dumbbird7

Thanks ShellyF, My Old Boy passed away a couple of weeks ago, old age and heart basically. He lasted nearly 4 years with this little lump, but I would certainly have had it seen to had he been a youngster. The vet wasn't sure what it was but as it didn't seem to bother him, we left well alone. But Harry B will have seen the vet with his 2yr old Jack I hope and is getting it sorted.

Harry B, yes my elderly collie had what looked like a tic on the top of one of his back paws. The 'tick' was black, and shiny, hidden in the short paw fur. About the size of a normal tick just ready to drop off. He took no notice of it at all except when the vet tried to hook it off thinking it was a tick, until we realised that it was attached very close to the skin so the hook wouldn't go under. This was uncomfortable for him, but only then. He had it for the last 3 or 4 years of his life (went to Rainbow Bridge a couple of weeks ago), and it never gave any problem, didn't hurt, didn't grow and didn't spread. Never got any bigger, so we kept an eye on it and left it alone. Hope this helps.

Jack is now halfway through month 5, he has morning 'outs' which combines a little leash control (though he's so keen to get going there's not a lot of control at the moment), then after 5 or 6 minutes of this, he is released into a community orchard, but still with long 15' leash attached. Here he runs a bit, but spends more time sniffing, rooting around in the long grass, and keeping his eye on me as I stroll around. Recall is practised using a wistle and chopped up sausage. Usually successful but occasionally a bird flies by and all concentration flies too. This early morning walk takes 20 minutes or so. Afternoon, he has longer, perhaps down through the woods to the stream, he, again trailing long leash and rooting around in leaves and other stuff, then road work home. Approx 45 minutes. No jumping up or racing yet, he's got legs like Bambi, far too precious to damage at this tender age. He would like much longer walks of course, and it is difficult to constantly entertain when he is so full of energy. Pics: You'll see I had to take the batteries out at one stage! Jack with The Old Man, who went to Rainbow Bridge a couple of weeks ago; looking to see if there's a neighbour he can talk to, and yes, there is a neighbour. Also his Good Lady Wife doing the gardening!

Have been having trouble with the site, just confused. Trying to post about a different problem but anything added was tacked onto the frightening intelligence post. Not very au fait with computer stuff as am now in my dotage and have no grandchildren to put me right. I'll go away now and be quiet...

terrecar, can't understand your reply. Is it someting I've said? What's charitable got to do with the above thread?

Jack is 21 weeks old. Picture the scene - 6.30am, first coffee of the day, I'm sitting quietly in dim light, dressing gown, slippers, contemplating the day ahead. Jack, ventures up onto the settee. Not allowed, he knows this. But he's rummaging through the detritus on my side table; pens and rubbers, post-its, scraps of newspaper and other stuff. I say nothing, and don't correct him as he is obviously looking for something in particular. Interesting! Seconds later, he noses papers out of his way and picks up his collar and presents it to me. 'Time to get dressed Boss, outs time..' I am stunned. He has already done first duties in the garden, but a walk is now expected. Am I up to dealing with this kind of intelligence, I ask myself, can I cope with being controlled by a mere dog? Hmmm... And thanks for replies to the feeding quantities - I've got it sussed. Perhaps I should ask the dog himself, he seems to have all the answers ha ha.

Jack is 21 weeks old. Picture the scene - 6.30am, first coffee of the day, I'm sitting quietly in dim light, dressing gown, slippers, contemplating the day ahead. Jack, ventures up onto the settee. Not allowed, he knows this. But he's rummaging through the detritus on my side table; pens and rubbers, post-its, scraps of newspaper and other stuff. I say nothing, and don't correct him as he is obviously looking for something in particular. Interesting! Seconds later, he noses papers out of his way and picks up his collar and presents it to me. 'Time to get dressed Boss, outs time..' I am stunned. He has already done first duties in the garden, but a walk is now expected. Am I up to dealing with this kind of intelligence, I ask myself, can I cope with being controlled by a mere dog? Hmmm... And thanks for replies to the feeding quantities - I've got it sussed. Perhaps I should ask the dog himself, he seems to have all the answers ha ha.

Jack is 21 weeks old. Picture the scene - 6.30am, first coffee of the day, I'm sitting quietly in dim light, dressing gown, slippers, contemplating the day ahead. Jack, ventures up onto the settee. Not allowed, he knows this. But he's rummaging through the detritus on my side table; pens and rubbers, post-its, scraps of newspaper and other stuff. I say nothing, and don't correct him as he is obviously looking for something in particular. Interesting! Seconds later, he noses papers out of his way and picks up his collar and presents it to me. 'Time to get dressed Boss, outs time..' I am stunned. He has already done first duties in the garden, but a walk is now expected. Am I up to dealing with this kind of intelligence, I ask myself, can I cope with being controlled by a mere dog? Hmmm... And thanks for replies to the feeding quantities - I've got it sussed. Perhaps I should ask the dog himself, he seems to have all the answers ha ha.

