Ewenity Farm Herding Dog Haven

04/09/2024

Some recent pix of Peaches adopted a month ago!! Learning to boat and swim!!

04/09/2024

Got a dog you are finding harder to train, or one who reacts more adversely when challenged in any way? Today our breed expert Carol Price looks at this type of collie in more depth.

MANAGING AND TRAINING THE MORE ‘CONTROL RESISTANT’ DOG

Of all the misconceptions at large in the world about Border collies, one of the biggest is that they will always be ‘easy to train’. And all this does is make people who find their collies that much harder to train feel failures. Instead of people who just happen to have a collie who is rather differently wired; i.e. more sensitive/reactive to confrontation, or more self-contained and less interested in gaining or retaining your approval, or obsessed with the control of others, while at the same time – like most control freaks – far more resistant to the process of others trying to control them. Any or all of these characteristics, in fact, could apply.

THE COLLIE SPECTRUM
Dogs like these have always existed in the breed, as part of the wider natural genetic variation within it. But they can often present people used to ‘easier’ or more naturally biddable collies with a bit of a shock. And also require a somewhat different type of handling.

In my books I cover the broader range of temperaments, and more individual behavioural quirks or mental outlooks found within the Border collie breed as a whole, and how different dogs should best be managed or trained – and particularly BOOK THREE in my BREED APART trilogy on BEHAVIOUR, which features The Collie Spectrum. This is where you can assess characteristics that most apply to your own dog. For it is in trying to own, manage or train all collies as if they were exactly the same, or like any dog you had before, that you can so often become unstuck.

It is equally important to understand the difference between behaviour in your dog that has been learned, or is open to significant change through better training, and that which is a deeper part of their whole genetic character.

CONFRONTATION SENSITIVE DOGS
Often I will come across dogs, for instance, who are highly confrontation sensitive, or more protective of their personal space if you try to more suddenly invade it, or place demands or pressures on them that instinctively flick their ‘threat’ buttons. Resulting in reactions like growling sometimes, or even snapping or lunging out. And while you may think you are approaching such dogs in a more ‘normal’ or ‘ordinary’ way, or just ‘asking them to do this or that’, be mindful that the dog’s brain, on a far deeper and more primal level, has read the picture very differently.

Sometimes the threat reaction button can be so rapidly and instinctively activated in collies that they have insufficient time, beforehand, to more consciously assess the target they have aimed it at. When you have dogs like these, you have to get into the habit of always inviting them into your space, rather than invading theirs, especially more suddenly or in any way they could read as more confrontational. Then give them the option to do something for you, for which they will always be heavily rewarded. Do not force the issue. Allow the dog to learn for themself that any choice they make to co-operate with you will always be highly rewarding for them.

What can happen instead, if you don’t do this, is that the dog begins to equate any more sudden approach from you with a sense of greater mental pressure or potential threat.

NON-COMPLIERS
People often think they have ‘stubborn’ collies, when they simply have dogs insufficiently motivated by the way you are training them. Commonly, for instance, you could be applying too much mental pressure on them, which can cause a lot of dogs to just mentally ‘shut down’, or get into the habit of looking away elsewhere and refusing to make eye contact with you when you speak to them or try to ask them to do something. Or they may even start sniffing the ground more intently, which can be just another sign of a dog feeling under pressure.

This can also be a particularly common problem in dogs who were not taught to readily 'focus' on their owners when much younger, and be consistently and fulsomely rewarded for it, in a way that makes this later a more 'automatic' behaviour for them.

Unfortunately what can often happen in situations where a dog will not readily focus on you when asked is that the owner then gets even more exasperated at the dog for not ‘listening’ to them, or paying them sufficient ‘respect’, ramping up the pressure levels still further on the dog, until you are stuck in a vicious cycle where the dog begins to ‘shut off’ the moment you even talk to them or approach them, for fear of the pressure to come.

