Why Does My Border Collie Crouch?

Herding breeds of dogs, including border collies, Shelties, corgis, and Australian shepherds, share many habits they inherit from their herding past.

Crouching is a signature move of border collies and other herding dogs. They often crouch when feeling playful or alert and vigilant. As professional herders in the past, they ducked down to observe livestock and remain unnoticed by potential predators and strangers.

Crouching is not a problem, but it can be perceived as aggression or stress by other pet owners and dogs, which is why many owners of herding breeds wonder about this behavior and if their pets could unlearn it.

Why Does My Dog Crouch So Much?

Crouching is often associated with some stress in animals. The dog bends his or her knees and elbows and lowers the body while keeping his or her head close to the ground to communicate fear or focus before making a move.

All dogs can couch, but dogs of herding breeds are particularly likely to have that habit.

Just like many other peculiar habits of border collies, frequent crouching originates in the breed’s herding past. The herder wants to see but not be seen, so it crouches!

Some other behaviors your herding dog might have:

An intense gaze: border collies are famous for their intense and intelligent eyes; they are always evaluating the surroundings
Hypervigilant: these dogs take their duties seriously; they have the urge to guard and herd even if they are mostly a companion family pet
Border collies often seem to be investigating something outdoors, as if trying to track someone’s trace – they do have an impressive sense of smell

Border collies and other herders like to bark, howl, and vocalize in general
Nipping the heels of running people or pets is common and can be problematic; please see our post on how to address nipping.

How To Stop My Dog From Crouching

Crouching is common for many animals, so there is no need to discourage it unless it causes any issues socially, specifically if it is misunderstood by other dog owners and dogs.

Border collies and other herding dogs are exceptionally bright, but they also have very strong instincts. So, your dog is very likely to unlearn the behavior eventually, with proper training, but could relapse from time to time.

So, consider the following aspects of care to make your pup change a behavior or a habit:

Distraction, Or Shifting The Focus

This method usually works very well with border collies in particular. Your dog needs to be able to respond to commands well, which is typically the case with border collies.

Observe and note the triggers for crouching or excessive excitement in your pet.
- Meeting an unfamiliar dog on a trail is a common trigger, for example, and it is a situation that could lead to an incident if the other dog misinterprets your pet’s behavior as aggressive.
When you see another dog approaching, proactively ask your pet to focus on something else – on your face or a toy. You could simply call your dog’s name to get his or her attention.
- Alternatively, ask the dog to sit.
Most dogs of herding breeds easily shift their focus and ignore an approaching dog or a human passer-by, after a few practice times.

Train When The Dog Can Focus

Changing behavior requires some training – it is just like learning a new skill.

Choosing the right time for training is important for any dog. Border collies are susceptible to getting distracted because they seem to be aware of everything around them.

Please choose a time when it is quiet and there is not much activity happening around when you train your dog.
It is important to start training in a familiar environment and then practice outside or in complex situations.

Keep the training sessions brief, about 10-15 minutes.
If your dog is not focusing well, then pause and try another time.

Obedience Training

Obedience training is key and important to finding solutions to most problems with dogs. Usually, dogs with the intelligence of herding dogs’ caliber respond well to training by novice trainers, so you might not need to seek the help of a professional.

Teach Simple Commands

Teach your dog to respond to commands. A simple command, such as “here”, or any word you use to get your pet to look at you, is usually enough to shift focus.
Herding dogs can learn to understand multiple words. Use the commands your pup responds to consistently when you need your pet to behave a certain way in complex situations.
When your dog always obeys certain words, he or she is more likely to stay very calm – the dog knows that there is no need to respond or react in a given situation. As long as the owner is calm and tells him or her what to do, a border collie will likely stay calm.

Be Consistent

If you choose a command to address behavior, be very methodical at using it, at least in the beginning while your dog is still learning. Use the command every time you want your dog to stop and reward if your pet listens.
If your dog is not very obedient yet or does not always pay attention to commands, especially outside, use your pet’s name every time with the command and reward good behavior.
Use treats in the beginning but eventually, verbal praise or neck rubs are just as effective.

Be Patient

It is fabulous if your dog understands what you want and obeys every time. However, if this is not the case, it is okay. Avoid jerking the leash, raising your voice, swatting at the dog, or any other impulsive reactions.

Negative reinforcement, even if practiced infrequently, is confusing for dogs and can lead to anxiety. Remember that all dogs like predictability and routines, so acting impatiently or inconsistently leads to stress and yields no desirable results, at the very least.