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Kelliwic Border Collies

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Everything posted by Kelliwic Border Collies

  1. As was already said--not a tick, but eewww, and stuff. Try What's That Bug? or BugGuide. #### I believe this is a dog tick: Poor Jiffy (I'm sorry, but don't tell me this poor obese dog doesn't look like an engorged tick, especially in the video Sam'smom linked...)
  2. And Barb, is your original question regarding solid red tri as you wrote, or did you mean to imply red tri merle to blue merle? From the way you worded your second post, I wonder if you were initially asking about red tri merle? Solid color to merle carries no more risks than any other solid to solid breeding. Merle to merle is known to carry a high risk of problems.
  3. Is there something I don't know about regarding health test requirements for showing at Crufts, or is this just a straight up lie from Tony Lambert? Or is he only referring to whether the animal visibly has a cold, for example? If so, it's still pretty misleading, IMO. It dances around what the whole controversy is about.
  4. Anyone know? After the first 14 dogs, just two so far have gotten the shed before timing out.
  5. I rent a 1st floor apartment in a house and my landlord lives above me. So I crate all three during the day, as that's what I told my landlord I'd do (NJ is one of the places where it's pretty difficult to find dog-friendly rentals). The two adults are trustworthy out of the crates, and I leave them loose in the apt on off days when I'm out doing errands or whatever. Dare is almost always in her crate when I return. The adults are loose in the apt at night. When Bran was younger, I drove home from work at lunchtime to potty her. Now she's just about to reach 6 months old, so I don't do the mid-day visit anymore (it's really a bit too far to do regularly). Unfortunately she isn't yet trustworthy in the house, so she's still crated at night, too. She'll spend her nights loose in my bedroom when she has earned my trust. (Seems like Dare was trustworthy by this age, but maybe my memory has glossed things over a bit. ) I give the crated dogs Kongs stuffed with cookies when I leave for work, so they are all very comfortable being crated. (I was going to type "happy" instead of comfortable, but that's probably going a bit too far.) After Second Walk in the morning just before I leave the house, they usually race back to the porch, and when I open the door, they charge into their crates, waiting in them for me to dole out the goods. If their crate doors have swung shut, they even use their paws to pull the doors open so they can get inside for their big jackpot!
  6. I hope the BBC program and the resulting awareness changes things for the better, but I'm afraid that what is today's Big Deal will very quickly become Yesterday's News. In December 1994, Time magazine published an article on the very same subject. It drew national attention, and no doubt related articles and news stories were published soon after. I remember this specific article because I still have the issue of Time, with a tight head shot of the mournful-looking English Bulldog on the cover. Perhaps it had some small short-term effect, but it doesn't seem to have helped much in the long run. I hope Pedigree Dogs Exposed will have a lasting impact, but I don't have confidence that the mindset and "culture" of the show ring breeders will REALLY change. ETA: I am not opposed to thoughtful, well-researched linebreeding for purpose-bred dogs. ##### I've had a few questions come to mind while reading this thread and seeing the program. First, regarding the Ridgebacks--why does this "internal" (so to speak) condition result in a hair cowlick? Is it one of those cases where the two conditions are not directly related, but the genes are often found in conjunction with one another because of their location? (I saw RDM's related question and Lenajo's answer but it's not quite what I'm asking.) Second, how is a COI calculated, and what are good, "safe," or target numbers? (I guess I mean other than zero.) Third, a sort of related question to this topic (but less so) as the genetics of the natural bobtail were mentioned...regarding bobbed and docked tails. Is there any real advantage or purpose to artificially docking a tail (other than cosmetic to fit breed "standard," of course)? Does anyone know why ear cropping is not allowed overseas, but tail docking is still routine? Thanks!
  7. BC-Liz, Liz P's questions are important, because epilepsy is not uncommon in Border Collies, and idiopathic epilepsy is almost certainly genetic, and also appears in "good working stock." Liz knows several of the lines that seem to be affected, as do a few other members on this board. If you don't feel comfortable posting the breeding online, I'd suspect Liz would be fine with getting a PM from you (er, right, Liz?). You can also PM me if you like. A pup from the litter I bred started seizing in January (near their 3rd birthday), and since then I have learned about several different families in which it seems to occur, but I'm no "expert" on the subject. There are several studies going on right now to try to identify the gene or genes which carry epilepsy. I sent bloodwork samples from the affected dog's dam and her littermate to UC Davis, and the owner of the affected pup sent bloodwork as well. Some of my other puppy owners and the relatives I could locate are also sending samples. There's no fee to submit a sample, and UC Davis even pays the FedEx charge. If you tell your vet you are participating in a genetic study, s/he may draw the blood free or of no charge (especially if you've got Rhea in for an exam anyway). There's a little more info about UC Davis research here. Katy Robertson is the contact person for this study. (For other folks reading this, UC Davis also accepts cheekswabs from non-affected relatives of epileptic dogs; just request the free kit.) Of course most of the above won't apply if Rhea's seizure is determined to have a specific source (toxin, injury, reaction to vax, etc.) Good luck with Rhea, I hope it was just a weird random thing!
