Skyler

It has been many years since I have been on the boards. Life just got in the way, I suppose. Unfortunately, what has brought me back is losing my beloved boy, Koda Bear. He was an amazing BC and saved my heart after losing my previous boy. He passed at age 13 in late September 2019 from a 7 month battle with CHF. I spent probably 10K altogether from his hospital stay, to meds and vet visits to receiving his ashes. I’m still devastated. I know many of you understand because most of you have probably lost your heart and part of your soul after losing a BC. Life is just empty as he was everything to me and my constant shadow. What a beautiful 13 years! I still have my adopted boy but he just turned 14 and is not far from following given his already bad and increasing arthritis. I love him dearly but he’s always been very aloof and has never been an affectionate dog in the slightest. Weirdest BC I’ve ever met and strangely an ABCA dog. Zero herding drive, very low energy and I have never been able to bring out any kind of interest in play. If you’re not a rabbit or the like, he’s not interested. He’s always just been the quiet presence in my home and I will miss him. He’s like that comforting tick of an old clock. Beautiful old antique to look at, the occasional wind, always been in the family and always filling the room with a comforting presence. No dog can be replaced but I need to find another to love. The two questions I have are, should I wait until Zache has gone to get another? I’m concerned about the added activity possibly stressing him in his old age. And the second is, do you have any recommendations for breeders in the Dayton Ohio area or within a few hours? I have reached out to a man named Bruce Fogt in the Sidney, OH area, who seems to run trials etc, multiple times but no response. I have also looked at multiple adoption avenues with no luck. Frankly, most of them would want my first born son if I had one anyway. I get protecting an already hard luck dog but some of these groups are far out of line in many ways. I am in a different state than I was 13 years ago and the breeder I purchased Koda from is no longer living. Some leads to follow would be appreciated. I am looking for a medium to higher drive ABCA dog that will be a companion, running partner, possibly get back into frisbee again and not a herding dog. He would of course be neutered. I will not support AKC and definitely want the intelligence and energy that only a herding line dog presents. Thank you all for any responses.

I have been trying to figure out how you all have made such wonderful picture collages in your signatures. I have several photo editors and cannot figure out how to blend several photos together to make one like many of you have. Tips would be great! Ryan

No sympathy here. I understand the money aspect but its not worth selling your soul for. Every BC I have purchased in my life has been from very strong and proven working lines. My Koda's Grandpa and Uncle have both been world finalists in herding trials with win records as long as my arm. BUT, Koda is due to be fixed next month as I have with all of my dogs. The reason I wont breed them is because I am adamant about the dogs themselves and what has made them this way. The high drive, intelligence and herding instict are all important to me and thats what make them the wonderful dogs they are. If it wasnt for the breeding standards behind them they would be something else and Koda wouldnt be Koda. Ryan

I have four dogs and Koda gets all wound up too. I was deeply worried about his increasing behavior and then started working with a friend and her dogs. None of the methods you described worked a lick with Koda either. She has a very good alpha male and we just decided to let them be together off leash. It took about a 5 second scrap (all noise of course) and Koda (now nine months) was put in his place. Since then Koda has been 95% better with other dogs. He then met all of her other dogs (5) off leash and mostly nothing at all resulted from it - just a few sneers. He didnt want them all over him but he was out racing for frisbees and playing chase with all of them - and having a blast. My suggestion is to get them in an area without a leash with a good alpha dog. Its most likely due to him not understanding pack order and how to interact with other dogs. Keep in mind, I have FOUR dogs as well but its not the same as dogs outside your pack. Sometimes you just have to throw them into the pond to learn how to swim. One thing to keep in mind is your dogs possesivenss of you. Koda's major issue is not aggression but him protecting me. This is exactly the same issue that I had when my late Skyler was young. Skyler was like that to both dogs and people. He figured out that it was okay eventually and was as friendly as your common golden for the remainder of his life. If you are with your pup and the other dog approaches back away from your dog. Let him know that if when another dog comes up you back away and there is nothing to protect. Koda will play wonderfully but still sneers sometimes if he is next to me. He's getting better by leaps and bounds but I would venture to guess this is your problem as well. Good luck, Ryan

Yep, this is the ticket. Here is a picture of Zak's first birthday (carrot) cake. And him excitedly waiting for it Ryan

