Border Collie obsessed with me on Walks

Hi Everyone,
I'm hoping that you guys might be able to help with a bit of a problem that my 2 year old Border Collie has developed in the last couple of months.
Recently every time we go out for a walk he has become obsessed with me and just walks along sideways right in front of me under my feet starring up at me not looking at all where he is going and not going off to just 'do dog things'.

Here are some other points that are related:

• If the wife or dog walker takes him out he is fine and runs round quite contented.
• If I take him on a bike ride he runs ahead happily.
• The only way I can get him to move away is if we do the 'Ready Steady... GO!!' game - he sprints off for 50 - 100 meters, but then just comes straight back to me. (I've tried not doing this for the past few weeks so he doesn't rely on being entertained)
• He'll play fetch with a tennis ball - normally his obsession - but even that recently he has ignored sometimes.
• If my wife calls him he'll sometimes ignore her when I'm around , or sometimes go to her but then just run straight back to me.
• If I don't look at him and just ignore him he'll just stand there waiting for a long time (1 hour plus)
• If he does move away from me I can't praise him because he just comes straight back and stares.
• He's got a job as well being trained as a search and rescue dog (which is being affected by this) so shouldn't be bored.
• Inside he plays with our new puppy (This all started before we got her 3 weeks ago - another collie) but outside he just ignores her even though she continually tries to play with him.
• Any other dog that comes to say hello he just ignores completely.
• He has recently (again past few months) developed a fear of shotgun bangs that are prevalent in the countryside where I live. Possibly related?

So, any ideas on how I can break this obsession with me? It is driving me nuts!!

Tim

Hi Tim, sorry your thread had me really smiling, a BC obcession, they do develope them and boy are they hard to break.

Can I ask you say your used to do Ready steady go, to get him to go....I know you say you have stopped this now, but did you do this when this obcession first started...see what I am getting at is I think he feels your a very entertaining person who wants to play games.
Ignoring can work with alot of dogs, what I have personally found with BC's is that ignoring only really enforces thier stare....well how can you ignore a very determined dog when mine have had an obcession i have taken them back to basics, so you may have to try walking him back on lead, enforcing heel...and giving him treats/rewards when he complys.

Also just out of interest when you walk him does someone else come along....if so try getting them to try squeaky toys, if you can get him to think someone else has something of more ''fun'' than you are it may take his mind of you

Yeah, I know what you mean. I didn't mind when he had the ball obsession. That could always be used in a positive way. This obsession is good that he's under control, but boy it's getting annoying having a dog under my feet when I walk!!
The ready steady go kind of started on our bike rides (which he absolutely LOVES!! - he get's so excited when the bike comes out!). When we stop for a break he is itching to get going and so the ready steady GO kind of went from there. However, he's never really displayed it when walking.
We've tried other people playing with him to get away from me, but he's like a rubber ball bouncing back to me!
Almost every walk we go on he starts and finishes the walk on a lead, and he does really well. Obsession stops, and sometimes tries to pull away. (maybe I should get one of those joke leads that are held up by wire!!)

I was also wondering about those collars that puff a jet of air to distract him. Think that could be useful?

Hi Tim.

I certainly wouldn't use one of those air/water puffers in this situation - he could well associate you with the negative action and I'm sure you wouldn't want that.

Of the collies I've had, only one likes to go off and 'be a normal dog' - but even she will want periods of play. All the others almost don't care where we are as long as I've been willing to play with them.

As Youngstevie says, breaking an obssession can be very hard and sometimes its just pot luck when you find something that works.

The nearest I've had to this is Hoki when she wants to play and I don't want to give her her ball (or don't have it with me) - but she normally bounces backwards in front of me. With her I've found making her walk to heel for a little while works - when she's finally released she will go off by herself. Or telling her to go and find a stick - I know the risks of playing with sticks, but in her case most of the time she just carries it around, but it gives her something else to focus on other than me.

Other things you could try is working on his stay - make him stay while you walk away from him. Also a game of find it might distract him (but I don't know whether a game like this would work against his search and rescue training?)

Not sure about the collar thing myself.
I've had 47 years experience of BC's and I find they have very long memories, personal thoughts on the collar is that if you have a situation where you need him to come to you urgently, he may well associate that with a negative ''puff of air''

I think I would go back to training basics then, I feel that the obcession comes with you and the bike thing....so when your walking he thinks the bike is magically going to appear....remember dogs do not (unfortunately) had a logic mind.
You unwittingly have started a game...well really a great pleasure...Dad ..means bike, and I think this is what has triggered this obcession with him. And why not to him you are the best thing in his life...so fabby

I would do heel work and stay, don't worry to much about how much excercise he is/isn't getting, mental stimulation will make up for that, then as you progress pop him on a training lead, giving him the chane to move further and further away, always rewarding as he heels and stays, then as this progress's you can start letting him off again.
I think it maybe wise to keep him and bike apart for a while, as he may take two steps forward then when the bike reappears two back

Good luck I think I can safely say you have some work to do in front of you

you have a collie its what they do!! But I agree you want them to go and be a doggy too
You could do more training when on walks - get him to stay then hide things for him to find - tennis balls and stuff so he is using his nose some more
Teach him to go out around trees and stuff, to go and lie down on an object
How much of the feeding/walking/training do you do with him?? You could perhaps have other people do more?
Also any time he goes off to do his own time use a word (I use 'Go be a dog') so eventualy he will have a word that means to him that you are not about to do anything fun for a while
Have you tried going somewhere safe then sitting down with a newspaper and totaly ignoring him while other people zoom around having great games that he is not forced to join in but he can if he wants

Our word is....go and play now.

they then act like they have been switched off and away they go

Its funny, I am actually using it for the opposite - to build focus in Mia until I let her go - her life would be much safer with more freedom if I could switch on an obsession with her.
I think you are right tho - sounds like he is waiting for the bike to magically appear collies are smart for a given level of 'smart' but sometimes really really dumb!

How Nice & what a supa owner you must be!!!!! & how nice to hear of a collie Prob on here that does not involve chasing wheels! Brill!!!

I wouldnt stop him, but what i would do is take to dropping something with your scent on as you walk & tell him to find. Its a great game & you loose them for a while as you walk on. Obvisley you do it close behind to start & help him find it at first to give him the idea, but you can soon build up the distance!