In Need of Advice · Dog Training Community

In Need of Advice

LONG POST: I can remove this if it’s not allowed.

Hi, I’m new to the group.

My five year old Border Collie, Nova is my only dog currently and we are struggling.

Back from 2020 - 2023 I was living in a home I owned by myself with just her, my other Border Collie (who was rehoused due to increasing aggression towards JUST his sister to a great home..). They had a yard and I worked at a doggie day care as a training assistant that they went with me to every day.

At the end of the year I moved south to be with my now fiance. She was in school and I had nothing going on at the time so I made the decision to move and rent my house to some friends. My dogs and I went from a 2 bedroom house with a yard to a 2 bedroom townhouse with a roommate and a small dog park. We have access to 40 acres with horses that she’s interested in but not aggressive to, and out good friend has a large acre lot but has 3 other dogs, one of which is a livestock guardian.

My lifestyle has changed completely since moving. I’m a full time student, and I’m currently (trying) to also work full time without much luck. She’s developed awful leash pulling issues that I cannot seem to get under control and her recall has gone to the dogs (no pun intended) so my trust in her is completely gone when it comes to being off leash. Because of this even getting her out to walk is risking pulling my shoulder out of its socket.

I love her endlessly. She’s my best friend, I’ve had her since 8 weeks old. I want nothing more than to be able to integrate her back into living with the family unit but right now we have to keep her and our cats separate. Not because of aggression. She loves them, she’s just SO high energy and can’t seem to calm in the house.

If I could get her leash manners under control, her recall back in order and get her some semblance of calm again she would have a world of hiking, barn trips and going to our friends for play dates in her life…

And I just feel like the biggest failure..

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