At which point you really have to start rethinking the whole way you are training your dog, pare things right back to basics, and start with building a far better bond of trust between the two of you before going any further. For until your dog is happier to focus on you, and cooperate with you in the simplest situations at home, in return for rewards, you are never going to hold their sufficient attention, trust and cooperation when things get a lot more testing elsewhere. (Note this kind of ‘focus’ and ‘cooperation’ training is covered in BOOK TWO in my BREED APART trilogy ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS AND LEARNING).

CONTROL AVOIDERS
Although they are relatively rarer, some collies may simply dislike their actions or movements being controlled by others, full stop. And will do what they can to avoid this happening. Sometimes this may just be evasion – like not coming back to you when called (although this could also depend on the quality of your recall training). At other times they may just persistently resist following through with anything you ask them to do.

They can also look as if they always have their own more personal agenda, which your commands are constantly trying to interrupt in a less welcome way. Or appear to live in their own little world, where they do not seem particularly bothered whether they please you or not.

Again the key lies with first beginning to better understand the dog’s psyche, and only ever attaching rewards to any act of focus or cooperation on the dog’s part from the off, as well as always giving the dog the sense they are ‘choosing’ to cooperate with you, rather than having your will more forcibly imposed on them.
Meanwhile, as mentioned earlier, far more on managing and training dogs with different inherent mentalities or personalities appears in my BREED APART trilogy of books:
All text © Carol Price 2024
Carol Price collie books: In the UK from: https://performancedog.co.uk/?s=carol+price In the USA from: https://www.dogwise.com/ # and https://www.cleanrun.com/product/border_collies_a_breed_apart_book_1_secrets_of_the_working_mind/index.cfm In Canada from https://4mymerles.com/collections/books In Australia from: https://gameondogs.com.au/ And in the Netherlands and Belgium from: https://mediaboek.nl/border-collies-a-breed-apart-book-1.html

04/09/2024

These two are in need!! Any Florida fosters out there??? Apps are at ewenityfarmsbch.com

~Cherry #28468 HW-
female 4-5 yrs old 29.6 lbs
-seems good with dogs
-will need a slow introduction to cats, she seemed scared of them
~Blossom #28469 HW-
female 4-5 yrs old 41.6 lbs
-seems good with dogs
-will need a slow introduction to cats, she seemed scared of them

Available for adoption or rescue as long as space or health allows

Highlands County Animal Services
7300 Haywood Taylor Blvd
Sebring, FL
[email protected]

Pledges for Cherry:
Carmen Sebastian $25

Pledges for Blossom:
Carmen Sebastian $25

Thank you!

ADOPTION FEE:
$90 Non-Spayed Female (covers spay surgery, rabies vaccine, heartworm test and microchip)
$80 Non-Neutered Males (covers neuter surgery, rabies vaccine, heartworm test and microchip)
$35 Fixed Male or Female (covers impound fee, rabies vaccine, heartworm test and microchip)

501c3 rescues can pull for free (does not cover spay/neuter)

Rescues must provide spay/neuter paperwork to Highlands County Animal Services within 30 days

Please be aware that when you adopt a dog/cat from Animal Services and they go to the veterinarian for their spay/neuter surgery, they will charge you a small fee for a bath & flea/tick prevention.

If you are interested in a dog or cat, please make sure that you have a solid plan in place before having the dog or cat pulled or adopted. We just want to make sure that at the end of it, the dog or cat gets the loving home he/she deserves, not taken back to Animal Services because everything wasn't thought through and it has nowhere to go.
If you can't help by adopting one of these fantastic dogs or cats, you can also pledge to help with money for a rescue to help cover the cost of the medical necessities for the dog/cat. Pledges help to fund the efforts of rescues who are already cash-strapped. To make a pledge, post it in the thread of the dog/cat that you are wanting to help and we will track it. If the dog or cat gets saved, we will post what rescue you can honor your pledge to. Please know that due to changes with Facebook, we cannot message you.

We are not Animal Services!!! We are volunteers that work closely with Animal Services to help save the animals.

Please PM the Sebring Urgents page or email [email protected] if you can help or have any questions!

Thank you!

