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marcoBC

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Everything posted by marcoBC

  1. I'm from the US but I live in France. I watch Countryfile on youtube
  2. I have a question about looking for a sheepdog. What are people opinions about finding a sheepdog? I know the dog should either be an ISDS or ABCA sheepdog and its best to see the parents of the dogs working etc. but I have a list of breeders who seem very reputable. Some have even been feature on a TV series called countryfile and have written books/made movies about herding. Is this a sure way to get a relaible working dog or is it better to meet and talk with people and see where that leads?
  3. Thanks everybody, So it seems the best option is to find a herding clinic nearby and start getting involved. If it seems interesting and something I would really enjoy the best option would be to start looking for a sheepdog from good working lines to train with. I understand that it isnt fair to the sheep to have some wild barking dog scaring them. It also isn't really fair to the dog to get him into something that they really aren't excited about. Like Gloria said, just being with me is probably what my dog loves best and he is already really happy doing active outdoorsy things. I guess the best option is to wait until I get my next Border Collie
  4. Is it silly to try him out? How expensive is it on average? Whats the best starting point, not necessarily for my dog, more for me, to learn the COMPLETE basics of trialling?
  5. Thanks! My dog is about 15 months. Is that too late? Will it make it harder to train him? He doesn't comes from working lines. He isn't purebred either Mom was 100 percent border collie but dad was a mix of Australian Shepard, German Shepard and Collie.
  6. Hello Everyone, I'm interested in learning more about trialling. Can anyone point me in a good direction to start learning about trialling as a sport, books videos? Would people suggest this sport as a recreational weekend activity with their dog? Thanks, Matt
  7. The Breeder I'm looking at specifically also sells dogs that have been trained a bit in herding but just haven't taken to it. Is this common? What does that mean about the dog besides he doesn’t herd? Is he stubborn? At what age do they determine this? My overall feeling is that I should talk with breeders and see what fits best for everyone. I would like to wait a bit longer. The process of finding a dog takes a while so I am starting the search now. I want to wait until Marco is closer to 2 years and a bit more mature.
  8. I'll try this method out! Does anyone have a easy raw food recipe? I'm thinking about changing. I know there are some important meats that dogs must have in their diet. Is there anything else?
  9. He isn't too skinny, in fact I think he is a healthy weight for a small framed Border Collie. He's about 23 inches tall weighing about 40 lbs. I think to most people he looks skinny only because he is at the adolesent stage. I guess my concern is, he hasn't put on any weight in months. About three months ago, he weighed an even 42 lbs. Now his exact weight is 39.6 lbs. He has always ate the same amount though, maybe a little less now than before but it seems burns more calories than he eats therefore he has slowly been loosing weight.
  10. I don't know what he ate before. I imagine it was low grade kibble. In fact I think it was just left for him on the floor because he was very skeptical of a bowl for the first month. I rescued him when he was 4 months old. He is now 13 months. Every morning he goes out for a quick walk before eating. I feed him and let the bowl stay out for about 15/20 mins. During the day, he runs around a lot and usually has a dried animal chew toy plus treats for training. When dinner comes, He has the same routine, a quick walk, then fed, the bowl is out for about 15/20 mins. He usually finishes his dinner in a few minutes. We rarely feed him "human food". I have thought about switching to a raw food diet. Once I mixed in a bit of liver but he didn't like it.
  11. Thanks for the info everyone, I was always more interested in buying from a breeder who breeds working dogs. I've been looking around, not just at breeders but border collie rescues. If I do end up going for a breeder I will definetely consider a pup who isn't a strong herder.
  12. Ever since I rescued my dog, he has had issues with food. He is world’s pickiest eater! After finally finding him food that he actually tolerates, he still doesn't seem to eat enough. He is one year and weighs about 40 lbs. I feed him 100g of Taste of the Wild dry mixed with 100g of wet Taste of the Wild, twice a day. He barely eats breakfast. Am I over feeding him? Should I just feed him once a day? I know Border Collies aren't the most food obsessed dogs but he keeps this up, I'm afraid he'll start loosing weight! What amounts do people feed their dogs? -Matt
  13. So, when a breeder breeds working dogs that doesn’t necessarily mean that all pups should go to a working home? I have a one-year-old BC. I rescued him when he was 4 months old. He's an all around great dog, smart, obedient, friendly, energetic but very calm indoors. He shows some herding instinct but I don't think comes from a responsible breeder.
  14. Hello, I have been researching BCC breeders lately. I come across a lot of breeders for strictly working dogs. I don't know why, but the working dog breeders speak more to me others. I don't want a working dog because I don't have a farm and I don't think it would be fair, nor do I think a responsible breeder would sell a dog if I weren't using it to work. Occasionally, I find breeders who sell dogs to people looking for a pet that don't have a huge passion to herd. Is this a sign of a bad breeder? What does it mean a dog that doesn't have a huge passion for herding? Are they lazy, not smart, or have too much eye? I am not looking to get a new dog right away. I am just searching for the moment. My 12 month BC, Marco keeps me plenty busy but I would like to get another dog in the near future. Thanks, Matt
  15. A few months ago I noticed my dog (7 months at the time) was running funny. It wasn't all the time but there were moments when he clearly had a strange gait. He doesn't exercise too much. A long walk a day (60/90 mins) plus a few normal walks (15-20). A couple times a week we go to the park where he's off leash and plays with other dogs. He never spends more than 30 minutes there. I would say thats where he gets the most exercise. He runs like crazy with the other dogs. I'll throw a ball to him a few times, but that's it. At first, I wrote off the strange run as just being an awkard puppy. It even seemed to go away. But in the last two weeks I've noticed that his left leg seems stiff, or its as if he doesn't like to put a lot of pressure on it. He's now 9 months. I'm worried he has a problem with his left hind leg. I don't know what to do except cut out going to the park with him. Should I go to the vet? Can the vet do anything? Normally people wait until their dog is a bit older to get an x-ray for hip problems. Anyone ever experience something like this? Its really got me worried. I had to videos but they won't post because the file size is too big. I'll try to upload them soon. I know its hard to comment on a subject like this when you cannot see what I'm talking about. Thanks Matt
  16. Great looking dog, beautiful eyes! I love the name Quill. Good luck and Congrats!
  17. **Does anyone have photos of their dogs when they were around 7-8 months and photo of there dogs now, as grown adults? I would love to see the before and after. I love the puppy stage but can't wait until my pup is all grown up** Sorry about all the spelling mistakes in the first post. It was before I had my morning coffee...
