Border Collies

[gump]

I am looking for a new pup and would like to rescue one from a shelter. I found one that really caught my eye - he looked great but more importantly I really liked the way he acted.

With all of the noise and dogs barking/jumping this dog just sort of sat there and only got up to come to cage door when I approached him. Never barked, never jumped and was super friendly. Just sort ignored the environment.

He has a lot of Border Collie in him and looks like one. He is about 8-9 months and was turned in from the previous owner who said he was too much to handle. The shelter felt the owners just didn't spend any time with him.

I have zero experience with Border Collies and I know they can be difficult at times if they are bored. I have always had retrievers. Question is, are they too much to handle even with adequate exercise? Should I stick with what I know in terms of breeds?

Thanks all.

[humbug]

I have had border collies for over twenty years. Like any breed they have their good points and bad.

They attatch to their owner. Usually one person in the family in particular. As soon as they have decided that you are their master they become very protective of that person. They are probably the most intellegent dog I have ever been around.

They need to be kept busy and have their minds stimulated on a regular basis. They are a high energy dog. Mine have been known to chase my sons up and down the bank of the lake as they jet ski all day long.
The dog you spoke of is pretty young. Border collies don't seem to mature and settle down until they are three or four. Have a good kennel. They can be tremendous escape artists.
I love the breed. But they take patience and a lot of time.

Good luck with your chose if you choose to take him home. They are incredibly loyal and loving.

[gump]

Thanks HB. I adopted the pup. He is getting used to his new place.

I have been walking him a lot and I have noticed that he is very attracted to movements - whether it be a car, train, people, other animals - to the point he wants investigate. He doesn't let it go as he usually keeps looking back to see what's going on with the moving object.

He loves cats. Loves to follow the cat around and just watch/observe it. He can do this for long periods of time and doesn't seem to get bored with it.

You are right, he has been glued to my leg and wants to go everywhere I go. I am just concerned with tomorrow when I go back to work. The kennel said he has a little separation anxiety.

[bookwormom]

:) :)best to both of you.
I am looking for a blue heeler, would not mind if it was crossed with a border collie.

[gardenfay]

Hi bookwormom:
we had Josie for 12 1/2 years; got her when she was 4 1/2 weeks old. She was 3/4 Border collie and 1/4 red heeler; but looked like a border collie with probably a broader;blunter muzzle. She was one of the smartest dogs I have ever been around. And Gump this is for you too so you can look forward to times like this with your new little guy. She was alot of fun and a good responsible dog. Settled down good by the age of 2 1/2, i'd say. and at about 3 she probably saved my husbands life. At the time we were living on a large ranch in SW Colorado. As we drove down one of the interior ranch roads, we saw Jose one of the ranchhands, on horseback, being attacked by a cow. Of course the horse was about to blow a gasket; so D. (my hubby)jumped out of the truck, crossed the fence and started running across the pasture. At the time, he wouldn't admit to Josie being worth a hill of beans; but he turned around and called her. of course, she jumped out of the truck and came on the run. Well the ole cow that was on the fight didn't even have a very young calf; she was just a fighter and D. didn't even get very close to her; waving his arms and yelling to try to give Jose some breathing room and she decided D. looked like a better target. Here she came - no false charge, no nothing; just running towards him and him deciding she wasn't acting like she was gonna stop. he started towards the fence - now keep in mind that Josie hadnt been trained to work cows at all. Anyway before long; D. realized the cow was serious and he actually started running hard towards the fence; he didn't have a chance; and oh did i mention the cow was horned - an ole timey Hereford. Anyway, it was just like out of ole yeller; here came a black flash ; josie started taunting the cow but the cow was not distracted from D. in the least so by this time i was praying and holding my breath and then josie grabbed that cow by the tail. She swung her full weight on her tail and it made the cow stagger. Did it several times; D. made it to the fence. Josie loped off with a grin like she saved people every day of her life. God made a cool dog when he made her. Congratulations on your new pup, gump, and bookwormom, best of luck on your search. My bit of advice is find what you want; dont settle for less.