  8. Hi all, I hadn't been able to work the dogs since last week, but finally got out yesterday (in thunder and torrential rain, yay!). We were able to work some of the exercises that were posted earlier, thank you!, and also used a one that was very effective for me and my girls. I hope I can describe it correctly. We were using not-too-fast sheep, and worked the dog essentially on a circle. I stayed close to the sheep, and flanked the dog, but just a very short flank. I would slowly step or walk to the side in the same direction as the dog was going. This had the effect of having my dogs feel as though they were coming onto the balance point within a few strides, so they would stop on balance. This little exercise also caused my dogs to widen out off the sheep, and also flank more slowly (presumably as they were expecting to stop soon after they started going). We mixed it up with very short outruns and wearing, and saw a big difference in all these elements, most especially in the younger dog. Denise and Lenajo (sorry I've fogotten your name), I 100% understand & agree with your suspicion of how I'm asking the dogs up. My volume and tone of voice are things I've had to work hard at and no doubt I fall back into old habits from time to time. In the case of walking up, however, it's mainly the tense/excitable nature of my dogs (mother & daughter). My "wa-a-a-a-lk" is very slow and low. I don't even use "walk up" because those two words together are choppy-sounding. Wa-a-a-a-lk isn't too hard for me because I'm generally only asking them in if things are already settled or under control. It's possible that I say it too hurried from time to time (I certainly can't remember every single time I've asked them up), but I don't think it's a problem--and if it were, my instructor would point it out to me right away.
  9. Thanks to both of you for the suggestions, they sound good. One more question which is a small but very very important part of the suggested exercises...how to get them on their feet nicely? Both my dogs leap to their feet, though one of them alternates between popping up and lying there stuck. I am not sure how to find the balance (no pun intended) between NOT popping up, but getting up when asked. In other words, how do I turn "getting up too fast" into "getting up nicely," without having them stick and be worried about getting up at all?
  10. Pearse (et al), what would be a good exercise(s) to work on balance and pace? (Should I move this question to its own new topic? It's aligned with Julie's original question, but sort of off the topic now.) For whatever reason, it seems like this (particularly pace) is a constant problem with my dogs and I. I have tried some different methods but somehow, the basic concept just doesn't seem to "stick" for my dogs. Probably operator error, LOL! ETA: Looks like Julie was kind of asking the same question (I think): ETA again: I see Ask An Expert has a queston about pace; I will be watching that topic too!
  11. Maybe this is a dumb question, but don't you (the general you, not Sue or anyone specific) have like, YOUR phone number on your dog's tags or collar? What does it matter if the CAR tag has the wrong number? If the collar is lost, the person who finds your dog won't have the CAR number either, whether the CAR # is right or wrong, and it will be up to a vet or shelter with a chip reader to see if the dog has a chip anyway...right? Am I missing something obvious here? (I am sleepy posting just before bedtime, so I really might be missing something obvious!) Nancy (HI! ), you don't have to register your chip with CAR or any group affiliated with AKC; there are several chip registry services. For those of you who prefer/trust more in the tattoo, what do you have tattooed? ABC 123456 or something? Curious what is both permanent, and easily identified by an average person.
  12. NEBCA (North East Border Collie Association) is great! I consider myself very lucky to live in this club's area. There are nice, friendly people, lots of trials, and what I consider to be a very supportive Novice program. The two things that come to mind which in my opinion could use a little tweaking are "small stuff" I don't sweat over, and are really barely worth mentioning. (but hey, no club is perfect, and you did ask...) 1) Sometimes it seems to be treated/run a little bit as if it's the "New England" Border Collie Association rather than the "North East" BCA (probably because most of the officers & committee members are in New England, I believe). But, perhaps that's just my perception. The southernmost state in the described region of the club includes Maryland (skips over DE????). 2) The website is a little dry. The site might benefit from delivering a bit more information about the real-life history and use of stockdogs, and the sport of trialing, to absolute newbies. As it is now, it all seems clear if you already know a bit about it, and of course there are other sites on the internet that contain that info. It could also stand a facelift to make it a little more interesting to view, but all in all, I don't think the site is missing anything and it gets the job done just fine (in a workman-like manner, and such). Those little things aside...we sure know how to put on a good Finals!
