Flash, the Nipper

Flash, the border collie, at rest at the front steps of the house.

Last night's training session was disappointing for me and Flash. I thought he would get his Good Citizenship award, but it was withheld because of his nipping problem. We got Flash when he was 8 months old. At that time, we noticed that he would nip at your hand if you grabbed his collar or otherwise tried to stop him from doing what he wanted to do. Over time, I thought he became more comfortable with us and more relaxed. He hasn't nipped at me or Dennis for a long time. I do know that he has trouble with children. He tries to avoid them, but I believe he could nip if he felt threatened. This bothers me a lot. It could be that he has become imprinted with his early upbringing in a family with 3 children. I wish we had gotten him when he was a puppy. We keep learning that lesson over and over. Start with a puppy!

This doesn't mean we don't love Flash. We do! He's a very friendly dog. He loves us and he loves everyone on the ranch--his domain. Yesterday, Dennis left Flash outside when he left for a meeting in the morning. When I was getting ready to pick up Mom for the movies, I drove down to the barn to give the farrier his check and found Flash down there "helping" Dave. Dave's comment was, "He's a very friendly dog!" And he is. I was getting back in my car and, of course, Flash wanted to come with me. Just then, Joanne from the office drove by and stopped and opened the back hatch of her car. She called Flash and he very willingly jumped in. I love to see how comfortable he is with everyone. He only has a problem with nipping if he is confronted or stressed. What to do, what to do?