Any ideas?

My pup Jasper (kelpie x border collie) is about 5 1/2 months old now. We've started basic training and he is doing really well. There is one thing that is driving us mad however, and I am hoping that by posting this someone will be able to give us a hand.

In our backyard we have a chook pen with about 11 chooks and 2 indian runner ducks. Jasper is now in the habit of digging his way into the pen to either 1) scavange amongst the scraps that are in there or 2) herd the chooks into the hen house.

He gets walked for 1/2 hour every morning, then 1/2 hour in the evening followed by a 1 hour trip to the dam. He has a kong and receives plenty of attention during the day. He hasn't harmed any of the chickens, but I don't want him to ever have the chance to. Oh, and he is strictly an 'outside' dog.

So, does anyone have any ideas as to what I could do?

It sounds like your dog is bored, and wants to work. At his age I'd get him into a training class. My thoughts only

He is exhibiting his natural instincts - what he was bred for. He is bored and doesn't have enough to do. You do a lot already, clearly, but Kelpies and Border Collies are SO smart and SO inquisitive, and as a working breed, they NEED a job to do. If you can't provide him with one, then he will continue to do this. (Oh, and he's also just a pup, by the way, which is part of it!).

I suggest agility. It will give him the mental stimulation that he needs, to work off his energy and focus that mind of his. He get's a fair bit of exercise but it's really not enough - these dogs work ALL DAY. They have stamina and endurance beyond what you would believe, and so what you're doing may be enough for another breed, but it's not enough for this one.

And, I hate to say, being a strictly outside dog will have a lot to do with it, too. Picture yourself, in your backyard, 22 hours of every day. Only getting out twice, for a total of two hours.

You should try it some time - not for that long, but take yourself out there, for a minimum of two hours, with only one thing to do (and you are not allowed to take a book, or the paper, or music) I mean, give yourself a ball and stay out there for two hours. You will be hysterical with boredom at the end of it. Now, times that by ten, and then times that again by five months, and I think you'll see where the problem lies.

It is not acceptable to have a strictly outside dog, unless you are prepared to put up with the conseqences - such as what your pup is doing now (which will only get worse before it gets better, btw).

Thanks for the post Rubylove. I was thinking of doing agility with him when he's old enough.

I guess I hadn't thought about how boring it might be for him. Not that he's confined to just the backyard, we have 11 acres. As for him being outside, we just don't do the 'indoor dog' thing around here. We live in a rural area and the first rule is 'animals outside, people inside'. (Not that I think like that, but living under someone else's roof, you have to follow their guidelines ).

Anyway I should be moving out within a couple of months, and this new place will have all the cattle a kelpie could dream about.