Candace

#1 - I couldn't tell you! lol But #2...any dog I have had by the time pups are 4 weeks they have definitely cleaned. You might want to have her checked, you don't want a uterine infection.... Pics will be cute!

I wanted to say think you to everyone on here. I haven't been back in about 6 weeks or so...I came on NEEDING a BC to help around the farm....and then I found one....was totally blessed with a boy that needed a home...he was 2 1/2 years old...but inexperienced.... then I asked for training help, had exposure, but no working commands...Someone sent me to Kevin Taylor and told me about the Hill Shepherd....SO THANK YOU! WE have been to him once (due to holidays and cold), and are going back... Fender, our new BC, came in on December 7th...WE have had him only 7 short weeks or so...and I don't know what i would do without him...He is SO smart, and so much a part of our lives....so loving...DH has always said, no dog on the bed, so I have matts for the house dog....and blankets, and they are happy....but, who do you think sleeps on the bed and wakes DH every morning by shoving his nose under his head and off the pillow....sliding under the covers... He came to us, unsure....as I know this was a HUGE change....he had been with his family, who had to move 4 different times I think, in the last 6-12 months, and the wife ended up having a high risk pregnancy, which in addition to the moves, was the catalyst of why she needed him a home....so his life had been in turmoil; but he had always been with the same family...and now he was somewhere new...with people who;, he had no idea who we were......So we were patient, and waited....Then, after love and patience, he started to bloom.... So, I wanted to share, his journey and ours and say thank you to this board, you have helped more than you know! This was him when he first came, the first night, when we came in, he just climbed on my husband's lap....everything made him nervous.. Then as he went, he became more relaxed... and even more, now here - this is DH's pillows! He is becoming an awesome working dog, with training on going....standing down and moving the goats as we needed him to... So I am blessed and happy to say...He is happy with us! At least I THINK he is! So THANK YOU THANK YOU ALL!!! For all your help in bringing this boy to this point in our lives!

I was going to say I met someone there with a pet drop off once. They had a shetlie, and I know she was over 50 lbs...sweet sweet girl...but the hotel was really nice and so was the staff! So that's what I would recommend...

I have one lady that is a trainer, and I do plan on utilizing her help, and any others, but do you know how many hours I searhed on the Internet before I even found this forum! I can't believe it's so hard to find herding dog info out there! So, if anyone wants to also recommend trainers, I am open, as I want to do this right....

Pretty much in the middle of nowhere Kansas! lol About 2 hours SW of Wichita, about an hour NW Emporia, and NE of us, 3 Hours from Kansas City and 2 hours Topeka...in the FLint Hill area...

I appreciate everyone's input, I am planning on heading to the trainer after the holiday like I stated above. lol I do not mind the drive at all.... I am excited, but nerveous, I am mainly needing him for MY/our work here on the ranch. WE are looking for a working partner, and awesome compainion....which, only having him about 36 hours now, HE is proving to be an asset already!! WE don't want to or care to trail, we have 3 teenage boys that in addition to the farm, are active in FFA, 4H and all sports (basketball, football and track), so time wise, that is really not something we are shooting for....OUr family and our farm is our first priority, which Fender (his name) is now a major part of.... So, you all have a face to a name, Meet Fender....

SHe sent him to me knowing how good a home I'd give him, I paid for all the costs to ship and such, but she is in the middle of a high risk pregnancy, hence the ONLY reason she let him go....she loved him dearly, but she is on Washington and I am in Kansas...she only let him go for HIS sake, which is why I am trying to find out what I need to do....He already understood we needed the sheep OFF of us at certain times and he understood he needed to move them down...HE is really proving to be awesome! I just want to make sure I do things right, I will be getting together with the trainer after the 1st of the year...but I want to be proactive in the interum.... I did order his dvd's Training Secrets of a Hill Shepherd - that is on the way I will look for that book other book you mention....

Did I put this in the wrong section? I am just looking for advise...I did find some stuff by that Derek S....Thanks for everyone's input...

I do have a trainer lined up, but I am in the middle of nowhere, she is 2 hours one way from me, so I want to do something and not just sit on him, hence asking about some good books to read and such....something to start a basis on, I wil look up those names and DVDs, any advise for me is appreciated, I am not looking for field trial, though I understand what you are saying, we have about 200 head of goats and sheep, and we want him as a partner....and want to work with him some and work him correctly...

Hello all! YIPPEE! I got my border collie, he is a beauty! He has great instincts, is about 2 1/2 and he knows..... very little, but his insticnt are AWESOME! he tried to bring them to you etc, but I need to know what you do to train him the right way in the basics of farm work for us here. He knows some basic comands, he will circle them and hold them, jsut by instinct, the gal would tell him to "get 'um", but he gets them circled then looks us, but we don't know what to tell him or how to show him'. So, my question is, are there any really good step by step books to train a BC? I want to let him do what he is born to do, but I don't want to get mad at him for me not doing it right....so, point me in the right direct please.....

So you're mainly venting, I understand, yeah, I raise LGDs, sometimes it's hard dealing with people; most my female LGDs are spayed, but I keep about 4 intact females and 2 intact males. We have 11 working LGDs; drives me nuts when people say "oh you have so many dogs"...they don't get they aren't pets, they are part of the ranch, I love 'em and respect 'em, don't get me wrong, but I also have the "pets" that are over 11 years old and spoiled rotten that have no reason for being but to be spoiled... I get the need, and see your frustration, I've even had one of my LGDs leave and go to a neighboring ranch, she'd bark at us from a mile away wanting us to come feed her, she was staying with the cows giving birth, she didn't leave until they moved the cows and DH had to drag her home...or she would have followed them to the other pasture...she went back to the goats....So I understand the frustration with all people want to do is shoot, rather than work in LGds, they pay for themselves over and over....why destroy what is natually there when you can prevent it from harming your stock? If it becomes a nusiance or goes after people, that's one thing, but if you're moving in easy targets, that's still different, you need to be proactive...Hope I made sense, but saying - I understand....

I'm sorry, I am new to this board, what are you trying to say? You can't afford/don't want an LGD and want to handle predatation a different way? I'm just asking; trying to understand... I too cannot afford expensive things to handle predation, but I do run LGDs; but to me, this isn't expensive; the first 2 years, yes, as a pup they eat allot, but after that, not really...so what is it you were wanting to get across? Is it in previous posts that I haven't read?