Why does our blue merle border collie turn on us?

Question:
Our adopted blue merle border collie had three homes before coming to us, due to either her owners not being able to cope because they were out at work. I am at home all day so she has company and plenty of exercise.

For the first two months all was well. Then blue merle border collie suddenly became very confident. She would want a fuss made of her, then, for no reason, she would suddenly start to growl and show her teeth. When she does this we ignore her and walk away. However, she has now started to do it to my cats. Although they don't take much notice, it is worrying me.

 Rosemary Slade, Wiltshire.

Answer:
Your blue merle border collie dog is making lots of decisions about what is going to happen; for example, she decides when she wants fuss, then tells the person who is fussing her to stop. I wonder if she would exhibit the same behavior if you decided to make a fuss of her and called her to you - try it and see what happens. Also try fussing her without looking at her, as it may be direct eye contact that she has a problem with.

I note that you are at home all day so it may be that your dog just has too much contact with you. This can sometimes have the effect of promoting the dog and allowing her to feel that she is overly important - and this can cause serious problems.

To start with make sure that all people who visit your home greet you and your family first and then the dog. Always ensure that she is called over before being fussed and that this fussing lasts for only seconds before the dog is gently ignored. This dog needs to learn that she has to work for all the good things in life.

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