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Dang. Yes. Love shopping for dogs, yarn, hardware/lumber. Clothes - yech, only when everything is in rags.

Last year, purchased female pup for $800 from Washington state. Both parents: ABCA registered, ran in Open USBCHA trials, hips checked, genetic testing. 5 years ago, purchased male pup from Massachusetts. Both parents: hips checked, some genetic testing. Dam - Open ABCA trial dog. Sire: ISDS registered. International champion. Puppies were BAER tested.

Thanks for the thanks. It's nice to know the advice was appreciated. Beautiful dog

He could very well be a border collie pup, but like Hooper, seeing pics of the parents would be very helpful.

I think you have received a lot of good advice here, and here are my 2 cents (and some questions): Is this your first dog? If so, owning a BC is an incredibly steep, and fast, learning curve for first-time owners. (even for people who have had previous dog experience) You don't have a puppy, you have a TEENAGER. A puppy on steroids. This is a phase that most, not all, dogs go through when they are testing their boundaries. And often forget everything they have previously learned so it has to be re-taught. It is not going to ruin your dog to crate him more. If you feel guilty about crating, get a very large crate that he can really spread out in - or use an X-pen. If you sit at a computer or are in one place for an extended period of time, you can enclose your space with an X-pen or two, and keep the dog inside of it with you. Several people I know will surround their desk with an X-pen to allow the pup more space when they have to sit at the computer for several hours. Much easier to keep an eye on him. You can also tether the dog to you to prevent him from wandering. NILIF - is a good philosophy, but the dog has to know what you are asking before he can offer the behavior. For example, my young dog has to sit before she gets her food dish. But if a dog doesn't know how to sit first, no matter how much you tell him to sit to get his food dish, it will just be an exercise in frustration. Which brings us to training - have you trained a dog before? Do you know how to break down the behavior for small successes? Do you understand how to time your rewards? Have you heard of the term jackpotting? Etc. It is not unusual to see someone trying to train their dog to perform a specific task, but they are going about it all wrong. (This bothered me a lot when I saw a Petsmart 'trainer' teaching someone how to train their dog to sit. So, so wrong.) As others have suggested, some lessons with a positive reinforcement trainer may be worthwhile because that person can see exactly how you and your dog are interacting (which we can not on the internet), and might be able to give you tips on how to better train your dog. For a start, look up Kikopup on Youtube. She has a lot of training vids. If you are too overwhelmed, think of the best for the dog and act accordingly. It would be an unselfish act to admit that this relationship may not work, and find a good rescue group to help you rehome the dog.

Thank you. Sue, for posting that wonderful tribute. Like you, I only knew Kristi (Airbear) on social media. I will miss her photos and upbeat attitude. (For those who are new to these Boards, you may want to search for Airbear to pull up past posts to read about and understand Kristi's photography and accomplishments.

Thank you for adopting a rescue dog. I am glad to hear that you read about Kelso which helps you understand how long it can take some dogs to come even partway back to normal. I have also fostered an extremely shut down, almost feral, female from a puppy mill. IMHO, if you are hoping that this dog will be an emotional support dog for your niece, I don't think it will happen. I may be wrong, but from how I understand the issues you have described, it will be a heck of a lot of work and take a very long time to help this dog approach normal. (I say this with the caveat that a truly accurate assessment can only be given in person, not in an internet forum.) And an emotional support animal should have a very stable demeanor. Has anyone suggested psychotropic medications to help reduce his anxiety level? It might be worthwhile to consult a vet that specializes in behavioral issues (not a general vet). There are many other medications that he might tbe able to tolerate better. In the meantime, I would be trying to not put him in situations that stress him. And bring him to his "happy place" when possible (those walks in the country).

She is still a pup. No youngsters (humans, dogs, cats, etc.) can thermoregulate as well as the adults. Yes, you will have to be aware of temperature extremes until she matures more.

I Googled the kennel name and only found a FB page. And the cover photo is of a dog biting the head of a cow. ?!?! There were several positive recommendations. That was all I could see since I am not 'friend'. If she were looking for a pup right now, as of yesterday, there were 2 male pups available from a repeat breeding of my female pup I purchased last year. I can not say enough good things about my girl, and all the owners of the littermates would also give their pups from this cross high marks.

LOL! Obviously, the one in the 'rear' (pun intended) has a unique coloration that makes her waddle more pronounced, and it appears that she was not shorn in the rump area. But they all look like they have fat rumps. I am curious as to the breed of sheep, or are they just local, mixed breeds?

Adorable. Thanks for sharing.

