IronHorse

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread. Believe it or not, it has been of aid to me in my decision making. If i did not respect the breed or the members of these forums I would not bother bringing questions or concerns to them. With all due respects John

Julie, I never asked for opinions with my initial post, what i did ask was, "Is anyone familiar with a breeder located in Kansas that goes by the name of ' Nightshades Border Collies' ? I have recently come across them in my search for a new pup and saw that they are an ABCA member so I thought I would drop in and see what feedback any of you might have about them." I fail to see where you believe that it was I who disparaged anyone. No one said that they knew this breeder or were familiar with them but many, by what they read on their website, felt obliged to give their opinions, which I believe were respectfully taken for what they are worth by me. Asking for clarification on registration procedures was, perhaps, an issue I should of addressed in a different thread. Finding the breeder listed on the ABCA high volume breeder page I found it odd that no one here had any knowledge of them. John

I would not assume such.

What I had initially asked was, "Is anyone familiar with a breeder located in Kansas that goes by the name of ' Nightshades Border Collies' ? Not one person who responded to this thread said that they were familiar with or had even heard of this breeder until i had brought it to their attention. What was opined was conjecture based solely upon what is presented on their website. From there it turned into the typical political banter of registries. I totally get the red flags that the site raises but I do not condemn someone on conjecture. I never said that i was planning on getting a pup from this breeder, i only mentioned that I knew someone who had gotten a pup from them a few years ago and I know the dog. I am familiar with good breeders in my area but i am also always willing to expand my options, especially when looking for an animal companion that will most likely be my last dog. I am not a man that makes decisions such as this simply on written words and opinions when i also have the option of physically engaging the proposition. I do believe that this is an outfit that deserves a hands on look and I am planning on doing so. If what they are doing is something that goes against my ethics....well i have no problem rolling up my sleeves and getting dirty in an attempt to rectify or at least voice my opinion eyeball to eyeball. It's not my first rodeo, so to speak. With all due respect John

All good questions Gloria And I sure am not one to shy away from going eyeball to eyeball and asking alot of what you've touched on. I intend on paying this outfit a visit in the near future and seeing for myself what is happening on the grounds.

Then explain this, your words, to me "Any pup that is born of ABCA-registered parents, even if those parents are also AKC-registered, can be registered with ABCA".

GentleLake, I appreciate your input on this thread but it might behove you to go into the archives here and look at some of the threads associated with my past on these boards. in particular you may want to look at the 'My decision' thread started by me. It might be of interest to you. I have worked hand in hand with several rescue groups in the past and to put it bluntly, was left with a bad taste in my mouth that caused a difficult situation become worse instead of better.

Gloria, Thank you for taking the time to expound upon the issue of registration with the ABCA. I did not begin this post with the intent to become engaged in the politics of registrations although I believe it is a good topic for people to take note of and to understand. My intent was to ask if anyone had direct knowledge of this breeder due to my research that showed they register both ABCA and AKC plus they dual register. After being away from these boards for a decade I see that nothing much has changed in regard to the disdain that is shown towards the AKC and the direction that it has taken in its criteria towards it's version of the border collie breed. I am surprised that the ABCA has chosen to continue the duel registry practices between itself and a registry that they are diametrically opposed to. It is only my personal opinion but I see this as only diluting the essense of what the ABCA strives for with regards to breeding practices. As i have retired from maintaining stock I no longer am searching for a high energy working dog but I am in search of an intelligent dog and my wife and I adore the border collie breed. So I do believe we shall go and pay this breeder a visit, they may have the pup i am looking for.

Muddier on the highlighted

Gloria, Ok I get that, sort of. I'm not looking to argue the matter but I am seeking clarity because the more I look at this the more confused I am becoming. Isn't it being rather hypocritical to allow registration of dogs and pups being breed by , ABCAs own words, 'The ABCA does not endorse high volume breeders.' I have also read on their site that, in their own words, 'All our dogs are registered with either the American Border Collie Association (ABCA) or the American Kennel Club (AKC) or both.' But I also see that, ABCAs words, 'The ABCA does not recognize any registry that promotes conformation showing of Border Collies. Consequently, registration with the American Kennel Club, United Kennel Club, the Kennel Club (UK), Federation Cynologique Internationale, Australian or New Zealand Kennel Clubs, or any such body will not be accepted as a basis for registration with the ABCA.' I don't know if you speak for the ABCA but if you do then can you answer my question, Does the ABCA stand behind this breeder or not? I'm just searching for a dog that suits my criteria and I thought that registration with the ABCA was one of my criteria....now i am not sure, so I seek clarity.