Jack is 5 months old, weighs 15k. He gets raw beef or tripe chunks, some 'human grade' mixed beef and/beef & tripe (with lots of lovely blood), and a chicken thigh (thanks for info on this GL). Sometimes tin of sardines in olive oil for a snack if he's peckish, or small tub of plain bio yoghurt. Tonight for evening meal, frozen cheapo white fish and mackerel from supermarket, boiled in a little water. Mixed with Bonio or Shape biscuits, slack handful of puppy mixer (that he would leave if he could push it aside!). Once in awhile if I've run out of raw, he'll have a tin of Butchers (we're in UK,) but I find with canned meat, for every tin that goes in, about 6 seem to come out. All sloppy and a nightmare to scoop into a doggy bag, especially if we have to 'comb' it through long grass. Ugh! I think it's high in water content, and sweepings from the factory floor. But he loves it. If he's bored in the evening, he'll be given a lamb bone to keep him busy and to ease the teething gums. These I stand on in bare feet on dark mornings when I open the garden door to let him out. So to cut it short, Jack and The Old Dog have a little bit of everything. I never weigh it, perhaps I should. I know how much a small tummy will hold. He could probably eat for England but dish is usually cleared except for a biscuit or two. He is tall for a collie, all legs, could run a good race at Aintree. Slim with good waist, glossy coat, plenty of spare skin to fill yet, but ribs are just showing on the surface. Another month or so, I shall reduce his midday meal gradually until it's just a memory.

Good to know there are other collie folk out there who understand some of the gibberish we all throw out from time to time. Thanks for being there...

Yes Smalahundur it seems so. I have always had BCs, and understand them well, at least I thought I did. This Jack is a different kettle of fish altogether. Sometimes he's quite still. Thinking. Deliberating. Then without turning his head, his eyes are looking straight at me for an instant, then back again to straight ahead. A deep thinker. A bit creepy to be honest. . But still a little monkey when he can get away with things... About this morning - he knew exactly what he was looking for, no hopes of a stray treat or something decent to try the new teeth on. He was quite focused, and still not quite 5 months old.

Jack is 21 weeks old. Picture the scene - 6.30am, first coffee of the day, I'm sitting quietly in dim light, dressing gown, slippers, contemplating the day ahead. Jack, ventures up onto the settee. Not allowed, he knows this. But he's rummaging through the detritus on my side table; pens and rubbers, post-its, scraps of newspaper and other stuff. I say nothing, and don't correct him as he is obviously looking for something in particular. Interesting! Seconds later, he noses papers out of his way and picks up his collar and presents it to me. 'Time to get dressed Boss, outs time..' I am stunned. He has already done first duties in the garden, but a walk is now expected. Am I up to dealing with this kind of intelligence, I ask myself, can I cope with being controlled by a mere dog? Hmmm... And thanks for replies to the feeding quantities - I've got it sussed. Perhaps I should ask the dog himself, he seems to have all the answers ha ha.

Gentle Lake, this is so helpful, thank you. His mother is bearded collie, father long lean BC 24"+ at the shoulder, certainly taller than the average. Have calculated median weights, and based his adult weight at 26-27k. As you suggest, I shall return him to 3 meals a day. Keep forgetting just how young he is. Another month or so will be better for him I think.

Jack is 14k (30lbs ish) and 22 weeks old. Tall and leggy, full of beans. I dropped his meals down to 2 a day last week, but he always asks for more. Can anyone suggest what percentage of his current body weight he should be taking in? He's on mixed raw with chunks, some bone, plus small amount of mixer and a Bonio biscuit, twice daily. Our butcher minces his offcuts of everything he has left at the end of the week (a bit bloody) so that will include muscle, offal and the rest. He is slim (dog not butcher) and just covered, ribs can be felt but not obvious to the eye. Looks glossy and in lovely condition. I am wondering whether 2 meals are fulfilling his growth requirements - coat and legs grow by the day! He's having playtime and training outdoors for an hour twice a day, occasionally more, with some lead and road training extra. Time at home is spent playing with toys or timing his laps between two patio doors at each end of the bungalow at high speed. Practising for his racing debut at Le Mans. Sometimes I wonder whether this intense hyperactivity that can last 2 hours, is a sign he is hungry. I worry about his leg joints at this age; it's too cold in UK in November to encourage swimming in our local rivers. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Gentle Lake, not sure what CBD is, or Hemp oil. Am in UK sp perhaps we've got it here and I've never needed to find out about it. Devils Claw is chopped herb for joints. I shall do as you suggest and have a quiet conversation with my old feller. We have always conversed with looks and eye contact rather than voice or body language. Silent understanding. I've already told him it's ok if he's had enough and wants to go, but will talk again just to make sure we're clear. We've been 'Next of Kin', just we two for so long, our time draws to a close.

