Jenny and Charlie Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 Hi all, I thought I'd post a feel-good Border Collie story to assuage the fears of new BC owners. We got our rescue puppy, Charlie, last summer, thinking that he would be a "lab mix." When we first met him, this "lab mix" only weighed 8lbs, which was our first clue that "lab" may not be in the mix. Turns out Charlie is mostly, if not all, Border Collie. (picture attached) He's also my very first dog, ever. Granted, I had thoroughly researched behavioral conditioning and clicker training well before we decided to pick out our puppy, but I had no idea what I was walking into. Yes, Charlie has his "issues." He resource guarded anything that he wasn't supposed to have (ie. socks). With patience and a lot of "trades" for high-value treats, this is no longer an issue. He refuses to let us clean his ears, brush him, apply flea meds, clip nails, etc. He basically gets nervous and growly if we bring anything "unknown" toward his face or paws. We're working on deconditioning. (He does let us bathe him without much fuss). And he is territorial about our backyard - barks like crazy if he sees our neighbors. We're working on this, too - today he let our neighbor's entire family pet him. Other than that, he is so sweet and loving and playful. The staff at our doggy day care call him the "love bug." He learns new tricks and commands in a matter of 10 minutes, and he is the star pupil at our dog training class (I think the other owners might be jealous of all the attention the trainers give him). He is not nearly as active and hyper as we thought he would be - two 30 minute walks a day, plus a lot of attention and games at home, and he's fine, if not a bit lazy. We got so lucky with him. Once I'm done with grad school (in about 2 years), we're going to start agility training (he'll be about 3 years old). I can't wait. So if you're like us, and had a surprise BC rescue, fear not. They are wonderful dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G. Festerling Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 I got my first when I was just around twenty. Knew nothing. Best dog ever. Granted, I got lucky living on a ranch and did work with horses. But sometimes, one can over think as well. Which is not to say that there is anything wrong with good preparations. Glad to hear about you having a grand time. The "issues" you listed are far from Border Collie specific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camden's Mom Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 I think it's amazing that, within one minute of each other, two members posted about what seems to be entirely different experiences rescuing a BC... Fascinating! And I'm not trying to imply that one is right or wrong... just seems like a rather extraordinary coincidence! Jenny and Charlie, I too got a BC pup as my first dog ever and wow.. what a wild ride, right?!? I did quite a bit of research and it was still more then I bargained for but I don't regret it one bit. Thanks for you supportive post and for rescuing. I have to say, based on the pictures, it's easy is imagine he's a pure bred BC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoresDog Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 Charlie is a nice-looking dog, and he does look very border collie-ish. Welcome to the pack! It sounds like you are making good progress with him. Keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 Glad to hear Charlie's landed in a home that loves and appreciates him and is willing to work with his issues, which, as G. Festerling notes, are not border collies specific. Keep up the great work. I'm sure things will just keep getting better, and wish you many happy years together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizabeth Posted June 9, 2014 Report Share Posted June 9, 2014 he is adorable, My very first dog that I got when I "grew up" got my first place was a border/lab mix oh she was an amazing dog so fun so smart. Long story short I lost her many years ago and have always said one day I will have another bc. Always has been my favorite breed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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