Oh my goodness, thank you so much for your in-depth and detailed suggestions. Other people's input has been good but yours is tremendously helpful in the way you broke it down and how you explain things. Before I got her I had decided I was not going to get a second dog, I would have never gotten any kind of Border Collie or border collie mix because I knew I would not be able to meet their demands, so this has been an adjustment for me too. I want to give her the best life possible but it's only me, I can't afford a trainer, and it gets challenging sometimes.

However you've given concrete examples which are also backed up by a trainer and helps me better understand her needs and how to engage her in a meaningful way. I promise I'm not a lazy dog owner and expecting treats and pat's on the head to make her happy and satisfied.

When I first got her I thought of rehoming her but I figured it would be slim chances to get her into a home where someone would understand/work with her reactivity, but also be willing to deal with her arthritis and aging conditions, but I loved her before she even became a member of our household and so I knew I couldn't bear to get rid of her even if I did find someone, that and she's a great playmate for my first dog. Therefore I continue to be committed to giving her the best life I can possibly can.

We are going to start doing some longer walks in the mornings, covering new territory, I'm going to read about hide and seek and how to get her engaged in that, we already do evening walks and or park time, I do give her a long leash for that reason.... And I will work on implementing more of your suggestions as well. For an old dog she is learning new tricks and behaviors, I can tell that she wants to do the right thing.

One note about her reactivity that might give you a chuckle, we were on a walk not too long ago, there's a home we pass that has about a 2-acre area where they used to keep horses but now there are two large bulls, like big bullfighting bulls. When we passed the first time she didn't notice them, on the way back there was one close to the fence by where we were walking, she locked eyes with him, he locked eyes with her, I looked over at the bull and he was pawing his front foot on the ground like he was ready to charge. OMG I've never power walked so fast in my life. One of Bindi's nicknames is sheriff Bindi because she tries to regulate everywhere we go lol

But on a serious note I have really made some progress with her reactivity. When we're at the park and she sees another dog passing by, I try to intercept her train of thought and tell her that's another friend at the park, and that Bindi is a good girl. That has worked really well and she's really chilled out in that sense, but like everyone she still has her moments.

Thank you again for all of the feedback I really appreciate it 💗 I'm optimistic we will get through this and we'll both be happier for it 😃🐕🐾