StephaaRas

Thanks guys, yeah it is hard. There are definitely great memories with her, I can still perfectly remember the day I got her and how she tore apart the blanket I got the same day. Such an absolute joy she was. It was probably for the best, though it kills me to have had to make the decision, but you could tell how much pain she was in. It would have been unfair if I made her suffer any longer, and the vets (we had switched vets about 6 times) even said there was nothing left to do.

Unfortunately Thursday the 21st I had to say goodbye to a long time friend, Aleuu. She wasn't a border collie but she was a major part of my family. She had a mystery illness (we believe it was auto immune) and after 3 years of trying to fight it off, there was nothing more we could do. She was an aussie mix, and the most loving dog you could ever meet. At only 9 years old it felt way too soon to say goodbye. Here are a few puppy pictures, and one picture of her at about 6 years old (just before she got sick). Unfortunately there aren't many pictures of her in her current years due to how awful the disease had her looking, also I'd rather look back on her healthier years. RIP Aleuu (11-14-2006 - 1-21-16) Sorry if the photos are very large.

I purchased a new TSC soft frisbee yesterday. Other than how gross it gets, it's not giving me any problems. It flies great, and she's catching it with ease. I'll probably pick up another for how cheap they are. I think I also have a duplicate lying around my house from a year ago or so. Now I just have to worry about picking up something different if we get serious with the frisbee thing. She shows great potential, but I'm not going to worry about that quite yet. I'll probably pick up one of the brands you guys mentioned just for variety and to see how they go. More than 15 minutes with this TSC frisbee feels great enough for now!

Ah, then we must not be talking about the same TSC one haha. I think I have that one laying around the house somewhere from when she was a puppy. It was her first frisbee, it seemed appropriate since it was so soft and light. But you're not kidding about the grime! Once again thanks, I have a lot to choose between now. I'm thinking maybe I'll give the kong brand a try first since I have other toys made by them that have held up quite some time now.

So many options! Thank you guys so much for your quick responses. I believe I've tried the TSC one, if we're speaking of the same frisbee, and I don't remember if it's the one I misplaced, or the one she cracked in half. I'll have to get another one to see how that works since it's a local thing I can just grab before I bother ordering things online.

Thank you, I like the way these ones look. I'll have to look into these as well, test a few out and see what works the best for me and my dog.

Thanks! I'll have to look into them! I've spent way more than $5.49 on a frisbee that lasted me about three throws, so if this one works for you it may work for me as well!

I'm working with one of my dogs with frisbees because it seems to be her favorite thing to do, but I can't seem to find a frisbee that won't break in 5 minutes. Anyone else who plays frisbee with their dogs... What brand/where do you buy yours? I have tried multiple brands, and have only found one that won't break in 5 minutes but instead warps so doesn't fly good anymore. And it was excessively expensive. So, if anyone could help out itd be appreciated!

The bad: -Gets too excited when on a walk in public, practically chokes herself trying to get to people. She definitely needs practice with that. -She wants to play NONSTOP, she will constantly try to bring you a toy. -Her recall is pretty hit and miss, but it's been improving a lot the past few days. The good: -It took me only one day to potty train her. She had one accident in the house, and after I corrected her for it she never had an accident again. -She is a very fast learner, I managed to teach her many tricks at just 8 weeks old. -She is great off leash, she learns boundaries very quickly. -When a bunch of people aren't around she's also very good on leash. -Very good in the car, and loves car rides. -She sleeps through the night with me, and makes a good cuddle partner. -Good with all my other animals. -She is a very happy girl, and she makes a wonderful companion. I'm more than happy to deal with so few faults to have her as a part of my family!

As someone who has never used, or even thought about using a laser pointer on dogs... I had no idea that they could ruin a dog, so actually it was very educational to read what people had to say about their experiences. In no way does it seem like people are trying to push their views down someones throat, or make them feel bad about themselves. To me it looks like people who genuinely care about the welfare of another persons animal, and have their best interest in mind. Having 3 pages of the laser subject also did not seem like too much, because they were all valid points. And as someone pointed out earlier this still has to do with life with a border collie, so it's not like they're steering this thread in a horrible direction for the sake of making someone feel bad. I feel further educated, so thank you.