04/09/2024

These are really good tips for introducing dogs✅
Number one tip.... TRUST YOUR INTUITION ✅
Especially if you know your dog struggles to meet others⚠️ and if they do struggle, that is ok.
Not every dog is a dog social dog.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is only concentrating on their own dogs emotional state and not watching the rising stress in the other dog involved....
These cause those "Out of the blue" reactions....
They weren't out of the blue, they were just missed.
Micro meetings are essential.
🔵Parallel walks are a must.
🔵Avoid face to face.
🔵Keep your voices light and happy.
🔵DON'T make a dog sit or lie down.
🔵Tension creates more tension so keep those leads loose.
🔵NEUTRAL territory....not your yard, your house or even your immediate area around your house....go somewhere else.
Biggest tip though (as mentioned) watch the body language of both dogs.....IGNORE the tail wags (a wagging tail does not always mean a happy dog) and watch the whole body and all the little tell tale signs given.
If it doesn't feel right...it likely isn't.
Trust your gut.
ALWAYS advocate for your own dog no matter how "friendly" you are told the other dog is.

Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media🙂, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited.
Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Screen shots are a violation of the copyright.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

03/09/2024

FOSTERS or FOSTER TO ADOPT STILL NEEDED!!!

Say hello to the Eager Eight!
These 4 girls and 4 boys are eager to start their new lives in a loving environment. Now out of their scary situation and in a temporary safe place we need to secure fosters for them preferably in pairs of two. They were born May 1st, 2024 (4 months old) and have received 4 Distemper boosters, Rabies, and Deworming.

Currently still in Alabama, we need to make sure we have dedicated fosters lined up before we can schedule transport. If you are willing to help these pups and have never fostered with Ewenity before, please head to our website at http://ewenityfarmsbch.com to complete a foster application. If you have previously fostered for us in the past please send us a private message.

As the saying goes “It takes a village to raise a child” Well, we have 8 that need your help, so who's willing to be our village helpers?

Even if you cannot help foster please consider donating to help with transportation and care costs or just sharing this post to get them seen.
Thank you all

03/09/2024

RUBY SUE IS IN NEED OF AN IMMEDIATE FOSTER OR ADOPTER!! She is currently finishing up her board and train in Palm Harbor area, and is ready for a new home!!! Please consider this wonderful girl!!! Here is her story!
If you are looking for a loving companion who will follow you everywhere, and sleep quietly next to the bed, then please come meet Ruby!!!!! She is a very loving, well-mannered quiet dog. She is housebroken and loves to go for walks. She has good leash manners. She has been completely vetted, spayed, chipped and started on her slow kill heartworm treatment. Yes she is heartworm positive. It consists of simply giving her Heartgard prevention monthly. She has a birth defect of her R elbow (her growth plate did not close) It doesn't slow her down a bit, but she cannot do any competitive sport. She does get anxious with thunderstorms, but is NOT destructive, she just wants to be around you. She would be the prefect family dog loves kids, but due to her size they should be a little older. Ruby has spent three weeks at a board and train with a wonderful trainer. She has lived with them in their home while receiving her training. We want to make sure she goes to the perfect home !!! Here is what Shaun her trainer has to say: Ruby plays well with other dogs with proper introduction. that means no dogs jumping in her face to say hi. General understanding of basic obedience commands Not the biggest fan of a crate but shows no destructive behaviours in the house when left alone for brief periods Gets comfortable and settles in House trained and potty trained She has reached milestones building confidence Can be reserved in new situations and environment until she feels comfortable. Using the 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months rule she warms up quickly. What she needs: A home where someone is home most of the time, ie retired or works from home Would not do well in a crate for 6-8 hours while someone is at work Does better with someone around during storms Overall Ruby is a lovely wonderful girl, who is in search of a loving family that can be patient and give her a little guidance along the way!!! We will be happy to discuss a reduced fee to someone who will continue to work with Ruby and give her the best home. We would love to see this girl get the home she finally deserves!! If you think you would be a good home for Ruby please submit an application to ewenityfarmsbch.com.
Thank you DOGS LIFE LLC for giving this girl the confidence she needed. If you are an adopter in their area they would be happy to help you with any further training. We want to see Ruby get into the perfect home!

