Liz P

Julie, I agree with you and do the same thing. I try to not use AC in my house unless it's extremely hot, and even then I don't set the temperature very low and mostly use it at night so I can sleep. My dogs are outside as much as possible to get them used to the heat. For exercise I try to run them next to a bike for 45 to 60 minutes. Though I will admit with my work schedule this does not happen every day. The original question came about when a very experienced dog person with a large ranch mentioned trying a number of new lines, looking for an outcross. There was a clear difference in stamina level despite living in the same housing, eating the same food, being exercised the same way. I trust this person in her assessment that there was some fundamental difference in the dogs. She felt it was genetic, but was it a physical lack in stamina alone or was there an element of being hot headed?

I think it's a perfectly valid concern that if you only train a dog for trials, never use it for work and breed it, you might be selecting for a sprint dog rather than an endurance dog. Most of the trial people in the UK have real work for the dogs, but I've spoken to a few who revealed they have a very small holding and the dogs are primarily a sport for them. I've spoken to a few others who do indeed have real work, but the trial dogs are so valuable that they don't use them for real work a lot, fearing an injury will end their career or ruin their resale value. I know this happens in the USA and I am sure it happens in other counties. There is the other side of this too, the people selecting for dogs who can run trials but don't need a lot of work to keep them tuned up. They want the weekend warier dogs. Without naming anyone, I've heard a few top handlers admit to breeding for this type because the hobby people can buy them and be successful.

I suspect the issue comes about as much from mental exhaustion as physical. Dogs who are "hot headed" burn themselves out very fast. Now, I think most dogs are excitable at first when learning a new task, but most also figure things out, relax and get on with the job. I've certainly met some dogs who could never settle. The real question I guess is, are breeders inadvertently breeding for these dogs?

Where do you live? Best place to find one is to connect with your local stock dog community.

Give the whole pill. He would be fine if he ate the entire box unless he had the MDR1 mutation, which is virtually unheard of in Border Collies.

PS, my layers were heavy duty tarp, then stall mats, then wood shavings. I pulled the tarp up along the sides of the x pens to keep the shavings inside. Worked great and the carpet underneath is pristine.

Nope. My pups destroyed linoleum in short order. It's also very slippery. Horse stall mats worked great though, non slip and way too heavy to damage.

Only thing that works is to completely ignore the pup until it calms down. Most eventually outgrow this problem. If strangers won't listen, walk away.

What she said. Therapy dogs have ZERO access rights. Not even for housing purposes. The only time they should be wearing their vest is during visits to facilities where they are doing their job (nursing homes, schools, hospitals, etc). Emotional support animals have access to housing (landlord can't deny it). Some airlines allow for them so they can travel with owners. The do NOT have access to restaurants and stores. They are supposed to be left at home with the exception of pet friendly stores. Service dogs perform critical tasks for owners with a disability. They have full access to housing, airlines, stores, restaurants, etc. In order to get your dog on an airplane, you need to qualify as having a disability. If that isn't case, she needs to go in cargo or you need to drive. Taking advantage of the system and lying puts the hard won rights of the disabled in danger.

I had a Border Collie named Freya. Norse enough for you?

Skye is just pronounced like sky.

Another confession to keeping a list of names I like. Though, I don't always use a name off the list for a new pup. Tweed was supposed to be named Deri (Welsh for oak tree since Oak was his litter name). He refused to answer to it. Finally one day I commented to him that he reminded me of his uncle Tweed. He came trotting over and wagged his tail. So I asked if he wanted his name to be Tweed and he wagged his tail harder and licked me. So yeah, my dog picked his own name. Holly just kept her litter name (Hollyhock) and it fits her. She is sweet and lovely, gentle and prim. Ivy's litter name was Clover. That was WAY too sweet and innocent for the little heathen puppy. She looks so cute but has a plotting, devious side to her. I have plans for a new pup for this year. A long time favorite name for me is Skye, so that name is on the list but won't be used if it does not fit the puppy.