  18. Ok so it seems that a crate/play pen is not only good for keeping your dog out of trouble but it is also a good way to keep him safe. I will get one ASAP. Because I was with him 24/7 I could alway keep an eye on him. He didn't have a chance to get into trouble, so I didn't really need one. He just has his bed and when he's tired he goes there and sleeps. Thanks everyone!
  19. Does any one of photos of there dogs when they were around 7-8 months and now, as well grown adults? I would love to see the before and after! I love the puppy stage but I can't wait until my pup is all grown up!
  20. Great! I just bought a kong. I'm looking up different recipes to put inside it. Something that will last a long time. I think he'll be fine with that and maybe a bone. I'm worried he might develop bad habits though, chewing, barking etc.
  21. Hi everybody, Unfortunately my dog will have to spend every Tuesday alone from around 8am-6pm. Its the only day of the week where he'll have to be alone, but I'm still not very happy about it. My girlfriend will be able to come home for her lunch break to take him out for a quick 20 min walk. My plan goes as follows, I will get up at 5am and spend time with him until I have to go to work at 7. Ill take him for a nice work and do training with him, In total, probably an hour or so because I have to get ready as well. After that my girl friend will take him out again for a quick walk before she leaves for the day at 8 30. She will come back again at noon to take him out. After that though, he will be alone until I get back at 6 30. We have a puppy safe room where he will be able to stay in. Does anyone have any suggestions to occupy his mind for the day? It will only be once a week as I work at home every other day, but I feel real bad to just leave him in a room all day long. Thanks, Matt
  22. Hey Maralynn, I think it would be great for building a stronger relationship. It doesn't have to be sheep necessarily. I'm thinking that it would be great to train on stock because he is smart. He would have a mental and physical exercise at the same time, and still be working with me. But I guess for the sheeps sake it isn't the best idea. What are other good ways to work on stock training?
  23. Thank you every one! So it seems that I should cut out the Fetch and work more on mental exercise. Now I'm scared. I hope i didn't hurt him too much by exercising. I never encourage his stare/crouch instinct and I can see how if he does this too other dogs it can be problematic. I'm just a fan of a stylish BC. I guess border collie's are one of those breeds where its hard to say anything about them until they reach adult hood. They are a real surprise! That's what I love about them. The other day, I watch a documentary called Border Collie Rescue- A Useful Dog on YouTube. It is a great documentary. Has anyone seen it? Does anyone know of any other BC documentaries? Another question I have is, are there places that exists that teaches dogs to heard not necessarily for a working purpose but for a exercise? And is that a good idea or does it create a crazy dog? Thanks again everybody. I really enjoy looking at the photographs of your dogs. Is it me, or are Border Collies the most handsome breed out there?! Maybe I got the BC bug...
  24. Hi everybody, About three months ago, I rescued a four month-old male border collie named Marco. I've had a difficult time finding answers on the internet about border collie growth, personality, health and the breeds phsyical charcteristicics, so I thought I'd pose some questions here to hopefully find some clarity! Attached i'll have some photos so you can see my dog (at 7 months)! Ok, Question #1. I've always been interested in the border collie stare, crouch, and stalk. I've seen a few BCs that have such a low crouch, they almost move like cats! My pup has started to have a slight crouch. Mostly his front paws and head go down. Does this trait get stronger as they get older? The BCs that I've seen were around One year, two years old. They really had a strong stare, crouch, and stalk. I'm wondering if my dog will develop his insticts as he gets older and have a more distict crouch/stare/stalk? #2. Does anyone think my dogs coat will continue to grow? Does he seem like a short coated or long coated BC? There have been some people who ask me if my dog his a mix between a BC and something else. He is tall and skinny (I think too skinny, I'm trying to slowly fatten him up). In a few days he will be 7 months old. He stands at 54cm at the withers but only weighs 15.5 kg. He is fine boned. Will he grow much more in weight? He has small paws. Is there a point when their bones thinken up a bit? I saw two bcs the past weekend and they both had big paws. They weren't stockly. They were just thinker. They looked strong. When can I expect my boy to stop growing? Has anyone had a Border Collie that looks like mine at 7 months, How do they look now, as full grown? #3. What is a good excerise routine for a puppy? I walk him a few times a day. Each walk is about 20-40 mins. Sometimes we play fetch but only for 15 to 20 mins and only a few days a week and its really low key. I let him rest a bit in between throws. Mostly, we play in the house and do training exercises. Does that seem like too much? Should I cut out fetch? #4. Finally, my BC LOVES to run. He runs huge laps around all the other dogs at the dog park. Most dogs don't even bother chasing him because he runs so much and fast. Is that normal for a BC? He is a rescue. So I am not sure if he is 100% BC. They said at the rescue he was. And he sure does look like one to me. He is smart, has a moderately BC eye and crouch. The other day he saw some sheep and boy did they catch is attention . Sorry for the long post. I'm new to this and Border Collies. I want to know as much as I can! Thanks, Matt
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