I have, since posting this, checked and I see that 1 of the 3 breeders listed on the site is listed under the high volume breeders. I see her name listed 2 consecutive years which kind of confuses me if ABCA doesn't endorse such breeders then why is she being allowed to register pups?

I am searching for a new pup but i'm wanting to find one from good lines and within reasonable driving distance to me. Someone I know had gotten a pup from them a couple years ago and had recommended them to me. I know his dog and am impressed with him and know that he is registered ABCA. So I thought I would inquire here first and get feedback if available before i contacted this breeder. I am located in mid missouri and am willing to drive a few hundred miles to visit a breeder (i've been burned in the past by not visiting the breeder's facility and I prefer to take care of my own shipping)

Hello Ladies and Gents, Been awhile since I've visited these boards and thought I would pay a visit along with a question.Is anyone familiar with a breeder located in Kansas that goes by the name of ' Nightshades Border Collies' ? I have recently come across them in my search for a new pup and saw that they are an ABCA member so I thought I would drop in and see what feedback any of you might have about them. Thanks

I believe in the benefits of Canna Companion And like you point out, you can order it online, its legal nationwide.With Thunderbolt we put him on pharmaceutical grade canabis products with the help from some forward thinking professionals out your way.

As crazy as it sounds cannabis has not been approved, to my knowledge, yet for veterinarian prescription in Colorado. I would suggest that you do some research, perhaps make contact in your area with a good dispensary and ask for some recommendations. I would point you towards this group as a place to start. http://www.cannaforpets.com/about-us I wish I could be more forthcoming with my personal experiences but I don't feel comfortable discussing the treatment on an open forum. I will say, however, that once we removed the pharmaceuticals from ThunderBolt's treatment regime and replaced it with cannabis we saw a marked improvement in his overall health and condition very fast. He suffered with severe hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis and ultimately was diagnosed with lymphoma. It was when he was diagnosed with Lymphoma and we were told to not expect him to live more then a few months at best without very expensive and aggressive chemo therapy that at best might prolong his life by just a few additional months that we made the decision to remove him from pharmaceuticals totally and seek alternatives. We researched cannabis and decided to give it a try. That was 4 years ago and his health improved rapidly as we experimented with dosage. Swimming and emu oil had always been part of his health regime since he was a pup, I believe both are just good health practices in general, for both humans and animals. I'm not advocating that cannabis is a magic cure, all I am saying is our experience with Thunderbolt was quite positive from the time we began treating him with it and his vet was amazed with his longivity post diagnosis.

No silver bullets but I do have a couple of suggestions that I have personally used on my dogs with very positive results. Emu oil to help with the arthritic management. Cannabis edibles for pain management. ( beat Rimadyl all to hell without the side effects) I agree with Julie about swimming exercise as well. I have no doubt whatsoever that the use of these three treatment greatly contributed to adding several years of quality life to our Thunderbolt.