Yesterday I noticed something I had not seen before between my two BCs. Now Zak has this thing where he creeps from down the hall at Koda and then it ends up in a chase and burst of play. However, yesterday I noticed Koda in the creep stance staring back. They both must have stood there frozen for at least a full minute or better as I watched wondering if it was going to end in a scrap or play....not to mention how much longer this could possibly last! This morning it happened again and they stood frozen in the creep stance for at least another minute - it seemed like FOREVER. Both times Koda bolted off in the opposite direction and Zakky followed plowing as he normally does. Koda ends up taking a shoulder dive into the ground and fending Zakky off from below. Its probably the oddest thing I have seen out of these two goofballs yet and I have never had this happen with any of the BCs I have had before. I have seen them crouch at each other separately but never a contest! Anyone else have their dogs do this? I have my camera sitting here at the computer desk hoping it will happen again Ryan

My Borders LOVE icecubes! In the Winter they get them for cheap treats but in the summer they get them all of the time. I have a big and deep Tupperware container that I keep in the house full of ice water for them. I fill it up to the brim with ice and then fill it up with water and they love it. I even go buy the big monster bags of ice for them so I dont use all of the freezer ice up - my wife complains she cant make iced coffee I think the round ice from the bags is probably less brutal to the teeth anyway. The best part is watching them bob for icecubes. Koda gets his face so far down in the bowl its almost up to his eyeballs When he has a cube and pulls his face out of the container, its has to be one of the funniest things I have seen out of him yet. Water just pours from his muzzle but he has this happy and all to proud look on his face that he got one. I should get video of them doing it. Ryan

I just thought that I would add a little bit on how to train this trick if anyone reading would like to do so. The most important thing is to train it slowly and its a two stage process for best results. The first is to teach your dog to beg where they are sitting on their rump but front paws off of the ground. Lure your dog up with a treat from a sit by taking the treat over his head and then placing your forearm even with his chest and hooking your hand at the wrist. Just picture making a snake shadow figure standing up and ready to strike with your arm and hand and thats exactly how to do it. Once you have your dog consistently doing the beg, its time to move on to the stand. Place your dog in a beg with the same arm position as before. If he is consistent you wont need this position anymore but do it anyway. Then take the treat and pull it upward and slightly forward as if there were a string attached to the dogs head and you are pulling him up with it gently. Your dog should follow the treat by rising up from this position standing on his hind legs. It takes a bit of practice and some encouragement for some dogs but they WILL get it. Make sure to use two different verbal cues for the beg and stand. Also, I HIGHLY encourage the use of a clicker for this to mark the correct behavior - its the best tool around for this stuff. Also, dont be stingy with the treats and mark the behavior in the beginning when they are on the right track. It doesnt have to be perfect, just earned. Reward the effort and your dog will be doing it correctly in no time. Good luck! Ryan

A fellow disc dogger on my clubs email forum posted this story today. I liked it so much that I asked if I could share it here. His dogs are three Border Collies and fantastic frisbee dogs...well, Irish is just a wee pup but she will be. I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I did. Ryan --------------------------------- My 82 year old mother had hip replacement surgery last weekend and for three weeks now is going to be living in a rehabiliation center/Nursing home until she can go back home. Well I for one was not to happy about her being in this place but it was best for her to have the rehabilitation folks by her around the clock. A quick note if you didnt hear this in the past. My mothers first words after surgery after I told her I loved her were "HOWS ROCKET" Long story short, I love all my dogs but I feel all my dogs are True Gifts from God brought into my life for certain reasons. Well Rocket means a lot to my mom and to us for some reason Rocket has always been tied into my dad who passed away 20 plus years ago. We just feel like they have a lot of the same characteristics. Well my mom insisted that I bring the dogs to see her at the facility and she got approval from the staff. Well we arrived early yesterday morning and never made it to the front door before the elderly started to stop us and wanted to hug the dogs and get lots of kisses. I was so so proud of my dogs, they teared my eyes up many times. My moms room was halfway into the facility mabye a normal 1 minute non stop walk, well that first walk to visit her was no shorter then 30 minutes with elderly and severly depressed and pysically disabled folks showing the joy in their faces that just overwhelmed my wife and I when we stopped and let them pet,hold and hug the dogs. Well I finally made it to my moms room with Rocket and Gipper, yes where was Irish? Well she was with Stacey and it probably took her another 30 minutes to get to my moms room as they took it upon theirselves to start taking Irish inside private rooms to see folks. Stacey said room after room folks were crying tears of joy and loving and holding and hugging Irish and telling stories about their dogs of the past. Some of these folks I heard had not have visitors for many years. Well we stayed there visiting with my mom for about 8 hours and made many trips around the facility visiting folks over and over and over. Oh about my mom as soon as she saw Rocket, sorry Gipper but my mom started to cry and Rocket went right up to her and jumped up on her bed; thank goodness he did not hit her leg. She kept saying I love you Rocket I love you Rocket and yes Gipper I love you to. The sad part when we left was seeing my mom crying telling Rocket that she loved him and she had me put him up in the bed so he could give her some sugar. And hey I dont know if some of you all remember Gipper in the past away from disc dogging had to be muzzled at times in public. Well Gipper was giving folks sugar left and right and of course our Little Irish no doubt is our number one social butterfly. I am not ashame to admit it, I thank God all the time for bringing these dogs into my life. I know we love disc dogging bigtime but in reality these dogs were brought to me and this earth to make folks smile and the more folks I can make smile and take their minds off their own personal problems then the better. - Thank you for listening to my story. I was just so proud of my dogs. mark and stacey ROCKET and GIPPER and IRISH