Ahhh, what a sweetheart, he's herding Bekki, the only way he knows how. Get everything into the centre so he can patrol the borders. Love 'im

Hello Lenie, Yes, I have an oldster like yours, 14 years old, deaf, not too good in the eyes, and very occasionally a bit daft (forgets where he left the ball). Also 60lbs. He's on Metacam from the vet and a diruetic, and a chewable tablet beef flavoured twice a day to keep blood vessels open I think. Very creaky and knobbly in the joints, plods around but perks up when there's a tennis ball on the move. Never had to worry about nails thank heavens. Young pup just moved in. Pain in the butt. Old boy spends most of his time asleep in the bedroom. Utter peace. Friends have recommended Devils Claw - herb, often used for creaky horses. Sprinkle over food. They reckon it's brilliant, I intend to buy some next time I'm in town. Often though, he looks up at me with those lovely brown eyes and says, I'm ready to go, Mum. It's heartbreaking, cannot decide when for him, enough will be enough.

Yes terrecar, to me it's always been bones and raw food. It seems in other places around the world, Aus and US, it's boned...Different interpretations methinks. Ask a butcher here for boned joint, and you'll most likely get a joint without bone in it.

Just had a thought - if it's Boned and Raw Food, does that not suggest that the raw food has been boned eg. bones removed? Am I confused here?

Thanks for all your replies everyone, here in UK BARF is generally assumed to be bones and raw food, although trawling the websites, (UK and worldwide), BARF seems to be a flexible acronym, but I guess it near enough means the same thing the world over. Gentle Lake, re your brilliant reply, I think I shall feed alternate wing and thigh. Here, wings are cheaper than thighs, but will alternate, hopefully to get the optimum nutrition. Had no idea the nutritional values varied, but common sense would suggest that of course they must in some way. BTW, most of our new teeth have appeared overnight. I am amazed. The Old Man has beautiful white teeth (my pride and joy, sad woman that I am) and sweet breath well into his dotage, always commented on by other owners whose dogs have dirty teeth, gummy gums, and breath that would strip paint. Vet says 'Do you clean his teeth?' Whaaat? Have trouble bothering with cleaning my own, let alone Dodi's. Life's too short...

jami74, I'm now training pup to do the 'wait' business. Just walking on lead, then the 'wait' command. We stop just long enough to let it sink in, then off we go again. This is one of the easiest lessons I find. There is a difference with us, though, between stop and stay. Haven't got as far as the stay yet.

Jack, now 20 weeks old, has gone fully onto raw feeding and loves it. Beef chunks, mixed offal mince, some chicken, lamb & beef bones with meat and gristle if he's lucky. However I am wary of offering chicken wings until he grows his 'noo toofs', which I think he's in the middle of now. My neighbour says chicken thighs bones are softer than wings, and have more meat on them. Interested to hear any view on this please.

Jami74, your lovely old dog, yes I have one exactly the same as your old boy. A bit of a lad when he was young of course, now I have a new 5 month old, and cannot for the life of me remember how I trained Dodi, who is now 14. Have never had a problem with Doe, walks to heel, waits, keeps his eye on me and nary a word spoken. Fits in quietly wherever we find ourselves. At 10 weeks old, he saw his first cat and the lightbulb went on. I bellowed NO! And to my surprise and gratitude has never chased anything with a pulse since. So sheep, cows, cats, rabbits, squirrels - you name it are all safe with us. A blessing when we're walking along lanes and have no idea what's in the field behind our banks and hedges, where a speedy foray through the hedge could result in the ringing tones of a shotgun. But I tend not to speak to my dogs too much, just the essential, and a 'Good Boy' from time to time. Twice over the years, to my surprise each time, he has challenged a stranger when we have been in remote areas alone, very fierce and loud, teeth on display, lips back, the body language. Strangers promptly hurried away. My hero! I guess a lot of work went into his puppyhood, so I must remember that whatever I put into this new little guy will reap its rewards in the end. I do remember though, that lead training was a nightmare for some weeks, Never used lunging rein, clickers or treats. He did what I asked because I was top dog and he wanted to please and serve. But yeah, we've had our moments... In retrospect, the first and best thing I ever taught him was the WAIT. He'll drop on the spot even now. I've had to use it once or twice over the years in emergencies that I was careless enough not to forsee, and been grateful for it. If I throw a ball across a field and he goes hell for leather after it, I shout wait, and he almost somersaults to stop.

Thanks for these replies. Jack's eyes are clear and 'normal'. There's no rubbing or irritation that I can see and deffinitely no infection or redness. None of my other collies have ever had this. Vet next week so I'll bring it up with him.

Jack, at 19 weeks old, has a problem with 'eye gunge'. I am forever wiping the greenish stuff away. The eyes themselves are clear, pup is in excellent health and growing like Topsy, I think he'll turn out to be a long lean lad like his dad. Can anyone say whether this is a common problem in collies, and whether he will grow out of it. My old collie, now 14, always had clean eyes. No smoking or dust in the environment here either.