  13. Sally, it's quite preferable to the wear and tear your window sills will suffer if your dog(s) stands on them to look out the window and you'd like to allow the dog to enjoy the view.
  14. I emailed directly this morning and heard back that Mick is okay, but am hoping njnovice will post the details in person, as Mick's not my dog.
  15. I overheated one of my dogs last summer, not severely thank goodness. I picked up on the symptoms she was starting to exhibit and got her into cool water right away, but it was still scary because I didn't know whether the seizing and other stuff was inevitable once the process began. My understanding is that a dog that has overheated once will have a lower threshold of tolerance thereafter, and it does seem to be true for my dog. I also believe that my dog's temperament contributes to her tendency to heat up quickly; when working or playing, she's an intense dog who is prone to high levels of stress and/or excitement. I would think this is probably true for other dogs of this temperament. I don't know if Rave fits into that category but if so it's probably something to consider as part of your "heat index" formula.
  16. Maybe it came in to get the fly! (Bats play a very important role in controlling the insect population.) Did it leave overnight?
  17. Sending prayers for Bill! Best wishes for quick recovery and return to the boards , and a normal daily routine.
  18. I got my first two Border Collies from Walt. My first pup was acquired with obedience trialling in mind, but he, and the pleasure of spectating at his trial, had an influence on my getting involved with sheep work. I greatly enjoyed talking with him at nearby trials or on occasional visits to Cheryl & Dick's place--he'd always stop in to say hello and see how we're doing. I can't claim I knew him well, but even so, he was a pleasure to know and I will truly miss him.
  19. Hi Liz, Thanks a lot for the info! A couple of your comments made me think a bit more info might help a little more, too. I do think it's extremely likely that the littermate has epilepsy, even if it's not yet an "official" diagnosis (if there is such a thing, outside of process of elimnation). As with your dog, in the last three years, I have found more dogs related to mine than I knew at first, and it turns out that both grandsires have descendants that have had seizures. Of course I wish I had found these affected dogs sooner, but I guess I just can't know everyone. I'll also mention for the sake of other readers that the littermate was not under anesthesia at the time she seized; my question is mainly whether special precautions should be taken in the future...both for her and for the other littermates, since I think we now have to be careful with all the siblings, until such time a test is developed or we can be relatively certain they are not affected.
  20. Hi all, Lots and lots of results when searching for seizure info on this site, but (without reading every topic) I didn't see anything specific on this. My dog's littermate recently had a fairly severe seizure, just a few weeks after their third birthday. It was not caused by injury, and her bloodwork was excellent; no toxins or other unusual cause found. Since this was just one seizure to date, she is not on medication nor considered epileptic at this time. It's got me thinking about a lot of things from different perspectives though. One thing I'm wondering is whether there is any (known) added risk for putting epileptic or possible epileptic dogs under anesthesia for surgery? I don't recall anything being mentioned, and I didn't see anything about it on canine-epilepsy.net, but I just wanted to ask if anyone has input on it. Thanks!
  21. I think that's exactly what makes that kind of dog special enough to be considered great. But I'll be quiet now and let the more experienced folks continue to weigh in on the issue.
  22. Yes, Sue, that's pretty much what I was trying to say. That a "great dog," to me, would be one that is the WHOLE package; a great worker and a great breeder. We might better describe the one-generation wonder as a great dog by adding a qualifier: a great trial dog, or a great work dog (or both). Of course this is just my very humble novice opinion, which Andrea didn't ask for anyway.
  23. (**Novice alert**) I would propose that there are great work dogs, and great trial dogs, but the only dogs who are truly great dogs as a whole pass that greatness on to their offspring.
  24. I personally find a message board forum MUCH much easier to keep up with at a glance, than emails. I'm on the digest format for Sheepdog-L, workingsheepdog, etc., but even so (and even with the YahooGroups feature of sorting messages within the digest by topic), I still find it far faster to look at message boards. It's also MUCH easier (for me) to refer back to older posts on a message board, or to keep track of how a thread evolved. Even with an email list digest format, it can be tedious to go back and open each of the emails to find the original post of a topic, or to find and re-read the reply someone contributed four days into the thread's lifespan (particularly the threads that continue for quite some time). The email scenario, of course, assumes that I have plenty of space on my home computer to save emails, so as to have the luxury of re-reading items of interest or importance. Also, it seems to me that in message board venue, people generally trim their "reply" posts down to relevant quotes and comments a lot better than they do when replying to email threads!
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