john G

Check out this article: http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/strange/stran...te_200903111720 Meteorite hunters have been searching all over this town for a meteorite and a random border collie picks up the meteorite and brings it to it's owner, who doesn't even know it's a meteorite until one of the people searching for the meteorite sees it.

I'm a little confused with all I've been reading in this thread about Shelties. Clearly there is a lot of variability amongst dogs individually. My sheltie was the most loving and intelligent dog I've ever known. At times, she was hyper, at times she would chill, but she was always this saintly dog that would never get snappy with anyone. I almost do not want to get a new dog because I fear I will be disapointed. She was this amazing animal. That being said, I've also met Shelties who are really annoying chihuahua-like lap dogs. Similarly, if you go to petfinder and look at all the Border Collies put up for adoption, you see many that have behavioral issues no doubt due to improper socialization. I think when you get a dog, with the proper socialization, development, and owner input, many dogs have the potential to become these amazing animals... So the question is, what kind of a dog are YOU prepared to raise? Good luck....

WOW!!!!! That's not just intelligence but also altruism!!! Amazing....

Reading some of the posts here has me a little curious. What percentage of BC owners crate their dogs?

Dear All, Thanks for the posts. It seems that there are a lot of people working regular jobs with border collies which is very encouraging. I think the way to go may be to rescue an adult to avoid the puppy phase. There seems to be a large number of owners crating their dogs. Do you think this is something more prevalent in BC's? Does their intelligence get the better of them? Or is this just common with most breeds where you all live? I live in California and I don't think it's that common... then again I haven't really done a survey.... hmmm...

That's one of the coolest things I've ever heard! Did Tex do this before he went blind or is it totally on instinct?

possibly she's mixed with a belgian water dog? You know you can get her DNA tested for something like 60-100 dollars to conclusively get an answer....

Wow that's amazing. I'm sure they'd be interested in having him on one of their commercials!

oh my god that's hilarious!

Ha ha! I love how Yoshi is so into it that she does an extra jump in the first video!

That's really interesting. I've always suspected that my Sheltie was part border collie way back, she was a lot larger than other shelties and definately not as bouncy. It could have just been the dog, however. Would you say your BC's being "tuned in" carries over to training? Do you notice a difference between your Shelties and your BC when training?

Hello People, I just read this fascinating National Geographic article (http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/03/animal-minds/virginia-morell-text) that talks about animal intelligence. There was a BC on the cover of the magazine! Among other things, the article mentions a BC that can learn words after only a few repetitions, effectively having the language understanding of a toddler. The BC study discussed in the magazine focused on language, but I'm wondering if any of you out there have additional examples of linguistic or cognitive intelligence in your BC's.

Hello Everyone, Let me first say that I am new to these boards and that I am amazed at how insightful the posts on this board are. While I have never owned a BC I did own a Sheltie, which has allowed me to understand what some posts are discussing better. It's clear that a BC seems to be a "nuclear powered" version of a Sheltie, which carries some additional responsibilities and rewards for the BC owner. Despite being a marathon runner and someone who is interested in SAR training, I must say that it seems that the needs of a well socialized and cared for BC might be too much for me for the simple fact that I work a 9-5 job at an engineering company. It doesn't seem fair to a Border Collie to be locked in my home or a crate for 8 hours of the day.... So my question to the forum is, what are the careers of BC owners out there and how are you able to give this breed the attention that it needs?