andie71

Thank you!

Hi, I have two border collies (3-year old male - Cody and a 1-year old female -Zoey, who I'd like to get involved in herding. My initial interest is recreational and I want to do something constructive with them. They definitely need more stimulation than I am currently providing them. Cody definitely is the priority because he is much higher energy. He is well behaved (with the exception of on the leash when bikes or runners pass by). Extremely intelligent (as expected). Does anyone know of any herding instruction in the Bucks County or surrounding areas? I would certainly travel 1 - 2 hours for lessons. Thanks in advance Andrea

Actually, those are my friends' children. Around 9 or so she gets the zoomies for about 45 minutes. Then she gets pooped and falls asleep in her crate.

Thanks... she is a real darling. She's a pretty mellow pup - whereas Cody was like the flying rabbit from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". They're getting along fairly well. I'm very lucky; both of them are wonderful.

Be careful what you ask for, I have tons of pics. I'll post tonight.

Like humans, dogs have two sets of teeth in their lives. The 28 baby teeth erupt through the gums between the third and sixth weeks of age. Puppies do not have to grind much food, so they do not have molars. Puppy teeth begin to shed and be replaced by permanent adult teeth at about four/five months of age. Although there is some variation in breeds, most adult dogs have 42 teeth, with the molars coming last, at about six or seven months.

Hi all, I justed wanted to let you know I got a new border collie pup. Cody now has a little sister. She is absolutely adorable and has a wonderful temperament. Cody is being a wonderful big brother and is treating her quite well. A few growls here and there, but he's being a sweetie pie. Unfortunately I haven't settled on a name yet.

I'm currently working on my dissertation and I feel pretty guilty when Cody brings his 1)balls, 2) stuff alligator, 3) stuff eel, 4) frisbee, 5) yadda, yadda.... to play. I try to take 15-20 min breaks to play with him. What's nice is that I can study outside in my yard while the Codmeister plays

Well, since I haven't heard from the breeder for several days I think I'm going to go with a male pup. Now I just have to find one.

I am definitely interested in 9522. Love the tummy rub position. I'm not sure what the cost is for IH.

Sounds like you're covering all the bases. I'm sure you determined that the other dog is up-to-date on his vaccinations. I'd still consider getting a tetanus shot.

Okay, so here's a question... would a submissive male like Cody do better with a female or male? Cody is quite attached to me. I am the only human in the family that he lives with. Which is a natural segue to.... If there are any single, bc lovin' guys out there, let me know! j/k

I went through my emails and the only statement made was that she wouldn't place another male in a companion household that has another male. Cody has a bit of work to do with getting comfortable with children. I want to optimize the chances that my next bc will be good with children and adults as well. Cody is good with adults - men and women.

She really didn't elaborate on why she wouldn't place one of her males with Cody. Cody is not dominant at all. He is neutered. In fact, he can be quite submissive with female dogs. My friend's coon hound mix often humps him and I have to intervene. He just looks at me like, "Mom, what is she doing? Tell her to knock it off." Sometimes he'll respond by getting away from her and wrestling. I can go through the initial email and see if she provided an informative explanation. She knows what I'm interested in... I like cuddly and affectionate dogs (but I'm sure that it's hard to tell so early on).

I would really appreciate feedback from bc owners who have more than one bc in the household; from both owners who have working dogs and non-working dogs. (All input is encouraged - I don't want to discourage anyone from responding.) Would it be a strained relationship having 2 male non-working dogs in the same household. Cody is a sweetie and he's not particularly a dominant little fellow. I respect the opinion of Cody's breeder but I'm not sure if it's valid. Another breeder doesn't feel strongly either way.

\ Thanks Lisa!

It's a good thing that you and your husband had a long, thoughtful conversation. Sounds like both of you understand each other's concerns and goals. I wish you luck with Bindi. I'm glad that it seems as though you and your husband are on the same or similar page. Just to reiterate though, I wouldn't let Bindi go to doggie daycare more than 2x a week. It's a great outlet for a pup but they do learn disruptive behavior if not properly supervised by staff. Hopefully there will be a positive update post in the near future.

