Patrisha

Thank you everyone else for the replies. Hearing your great stories, I have opened myself up more to rescues. Hearing of so many sensitive dogs like the border collie go through recuse and come out as great dogs has really encouraged me. I met met many wonderful dogs in rescue but they have been of hardier breeds and the only border collies that came through the humane society i worked at were products of their upbringing and NOT for the better. I have looked arond at border collie rescues and see many dogs that would probably be good for me. I will continue the search for a breeder as well and we will see what falls into my lap. I dont think i will close the door on either until the pooch is on my couch! Thanks again!!! -Patrisha

This. Exactly. I thought I typed this in my sleep because these are all of my thoughts and feelings on a puppy. It is nice hearing someone is as crazy about it as I am. Chantel, if you ever find a breeder you like please let me know!! I am looking for the same!

Thank you everyone for your great responses! The AKC questions was a biggy on my brain and I am getting the impression hat even if they do not breed for confirmation, by registering with AKC they are funding the ruin of the breed? I guess my reason for liking the ENS is that at least I know the breeder did SOMETHING with the pups during their key socialization periods. I get so worried that i will get a puppy that has rarely been touched and spend most of my time trying to fix the problems caused by being raised separate of human touch and basic socialization at the breeder. This is my big concern with rescues as well. I have met many great puppies at the humane society i worked at but it was obvious many did not have the best socialization before they came to us. Even the ones that were born at the shelter, i always felt that no matter how much we did, they were already starting out 2 steps behind in life due to being raised in a kennel. Puppies born and raised in a great rescue and foster home would be more of a possability but what kind of paretns do hey have? Were they super highstrung BCs? Or maybe even poorly bree confirmation BCs? I know many of you will (and already have) tell me to relax but this is my personality. I worry and try to plan for every possability so when a problems arises i do not have to dwell on what i did wrong, i can just accept that problems will happen and work through it. I hear so much about how if not raised properly BCs can be very bad with children, neurotic, and have many bad habits (once is learned, twice is habit?) that is the biggest thing i worry about with a rescue, maybe they look great and act great and then i take a dog home and 2 months later i discover that the dog is hihly reactive to larger dogs, or men with hats, things that the rescue couldnt see but i must now deal with. I love, love, love the idea of getting a rescue though. If anyone has some great experiences with rescues, I would take that advice as highyly as i take breeder advice. I know i am probably annoying some of you as you read with my neurotic worrying but i cant help it

Jovi- I hope to be as cool as you someday! Life would be much easier if I didn't worry about what people think. thanks for the encouraging words. Eileen- Yes, i have read that and possibly every other article on the internet about BCs. I have had a couple of shelties, a small mixed breed dog, and then my husky. I have looked at a lot of breeders and took the things i liked about some of them and mixed them with general advice i have both read and heard. It is very important to me that i not accidentally support a puppy mill or other sort of poor breeder. I am also flexible on my requirements. I do have a priority list but am having problems where to put AKC breeders on that list. I have a couple favorite breeders but they also have an ABCA/AKC reg litter every-so-often and it seems that a lot of people on this forum feels that makes them a "bad" breeder that is hurting the breed. I used to work at a humane society and loved being able to work with the higher drive dogs like Border Collies and BC mixes (and pit bull terrier mixes but there are breed bans where we live )that came through. I also got to interact with many BCs in obedience classes and agility classes. I fell in love years ago but have been waiting until the time is right for a dog like a BC. The current plan is to get a pup somewhere between fall 2013 and late 2014. Should be settled into our house by then and ready for a pup!! I have considered getting a BC from rescue and have looked at the variety available but as horrible as it sounds, i am looking for a dog with a lot less baggage. My past 2 dogs have been WONDERFUL dogs but they were recuse dogs and have their own baggage. I would like to raise one puppy in my life and I feel like the golden time is coming for raising a pup. Another reason i lean towards a breeder is that many are very knowledgable about the breed and offer great support in both picking and raising a pup. Like i said, i will keep my eyes on rescues for pups but i am feeling a little selfish with this next dog. -Patrisha

Hi guys! I am fairly new here but have been learning SO MUCH from all of the very knowledgable posters. The more I learn, the more questions I have though. :wacko:/> My big questions is where to find a good breeder. I have read a lot about ABCA vs AKC and am on the side of preserving the breed as it should be. I first fell in love with BCs because of their brains, heart, mannerisms, and work ethic. Their look...well I had had to talk myself into it so dogs bred with that look but NOT the brains would be the last thing I want. :D/> At first I thought, "Ok, find a good breeder and make sure the dog is ABCA registered" but after reading more and more posts here I am find it is not that simple!? A good breeder for me would include raising pups in the house, performing Early Neurological Stimulation, only breeding bitches about 2 times and no younger than 2, having only 1 litter on the ground at a time, careful screening of purchasers, breeding dogs have proven ability, health tests, and all that good stuff. But if I find a good breeder that has ABCA registered puppies, they become a "bad" breeder if they dual register with AKC or have other pups registered with the AKC? I don't think everyone knows how stressful and confusing this is! I read posts of well meaning puppy buyers finding an ABCA puppy but they are then attacked because the breeder they got the pup from also has AKC pups. There are no easy to find resources to find "good" breeders so I am begging for help in finding a breeder for my next pup. Is it really that bad if a breeder DOES NOT breed for color or confirmation, uses their dogs on stock, only breeds proven workers, but happens to have some litters that end up being dual registered? I don't want to get a wonderful puppy only to be shunned by other BC owners because he came from the "wrong" place. I have a list of breeders I have been looking at but am getting the impression I should not share them here? I could PM them to someone if they want to share and experiences good or bad with them. This will be my first border collie, I currently share my home with a 3 year old Siberian Husky who is not as into agility as I am. This pup will not be used on stock as I do not own any. Our main sports will be Agility and Skijoring. I may someday take a herding class if I ever move somewhere with any but this would be for fun only. I live in the far northwestern corner of North Dakota. It is pretty much the exact center of the north american continent so i am open to traveling anywhere on the continent for a pup. Any recommendations on how to look for a breeder (especially when there are not many trials nearby), recommendations of specific breeders, and what to look for in both a breeder and breeding stock and puppies would be much appreciated!! -Patrisha