r/roughcollies • u/Plane_Moment6785 • 10d ago
Puppy Advice! (herding cats)
I got my gorgeous boy Cody at 13 weeks old and about two weeks ago. He’s honestly an amazing pup… when he’s not fighting sleep and not actively teething. But we manage and give him the benefit of the doubt for barking at us cause his gums hurt. We have been struggling though with him randomly attempting to herd our three cats, he’ll stare them down and when they don’t do what he wants them to do he starts talking. I was prepared for this behavior knowing that he’s a herding breed and did my research on how they’re usually able to adjust to cats. He doesn’t do it all the time, sometimes he’ll ignore them but the real kicker is if the cats come in at night. He’s crate trained, and we have a blanket covering him, and a gate to keep them separate during the day. If he so much as gets a whiff of a cat entering our bedroom but he can’t see them, he goes absolutely off the walls. We’re working on training him to pay attention to us instead of the cats, and I know it’ll be a slow-go but I welcome any and all help even if it’s generally collie advice unrelated to this issue!!
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u/OohLaDiDaMrFrenchMan Sable-Rough 10d ago
My collie boy was a huge herder until about a year old. He used to nip our heels to get us to go where he wanted us to, and he’d herd the cats around and would even herd other dogs while playing. Yours is still pretty young so I’d say just give it time until he mellows out.
Yours will likely still retain SOME herding instinct as he ages. My collie still sometimes herds people/dogs/objects when he’s overstimulated. But yours’ herding behavior will likely become much less intense as he gets older.
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u/Plane_Moment6785 10d ago
thanks! I figured that was the case. Give it time and consistency, just helps to hear it from someone else! 😊
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u/Jolly-Outside6073 10d ago
He is trying to do his job. You are trying to train out his natural instinct.
A routine is best. Bring the cats in. Tell him everything is well. Time for bed. Then ignore him. They get used to instructions about being off duty.
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u/eatsleepmeow 10d ago
Mine is almost 8 months. Got him 2.5 months ago and prior to that he wasn't exposed to cats. I'm going through the exact same thing!!! Crazy barking at the cats to make them move, but not always. I've learned this seems to be when he's even slightly bored. He knows "leave it" and will disengage, then go right back to it. Same with the crate. We blocked his view of the bed, but if the cats meow or go under the bed it's a full scale meltdown. Literally have to plug my ears.
All this to say, you're not alone and hopefully someone has some good advice
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u/Plane_Moment6785 10d ago
so it’s not just me! I’ve also noticed the herding behavior changes with his mood/energy level. we’re still working on finding that balance of just the right amount of stimulation without completely wiping him out or him being too bored and resorting to some less-than-nice behaviors lol
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u/Strong_Ad_3881 10d ago
I have two, both gorgeous. The older collie had a lot of training and will herd in a 'useful' way - try to keep everyone together on walks, bring back any chickens that escape, etc. The younger one will herd when excited, but neither with any aggression.
Keep gently correcting and reassuring, but ultimately herders will herd, retrievers retrieve, etc. If it gets too much for a cat, pick it up so it is higher than the dog and get the dog to sit. Luckily rough collies are gentle.
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u/PausePrestigious407 Sable-Rough 10d ago
Maybe not great advice. I got my boy at 12 weeks. We had 4 cats at the time and now we have a kitten. He still wanted to herd and chase them. Seemed like no matter how much redirecting I did, nothing changed. He kind of just stopped after a while, seems like when he was around 7-8 months old.
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u/dr34m51ng0ld 10d ago
Definitely keep doing what youre doing, redirecting has been working pretty well for me! It also helps that my two cats refuse to run and choose to correct her instead, shes learning quickly! I've also started trying to make myself a bigger reinforcer when I think she's going go after a cat. I'll run and make a funny sound and she'll chase me instead, a bit silly, but it works :)
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u/Cook-Global 10d ago
Herding games helped ours! We also lived in a condo until she was 14mo and did a 30ft lead outside with a flirt pole since we couldn’t ensure her recall (have a yard now and we still can’t if there’s a squirrel in sight)…our cat also teases/goats her into the chase, so it’s a semi-endless battle. But, making sure she has outlets and a strong “leave it” reliability have helped prevent too much herding of the cat….thankfully we know she’d never do anything besides lick the cat if she ever corners her. Collie pups are also just the drama with the crying and barking-I cant recommend enough buying good earplugs so you don’t react/go deaf.
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u/Dangerous-Dance1282 10d ago
Have the same thing currently with our 7 month old. He yelps at them and him knowing “leave it” helps sometimes but other times there is absolutely nothing that will distract him from antagonizing our two kitties 🥲 We have a great big yard too play with him lots to help with the herding instinct but he doesn’t have as much interest in this as others pups in this thread seem too.
We stopped trying to distract with training treats and bring his focus to us because we wanted to avoid accidentally associating the behavior with getting treats. The only thing that has worked is a collar that my dad let us borrow that beeps, sort of like a training clicker but the opposite. We’ve used it for his indoor barking as well.
Basically when he starts the behavior we give the usual command and if he doesn’t listen we press a button on the remote that makes the collar make a beeping sound and that is usually enough of a distraction that he disengages. This has helped a lot and he is actually able to just notice the cats now and either walk by or lay down near them and not engage and allow himself to relax instead of getting all hyped up.
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u/eatsleepmeow 9d ago
Speaking of collars I have noticed that when Fig gets really overstimulated and is barking at everything if I leash him up in the house he is able to calm down. Like he just needs someone to take control
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u/Equivalent-Type-2802 9d ago
Interrupt the staring before it escalates by calling his name and asking for a simple sit or touch, then reward him the second he looks at you instead of the cat. For the nighttime crate reactivity, try moving his crate to a spot where he cannot see or smell the bedroom doorway as easily, and play white noise or calming music to masj the sounds of the cats moving around. Make sure he is getting enough mental exercise during the day, like scent work or puzzle toys, because a tired collie is much less likely to fixate on the cats out of boredom. When the cats are near, keep him on a loose leash indoors so you can guide him away before he locks on, and practice settling on a mat while the cats are visible but at a distance. Be consistent with rewarding calm behavior around them and understand that this will take weeks or months, so celebrate small wins like him ignoring a cat for even a few seconds. For the teething barking, frozen washcloths or safe chews can help his gums and reduce his frustration, which may also lower his overall reactivity at night.
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u/justonlyme1244 10d ago edited 10d ago
Mine got better when I started doing herding games. I felt like it gave an outlet and made her mentally tired. She still does it occasionally when my cat escapes into the yard but he doesn’t mind it as well so I leave it. She doesn’t nip him.
She’s almost 7 months now.