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Thats not a border collie!


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I had a nice gentleman tell me that Toby must be crossed with an Aussie because of his ticking. Funny!

 

 

I love Toby's ticked nose--it looks so much like the ticked nose currently edging toward my sandwich!

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Maybe Liberty is an 'aussie' too? :rolleyes::D

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When we've travelled to Yorkshire (like every other spring), we've seen working border collies that look like everything from a small fox to a large lurcher. As far as I can tell, the definition of a border collie is based on whether and how it works the livestock.

 

Guess Fergie must be "a hound mix" - as I've been told. Those of you at the 2006 NC BC picnic know how she works sheep.

 

The one comment we really appreciated was one we got when Ferg was still a pup. We took her to the USCF bicycle race in Winston-Salem. We were chatting with a bunch of folk we hung around with when we were part of the USCF scene in Charlotte. We knew Ferg's mom was a border collie. We figured her sleek coat was thanks to her dad, reputed to be a local black lab. An emigrated Scotsman looked at Ferg and said, admiringly, "Ahh, a smooth coated collie." Fools that we were, we said, "No, she's a border collie mix," because we didn't know yet about the variations. He explained that, even if she was a mix, the coat was a BC coat.

 

Most folks do seem to be silly. Maybe it's bike folks one can trust? (They do look so good in lycra shorts, how could I not trust them?)

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Okay this one I couldnt help but reply too. Rory is almost 1.5 years now and everywhere we go I get asked what kind of dog is that? Or wow you have a pet Coyote? You would think that being in south central Texas most people would know what a Coyote looks like. :D Or just about anything other than a BC. Every know and then (like 1 out 20 or 30) some says wow that's a beautiful border collie and I am shocked that they figured it out and of course tell them thank you. Here's a few pics for review.

 

This is the look that usually gets her the Coyote comment.

 

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This is a picture of her with her Golden Gal Pal Gracie - both have slim figure frames and usually are the only ones to keep up with each other.

 

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This is Rory and her littermate Jackson who we accidentally met at the dogpark. Show this picture to a lot of people and try telling them that they are siblings and full BC! (also 20 lbs difference between him and her)

 

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This is what happens if someone picks up the flying squirrel!

 

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I also have a rescue that is about as Aussie as they come (with tail) and this was their first trip to the river last fall.

 

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This is one of my favorites of Ranger to this day. It always makes me laugh! :rolleyes:

 

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This is them a month or two ago just hanging out. Most people think that they are littermates or at least the same breed..if only they knew.

 

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Sorry there were so many pics. I was enjoying looking back at the pics.

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People really do seem to think "heeler" as soon as they see Maggie (suspected BC/ACD) for the most part, tho I have tried to explain that a heeler is the same as an ACD without much success many times. Maggie is also often called a Aussie for some reason and often a lot of conviction lol.

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Okay this one I couldnt help but reply too. Rory is almost 1.5 years now and everywhere we go I get asked what kind of dog is that? Or wow you have a pet Coyote? You would think that being in south central Texas most people would know what a Coyote looks like. :rolleyes: Or just about anything other than a BC. Every know and then (like 1 out 20 or 30) some says wow that's a beautiful border collie and I am shocked that they figured it out and of course tell them thank you. Here's a few pics for review.

 

This is the look that usually gets her the Coyote comment.

 

Hey in Texas terms, we are practically neighbors..."right down the road" lol even though a few hours away if yall are ever in the Houston area, let me know I bet Foxy and Rory would get along famously! She is definitely beautiful, I have always liked the red merle coloring.

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I'd absolutely believe that Rory and Jackson were littermates. Their lines are *very* similar, especially their faces.

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Just this past weekend a new one was added to my list of "Things People Think Dean Is".

 

Previously I have gotten:

 

Aussie

Aussie Mix

Aussie/Greyhound Mix

Wolf

"A Mix of What?"

 

And now Dean has officially been called . . .

