This is Billy.
He's a six year old collie cross who we brought home from the Blue Cross just over four years ago.
This is Gypsy.
She's a yorkshire terrier who was given to us by an old couple who couldn't manage her any more.
They're both wonderful dogs who are great company for each other but each of them are unbalanced in certain areas of their lives.
Being a collie, Billy picks things up very quickly. He's always been clean, will sit and stay (most of the time!) and go to his bed when told. He doesn't whine when we leave the house or chew up our stuff and, being short haired, isn't a smelly dog.
He can pull a bit on the lead and, although he'll come when called, it doesn't apply if there's another dog he's more interested in. Another issue is that he jumps up at us all the time and, since I'm short, I get hurt sometimes. He's also quite a timid dog; if we take him to a pub garden or for a picnic, he'll whine the whole time and just doesn't seem happy.
Gypsy, on the other hand, loves being around people and new places. She jumps all over people too - it doesn't seem as bad since she's so small but I know it means she thinks she's the boss. However, she'll also happily lie quietly in a public place and watch the world go by.
But.... She pees in the house. I can't crate train her because she barks if she's isolated and we're sometimes away from the house for 6 hours - it doesn't seem fair to put her in a crate and let Billy run free. She doesn't chew the house to pieces but she does occasionally destroy items, sometimes something I really care about. She's good on a walk once she gets in the swing of things but will go crazy before we leave the house.
I am aware that I'm lucky they're both so good in most ways and that we are the cause of the problems that remain.
This blog is about my attempt to help them become totally balanced, happy dogs. I'd love to hear your ideas along the way - maybe I'll end up with some tips too!
