kcooper

I've always found it odd that folks whom have never actually owned a BC, have the strongest "opinion" on the breed. I recall in the first months of getting my current collie, we visited many pet stores, parks, etc. Just general puppy socialization. I had numerous people flat out tell me that they're high strung, neurotic, ridiculously high energy dogs. "Why would you choose that breed". "Good luck". "Do you know what you've signed up for". "There goes your free time" All sorts of borderline offensive statements. Oh. "But they're smart". I've had to meet this with an eye roll. Yes. The breed has stereotypes. But as someone who has had bordercollies, past and present. I can't even compare my dogs. They were in fact the same breed. But every dog is distinctly their own. Stereotypes are exactly that. Stereotypes. Meet my dog before you judge them. As I would apply to any dog. Any breed.

Guard dog? Not so much. Watch dog? Somewhat. Alerts me to odd sounds he feels are worth investigating. He's more of a one off woofer. He gives the odd woof now and then. Which is usually the neighbour getting home from work. His car door slamming. I've come to ignore the woof. 99.9% of the time. When it's a solid bark. I know it's time to go look for his source of concern. A small part of me sometimes wishes he would give me a bark warning that someone is at the door knocking. But then I realize. The crazed barking would drive me insane. So I appreciate his lack of door concern. Most of the time. Truthfully. I think if someone broke in. He'd run for a toy. Try to get in a good game of fetch before they make away with the tv. He's maybe a little too rexlaxed for his own good. It's a catch 22. Love him regardless though.

Hi all! We're about mid winter here in Alberta. It can get pretty chilly here. So I can certainly say Bowie's winter coat is full force now. But I have few questions regarding the changes you can expect when a winter coat comes in. I've noticed quite a change in his coat from summer to winter. Now granted this is his first winter with an adult coat. But what I've noticed is that his top coat is literally half the length of his summer coat. Also somewhat dull in comparison. Is this a normal occurrence? My previous border collie didn't experience such a drastic change. They have very similar coats. So I'm a little stumped if this is common. His diet hasn't changed since summer. He's brushed weekly. Bathed every few months. His undercoat is dense as expected. But his top coat is maybe an inch and a half in length currently and quite curly. His summer coat was closer to 3-4 inches and so straight he had a built in center part down his back. He'd been to the vet 2 weeks ago and checked out fine. I may be making a mountain out of mole hill here. But I'd love to know what changes you've seen in your own dogs. What's common. Thanks for your input!

Bowie. *insert long sigh here* He's a work in progress. He's not quite 1 1/2. Patience is a virtue is all I can say. The bad: Shoes. He is a certified shoe theif. Naturally only when were not home to catch him. Well, to be completely honest, he has an obsession with fabric in general. Dish towels and bath mats also fall into this list. I can't tell you how many dish towels we've gone through. When we're home. It's a non issue. Only when we're out does he hoard these items. Uggs for some reason are his personal favourite. We now hide these items away when we leave. We've tried to put an end to it in a variety of ways. But Its still a major road block. Mouthing. Weve been working on this, well, since he arrived home. Trying to break it. He's not biting with any force whatsoever. We all know what mouthing is. But when he's over excited, he's mouthing your hand. And my brain freaks out. What if that hand belonged to a small child! They won't see the "play" in that. It'll scare the poor kiddies. Its a major work in progress. Ugh. Off leash recall. It's a hit and miss. It's improving day by day. He's a good boy when his ears are open. Lastly, when he's over excited. All bets are off. The ears shut off. His attention is on whatever he's infatuated with. Nothing else. It can be frustrating. Pet stores and the vets office are really the only places this occurs. But it can be embarassing as a pet owner. Your dog is attempting to drag you around, squealing like mad man. Again, a work in progress. The good: He's a very loving guy. He adores meeting new people and animals. Wouldn't hurt a fly. He's quick to learn new things. The commands he knows, are spot on. I think as pet owners we could go on for days about all the good qualities. We love and adore our pets. It's pointing out the flaws that make us cringe a little. We get embarrassed. We dont want to be judged. Our pets training is our responsibility. Pointing out their flaws, you may as well be pointing at yourself. We all do our best here. But at the end of the day I'm sure we'd all much rather talk about how AWESOME our dogs are. Haha. That's my two cents I suppose. Great topic!

Totally understanding of this! Their acute hearing, and distinction of certain sounds is amazing. Our bowie knows when "dad" is home before he's even up the drive. When bowie dashes out his dog door, its guaranteed Ill be seeing a black truck pull up within 20 seconds. But he won't react the same if it's a guest pulling up. ESP is right!

Thanks for the replies guys! I appreciate the stories and advice. It's good to know that I'm not alone in this matter. It's been ongoing for about a month now. I'm going to attempt the long line and recall redo. And yes. The whole no rhyme or reason statement was a little silly to say in hindsight. I was a teen once. I should know he's capable of being a walking brain fart. I know I sure was!

This reminds me of my first bc, Rickey. We had a water cooler in the kitchen. He would sooner put his paw up on the cooler knob than drink his personal water bowl a mere foot away. He was clever like that as well. We eventually had to put a towel under the cooler as there would be a constant puddle in that spot. He was sneaky. Only doing it when no one was there to scold him. A friends husky is also pretty industrious. He opens doors all by himself. Self taught. Don't ask me how. It's quite the trick. Dogs are amazing animals!

Thank you. I appreciate the advice! As this is an entirely new behaviour pattern I've been contending with. I swear it's as though it happened overnight. It's obviously time to reaffirm my authority. I was previously given the advice to "walk away" by my local trainer. Can't say that method did much good for long. Two attempts at that. And he figured it out.

Hi everyone! I'm not completely new to the forum. More of a longtime lurker. I would greatly appreciate any advice to this post! I'm at a total loss here. Anywhoo...So. My BC pup, Bowie - one month short of a year old now. Has entered the teenager phase. I'm having a really hard time with his stubbornness. The biggest issue currently is during outdoor playtime. I can't place any rhyme or reason to it. Some days he's wonderful. Comes when called. Always retrieves his toy happily. Other days. A bee flying by steals his attention. And that's its. He's off in search of greener pastures. His ears shut off and he's oblivious to my calls. Well, not totally oblivious. He will turn to me and stare from a distance. Like he sees me there. Calling. Yet it's a stand off. If I so much as take a step in his direction he turns and makes a dash for freedom. The stare off can last nearly a minute. It's like blatant defiance. It's a rare occurrence. Maybe once a week. Several good days in a row. Then one bad day. Now granted he does come back home within a few minutes. On his own good will. But I hate that I can't be sure if and when this will happen. We live rurally. So putting up a fence would cost a fortune. But I've tried different methods. Treats work. Off and on. Walking in the opposing direction has worked. Off and on. What can I do here? My apologies for the long post. Any advice I would be great!

First of all, a quick hello to,everyone here. I'm new to the boards here. I had no idea such a place existed for border collie enthusiasts and owners. This place truly is a community. I greatly admire many of you here. This is a tribute to my beloved Rickey. My first border collie. My first dog. My first love. You were taken from me too soon my love. You were my morning, noon and night. Everyday with you in it was nothing short of a spectacular day. Your soul and character. You were truly loved. Not only by me. You were the neighbourhood achievement. You were our dog. I was proud to call you mine. I miss you everyday. And I thank you for your years of loyalty, love and all of the fond memories we share. Never forgotten. Irreplaceable. There will be only one you Rickey, you left behind some very big paws to fill. Rest easy handsome. We'll meet again soon.