BCSnob wrote:
I've been trying to ignore the comment that this behavior is normal (and accepted) as part of a herding dog when it is just another bad habit. No different than chasing cars, chasing cats, food guarding, marking in the house, etc. Dogs can easily distinguish the difference between children and livestock; they just need to be taught the rules. People just seem to accept that because it looks like herding, a dog from a herding breed cannot be taught to not do this.
I can teach my working bred Border Collies to not work cattle, ducks, chickens, children, deer, cats, etc and only work sheep. So why can't non-working bred dogs be taught to not work children???
Because when the behavior keeps kids sitting quietly on the couch instead of tearing through the house like a banshee, it's not such a bad behavior on the dog's part... :)