 

Drum roll please . . .

 

WHAT do they think I am now?

 

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A Catahoula!!

 

I know a few Catahoula's. Ummmmmmmmmm . . . no!

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I have Melanie's Solo's lookalike in Aussie (with a tail). Usually people think she's a Border Collie.

 

Isn't it funny how the public has been trained to think the "outside" means everything from whether or not it's mentally stable to purebred....

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Usually when anyone asks me what Thunder is, I say to them, "You tell me!" He's was a shelter pup so who knows. I'm always interested in what other people think he may be, but I certainly take some of the responses with grain of salt. He has kind of a shepherd-y build but his coat is a dark brown/black with merling and very, very dense coat. I've gotten Aussie, ACD, catahoula, GSD among others. He was listed as BC/Aussie on petfinder.

 

My pup Flurry always confuses people. He's pure BC but so huge and gangly, plus smooth coat and red to boot. With his all his ticking on his face and legs too some think he looks like a pointer or some other kind of mix. Oh well, what can you do?

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The one thing that is common about breed guesses with my crew is that it is very rare anyone guesses they are all the same breed. The ones who do have usually seen working dogs, and make the guess based on their body language and habitus, which is absolutely consistent across the three of them even if outwardly they look nothing like each other.

...which sort of figures for a breed that is defined by behavioral (working) conformity, not visual conformity.

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Even with Dazzle (who has a medium rough coat, is black and white, and classically marked) I have people say she must be a Border Collie mix. Usually they say "you're border collie mix is so sweet!" and when I reply that she is actually all BC they think I must be lying and ask if I have papers for her and know who her parents are. The main reason they give me for thinking she is a mix is because she doesn't have enough coat, her ears are funny, she is too small, or she is too nice (???) and great in the house.

 

If I get that kind of talk with Dazzle, I can't even imagine what some of you guys get!

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Meet Cheza and Salem

 

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Cheza is a cocker spaniel (thats the best one), an aussie, springer spaniel, bc mix. In fact I don't think anyone has ever guessed bc, bc mix but not pure bred bc.

 

Salem is a poodle! (best one), belgian, flat coated retriever, lab. He is a presumed gsd / lab mix. His mom looked to be a purebred gsd, but was a stray.

 

I try to just brush those people off. Some can be kind of annoying. People flat out don't believe that Cheza is a pure bred, because she is too small. She is a puppy anyway, but will probably be a bit petite, not as small as some I've seen though.

 

This one woman was convinced Salem was a pure bred flat coat and didn't believe me that his mom was a gsd. She said it was her breed of choice, lol! He kind of looks like a flat coat, but certainly not a pure bred one.

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Okay this one I couldnt help but reply too. Rory is almost 1.5 years now and everywhere we go I get asked what kind of dog is that? Or wow you have a pet Coyote? You would think that being in south central Texas most people would know what a Coyote looks like. :rolleyes: Or just about anything other than a BC. Every know and then (like 1 out 20 or 30) some says wow that's a beautiful border collie and I am shocked that they figured it out and of course tell them thank you.

 

What a beautiful Border Collie!!!! :D

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If I get that kind of talk with Dazzle, I can't even imagine what some of you guys get!

 

Dont ever own a red tri then!!! :rolleyes:

 

I call Foxy my "sleeper dog." Since shes not the typical looking BC color wise (and doesnt have all that flashy white those most people are use to seeing)... she doesnt look like she packs a lot of punch till shes showing everyone whats shes got..haha I love it.

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People correct me all the time over Ido...

 

"What kind of dog is she? Aussie?"

 

"No, she's a border collie."

 

"No, I'm sure thats an australian shepherd."

 

"Ma'am, she's a border collie. I saw her parents."

 

"Then she must be mixed."

 

"Nope. They come in all colors. Trust me."

 

"Well I've certainly never seen a border collie that looked like that, and so small!"

