286 replies to this topic

[Tea]

Ok

I try to be reasonable. I am pretty patient with people, I think. My husband and I live quiet lives except for the odd wildlife emergancy with big predators

But I was at the grocery store the other day. I had little Gunny with me.

A lady came up to me and said, "What a nice little Jack Russel cross dog."

I kind of gave her a puzzled look. Then said, "She's a border collie."

"No," the lady replied, "She's not. Look how small she is and a red coat, and her hair isn't longer and fluffier like it should be."

I was getting more confused and I said, "Lady this dog is a sheepdog, she works. You know brings sheep to you, thats the way they are. A Jack Russel doesn't do that."

The lady then began to tell me how she knew all about dogs and my dog couldn't possibly be a Border collie.

I was standing next to my truck and pointed to little Cap. Who was asleep on the seat.

"So What about that dog. Is he a border collie?"

The lady smiled at me patiently and said, "No....although he might be a cross bred. He is black and white but too small and wiry. Are your dogs registered? Thats the way you can tell, you know who the parents are."

I was beggining to be perplexed. If I had had sheep in the truck I might have let them out in the parking lot!

"Well no, not unless the dog pound registered them before they came to the dog rescue. But they work. Thats how I could tell..."

She simply smiled.

Finally I guess I had had enough, " Well, thanks for your opinion on my dogs. If you ever want to see my crossbred dog and Jack russel work sheep or goats or whatever give me a call. But I think you need glasses or something."

Then I got into the truck and drove off. The lady waved very sweetly at me.
Her parting comment, "They are very nice dogs."

Wasn't that weird?

[DTrain]

Hi Tea,
I get stuff like that all the time. In the area where I live people don't see BC's very often. I had a lady in a parking lot tell me that my dogs are water spanials. I had an old gentleman inform me that all herding dogs are Aussies. Another old lady told me that I was not allowed to have pit bulls, I did not even respond to that. And then you get the people that say, I have a border collie cross, everybody has a BC cross. And worse, you get the people that have known somebody with a BC, they are dangerous around children, they kill chickens, they wreck the house, they herd cats ( I would love to see that one ), they bite all the time, they are too hard to train, they can't be trusted. The list goes on and on. Often when we are out with the dogs people back away from them like they are affraid. I try to imform people but many of them already know everything there is to know about BC's.

[Janba]

I know exactly how you feel. I get asked all the time what the dog in my signature is and when I reply a BC I have been told quite often that he can't be - he doesn't have enough white on him and wrong colour. I have even had one show line BC breeder at the herding club I belong to look down her nose at him and say in a very derrogative tone "Whats that?" I often tell people he is a shepherd/kelpie/Koolie cross and they believe me. Funny though, the working BC people know exactly what he is.

[lance]

Ok

I try to be reasonable. I am pretty patient with people, I think. My husband and I live quiet lives except for the odd wildlife emergancy with big predators

But I was at the grocery store the other day. I had little Gunny with me.

A lady came up to me and said, "What a nice little Jack Russel cross dog."

I kind of gave her a puzzled look. Then said, "She's a border collie."

"No," the lady replied, "She's not. Look how small she is and a red coat, and her hair isn't longer and fluffier like it should be."

I was getting more confused and I said, "Lady this dog is a sheepdog, she works. You know brings sheep to you, thats the way they are. A Jack Russel doesn't do that."

The lady then began to tell me how she knew all about dogs and my dog couldn't possibly be a Border collie.

I was standing next to my truck and pointed to little Cap. Who was asleep on the seat.

"So What about that dog. Is he a border collie?"

The lady smiled at me patiently and said, "No....although he might be a cross bred. He is black and white but too small and wiry. Are your dogs registered? Thats the way you can tell, you know who the parents are."

I was beggining to be perplexed. If I had had sheep in the truck I might have let them out in the parking lot!

"Well no, not unless the dog pound registered them before they came to the dog rescue. But they work. Thats how I could tell..."

She simply smiled.

Finally I guess I had had enough, " Well, thanks for your opinion on my dogs. If you ever want to see my crossbred dog and Jack russel work sheep or goats or whatever give me a call. But I think you need glasses or something."

Then I got into the truck and drove off. The lady waved very sweetly at me.
Her parting comment, "They are very nice dogs."

Wasn't that weird?

MyBorder Collie, Bandit looks similar to cap, only larger. Quite a few people we have met in the past don't know Border Collies can be mostly white, so they ask what he is!

Lance

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

LOL. That poor lady has probly only seen the "Border Collies" in the Westminster Kennel Club shows. You know the ones that are perfectly marked, black and white, over the top fluffy from excess harispray and generally kinda chunky. Clearly anything else has got to be a cross breed.

[Lunar]

I think it's a symtom of the far-too-common occurrence of people who have no clue what they are talking about, but are SURE they are right. It pops up everywhere. "Oh no, I KNOW that..." Like with computers... I've been working with computers for years, too 4 years of college, etc, but I still get family members arguing with me because they know better. Yeah, whatever. I just shrug it off to arrogance and ignorance and don't always have the energy to argue when it's obvious they aren't listening.

People always tell me Zoe is a Sheltie mix. I just say, "Could be." Even though it's obvious to me she has no sheltie look about her at all.

[Tea]

Thanks you guys! You made me feel better.

I guess I will go out and round up the goats with my crossbred jack russela.

[MrSnappy]

I don't argue with them, it doesn't do you any good!

The woman who hugged me and told me that I "got ripped off" because "border collies are black and white" - I just thanked her.

The people who tell me tiny Mr. Woo is DEFINITELY part Husky, because he has a blue eye - I just smile.

