rufftie

so sorry. would type more but my eyes are leaking too much.

yes, it does, once the BC trains you, it will be perfect. LOL. actually, I've adopted 2 adult BC's. one from Carolina Border Collie Rescue, one privately. the 1st was a complete unknown quantity. she was found in a high kill shelter, HW pos. The rescue pulled her and saved her. I fell in love with her little foxy face at first sight (my avatar) and had to adopt her. she was a handful at first. obsessed with anything she could stare at. we redirected with first obedience classes, then agility training. I recommend classes rather than home schooling as I find it a great socializing and bonding experience. there will be highs and lows, but I find that to be the experience for every breed. always keep training. even when you don't think you're training, your dog is learning. keep busy, but train off switch. my girl is now over 10 and has gone deaf. it took me over 6 mons. to realize the severity of her deafness because she is so great at reading my body language. it was only when she no longer reacted to thunderstorms that it was confirmed. she's arthritic now and we no longer compete in agility and I wish I had been a better partner for her and could do it all again with more joy and less angst. she is dedicated to me and we often get compliments on how well behaved she (and my other 2) dogs are. she still has her border collie moments, but her weirdness and my weirdness are a match. good luck, and you've got quite the cute one!

what I thought was interesting was that out of 16 dogs sold, 5 were red/white.

yip, yip, yip! there is much joy in dogville! long and happy partnership together.

great job! do try jackpot, it's lots of fun. your dog may surprise you, plus there are non-tradtional jackpots that don't require distance.

when I was looking for a dog in a shelter, way back when, I stopped at a pen with about 8 dogs in it. all of them came to the front barking and wiggling, except one. he sat in the back corner looking sad and forlorn. he was a skinny white dog with black spots and giant ears. I asked the attendant to see him. as she went in to get him, an aussie puppy slipped out. he was adorable, bouncy and friendly. the b/w just kind of sidled up next to me and eventually rolled over for a belly rub. the aussie continued to bounce around the room. I knew which one I wanted. I took home the b/w. I knew the aussie would quickly be adopted. In fact, I saw him with his new owners around town a short time later. the black and white, now Twitch, bloomed at home! he became my first agility dog and my heart dog. I have never, in the 13 plus years we have been together, regretted taking the smelly, sticky, skinny, shy dog home with me.

he's terrific. probably the best first experience you could have!

great job! now be prepared to spend all your money and free time taking in agility trials. welcome to the addiction. who was your judge, by the way?

very sorry for your deep loss. you were very lucky to have found each other and have 10 yrs. together.

CPE is a lot of fun. enjoy. have you run in other venues, AKC, NADAC? CPE is very relaxed. don't forget to take the collar off your dog. volunteer for jobs. ring crew gives you the best seat in the house and allows you to see how others run the course. judges are friendly and want to answer your questions, so ask if confused. you will get the hang of snooker, really, you will. remember it's just a game and run like you stole it and have fun with your dog.

I think the answer you will hear most is "crate the dog at night". a crate is not cruel, it is a home. you can put it in your room, so he will be near you. both the dog and your belongings will be safe.

My friend Susan, whom I've known through running agility, has been where you are with her Shellie Asta. She has written several articles about her journey. Ill try to share them here, even though I'm on my phone and a techno idiot. Rats, can't paste. You can Google the articles written by Susan Klavon titled: AN UNEXPECTED ODYSSEY By Susan Klavon And Beauty for Ashes Good luck.

I have one of those "deal breaker" dogs. he was sold to a man for herding purposes but after 2yrs, the man thought he was too soft and sent him back to the breeder. the breeder worked with him and offered him out again on a limited basis. they thought with his speed and agileness, he would make a good sport dog. I was looking for a sport dog at the time and had sent out feelers to friends. I was told about the dog now known as Hobbs. went to see him, fell in love, took him home. he excels at agility.....until you get in the ring. then he gets anxious. he is too soft for corrections and will shut down. I am currently at my dog limit (3) and know I will not be getting another agility prospect for hopefully many years. my husband has said, move him on, get some other dog you can work with. but that is not the deal. it is not the deal I make with my dogs and it is not the deal they make with me. he loves hangin on the couch and being a love. that's how he'll spend his life. you hit the nail on the head Maja, thanks.

I have 2 border collies and neither will fetch a ball, stick or Frisbee, they will fetch the dog that DOES get the ball though. I always call them my defective collies and swear my next dog will fetch so these 2 have something to do.

I have seen my dog jump to the top of a 5ft wall from a standstill, but she respects the 36" fence around our front yard. she has many opportunities to leap over it- other dogs passing, cats, children on skateboards, but chooses not to.

do you have a cat? or does your dog have access to cat food? dogs love it, but it makes them incredibly gassy.

therapy/service dogs. i happen to have one of the best snugglers ever.

roark, beans, or especially for a red dog-chili.

thank you myruna. it might just be his thing. i have looked online for a therapy class and think i have found a reputable one. we will look into starting in the spring. good luck with your dog. i do think it is too early to give up on him. more time, more experiences.

perhaps we can switch dogs? LOL. my hobbs is a total love pig. there is nothing he would like better than to lie on the couch and snuggle all day. unfortunately, I got hobbs with agility in mind. he was to be my "next" agility partner. he hates it. we've tried everything. he enjoys playing it in the yard, but shuts down in competition. now, at 5 yrs., I've retired him. it's best for both of us, but still a sadness for me as I know, dog willing, i'll not be getting another dog for many years. (I have 3 currently) so I understand your conflict. perhaps you can tell me more about what being a therapy dog entails. it might be right up hobbs alley. thanks.

you might try www.agility-u.com. agility university. it has some interesting classes and some well known teachers.

i'm very sorry for the no win situation you are in. I know your dilemma. I too had to return a dog to rescue when his aggression/fear was too much for me. I knew when I adopted him he was fearful, but he had been worked with through the rescue for 4 or 5 mons. before adopting him out. I thought I between what they knew and what I knew, I could handle it. I was wrong. I probably could have handled his fearfulness of men, but he took a dislike to my female dog (she has a strong eye and poor manners). he was attacking her almost daily. I could see her really starting to suffer. when he went after my female obedience teacher and then my old dog, I had to draw the line. I didn't think I was the person to handle this dog. I drove over 14 hrs. to get him back to his rescue. thankfully it is an excellent rescue. I was able to follow his progress through their web page and after a year of training he was successfully adopted. when he was alone with me he was a love and a fabulous dog. and incredibly handsome. I still wish I were the one that could work the magic, but it wasn't to be. good luck to you.

he looks wonderful! so glad to see you two having so much fun. continued success!

FYI, the teeter trainer you have pictured (#2) is simply a piece of 2 or 3 inch pvc pipe screwed to a board. would cost $5 and 20 min of your time to make. you can make the board as long or as short as you want. I found this to be enough to train 2O2O.

I think most border collies are interested in any activity that you are interested in. they want to be with YOU doing things. so the question, for me, is what do you prefer doing? personally, I find obedience a bit boring, so even though we might excel in it, I don't feel like doing it as a hobby. I much prefer the speed and challenges of agility.