Scout's Mom

Not the best lighting, but you can clearly see how lovely Scout is: http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii102/S...ireplace112.jpg

Scout was an absolute terror her first year with us (she's still not totally trustworthy, but has improved). She loves the bathroom garbage and all the gross stuff that bathroom garbage entails. She also adores toilet paper. I think the crowning glory, though, was when we left her out while we ran a short errand and came back to find that she had taken baked beans and ketchup out of the cupboard and mixed them together on the area rug.

I think it's all based on the dogs' personalities and the hierarchy they enter into/how it changes. For example, My four dogs (three labs, one BC) all got along well until we lost our alpha boy in August. Even in his old age he disciplined the younger girl dogs and kept them in their "proper" roles. Post-alpha loss I have three girls. The two labs had a lot of awful fights right after Cooper died. The fights are fewer between now, but there's still some tension about who the queen dog is. Scout the BC could care less -- she runs and hides when the growling and posturing start.

I found Scout at the town dump (where she'd been dumped, naturally) when she was about four-five months old. She seemed the most docile, gentle, laid-back BC I'd ever met . . . until two weeks later, when her leg injury healed and she had some good food and good sleep under her belt: BOIIIIING! Wild Gremlin Puppy! This being said, some BCs are just calm dogs. My mom has a BC who has been Mr. Laid-Back since he was a baby.

Location: Trenton, NJ/Philadelphia, PA Distance willing to travel: 4 hour radius Vehicle: Suzuki SUV Extra Crate: yes, one will fit in my car Pull from shelter: No, I'm too soft-hearted Hold overnight: Yes Times Available: Weekends and a weekday here and there [transferred to database]

Hi Jedi's Mom: do try to stick around. I'm just a casual poster and reader, but have gleaned a lot about BCs! My Scout is quite hyperactive, but doesn't care for sheep herding. She's gone a few times and was much more interested in chasing the BCs that were working the herd and picking up sticks for me to throw. We play fetch several times a day and go for at least one long walk. Scout also likes "mind games": hide the toy, hide 'n seek, obedience for treats, etc. It helps that she has two sisters, though they are much older. I think that she really enjoys a vigorous game of fetch and then a good scratch-down.

Disclaimer: I love my labs dearly and just as much as Scout. I think I love Scout so much because she can be so, so, so BAD! Her round little eyes are always flickering around, looking for the next cat to "love," the next tennis ball to catch, the next person's lap to jump on. I found Scout at a really difficult time of my life and tried to find a permanent home for her for months . . . yup, she sure did find her permanent home! Not to overstate, but Scout made me feel hopeful and happy.

I have a recall problem with Scout in the backyard. I thought I was being incorrect in walking after her, but maybe I'm not. I've been concerned that it's teaching her another fun hide 'n chase game in the big backyard. She escaped last year and I chased her for a mile in my pajamas and slippers. The maintenance guys in the park were highly amused.

When my poor old boy was slowly leaving us, the two younger dogs (labs) started doing alpha dog-esque things. Coop died in September and the girls are still duking it out for pack leadership; the youngest (Scout the BC) could care less. She'll always be the baby sister who gets pushed around. Do be sure to have your old doggie checked out for UTI/kidney problems. However, I think the younger dogs starting to vie for alpha position is not unusual.

My three dogs sleep with me: it's cheap heating! Until a month ago Scout (BC) was too wild to stay out of her kennel at night. Now Scout sleeps right against me with all four paws in the air. Amazingly, she sleeps all night and hardly stirs. I think she's caught "Lazy Labitis" from the other girls.

Scout has some dreadlocks behind her ears that I can't comb out. We've tried bathing and vegetable oil, but I'm about to pull her poor fur out. Would it be a bad thing to just cut the dreads off and start over with shorter-back-of-ear-fur?

Hi all: I've posted a few times about my border collie addition, Scout, who came to us in April as a dumped stray. It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I've come to a decision that she needs a new home. I have to relocate to a major urban city for my job and I think she would be very unhappy in this environment. I've posted a detailed message on the Adoption Board and appreciate any assistance.

Four dogs: ancient (15 years) black lab who mostly sleeps; orange shepherd-y girl and black lab, both very good doggies; and Scout, the latest and unintended BC addition in March (abandoned puppy). Three active dogs is a bit much, the addition of Scout has made a big difference b/c she's a demanding, barky girl. Thank goodness for our backyard and the nearby park and lake. Six kitties, five of them acquired as stray rescues in the past year. The cats work out pretty well, as we have a 2800sqft house and a bedroom called the "cat room." Dogs and cats get along most of the time and even have moments of pure inter-species love, so that has worked out.

