Temperament Theory

This category is also part of the temperament, but in normal circumstances of training, it is not quite as important as the categories of Bold, Shy, Upbeat, and Wary.
DEFINITION: Being of the sex that produces sperm to fertilize eggs and help create new offspring.

"Men want space while women want understanding." John Gray.

TYPE STORY: Moss and I were visiting with an acquaintance and she'd neglected to warn me that one of her females was in heat. And, if that wasn't bad enough, the female in heat had been in a kennel run with four other females and they all had the scent on them! Moss couldn't concentrate on anything---not even enough to figure out which female was really in heat. He whined, he marked territory, he jumped on all the females, he got snarled at which made him whine even more, he danced, he postured, he barked at anybody and anything coming near the yard, he drove me crazy and we cut our visit very short. I bathed him when we got home to get rid of the scent and then he crashed into oblivious exhaustion for the rest of the day. It was a day where his maleness over-rode every other aspect of his personality.

THRILL: Mating. Watching over older offspring. Hunting. Guarding a pack and its territory.

Chip. Photo by Pat Reynolds.

ANXIETY: Invasion of territory and potential harm of pack members.

SHADOW: A male who received too little testosterone while in the womb. Embryos begin as females and the embryos which are flooded with male hormones evolve into males. If the male receives too little of the male hormones, he is a male with a female brain circuitry.

SHADOW STORY: Duke was a male with many female characteristics. I liked him just the way he was and he got along fine with the people and animals in his immediate and extended family. But the problem was intact males at parks. I stopped taking Duke anywhere we might meet adult intact males because many attacked him as soon as they saw him. There was something about his scent or postures that enraged some males.

TRAINING RECOMMENDATIONS: The Dog's Mind by Bruce Fogle. Learn about the male's role in creating offspring, even if your male is neutered. Teach the male manners about guarding territory and protecting pack members.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT: Accept the fact that your male will want to protect his territory and his pack members. Accept the fact that even neutered males will sometimes lift their legs to mark in environments that are socially embarrassing to you.

PROBLEM PREVENTIONS: If you take your male dog for walks around the neighborhood, don't let him mark all over the neighborhood because he will think the entire neighborhood is his territory. If there is a house in the neighborhood where he visits, allow occasional marking in that yard only. Teach your male how to properly guard his territory. Don't let him bark at every noise and motion around the house because as he matures; allowing him to decide how to guard can make him territorially aggressive.

AGGRESSION: Territorial aggression. Protection aggression.

HUG: Hug therapy is good for the young male. As he matures, the loss of body control and the submissive positions involved in hug therapy can actually harm your relationship, if your male is a serious-minded dog.

DRUG: In rescue, if I have an intact grouchy bold male who's been backing down people and animals all his life, I'll put this dog on Fort Dodge brand acepromazine until he's safe to train.

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BORDER COLLIE BEHAVIORS: A TEMPERAMENT THEORY Male

by Val Maurer

BORDER COLLIE BEHAVIORS:
A TEMPERAMENT THEORY
Male