terrecar

My Aussie/Border Collie mix is like that. She is about 50% at my feet and 50% off at various distances in a choice spot, snoozing. If I’m up and about, she checks in and goes her own way. My Border Collie is the opposite. She is almost always at my feet indoors, and she follows me around the house a good bit as well. Outdoors, she likes to run around and explore the yard.

https://now.tufts.edu/news-releases/newly-identified-genomic-causes-severe-compulsive-behavior-dogs-could-further?fbclid=IwAR0BFZxO2q49yC8s7tEP_ES4A1sEF0gn4k9uhZYkd3nEozKSREGKTaz1opk

It is interesting to find out the mix. Even though there were no surprises with mine (I wouldn't necessarily expect a mixed-breed to be a strictly purebred-crossed mix), I am still glad I did it. It seems Hannah does have one copy of a gene associated with "lower than average resting ALT [alanine aminotransferase] activity". That information is helpful to my vet in determining a baseline measurement of ALT, a value used as evidence of liver damage.

These are some science-based websites I tap for articles on canine nutrition: Clinical Nutrition Service at Cummings School – Nutrition information for cats and dogs by board certified nutritionists (tufts.edu) and About – The Science Dog. They are great for keeping up to date with the latest on diet-associated DCM. I also take a peek at About | (skeptvet.com) from time to time.

Pretty much what I was told. I was told her sire was an Aussie and her dam was an Aussie/Border Collie cross. The only discrepancy is that one of her great-grandparents on her sire’s side was a generic mutt, and the Border Collie on her dam’s side had at least one mutt ancestor going back farther. No surprises, but I am happy to report she is free of MDR1.

I am glad you’re happy with Embark. I recently broke down and ordered the Embark test for Hannah and received an email saying they received her swab yesterday. The MDR1 screening is included, as is screening for other genes related to health. It will be interesting to see the breed results and if there is any Border Collie included. To be safe, I kept her separated from my purebred Border Collie for a few hours prior to swabbing. Thank you for sharing Tessa’s results!

I am so sorry for your loss. I love that you wrote about him as, essentially, a blessing in your life, and I am glad you got to have him with you a long time. There is not much activity on the boards these days, but those of us who have been around a few years will remember Dean. May you find comfort in your grief and hold close all the good memories.

Baby carrots and frozen green beans.

He seems like a very nice dog. Good luck with him!

My comments above are in no way meant to insinuate it is a sin to rehome a dog, or that I have never or would never do so. However, my current criterion is that my dogs must live in harmony. For a person with a sheep operation, the criteria will be different.

I agree with Journey that the honeymoon period for a rehomed dog is over. However, I also know from experience that you can cultivate change in a dog’s behavior if you are committed to doing so, but it does take commitment. Whether or not he becomes a “new dog” depends on how you interpret that. For all practical purposes, I had a “new dog” after months of working with my Whippet, but he never would run – not even in a lure coursing event. I tried him once. I didn’t really care that much one way or another. It would have been fun, but my purpose for getting him was companionship, not dog events. He would run circles around me off leash, had a solid recall, and LOVED to run when it was unstructured, even with people and other dogs around. It was a beautiful sight. My Whippet was not a “yard dog”, but he was a kennel dog. I got him from a lure coursing judge when he was 13 months old. The judge got him for straight racing, but as I said, he wouldn’t run. She placed him with one other family who returned him. He turned out to be a wonderful companion to me. He did gain confidence in leaps and bounds. He may not have been as confident as a dog who might be genetically predisposed to boldness, but he was as confident as he needed to be for both him and me. I could take him anywhere. Just as an aside, I believe that temperament is heritable and behavior (and tendencies toward certain behaviors) are both heritable and environmental. From your latest post, I would say he is coming along. You just need to decide if you are willing to work with this dog and enjoy him regardless of whether or not he will work stock. I think that if you get a dog for a specific purpose, herding for example, and the dog’s performance will make or break your satisfaction with him, then you probably should have bought a started or trained dog. That is just my opinion, and I’m sure many will disagree. Even with a trained dog, you might find some reason the dog is not suitable for you at the place you’re at; for example, if the dog requires a more experienced handler. My philosophy is that I will work with the dog I have and enjoy him for what he is. That suits my purposes, and I have learned so much from different dogs. If this does not suit your purposes, and if you decide to rehome him, you want to do him the courtesy of a thoughtful placement, which involves time and energy. Just my two cents.

He sounds like an insecure/fearful dog to me. If you decide to keep this dog, Google “Kathy Kawalec Enlightened by Dogs”. Subscribe to her podcasts. If you have a Facebook page, follow her business page. Read everything she has written about fearful or reactive dogs. Out of all of the advice I have seen about how to handle fearful dogs, I have never seen anyone as spot on as Ms. Kawalec. https://dancingheartsdogacademy.com/ To the admins: Delete if not allowed. I know this is a shameless plug, but I get no financial benefit from it. I just know her methods work (I have a fearful Chihuahua).

Never mind. I found my answer (here) by changing my search terms.

Do they draw many other breeds, or are most of the entries Border Collies?

Just in time for my granddaughter’s twelfth birthday. She loves fantasy novels.

I am grateful to those who have worked hard to get the vaccine out to the public. Three of my family members contracted the disease, including a brother who spent 11 days in intensive care. I’m waiting for the vaccine to be available to my cohort. My daughter (teacher) got her first shot yesterday.

Hi Michael. Yes, they are more domesticated than bobwhites and would likely not survive long in the wild. Consequently, they are easier to handle. They also start laying earlier than bobwhites, but you don’t often find a broody hen among them. I have an incubator. Coturnix are not so calm as to tolerate sudden movements, though. They can fly straight up, and if frightened can injure themselves, or even break a neck, on the cage ceiling. Hence, they are commonly kept in cages with a height of twelve inches or so. My birds are oddly not spooked by my dogs. I don’t let my Border Collie in the enclosure when I’m cleaning cages (no idea what she would do and no need to find out). However, my Aussie/BC mix will actually help me get them in cages. I can trust her not to grab them even if they fly in her face. They’re not afraid of her as long as she stays back, which she faithfully does, but they are wary enough to make her useful to block their escape path so I can catch them. My coturnix are about as tame as a parakeet, but that’s because I raised them from three day old chicks. Did I mention they’re prolific layers?!

Good grief these birds are consistent layers. Turns out all three dogs love their eggs.

https://www.facebook.com/445853319270653/posts/1024820498040596/

https://www.facebook.com/445853319270653/posts/1024820498040596/ Is the movement of this foal (in response to the dog) a result of, specifically, cutting horse genes? Or, am I reading too much into it because I know he is the (son?) descendant of an accomplished cutting horse? Any ideas? Just curious.

Thanks for the replies. I swapped two roos for another hen, so I should have enough eggs to supplement my three dogs’ meals at least few times per week.

I’m raising Coturnix quail for fresh eggs and wonder if I can give eggs, with shell intact, to my dogs, given proper handling/storage. Four or five quail eggs are the equivalent of one large chicken egg, but quail are prolific layers and I won’t use them all. Should I shell them first?

Thanks for sharing this, Geonni.

Thanks for this. My brother spent two weeks in the hospital with COVID-19. This is nothing to muck around with.