Absolutely! Root Beer mentioned freestyle but given that Im into disc doggin' (frisbee dog competition) it is an absolute MUST to have this trick incorporated at some point. Getting said pup on his hind legs while you quickly shoot 4-5 discs in his mouth at close range is very cool. Not to mention all of the spins and freestyle moves you can incorporate along with it - having your dog doing spins on his hind legs while he circles you. Koda has been working on this one for a while and is doing great for 9 months old. It takes a lot of muscle memory for most dogs, although small dogs do this without thinking about it. My 2 chihuahuas do it instinctively and just stand there like that as though its just a comfortable way to be. Here is a video incorporating some moves with this trick. You will see it a few times thrown in there. And enjoy these guys jammin with their dogs. This is the ultimate evolution from herding sheep Border Collies have moved on to more enjoyable things like herding frisbees http://blip.tv/file/653336 Ryan

My input is "click and treat!" If she is doing it on a regular basis I would take advantage of it and have her do it on command. Then you can get her to do the walk and spins with it. She has already done the work for you.

One more thing I do love about male dogs is that when its time to go to the restroom they do it quickly. In my experience, females sniff and sniff and sniff as if they have to find just the right spot to go - like they are afraid to offend certain patches of grass or something. Its really aggrivating when a dog takes their sweet time to go when its pouring down rain! Speaking of which, both females that I have had hated the rain. It was a pain to get them out the door in the rain. But once they were out there they piddled around forever but looked as if the rain were making them melt. All of the males I have had have gone quickly and would instantly do so 100% of the time on command by the time they were 2. My Skyler was the best at this and would try to go even if he didnt have to just by telling him to "finish up". Ryan

If its Koda then its Frisbee...Plain and simply frisbee. If we are stuck inside then I get out the clicker and we work on the next trick that applies to disc doggin' and obedience. I work from the clicker and treats, then to the soft disc indoors to get him doing it in the "presence" of the frisbee and then move it outside. If its Zak then its basic obedience and tricks in general. He's too concerned about bugs to play disc with any seriousness

I have had both sexes and been around many of both genders. As other posters have said, it is best left up to the individual dog. That being said, I do find that I have always prefered males and that they tend to have the personalities that I want. Males tend to be much more affectionate and goofy and glued to your side - a spay/neuter helps here with either gender. Just remember that either gender can have dogs that are behavior challenged and it is best to pick from a litter if you can. However, every time I have done so I have always picked a male. Both my BCs are males - one from a litter and the other from a shelter but I searched and searched for the right shelter dog. As far as training goes they are both Border Collies! Sheesh, if a male is harder to train (which I dont really believe) you then have the second easiest dog in the world to train The only exception would be with potty training as in general males are easier and take less time. But again, it really depends on the dog. If it were me, I would go and see the litter and look for a fun loving goofy boy preferably. But in all honesty I think I would let the dog pick me and let them steal my heart. Isnt that what its really about anyway? Ryan

These look like VERY nice leashes but I think I would be afraid to get it dirty! I wouldnt mind having one of these in black just for walks and pet store adventures but I dont think I would want to use one for training purposes. After all, they werent intended for that. I might give one of these a shot after picking up a leather lead though. It looks like something my wife would claim as hers so I would probably have to buy two if I liked it BTW - did you say you traded one of these to your dad for beer (Guiness)? Perhaps Im missing something but if not, at least you picked the best! Im still searching for the one that makes me feel right although I have a few really good options thanks to all of you. I feel like such a dork looking at all of these leashes and shopping as critically as I would a new car But you know, after all of these years this old leash feels like that favorite pair of Levis jeans.