Sandra S, I love that signature picture.

There are so many things to love about border collies: their sense of humor goofball nature intelligence, problem solving skills loyality desire to please boundless energy big happy grin while sleeping (after a busy day)

Not to make things more difficult but doggie daycare in NOT a panacea. Unless the daycare has well trained staff that supervise the dogs closely, it can cause potential problems. Of course an owner takes a risk sending their dog to doggie daycare. THat goes without saying. Cody was bitten by another dog (who knows why) but the group leader taking care of the dogs didn't even know it happened. I noticed he was hurt when I picked him up that evening and saw blood on his neck. Well, 5 staples later and 10 days of antibiotic and he's just fine. But I nixed the idea of sending him there. Dogs can learn a lot of undesirable behaviors there, as well. Prior to doggie daycare, he didn't bark a lot. But after going to doggie daycare 3 days a week (maybe it was too much), he developed a barking habit whenever I was in the lobby (dropping or picking him up) when another person entered the lobby. Before that, he didn't bark when people came into our house, or a place where we were. One thing doggie daycare will do... Bindi will be exhausted when she gets home. Cody doesn't go to daycare any more. I've arranged for a dog walker to walk and play with him 2x a day. Also, I get up around 6am and take him for a 30 min walk before work (quality time). I wouldn't look to doggie daycare as a solution (but you probably aren't).

Your question about gender is an interesting one and I think there are a lot of differing opinions on it. I have bc named Cody and I'm interested in getting another dog. I have a real soft spot for bcs, similar to my soft spot for owning an Alfa Romeo one day Anyway, I've been vascillating between getting a border collie, golden retriever or flat coated retriever. But, I keep coming back to a bc. I contacted Cody's breeder in the Fall and discussed with her my desire to get a second dog. She has a working farm and breeds bcs (among her numerous other professions). She had 2 litters in March, one rough coat and the other smooth. I'm also partial to males dogs (I'm not sure why). To make a long story short, while she was excited about the fact that I wanted a second dog, she refused to sell me a male. Her reasoning was that 2 non-working males border collies is not recommended. Since I can't argue with her because 1) I can't make a principled arguement for a male dog, and 2) she wasn't going to sell me a male dog regardless, I decided to respect her knowledge and experience. However, she said that a 3rd dog the gender wouldn't matter. I don't know if this is true. Maybe having 2 males or 2 females that are working dogs does change the circumstances. I did speak to another breeder who I was interested in and while she was not adamently opposed to the idea of 2 male, non-working bcs, she did recommend getting a female. I'm back to the predicament of either getting a female pup with Cody's breeder, getting a male but waiting 6 months for a male, or not getting one at all. I reckon that Cody's breeder could just sell me a dog and not care about the dynamic. But the fact that she is opposed to selling me a male tells me she rather optimize the chance of a good sibling relationship than make a sale. She is holding the last female for me for another week. There are still several boys left.

That is what Im doing with Cody. He barks like a craziod when a bike or person runs by us. I'm trying to desensitize him the same way you did.

If all of the family is on the same page, GO FOR IT!!!! She is a beautiful lass. These are very intelligent dogs and they definitely pick up on people's feelings. So hopefully your DH is as committed as you. It's really important that he is committed to training her in a positive manner.

Your message is very honest and wise, even if it's not what one wants to hear. I cannot stress how important commitment is to successful training. People think the dog is the problem, but in reality, it's the relationship between human and dog that requires work. When speaking to the trainer I always say that I am responsible for developing a positive relationship with Cody. Children are not raised over night, and neither can dogs be expected to be well-behaved overnight. It takes time, commitment, and reasonable expectations. If Bindi isn't "working" for the family the most responsible and caring thing to do is find her a new home.