Depends on the dog. Mine are all raised in the house, taught basic obedience and manners, socialized in public. They are already good house dogs and make excellent pets if they don't turn out on stock. I raise them all as if I am keeping them, because I have no idea which ones will stay and which ones will move on. It sure makes it a lot harder to sell one. I cry every time and I miss them, even years later. On the other hand, I bought a started dog from Wales who had only ever lived in a barn. She had a two day flight, changed planes several times, had a layover in an airport kennel. She bounced out of the crate, happy as can be, and then let me bath the stink off her minutes after meeting me. She never once tried to bite. It was several months before she was happy in the house. At first she thought the ceiling fan was going to eat her, the TV and microwave were monsters, the flushing toilet was an entrance to Hell. In time, she realized it was ok and came to enjoy spending time in the house. I would not say the transition has been entirely smooth, but it was not anywhere near as hard as adopting an untrained dog from a shelter.

Given that people here would not be recommending a breeder on that list, I don't find it surprising that no one is familiar with them. I've never run into anything they have bred at meetings, clinics, fun days or trials and I live in the area. Given how many pups they produce, that gives you some clues about their market.

Lori Perry, maybe you are lucky, but it depends on the cause of the murmur. Some are called innocent murmurs because they really don't affect the dogs. They are caused by non pathologic changes such as those seen in extremely athletic dogs. The heart is a muscle, so athletic dogs will have changes to their heart that can, sometimes, result in a murmur. Some are not innocent but take so long to progress that you can keep working them for many years. One of my other dogs, for example, has a murmur because of scars on her valves. She had a fever of unknown origin, the infection spreading to and damaging the valves of her heart. Nearly 8 years later and she had led a full life with no evidence at this time of decreased heart function.

"Ghost tan" is still technically not a tri color and no, it can't show up on a brown dog. That is a variation on a black coat. The other name would be seal black. The tri colors whose tan gets more visible with age are technically sable tri colors (as opposed to tan point tri colors).

My now 10 year old developed a murmur at 7 years old. I sent him to gather the sheep one day and he started to really struggle when they were about 3/4 of the way down the field. I knew something was very wrong because he would rather die than quit. The only thing I could find wrong on exam was a new murmur. Pretty quiet really, about a II/VI. Bloodwork and rads were normal. Off to the cardiologist we went. He was diagnosed with mitral valve disease, the most common type of heart disease in dogs. Apparently it's becoming much more common in our breed. PS, take her heart rate when she is sleeping.

I honestly see no evidence of tri color. Just looks like a brown and white to me.

I've seen some videos of dogs in the USA "tending" at trials. What I saw were dogs running back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and occasionally diving at the stock before being corrected by their handlers. It looked like BS herding to me, BUT... so do many of the runs at those smaller hobby type trials on a Border Collie style course. I've also seen videos of real tending dogs from central Europe. These were not breeds we know here, but landrace dogs (the foundation stock for breeds like the GSD). They had stock sense, feel, brains and very real talent. You could see them making judgement calls and adjusting themselves on their own. Their movement was purposeful, focused and targeted at wayward stock. They were doing a fine job and clearly were an asset to their shepherds. I suspect a lot was lost in translation between the real deal in Europe and the hobby style tending you see in the USA.

Please do not amputate your dogs toes as a substitute for training.

I also crate them at night or when I am not home, no panties. I think it's important for them to be able to air out. My suspicion is that most products for dogs are designed for fat pets. I find BCs often need a size smaller than what the catalogue suggests. Most of my bitches have worn the smaller panties for dogs up to 25 lbs, suggested for breeds such as Cocker Spaniels and Beagles. This is despite being more like 35 lbs.

Not to mention your dog getting shot if it worries livestock...

Put up a fence or keep him tied. You are asking for trouble. Make sure you give treats or praise like crazy if he comes when called.

I don't think it makes any difference at all. I find that handling the pups (how can you resist?) and providing a wide variety of stimulation is all you need if the genes are solid.

There always seems to be a higher demand for females. They are consistently easier to sell. The males are more even as working dogs (no hormone surges) and less sensitive. I find the males easier to work and train, though I love both sexes. Post photos when you get them. What is their pedigree like? (I know you said they are ROM, but often pedigrees are known.)