02/09/2024

courage is on the way!!! Freedom ride !!!

02/09/2024

Spa day!!!!!

02/09/2024

A look into dogs playing and how it is often misread. A deeper look into videos of dogs playing where we look at intensity, dog body language, dog play bows...

02/09/2024

Good morning from Anna!! We are off to the groomers today!!!

01/09/2024

31/08/2024

Sunday update on these pups. They are being picked up from their current place ON TUESDAY and going into a temp place of safety. They will be assessed , pictures taken and posted. We are in need of fosters for them in groups of two please. I have two fosters lined up so that is four pups down in FLorida. The mom is a blue heeler, the dad is a pyr mix so these may be big pups. The mother of the pups lives on a chain out in the yard. They want her gone also because she is a pain and she barks too much. We will see how that goes, and it may be we need a foster for the mom. The dad of the pups lives in the house, has his balls and is the apple of everyones eyes. NUFF SAID.

THESE DOGS NEED OUT> If you are interested in fostering please put an app in for the down lo litter. There are several people working on this. These situations can be delicate. Lets hope we are not too late and these pups and the mom are going to be okay.

Im going to post these puppies as a plea. They are 14 weeks old heeler mix pups. they are males and females. they have had shots and their outcome is dependent on who has the last word, the husband byebye pups or the wife get em to rescue.. SOOOOOOO that being said they have had 2 shots getting their third. We are desparately trying to get an ala foster for some of them. WE NEED FOSTERS FOR THESE BABIES!! They didnt ask for this and they should NOT have to suffer for a humans stupidity!!!!!!!!!!!.. IF anyone can foster a couple, we would like them to go in groups of two or three. The goal is to get them to Florida with Florida adopters or fosters so if you are seeing this and in FLorida please put an app in.. YOU should not have them long at all, they are ready to go. FOSTERS PLEASE!! Step up and be part of the solution!!! We need your help! Currently in Ala, where their fate is rather fragile. Please contact us if you can help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess we can call them the DOWN LO LITTER>>>>>

31/08/2024

Thank you everyone for sending the beds, slings and the pullem up harness!! Anna is feeling better today.. Will get some postings out in a bit!! She even went after the chihuahua today(not in a bad way!) lol.. Grooming appointment tomorrow will see how that goes !!!

Posting a wish list for the dogs at ewenity farm including sweet Anna, who is in need of a very large pet bed and the lift.. We are going to get her the help em up harness if we get enough donations that way we can leave on her, the other is just for a spot on, getting her in car etc. Thank you for anything you can donate!!!!! https://a.co/4WRpwrC

31/08/2024

sweet sweet squeak fka Hedgehog is adopted!!!!! Happy life sweet girl!!!!! Now Ill go cry!! Henny Penny will miss you !!

31/08/2024

Emergent need for foster.
Stray girl in local county shelter in rural Alabama.
She is emaciated, but is sweet as pie, per the shelter staff.

Can be transported to an approved, knowledgeable foster.

31/08/2024

Chi says good morning!!!

31/08/2024

Anna is doing a little better today!! She is actually wagging her tail and watching the littles play!

31/08/2024

This really does have the ability to help reactive dogs 💥✅
I know it may look a little confusing which is why we made a video that shows EXACTLY what to do and when.
Those that know about movement words and u turns...know just how powerful these two small steps can really be when helping a reactive dog.
The link to the video is in the comments. 🙂

Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited. Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use. Screen shots are a violation of the copyright.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

30/08/2024

Omg New toy frenzy!!!!!! lol

30/08/2024

Blue Jean Babies still available are:
Levi, Lucky, Jordache and Lee.
Apply today, to foster or adopt!!!

30/08/2024

Linda's surgery to fix her broken leg is scheduled - will you send her $5 to help with the cost? Surgery is on for 9/11!