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a unique req for a bc :)


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hi awesome border collie community!

 

i recently met one of the most awesome dogs ever - she is a service border collie of a fellow patient of mine!

 

i have a kinda unique (well, at least i think i may be unique) requirement. in november 2015 i was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a few months to live. thanks to some really awesome clinical trial therapies, i got lucky and am still alive today. though, in the process i suffered a stroke, lost my bladder amongst other things. sigh. battle scars. my cancer, while not currently curable is treatable. modern day medicine allows me to live, it keeps me alive. im very lucky that some very new therapies seem to work and keep my cancer at bay. my stroke, luckily, was over my visual cortex. i lost a lot of my vision :( this makes crossing roads and things a little bit more exciting :( im not legally blind though. i just have a very small visual field.

 

my cancer usually comes back once every 10-12 months or so and then i spend 2-3 months on therapy (chemo and other). during those 2-3 months, im not very active. i definitely do try and get out of the house everyday for 20-30 minutes but it kinda just depends on the therapy. when im not sick, im super duper active. i hike a lot, surf, cycle, etc. my oncologists joke that im the only oncology patient of theirs that has a 6 pack through most of the year :)

 

i guess by now you may see my question. would a border collie be a good fit for me? i live alone, im 32 and single. given my cancer, i dont see my single status changing anytime soon. apart from the companionship, i would also probably attend training sessions to maybe help me with mobility and around the house, when im on chemo with things.

 

thank you everyone :)

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Honestly, I would not choose a Border Collie as a service dog for most situations. It really depends on what you need and the individual dog. That said, I have personal experience with one of my dogs stepping up to the plate when I suffered from some nasty health problems. I think you are better off getting a trained dog from an organization than you are getting a pup. I see a ton of pups wash out and never make the grade.

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I agree w/Liz. There's a very high 'wash out' rate even among the organizations that breed/raise/train dogs for service. You could check out Canine Companions for Independence, as they train dogs to help with many different kinds of disabilities.

 

Please do some homework. There are some less than reputable organizations that will take your money and leave you in the lurch. I personally know of CCI ~ I know people who have worked there and others who are on the Board of Directors. They've been around a long time.

 

Good luck whichever way you go.

 

Ruth & Gibbs

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I agree with the above comments. A border collie is not the right dog for you.

If you are going to need an assistance dog, research the local organizations ...including those a state or two away...and find out if it will be possible for you to get one of their trained dogs.

Border collies are not often chosen by the service dog trainers, as their need for attention, exercise, and mental stimulation is most often beyond what a person with a disability can provide.

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I agree that Border Collies don't make the best service dogs. I've seen some, but overall, the breed is much too sensitive and reactive to be used as a service dog. Also, most of the BCs(that I've seen anyway) are much to light boned to do mobility work.

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I agree with everyone above. While I think there is no better dog than a BC for active engagement and companionship, they are not best suited to people with physical difficulties.

 

I am sorry about your difficulties, and wish you all the best in finding the right dog for you.

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