Oooooooooh, is she a sweetie! That face is to die for Happy Gotcha Day Heidi!!!!!!! Ryan

Sorry to hear some of you ended up having a bad night with the pups. My late BC Skyler would have been under the computer desk wrapped around my feet so I understand the noise sensitivity....Jackie would have been playing as always. After the worst of it was over I thought we should try a late night walk that we frequently take. Zak hadnt been out for much exercise all day because Koda and I went to a disc dog event and he was getting ancy. Still a lot of fireworks going off but Zak seemed as if he didnt hear them and Koda would stop and look up with a big happy face and a wagging tail at the wonderful sparkles in the sky. What gets me is that Koda seemed to even be enjoying the spectacle yet has some fear issues that we are working out. He's coming along with positive reinforcement and focus training but its strange what dogs can pick to be afraid of. Then again I knew a guy who was scared to death of mustard....dont ask cause I have NO idea Ryan

I thought everyone came here to Indiana to buy fireworks as well. There is a shop on every corner or parking lot it seems as well as the big warehouses full of them. Currently it sounds like the Iraq Shock And Awe campaign outside and Koda is sleeping at my feet and Zak is looking up at me from chewing his bone. There have been a few huffs but that is about it and the windows are open with no background music or TV on. Sounds like my neighbors spent some serious money too! I havent had Zak since a wee puppy but I have had Koda since 8 weeks old and Zak since 9 months almost to the day. I got to thinking today that they might be a bit unaffected by all of the noise because we live in a new neighborhood. I have a feeling that all of the house building going on around here has desensitized them a bit. I hope all of your pups are doing as well as my pair of BCs here. The Chihuahuas seem oblivious as well. And a happy Independence Day to you all! God bless those who have died and served (Thank you Dad) to give us this wonderful country and freedom. Our nation isnt perfect as its people are not perfect. But I would choose to live nowhere else in the world. Ryan

Yeah, to hell with the job. I'd be calling in for the day and searching for my dog.

STOP IT!!! .......youre making me feel old Ryan

Welcome to the boards! Im looking forward to seeing pictures of the little guy. Ryan

I agree that with the others that you should seek professional advice first. But let me give you a quick positive note from my personal experience. My late BC Skyler was so aggressive that he would lunge at people that passed by while we walked, went ape in pet stores and was an all around "vicious" dog. By the time he was a year and half old he was as friendly as the friendliest Golden Retriever. His was based on fear. My current pup, Koda, absolutely tore my arms to shreds. I dont mean that lightly! It was so bad I almost went to the doctor to ensure against infection. I litterally had extremely bloody arms to where it was dripping off of my hands. It was play and not aggression. He is such a high drive dog and the brute of the litter that he had to be broken of this...and he was completely by 3 months or so. He would go nuts and jump all over me biting. Koda also displays fear around other people initially. We are breaking that with a frisbee and playing tug in pet stores every time we are approached by a person. He has growled once in the last week and only for a second. I give the person a disc and he is ready to play. He never bit but would back off and growl or bark. Regardless, in two weeks of me giving him "therapy" he is again readily approaching people. My point is that it is probably horrible manners, fear and a high drive pushy dog all wrapped into one. It just seems like the end of the world and training can turn them around in a heartbeat. Take the advice from another poster when he talked about NILF and seek help as soon as you can. Chances are you will have one fantastic dog once she realizes what is expected. My Zak was an abused BC and he is the most gentle dog you would ever meet. Stay positive!...and seek out that trainer immediately. Ryan

I sat and really thought about how long I have had this leash and it has been 17 to be factual. Regardless, that is a LONG time for a leash and it has been through some serious abuse. I do plan on keeping it anyway. Its still in working order but I have a feeling that it will eventually fail. I'll get the new one, oil this one and save it for a backup should I lose the other. As I mentioned before, I left this one on top of my car (I do that kinda stuff to often ) and was lucky to get it back. I have been looking at a lot of places including having one made by Debbie on the forum here - she has some nice stuff so check out her link above! One of the places I have discovered lets you custom select your materials down to the clips, leather and color, stitching/rivet preference and style. They are here: http://www.ldsleather.com/index.html Looks like nice stuff! The site isnt the easiest to find your way around but they are indeed fully custom if you choose. Ryan

In the context it was presented in by the husband (If I understood correctly) I dont agree with. A sound sensitive dog isnt going to get used to it by themselves....especially if the dog is alone and they are at the fireworks show. That is just going to cause the dog to freak out. Depending on the severity of the phobia it could physically damage the dog because it would be crated. If a dog is frantic and wanted to get somewhere else it could easily cause the dog to try and rip the cage apart to get out. This could cause a number of injuries including cuts and broken teeth. However, to help assist a dog with overcoming fear of loud noises there has to be the opportunity to experience the situation. Its what you do with that situation that makes the difference. Being with the dog and working the dog through it with positive reward is the only way to go IMO. Ryan