The Smooth Fox Terrier breeder who sent me an indignant email and *assured* me that Tempus, the borderjack we had in rescue, was a FULL BLOODED SMOOTH FOX TERRIER ... okay, well to that woman I did reply that I'd mention this to his border collie mother and JRT father and see what they had to say about it.

When I first got Briggs 11 years ago, *everyone* asked me what he was, as no one seemed to know that border collies came in red. Now, I rarely get that question. People want to know if Piper is still a puppy, because she is small (she's 5.5 years old) but they seem to realize that my dogs are border collies, or reasonable facsimiles thereof.

RDM

[BustopherJones]

Take a look at the avatar, and you will see that Annie is the quintessential definition of a Border Collie in terms of coloring. With that said, I have had people ask me if she is a Sheep Dog (apparently thinking that "Sheep Dog" is an actual breed), an Australian Shepherd, or a Belgian Sheep Dog mix (which Missy was, but Annie is not). I even had one woman stop her car one day when I was walking Annie and ask me if she was a fox; I had to explain that in New England foxes are typically red-and-white, not black-and-white.

[Toby the Puppy]

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

[Tea]

IF SHE WAS A FOX!!!! LOL Oh my gosh that is very funny!

[vanillalove]

Meanwhile, everyone thinks I have a purebred Border Collie puppy because Petey has near "perfect" markings, and he's tinytiny! I have to assure them that he's 9 years old and mixed with some toy/non-working breed. They try to tell me that he's probably some miniature version..

People will always think they know better because the "Border Collies" they see are in Westminister or in movies who have the "perfect" markings and colour, and then they assume they know what a Border Collie is supposed to look like. I usually just tell people that Border Collies are unique and they have many, many different looks, and they usually just smile and say that "I never knew that!"

[Maralynn]

If they think they know better than you then there's no convincining them otherwise.

Just smile, nod, and go work goats with your Jack Russel. Or maybe you should ask her to come out to your place and make sure you have goats - it might be cows or antalope that you are working with your Jack Russel...

[2halves]

I have the opposite problem. I have had people argue with me that Bella must be a BC when I know that she is mixed. She does favor her BC side more than her ACD side in term of movement and personality, but she is what she is. Mutts are funny like that.

And Kate? We don't even need to go there.

[FoxgloveBC]

Oh people tell me all the time that Foxy has Aussie in her, or ask if shes all Aussie, even though she is nowhere near an Aussie build. Once I even got asked if she had GSD in her... just because shes not black and white doesnt mean shes not a BC! lol

Here's my Aussie/German Shepherd/Border Collie... hmm do you see it? LOL because I must be blind or something

[bc4ever]

I had a pet massage therapist ask me what breed of dog Scooter is. When I told him he said he seemed large for a BC. He's been in the business for years and can't identify a BC when he sees one?! And I'm supposed to trust my dog's spine to this guy?! Most people only know BCs from Animal Planet and the televised dog shows. My sister still swears that Scooter is part German Shepherd! Uhhh...I don't think so. Both parents were on site--mom was red, dad was black and white with long legs. ?? Let 'em think what they want. We know what they are. The best dog you will ever have the good fortune of sharing your life with!

[juliepoudrier]

even though she is nowhere near an Aussie build.

Cool photo! I just want to point out to folks that working-bred Aussies indeed are built much like working-bred border collies and not like the bigger, clunkier show bred dogs. The difference between the two is as staggering as the differences between working- and show-bred border collies. I had someone at a sheepdog trial ask me if Willow (bottom right below) was a foxhound. Um, yeah, and aren't foxhounds great at moving sheep around a trial course? And of course I get lots of "is she a cattle dog?" about Twist simply because she's smooth-coated, prick-eared, and ticked. (Here's a reverse story: I was at the vet's office when someone came in with a dog and I asked if it was a "greyhound." The obviously offended owner replied, "No, it's a purebred whippet," or something to that effect. I have to say that was the largest whippet I've ever seen in my life. My mom used to have whippets when we were growing up, so at least I'm familiar with the breed. But rather than point out that her dog was certainly oversized--I mean how else would I have mistaken it for a greyhound?--I just nodded my head and said something polite.... Best not to guess breeds unless you know for sure! )

When I got my first red border collie back in 1999, I was often asked if he was an aussie because of his color. Like RDM said, that doesn't happen much any more. I guess all the red border collies out there have educated folks at least some.

For people who insist they know what your dog is, just agree and go on. That's way easier than letting them annoy you anyway.

J.

[MrSnappy]

I had a pet massage therapist ask me what breed of dog Scooter is. When I told him he said he seemed large for a BC.

A friend of mine has a fat BC. It's been pointed out many times, she disbelieves. In fact, she was recently very pleased to be able to say that her groomer told her it was nice to see a border collie that "wasn't grossly underweight like so many of them are." (insert eye roll here).

Sometimes as often as within the hour, I will have someone tell me my dogs are large for border collies, and then someone else tell me they are small for border collies. People have all sorts of funny ideas. I have gone completely over to the nod-and-smile side.

RDM

[FoxgloveBC]

Cool photo! I just want to point out to folks that working-bred Aussies indeed are built much like working-bred border collies and not like the bigger, clunkier show bred dogs. The difference between the two is as staggering as the differences between working- and show-bred border collies.

Thanks and I learn something new everyday! I guess I have never in real life seen a true working bred Aussie then, I have always seen the heavier set ones.

[fotobridget]

I've gotten the, "Oh, what a pretty springer spaniel!" (Because she has ticking/freckles) Let me ask you this---does this look like a springer to you?
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but What really took the cake--When someone called her a Yorkie..........

And to think--I live in the middle of farm country--shouldn't people be able to recognize a BC when they see one?
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