For ThunderBolt Where To Bury A Dog There are various places within which a dog may be buried. Beneath a cherry tree, or an apple, or any flowering shrub of the garden, is an excellent place to bury a good dog. Beneath such trees, such shrubs, he slept in the drowsy summer, or gnawed at a flavorous bone, or lifted head to challenge some strange intruder. These are good places, in life or in death. Yet it is a small matter, and it touches sentiment more than anything else. For if the dog be well remembered, if sometimes he leaps through your dreams actual as in life, eyes kindling, questing, asking, laughing, begging, it matters not at all where that dog sleeps at long and at last. On a hill where the wind is unrebuked and the trees are roaring, or beside a stream he knew in puppyhood, or somewhere in the flatness of a pasture land, where most exhilarating cattle graze. It is all one to the dog, and all one to you, and nothing is gained, and nothing lost -- if memory lives. But there is one best place to bury a dog. One place that is best of all. If you bury him in this spot, the secret of which you must already have, he will come to you when you call -- come to you over the grim, dim frontiers of death, and down the well-remembered path, and to your side again for he is yours and he belongs there. People may scoff at you, who see no lightest blade of grass bent by his footfall, who hear no whimper pitched too fine for mere audition, people who may never really have had a dog. Smile at them then, for you shall know something that is hidden from them, and which is well worth the knowing. The one best place to bury a good dog is in the heart of his master. Thank you ThunderBolt for coming into my life and being my friend...you will be missed but never forgotten.

I am a big advocate of Emu oil as a preventative of dry and itchy skin on my dogs. It can be used topically as well as internally and I have never had any adverse reactions in any of my dogs with it. The benefits of Emu oil go far beyond just maintaining a good healthy skin and coat and if your not familiar with it I highly reccomend abit of research. If I have any cons about Emu oil it would be the price of high quality oil, its not cheap, but the overall benefits more then compensate for the cost imo. Fish oil and products are totally out of the question around here as all Thunderbolt has to do is smell a fish and he's got diarrhea. Here's where I get my Emu oil and they have quite abit of information on its uses. http://www.emuoildep...mu-articles.htm Another big plus is that the benefical attributes of Emu oil is good for us humans as well, so its a win/win product.

Cathy Fiddler ?

I've met and spoken with the owner of the KC area franchise (Dave Swickard) as well as meeting his two deputy dogs, Duff and Tess. I watched them doing their job one afternoon for one of Mr Swickards clients and I'll tell you what,I was very impressed. This oppurtunity to purchase the Western PA franchise is a great chance for someone to own and operate a very rewarding and profitable business. $63,000 is a real bargain. You have to love the Geese Police logo. *Get the Flock Out* This is a VERY professional company, hell just look at the quality of their website. If I lived in PA I would be all over this.

Ooky, this woman explains the what,where,when,who and hows of the pocess fairly well. http://www.bbkirk.com/Dog%20Hair%20Yarn.htm appears to me that anyone who is familiar with processing sheep wool into yarn would have no problem dealing with this.

Came across this today and thought I would share it on the board incase their may be some PA members that are interested. Even if your not interested its a good site to check out that uses Border Collies. http://www.geesepoliceinc.com/

Flaw=unsolved problem I am only begining to research this by-product, but I certainly would not view the 'wet-dog-smell' as a fatal flaw that would nullify the potential of the possibilities of this resource. Is anyone associated with a dog-grooming business? If so do you know what they are currently doing with the clippings that they accumulate on an average day?

In my ongoing quest to better utilize the natural materials that surround us I got to thinking, as I combed out Jazmine the other day. The thought came to me as I was sitting in a big pile of fluffy merly fur, " Wow this stuff has to be good for something besides blowing off with the wind". This thought prompted me to begin researching information on uses for dog hair. I came across this site which some of you might want to check out http://smartdogs.wordpress.com/2008/02/29/...er-of-dog-hair/ Are we overlooking a viable product that could be put to eco-friendly uses? I would really appreciate some dialog on this, perhaps as a group we could come up with some ideas that would benefit not only ourselves, but also the larger community. Is anyone utilizing dog hair as a product? Anybody got some more in depth knowledge on this? I can't help thinking about the tonnage of fine quality dog hair that is going to waste. A Collie Hair Scarf (impressed me) A Deerhound Throw (I want a merle Border Collie one)

John, Although 'Sheepdog' is a must have word, but it doesn't come close to fufilling the content of this assignment. Caroline, Some great stuff there,thanks Liz, Very good points, thanks Thanks everyone who are responding to this question. I have found it quite a challenge to put into a brief summary just what these remarkable dogs are. I've asked myself to come up with it as though I had been assigned the task to place a description of the Border Collie on the 'Golden Record' of a voyager type craft. Its a tough one and I appreciate the input. I'm sure as a group we can come up with the best possible description.