Max's Story

Max was a two-year-old Border Collie whose herding instincts had gone into overdrive. He chased every car that drove past the house, herded Tom's two young children around the garden and was completely obsessed with his ball to the point where he couldn't function without it.

The car chasing was the most dangerous behaviour. Max had escaped the front yard twice and nearly been hit both times. He would lock onto moving vehicles with a terrifying intensity that nothing could break. The herding of the children had resulted in nips to their ankles and the kids were becoming afraid of their own dog.

Tom had tried exhausting Max with hours of ball throwing but it only made things worse. The more he threw the ball the more obsessive Max became. By the time Tom contacted us Max was pacing, whining and unable to settle even after two hours of exercise.

Max no longer chases cars, full stop. He can sit on the front porch and watch traffic go by without reacting. The e-collar gave Tom a reliable way to communicate boundaries and Max responded brilliantly once he understood the rules.

The herding of children has stopped completely. Max now plays gently with the kids and lies calmly beside them while they watch TV. The nipping is gone and the children love their dog again.

Perhaps the biggest change is that Max can now relax. Tom was amazed the first time Max lay down on the living room floor and went to sleep during the day. The obsessive ball fixation has been replaced with balanced play — Max still loves fetch but he can take it or leave it, and he settles beautifully afterwards.