I concur with the general advice above. If you are ready to involve, really involve, a BC in your life and train it to satisfy the mental requirements, apartment living with a BC is doable - but probably more work than if you lived in a house with a yard. I volunteer with a BC rescue, and we will adopt to people living in apartments - depending on their plans for exercising the dog, their work schedule, and the personality of the dog. For example, a sound-reactive dog would not do well in an apartment setting (and BCs are quite notorious for being sound reactive). I strongly agree that adopting an older BC (or BC mix) would be an excellent option in your circumstances. (Older being defined as 6-8 months or older). You then have the advantage of a pretty good idea of the adult size and personality (sound reactivity, drive, focus, etc.). Puppies are such a black box. You can get a pup from an excellent breeding and do all the 'right' puppy training, and sometimes end up with a dog with 'limitations'. Since you are in the Midwest, check out Clancy's Dream Rescue. I am not a member, but I do follow them on FB. They are a very active rescue group.

Welcome to the Boards. Rosie is a cutie. BTW, hip dysplasia is only definitively diagnosed by Xrays. For OFA Xrays, the dog must be 2 years old IIRC. For PennHip Xrays, puppies as young as Rosie's age can be evaluated, but there are far fewer vets certified to do PennHip Xrays.

Congratulations. I am glad that you are seeing significant progress. Sometimes 'puppy brain' can last a long time. You have come out on the other side.

Pretty girl. I can certainly see what looks like part Boxer genetics in her face from certain angles.

So coincidental. I just checked into the forums right now for the first time in several months, and your post was the first one I read. I have also learned a lot over the past 10-11 years and certainly agree that the tone of the forums have changed. I have read your past posts with interest for your ability to generally get directly to the core of the issue, and any insights you offer about life in Iceland. I will miss that.

Yes, play the trade game with another ball. When he brings the ball back, play with the 2nd ball as if it is the greatest thing in the world to make your dog want that ball. He may be enticed to drop ball 1 to get ball 2. After you get a fairly reliable drop, you can start incorporating a verbal command when he drops it. The goal, of course, is to eventually tell him to drop it without the need of a second ball. You may want to check out Agility University online. Tracy is going to run an online class called Toy Transitions starting April 15 -and it is free! The class is to help handlers with techniques to teach their dogs to play with toys AND to release them. My dog has a lot of tension when he releases the toy, so I am hoping to learn some new techniques.

Wow. Poor guy. And I know you must be exhausted from dealing with all this, but kudos for hanging in there. You said you didn't see him retrieve the stick, but his reaction sounds EXACTLY like the reaction of a dog I had about 20 years ago. I did see him try to retrieve the stick, and it all happened so fast - the grab, the yelp, and then running back to me, very frightened, not wanting to play any more. I could tell the stick had gone into his mouth, but a quick peek didn't show anything wrong in his mouth. Like you, I immediately brought him to the vet. They gave him a light anaesthesia so they could open his mouth as wide as possible, for as long as required to closely examine him. Then they reversed the anaesthesia. 20 minutes top. The stick had gone very deep to the back of his throat - not visible until he was knocked out. I don't believe they had to scope him, but anaesthetizing him was important to allow him to relax so his jaws could be opened wide enough. I am sorry, but I can't remember if they did anything like a stitch or two, but I don't think so. A course of antibiotics was prescribed. I don't remember the exact antibiotic now. I hope your dog is on the mend now.

I pm'd you through this site.

I know a woman in Leominster, MA that is an agility trainer. (She owns a littermate to my youngest dog.) I could contact her to find out if she may have some suggestions for a trainer that could help you with your issues. Also, if she is amenable, I could connect the two of you so you could speak directly to her.

Very pretty pups. Welcome to the Boards. In my very limited experience, your boy may not have any desire to breed a bitch in heat. Or he may. You will just have to observe and adjust your management of the 2 dogs if unwanted behavior occurs. My own intact male lost his mind when my young female had her first heat. He was neutered after that (for separate reasons), and had zero reaction to her second heat. I have heard of BC females having a first heat anywhere between 7-8 months to almost 2 years of age. My girl had her first heat at 13-14 months of age. For reasons of proper bone and joint growth, I would wait until at least a year of age before spaying.

I would definitely bring him to a vet to get him checked out for a UTI. I had a similar problem with an intact male dog around the same age. It took a while for me to realize it was medical, not behavioral. I wish I had checked for a UTI earlier. If he doesn't have a UTI, at least you will have eliminated one possible cause.

Welcome to the Boards. We love puppy pics. In fact, if you do not post a puppy pic, you will be booted off. Just kidding. <grin> Have fun with your pup!

LOL. Dogs love routine.

Congratulations on your beautiful new pup.