He's absolutely beautiful! He's still young, so his coat has time to change, or fill out more as others have said. However, there is a chance it is done growing, or at least noticeably.

At first I thought the shedding was going to be much less with a smooth coat, but I'm being proven wrong lately. Though I think my roughs have had more shedding in the long run, this girl is shedding like crazy. I've gotta give her a good brushing today before I too start using hair as a condiment. It's a good day to wear all black!

I see it now, he is absolutely adorable! And Liz, I got her in Pennsylvania.

I'm not seeing an avatar displayed for you, I'm not sure if it's only on my end or what. But thank you, I'll send her to you right away.

Thank you, I believe I will stay. A lot of people here are nice, and it was a bit quick of me to judge everybody on these boards the same. I've also read a lot of other threads and people have said some very interesting things, and things that anybody can learn from. It'd be nice to stick around this community, though from now on I may be more of an observer than a poster. For everybody else, I am sorry for asking what seemed to be an uneducated question. I assure you I do know that border collies have different coat lengths, and this was not me questioning them or anything of the sort. I also know that border collies looks have nothing to do with their ability to work, it was not a question of which coat length can work better, it was a question of simply which one you prefer the care/looks of.

I was not asking the deal with smooth coats, I was simply asking what peoples opinions of them were, or if anyone had questioned people on the breed of their smooth coat dogs. I don't take it as a rude comment, it's easy to think that that is what I meant by the OP.

And for the person who said this thread was lacking in pictures... This is the smooth coat I am referring to. She is still a long while off of being able to be bred, but if all checks out she will be the one. I think she looks quite like a border collie, regardless of coat length.

I was not referring to you, you are one of the people who actually gave a genuine answer. Sorry for the mix up.

I agree with you completely. I have not been through the archives, and was unaware there were a lot of breeders with bad intentions, so I apologize again for taking it personally.

Yes, I am referring to the first comment as I thought it was a stab at me, but I can see it the other way too now, and if that's how it was meant than I apologize. I know I should expect people to question my ways, but it seemed more like bashing. I also apologize if I took that wrong.

You're welcome.

I don't feel the need to prove myself to a bunch of people who seem to find belittling somebody that they don't even know enjoyable. I was not rude to anybody but yet i am receiving rude replies. Some of you say you don't have time for know-it-alls but then you act like them yourselves. I joined these boards in hopes of finding friendly people with similar interests but instead found rude people who think they are the end all of the breed. But to answer your question, I have lived on a farm my whole life. I have worked my dogs with ducks when very young, goats, sheep, and cattle. I have even worked on horseback with them. I have had their abilities assessed by trainers. I myself am a dog trainer (not for herding purposes) but I train agility, and frisbee dogs. I have been in connections with breeders of other dog breeds that have been breeding for 30+ years. I have received tips from them for years before I dared breed on my own. All of my dogs are vet checked for their hips, eyes, etc. I don't just breed to breed. This thread was not made as a matter of my breeding. It was made simply to gather opinions of what people thought of smooth/rough coats, and the benefits and whatnot of either to people's opinions. Now that I know these forums are in fact not friendly people, thanks to those of you who actually related to the topic and were nice.

Yes, I removed the breeder part because I figured the popcorn thing was a sort of way of saying I shouldn't be breeding, or something of the sort. I edited a lot of the first post to try to make it sound somewhat more friendly to take away from remarks that seemed inappropriate or rude.

I think some of the most beautiful BC's are the all black ones. My friend has one, and no matter what it's doing it looks so majestic. Also, the mother to my current one was all white. She always gets the "Wait, they can look like that?!"

All your dogs are gorgeous from what I can see! Yeah, I tend to make sure I'm not selling to someone simply for looks. Gotta make sure dogs go to a good home, not one that's worried about how perfect their dog looks.