Over-excitement when together

Hi,

Our collies, independently are reasonably well behaved and obedient.

We have made massive progress with them chasing our cats in the house.

The next issue...

If we take one them out for a walk they will be, not calm, but they can contain themselves. Might be a bit of pulling on the lead but nothing major, will come back to heal. They both love to meet people and on their own like other dogs. One is particularly submissive, lying down about ten yards away from a strange dog and approaching on her belly. The other will usually be in their face but if she thinks she can dominate them she makes herself known - so she is kept on the lead unless we have a ball to distract her. If we have a ball they don't even see other people or dogs.

If i take them out together they go hyper. I can get them out the door in a calm manner and get the door locked but after that they pull as hard as they can, howl, cry and bark. Together they will bark at other dogs as soon as they see them and even the submissive one will charge at other dogs - even if i have the dominant one on the lead - but she never touches them, she generally come right back as soon as she realizes she is on her own. Again, the ball makes other dogs invisible unless they try to steal the ball! They have never caused any harm to another dog but i really don't like the spectacle of my two ganging up on someone else pet.

I have tried as much as i can think of to stop it. Standing still until they are back in heal and calm but as soon as i step forward it starts again. If i use the ball to distract them i have two dogs walking and leaping backwards all the way down the road. Walk them individualy until they are nice and calm, then go back to walking them together and its right back to square one. Taking them back in to the house as soon as they start and sitting donw until they calm down but it all starts again when we get out the door.

Any advice would be gladly received but i am thinking of going to see a behaviorist about this as it is really doing my head in. Today when we left the house there was a young girl walking past the front garden. as usual we got out the door and got the door locked but as sson as i stepped away from the door the howling and barking started and scared the cr@p out the poor wee girl. she ran off crying.

Hi Graham it sounds as though you have been trying all the right things.

You don't say how old your dogs are? Although it can be annoying it is normal for them to get excited at the prospect of going for a walk particularly if they are still young. Have you got a garden or field nearby , if so I would have a game with them before going for a walk do get rid of a bit of energy then they might be more calm .

hi minihaha,

our dogs are 2.5yrs old (the submisive one) and 1.5 yrs old. We have only had the 1.5yr (est.) old one since january from a rescue, she was a stray so no history.

Playing a game just gets them wired up. I'd need to play for an hour before taking them for a walk, lol.