. . . I wanted to share a few sweet stories about Scout the Snout. On Wednesday we had a cat escape; it was one of the cats, Stewart, that allows Scout to herd him around, lick him, toss him, etc. Stewie slipped out the back door and was missing for hours. We were frantic and finally let Scout out of the fence with the directive to "Find Stewart!" Scout ran down into the ravine behind our house, found Stewie, and herded him back into the backyard . Yesterday it rained cats 'n dogs and Scout had a pig-wallowing good time in the backyard. She looked like a BC coal miner, she was so mud-encrusted. I wasn't home, so my partner tossed Scout in the tub and washed her down with Suave shampoo, she didn't know that the BC-approved shampoo was also in the cupboard. Today, Scout has GIANT POOFY hair; rather like a BC afro. She does smell good though -- green apple-y.

She was spayed about a month ago. When I found her she was limping and covered in burrs. I noticed a bit of hair loss over her eye after she'd been with me for about a week; I have two other dogs and they weren't really happy to have her around. In other words, she's had a lot of stress the past eight weeks. Poor baby.

Thank you for the great advice and skin-care treatment suggestions. I was terrified when I read stuff about Ivermectin (and equally terrified when I had to pay for the Interceptor today!) My vet is a "worst case scenario" practitioner and is doing an all-out treatment since we don't know Scout's family history and demodectic mange is rampant in our region. If the mange is localized and has been for almost three months, can it still explode into the scary generalized mange? Scout is probably about six months old and was a very stressed stray when I found her two months ago.

Yup, Interceptor is worm medication. Apparently the maker doesn't approve its "off-label use" for demodex, but there seem to be a lot of vets who are using it for mange treatment. She does have lower count of demodex parasites, so there's been a bit of progress.

Well, Scout still has some dermodex activity over her eye and on her paw. We did two weeks of antibiotics and ivermectin (which I now know the doctor shouldn't have prescribed for a BC). The parasite count is down and the two routes the vet suggested were a pretty awful dip or Interceptor every day for 30 days. I bought the Interceptor ($200!) as the last attempt before going the dip route. I'm hoping someone on the boards has had success with this treatment . . ?

Hi BCers, I've written a few pleas for advice on Scout's behavior and am very thankful for these boards. She has done really well the last few days: nipping on people is greatly reduced (squirt bottle and lip rolls); she's getting a little better at coming to the car when hiking time is over; and, she has started to hang out by me when I'm relaxing and doing cute things like putting her snout in my hand and licking my palm. I was afraid that since she was an abandoned stray and was so wild the first month that we would never bond. Still a ways to go, but this is encouraging. We start obedience school next week, which should bring some new joys and tears! Now I'm dealing with her dermodectic mange. She just had two weeks of antibiotics and amitrax (sp.). The bald area by her mouth-edge is healing, but the patch over her eye is expanding. No other patches right now; please cross your fingers that it is juvenile-localized. Thanks again, Keeper o' Scout

Ah! Smart idea. She knows way before we get to the car that "fun time" is coming to an end -- I think she recognizes the end of the hiking trail and other, more subtle cues. Up to now she's been a monkey-see-monkey-do with the older dogs.

I tried this earlier in the week and it worked. Now she's become wise to the fact that I'm not actually going to leave her and she plunks down in the grass and says "nyah, nyah, nyah." The first time I did this I laughed like a maniac, as we have a picture of my parents leaving my brother by the side of the road when he was six years-old and refused to get in the car. He's a tiny little speck standing on the side of the road . . . much like a little BC!

Oh, this little Scout dog is quite the character! Her latest trick, which began on Monday, is to refuse to get into the car after our hike/play time. Up to now we have finished playtime and she follows her obedient lab sisters into the SUV; now she has a new game and runs away when it is time to leave. Yesterday I lassoed her and carried her to the car and today I bribed her with biscuits and grabbed her. Needless to say, this is very annoying and potentially dangerous. I work with her on "come" and "here" and we start obedience school in a few weeks. Any suggestions in the meantime?

I am soooooooooooo jealous! I lived in San Diego for 18 years and moved to Ohio two years ago. I used to take my pack of labs to OB for hours of swimming and socializing. I guess it's kind of a trade-off, since we have really wonderful woods, lakes, and hills to hike around here; my little BC just won't have the oceanic experience. Somebody go and eat three Rubio's fish taco for me this week, will ya?

This looks wonderful, but it's over a 100 miles away. I'll have to see if these centers are a franchise.

Hi all: this is such a great board! Thank you to everyone who helped soothed my "Scout is a terror" in the General Discussion thread. Scout is starting general obedience training next month and I think she is a great candidate for agility. I'm going to do some reading and get her started with basic skills and groundwork that a puppy can do. Are there any agility meets/clubs in my area? Google search hasn't brought up anything, and I'd really like to attend some events and get involved when Scout is older.