 

"Suit yourself."

 

*rolls eyes* its exhausting....sometimes I wish I could just dye her merle parts black.

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happy is not usually mistaken,she is pretty clearly a BC, though people seem to think she is a "he" oh and she was once mistaken for a greyhound puppy, no blame on that one though, were I to shave her down she could pass for a poor quality whippet lol. Misty tends to be a little more confusing, now that she is older I have had most people know she is a BC, but before she filled out she was this scrawnny, short, split faceed smooth coat with ginormous ears. and therefore she could not possably be a BC lol, usually she was a GSD(to small to be a BC so she must be a german shepherd? lol) and an ACD, and here and there she has been a pit bull. mostly now its just dog show people that dont realize she is a BC, though all the RL ones have been happy to learn about the variations..the ones I have only met online however are a different story, cuz you know..it isnt possable for a BC to look like her, I am clearly mistaken, and she is actually half Heeler lol that one still makes me laugh.

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Maybe we should make up names for what our dogs are - for when those idiots come up and declare.

 

No ma'am, he's not a coyote, he's a Yorkshire Black & Tan.

 

Oh sir, you're mistaken. I know they are similar, but this is a pure bred Dalton Rouge et Blanc.

 

Latin would be even better.

 

Does your dog have papers? Certainly. Just don't say they are on the kitchen floor when the pup eats goose poop.

 

If you sense they won't accept the truth, dazzle them with fancy footwork.

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Bailey is always labeled a BC, though I doubt she is. Usher is always the dog is question, because he is tri-colored and his ears are pricked. I was at the dog park and saw a woman with an Aussie and a merle BC. I didn't even talk to her. She knew I knew, and I knew I knew. But we always get the questions. I wonder how many Belgian owners have been asked if they owned a German shepherd?

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For the most part people say something like "Are those Border Collies?" I usually have to explain they are BC/Aussie which really stumps me about Navi because he looks and acts alot more like the Aussie side of him than BC.

 

Although I did have one guy stop his truck to ask about them when we were out on a walk one day and he admitted to thinking Pache was a Dalmation because of his ticking until he got close enough to realize he was a BC.

 

There not a whole lot of BC's in my area so everyone always seems so surprised and inquisitive when they find out they are right about their guesses. I even had someone else stop us one day and ask if we worked them on stock. The way the guy asked I got the impression that he was going to ask to borrow or rent them to work his farm. He almost seemed disappointed when I told him they have never worked stock before.

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And, from the other side, I have a saddle patterned, 60 lb, barrel chested, round pawed, shortbacked, big boned, barky, bouncy, pushy, obedience is optional, ears are perfect triangle, natural bobtail, double-coated, big, wide head aussie/GSD mix. I have had more than one person tell me he's a bc because of the stare and crouch.

 

Meanwhile, my classicly marked and feathered, black and white, silent working, long footed, female dog is obviously a mix, or maybe a rough collie, because bcs are stockier.

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I sometimes also get questioned about what Lightning is, but mostly about how old he is. Everyone seems to assume he's quite old because of his colour. He's tri patterned but instead of tan his markings are brindle. Each year they grey out more so even though he's only 3 his eyebrows have a very grizzled look. Nobody seems to want to believe that he's not an old dog. As for his breed, I've had several people suggest that he must have pit in him because of his eyes (the shape) and his brindling. I can't say for sure that he doesn't, but if he does it's not much. Dad is a purebred BC, mom is a lab or lab mix, possibly lab/BC. She's very labby looking and I don't see pit in her at all.

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I get it alot with Gypsy, she is a pure BC i met both Mum and Dad, But everyday I get "what is she mixed with?" mostly because of her ticking sometimes its because of her split face and sometimes its because she is pretty small. I have a perpetual disagreement with an uncle( who was a farmer all his life) who argues border collies never have spots ! Oh well I just sigh and agree or get irate depending on my mood at the time LOL

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