herding breed barking at and nipping children

Here is something I don't understand.

Why does a novice trainer come to an internet forum to ask for advice from strangers, one of whom has extensive experience with the breed in question, and then become hostile when given advice that is unwanted?

If (generic) you doesn't like the advice, or agree with the philosophy of the poster, that is all well and good. But you INVITE feedback when you openly ask for help. It is rather silly to begin denigrating the very group of people you once thought had something to teach you.

To the OP in particular - if nothing else, go back and read brookcove's posts and ignore the rest. Don't get hung up and obsessed on the abuse word. If you want to be a better trainer of border collies, you would do well to carefully consider her advice. If you feel you know better, that's fine. Just don't ask for help from people you think are ignorant.  

tessa_s212

Again, you all are being absolutely absurd and ridiculous.

Woah!  In reply to BROOKCOVE???!!!!!

LOL.  It's okay.  I've amply made my point, I believe, addressing my concern for lurkers' thinking they can cure reactive behavior in one quick-n-easy session with a prong collar. 

Tomorrow, my blue merle foster dog Coltrane will meet, I hope, his new Mom and Dad.  I've been working with this dog for six months this year, and three months of the previous year (he was at a herding trainer's the rest of the time), and I'm confident he's ready for adoption.  However, I'm still a bit nervous that he'll do something that will give a wrong impression - dog training is all about three steps forward and two back, and he's due for a couple steps back lately!

It would have been irresponsible of me to spend less time than that, and try to claim he was no longer capable of doing what ended him up in rescue in the first place.  In fact, he is still 100% capable of being a brat again, given the right circumstances, and the people who are coming are aware of his issues.  What I do is focused on turning bad points into good ones - Trane was territorial because he's loyal, clever, and passionately attached to his handler, and needs to be needed.  He knows what his job is now (ahem.  *usually*) and his brain is there instead of making decisions about who's allowed to come on the porch.

I will be sure the new folks see (or know, if he won't demonstrate) Trane's worst, as well as what he's capable of, because I don't want them to be disappointed, or Trane to go through the process of losing another yet home, if at all possible.  But I hope that worst is better for the hard work he's done in the last year or so, to improve his self control.  I'm awfully proud of him!