Hillcolo

Thanks for your responses everyone! First, I would consider getting another border collie because I do love, love, love them. But we have decided to be very firm with size (25 lbs or under). We have small cars and want the two to fit, and who knows what size house we will end up in (just moved out of 600 sf and I can't imagine having two big dogs there)! Max is a very large border collie-62 pounds-he's mostly legs, but I think he'll still fill out more. So a mix would be a good bet. We also want a dog that has those big melty puppy eyes that look up at you---max's eyes are, well they're intense- ha ha. Second, thanks for the advice on mini aussies and their personalities, that is really important. I loved shiba inu's for awhile after seeing one hiking 14'ers, but after every single owner telling me what a pain they are I won't go near them. Plus, I'm finding mini aussies to be very expensive. Third, I want to rescue a dog, I do. And if we can find a puppy then that is a definite option. Any advice on finding rescue puppies (I rescued an adult golden-cocker mix who was sweet but had aggression issues stemming from years of abuse)?? And finally, yes, Max is a total snob about other breeds. He does like herding types. He has liked a sheltie, and a blue heeler. He spent his first 6 months with our old roommate's 5 pound toy poodle and LOVES the tiny dogs. So maybe a miniature poodle. We want it to be large enough to keep up hiking. And thanks for the kind words about making room for a second dog, there's enough love in this house for two. -Hill

Hi Esme, We've had similar problems with Max. While I fear for the day he ever sees a laser pointer, he has been chasing shadows since he was a puppy. He only does it when he's nervous/anxious or not getting the attention he wants. We us "ah ah" for correction to let him know that we don't like this behavior, but the toughest thing is that people think it's cute/funny and encourage it by waving their arms around to get him to chase more. It is really hard to explain that while they think it's funny we cannot encourage it, I have found that saying, "our vet has told us to strongly discourage this neurotic behavior" gets people to stop. They won't do something that a vet has said is neurotic ;-) Max is now 2 1/2 and shadow chasing has *almost* gone away. We have also trained him with a hide and go seek game, we tell him to "go hide" then hide is toy and then he can find it. When he wants attention, but we're busy this is the perfect solution to engage him. Best of luck, it does get better with age too!

Hi, I'm just wondering what some generally good breeds would be for a second dog. I'd like a dog around 25 lbs, and we will be seeking a female. Right now my husband and I are leaning toward mini aussie shepherds, thinking they are small but still big enough to tag along. Any ideas on other smallish dog breeds, or good mixes? Also, our dog Max is 2 1/2 years old, does anyone have experience with going from having an only dog to him/her being the older sibling? I am terribly afraid of messing up this wonderful thing we have going! I love how snuggly Max is in the mornings and don't want to lose those special times. What personality changes have you seen in your dogs? Thanks! -Hill