[Deberosa]

What a great story Fae, and what a dog!

I am thrilled with our new dog, Jake. *He is half Australian Shepard and half Blue heeler. *Both parents were purbreds - the shepard was a show dog even. *Jake's the smartest dog I've seen. *He is a *year and a half old now but knows all kinds of stuff. *He heards chickens. *We can point to one and he will catch it - trapping it with his paw till we come pick it up. *He is amazing really.

We have a good friend with a pure border collie, Alice who she runs trials with on sheep. Alice runs Jake ragged. Of course this Thanksgiving the teenagers had to be kept separate because Alice was in heat. ;-) Gee I wonder what Australian Shepard, blue heeler border collie mixes would be like? My friend didn't want to find out.
Here he is doing his farm dog thing. ;-)

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/deberosa/IMG_0703.jpg

[gardenfay]

Hi Deberosa:
Nice looking dog! And that is very cool that he will herd chickens like that. yes, some of those real fast ones can sure run other dogs ragged. Josie was stockier, like Jake looks; she was never one of those superfast slim border collies. those seem neat too. ive just never owned one.

Its funny that you mention that kind of cross; like between Jake and Alice. I think it would be great. Josie died of breast cancer on Mother's Day several years ago and now we have Sheila. She is 1/4 border collie, 1/4 blue aussie, 1/4 red heeler and 1/4 blue tick hound. Now that may sound like a weird cross. But it is what I wanted. D. traps in an area with bear(though they are mainly hibernating during trapping season), mountain lion and wolf. so I wanted a female - (always more protective in my opinion), mainly herding breeds (that I think are even more attached to master). And then I wanted a little hound so that she would be more scent-aware up in the woods. Well, thank the Lord, she is just what we wanted. She is NOT near as smart as Josie; but is now 2 1/2 and is just starting to settle down a little. As we "speak" she and D. are heading up about 25 miles into the national forest for the first day of bobcat season. I go with him alot; but not today. Will try to post a photo of Josie and one of Sheila later on.

[Deberosa]

I am amazed at how sensitive Jake's nose is for a herding dog. He tracks animals and can be brought to a dead stop out of a run if his nose catches a wiff of something! He also knows when we've gone off and "cheated" on him. ;-)

I've heard that about female dogs too - Jake is a lover - welcomes everyone. My friend who sold me the cows has Anatolian Shepards. A brother and sister pair and the female is far more agressive.

[gardenfay]

I have never heard of that breed. Will have to look it up.

[Deberosa]

I have never heard of that breed. *Will have to look it up.
They are livestock guardian dogs - very large dogs sort of like wolf hounds.

[bookwormom]

we had looked at Anatolian shepherd, someone not too far from us has them. she wanted 800 bucks for one and we would have to promise to have the dog fixed right away so we would never breed him/her. we passed. someone threw away a blue heeler that made it's way down to our place and I was convinced they threw him away because they could not stand a hyperactive dog. well, he turned out to be the best dog, never set foot in the garden, but chased the chickens out, we were a bit slow for him, when he helped husband he would whimper like, you guys just don't know how this is done. I would say he had a dog IQ of 180. Our GP is a dumb blonde by comparison. He was a dog of honor and integrity. I miss him every day :'( we lost him very tragically.

[Deberosa]

Yes, she got a deal on her Anatolians because the woman had 13 puppies and they were getting to be 6 months old and she couldn't get rid of them!!! Imagine 13 of those dogs running around let alone feeding them. Plus the female was getting a bit nasty with the other dogs. SHe will occasionally take a chunk out of her bother's ear but for sure nobody arrives unexpectedly on that place!!! THey are very protective of the cows, chickens, and Dog Bait, her one dwarf Nigerian goat that she ended up with. ;-)

[gardenfay]

thanks for the info on the Anatolian shepherds.