About Seamus

Please note: this post is only for those with ample property, no young children, and possibly no other dogs. It's extremely saddening, but my wife and I have to give up our 6-year-old border collie, Seamus (shay-muss). He's beautiful, sweet, playful, and smart, but he has continued issues with aggression. We want to start a family, but we cannot trust Seamus alone around children. Seamus was bred by a farming family in Bread Springs, NM. They're great people who do not abuse animals. We got him at 3 months and never abused or mistreated him. Around 1 year old, however, he started getting skittish and hiding under beds and showing fear-aggression. If he's upset or scared, he stops listening to you and will bite aggressively if you reach for his collar. Same with sudden pain, like catching his fur in a brush or clippers. Seamus has bitten my wife and me both (and some family) multiple times. Recently, he bit my wife pretty badly when she was trying to take him to the dog park, and it's clear that it's now time to move on. I've trained him out of many aggressive habits through positive reinforcement (treats). Our friend, who is a vet, believes as we do that these are instinctual behaviors that are likely a part of his personality for good. After consulting with vets, we tried Xanax and CBD oil. Both helped his anxiety slightly, but did not fix his aggression. Seamus doesn't get along with most dogs. It took a year for him to become friends with our second dog, and even now he will attack her on occasion if he feels she's encroaching on 'his' territory. He loves to play fetch, swim, run, hike, and wrestle with our other dog. In short, Seamus would be a good dog for a home that is stable and quiet, and with an owner who understands his temperament and knows how to handle volatile dogs. He truly is a great dog 90% of the time, it's just when something makes him snap that he is unmanageable. I'm confident that training (the only other option) would help, but not 'cure' him. He's extremely sweet when he's not scared, but those instinctual reactions could always come back and so even with training I wouldn't have him around children. We just cannot have him in the house when we start a family and don't want to put him down. We've thought about this a lot and feel it is the best solution for everyone. Up to date on all vaccines. Neutered. No chip. Has paperwork, including breeding. He knows all basic commands and is fully trained.

Bernalillo County
Albuquerque, New Mexico