. I think they need time outdoors, and border collies really need a job or they just go crazy. But they belong in the house with the family at all other times. Sherry > I don't think they're outdoor dogs. I think they need time outdoors, > and border collies really need a job or they just go crazy. But they > belong in the house with the family at all other times. > > Sherry This is what Kayla claims anyway. She wants to stick to me like glue. Animated glue. Part of the deal is her job is to help me. I'm deaf. I have a cochlear implant so I can hear quite a bit when I'm wearing it. But cannot hear things like the doorbell of the phone ring. I don't wear the receiver when its just her and me. She pretty much seems to know I'm deaf and lets me know when there is someone at the house, and if it is someone she knows or not. I'm thinking it can be particularly hard to convince a service dog that you are still the pack leader. Part of why a service dogs person is always supposed to be the only one that feeds and cares for the dog. Jo > I'm thinking it can be particularly hard to convince a service dog > that you are still the pack leader. Part of why a service dogs > person is always supposed to be the only one that feeds and cares > for the dog. Yes, but service dogs also go through extensive training from puppyhood to learn how to be a service dog. Kayla didn't have that, did she? Service dogs aren't assigned to their people as puppies, I don't think. Service dogs learn to distinguish between on and off duty. For the record, with enough training, so can other dogs. My friend has a part border collie whom she has trained to respond to commands that tell her when to start playtime and when playtime is over. It seems a bit severe to me, but it does work, and it may be just the kind of training Kayla needs. She needs discipline and she needs a purpose. If she doesn't get those, she will invent her own ways of keeping her brain busy. Since you spend so much time playing with her anyway, could you take her to one of those classes ... um, I can't think of the name, but the dogs basically do obstacle courses? That would be food for her mind, not just her body. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca >> I'm thinking it can be particularly hard to convince a service dog >> that you are still the pack leader. Part of why a service dogs [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > the name, but the dogs basically do obstacle courses? That would be > food for her mind, not just her body. Yes it is a problem in that service dogs are normally trained before they are assigned. But this is the best I can do since no way would I ever be able to get a trained hearing assistance dog. Especially since I do have the implant and it does work. Not that many hearing dogs are trained. Those that are go to those who need them worse than I do. Plus a Border Collie is probably a little over the top energy wise to be a service dog. Her breeder/trainer described her as wanting to play all the time. That she recognized boundaries but also tried to set her own. That she is very independent. She recommended that I try to get her involved in agility training as that suits the more independent dogs. She even said that you don't want to go overboard on the obedience if you want a good agility dog. But that is training that really needs to wait till she is a year old, and also for the weather to cool down. In the mean time we do work on the kids playground equipment if I get to the park early enough. Up and down stairs and tilted ladders and through tunnels and over swinging bridges. Seems they have decided teeter totters are too dangerous for children. But I have the stuff to make one of those in the back yard. I don't want her jumping too high until her hips mature. She is doing better. But I have to keep her out of the computer room. Seems she does resent it. Jo > Her breeder/trainer described her as wanting to play all the time. > That she recognized boundaries but also tried to set her own. That > she is very independent. She recommended that I try to get her > involved in agility training as that suits the more independent > dogs. She even said that you don't want to go overboard on the > obedience if you want a good agility dog. That's what I meant! Agility training! Hrm, with what you've described so far, I wouldn't worry yet that she's overly obedient *big grin* I mean, I would worry about getting to the point where she's not driving you crazy, and *then* worry about how much obedience is too much. > But that is training that really needs to wait till she is a year > old, and also for the weather to cool down. In the mean time we do [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > those in the back yard. I don't want her jumping too high until her > hips mature. Sounds fun! Does she enjoy it? I can only imagine my dog Puma would have been terrified. > She is doing better. But I have to keep her out of the computer > room. Seems she does resent it. Any time away from you, probably ... Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca >> Her breeder/trainer described her as wanting to play all the time. >> That she recognized boundaries but also tried to set her own. That [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Any time away from you, probably ... No I don't think there is any danger of me overtraining Kayla in obedience. To be honest I don't really care if she leans on me when she is sitting at heel, etc. She likes the park. Its a shame I have to keep her off the playground if there are any kids around as she would dearly love to play with them, but its just way to risky. She will balk at things like the swinging bridge the first time, but is OK after that. Sadly my own agility isn't up to going up and down the slides. Jo > Ah, Jo, she is going to run rings around you unless you are more assertive > with her. At the point when she tried to prove her point by sitting on you > you should have removed her from the room. Are there any dog obedience > classes you can go to with her? It seems to me that she thinks she is the > boss of you and this must not be allowed to happen or she will make your > life a misery. I've never had a dog (I like them, just never had a large enough home for the size dogs I prefer). One thing to remember, I think, is that dogs are "pack" animals, so you have to establish yourself as "head of the pack", or you're likely to have problems with obedience. > OK. Has anyone's cat tried to kill them yet? > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Jo One of the finest dogs I've known was a Border Collie I picked up at the Austin, TX shelter in 1976. I moved him to my sister's 100 acre place near Sherman, TX because he found my yard in Austin too confining; Made him neurotic. He only made it six years and died of septic infection, like Max, but his life was joyous. I've known too many cats and dogs that loved one another to consider one better than the other. We are all kin. Cheers H. > OK. Has anyone's cat tried to kill them yet? > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Anyone ever hear of anyone being smothered by their Border Collie? If I go > missing, she has succeeded. Fluffy is half border collie. If we allowed her, she'd be all over us, all the time. Sweetest dog I've ever known, but can get a bit 'overly affectionate' at times. Learn to growl with your teeth showing. Growling with teeth showing says "back off, you've overstepped your mark". Dogs in packs do it to other dogs, especially junior dogs who need to be kept in line. You don't have to do it often, but if you are finding yourself smothered, look straight into the dog's eyes, bare your fangs and growl. When they back off, praise them. Or, if hte dog is cat trained, hiss like a cat. If a dog has ever had claws across their nose, they'll know what is after a hiss, and will also back off. Either way works fine on Fluffy. YMMV. Yowie >> OK. Has anyone's cat tried to kill them yet? >> [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > > Yowie This I gotta try. Tomorrow. But this is a dog who on her three month birthday got her ear slit in a "fight" with Jake the cat. And didn't really learn her lesson. Of course it doesn't help that she knows both her cats are pretty much all hiss and not much fight as long as you are reasonably careful. Molly knows that Kayla is harmless, especially if you avoid sudden moves around her. I swear Jake antagonizes her on purpose to get her in trouble. She is supposed to ignore him, and he won't let her. I swear sometimes he hisses when she isn't even close just to get her yelled at. Jo >OK. Has anyone's cat tried to kill them yet? > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > >Jo Aww, but then you wouldn't be able to throw her ball!! Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War |
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