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Hi everyone! Looking for some friendly sense check/advice please! We're going away for our first extended break (1 week) with Bailey on Saturday and have been thinking about ways to keep him calm in the new environment. He's just turned 1 and is prone to overexcitement and difficulty settling when away from home. To add to the mix, on this break there will also be 5 other family members and another dog (who is very old and not that well bless her, so won't be in the mood to play with Bailey) - so we're coming up with an action plan to help Bailey, and everyone else, settle in to a nice calm routine as quickly as possible. Our ideas below, any others are welcome! - Nice big walk when we arrive (It's a 5.5hr drive), and of course lots of walks/exercise throughout the week - Ask my family to completely ignore Bailey when we first arrive until his excitement eases, only give him attention once he's managed to sit calmly - Take both dogs out for a short 'sniffy' walk to get to know each other calmly - Introduce him to one room at a time, with lots of bathroom breaks/training of where he can/can't go (he has a tendency to try and mark when there's another dog in the house) - Puzzle feeders, snufflemats and lickimats (we use these anyway) - Lots of chews - Crate (possibly as optional for him, he no longer uses it at home, but we'll put his bed in there in case he wants a quiet space) - Treats to reward calm behaviour/continue practicing relaxation protocol - Stick to a similar routine as much as possible Anything we've missed or other top tips? Thanks in advance! Photo attached as a thank you!

Hi Everyone! First post, new member here. I have been stalking this site since I first met Lexie (my new BC mix puppy) and I have learned so much! A little bit about how I got here. My pup passed away 6 months ago from kidney failure, it was by far the hardest time of my life. Its still not easy but time will help. I volunteer at my local animal shelter and decided to become a foster after Benjie passed away (Pomeranian). It helped to fill the void of his absence. About 2 months ago we had a litter of 8 Border Collie mix puppies transferred in and they needed fosters for 10 days. I jumped up for the challenge, I was the lucky one that got the dog with poop all over lol. The first 3 nights were so hard and I couldn't wait to take her back but then something happened. She stole my heart with her silly ways and brains. She adapted by the 5th day and things started to turn around, she listened and followed command. I told myself, I can definitely do this. Not to mention how much this site helped me make the decision as well. I got a lot of great reading here that inspired me. I always had small dogs so a big dog is new to me but I have been wanting a larger dog. Anyway, I caved and adopted her, meet Lexie! She is now 14 weeks weighing 16 pounds. Some of the questions I have are about her breed. I know her mom is a BC but no idea about her dad. Everyone usually thinks german shepherd but what do you guys think? I ordered a DNA test so hopefully, soon we will know more! So excited! Which brings me to my next question, her weight. Does anyone have any expertise in estimating adult dog weight? Attached are some pics, please I'm interested to read what breed you guys think she is mixed with or how big you think she will get

Hi everybody, About three months ago, I rescued a four month-old male border collie named Marco. I've had a difficult time finding answers on the internet about border collie growth, personality, health and the breeds phsyical charcteristicics, so I thought I'd pose some questions here to hopefully find some clarity! Attached i'll have some photos so you can see my dog (at 7 months)! Ok, Question #1. I've always been interested in the border collie stare, crouch, and stalk. I've seen a few BCs that have such a low crouch, they almost move like cats! My pup has started to have a slight crouch. Mostly his front paws and head go down. Does this trait get stronger as they get older? The BCs that I've seen were around One year, two years old. They really had a strong stare, crouch, and stalk. I'm wondering if my dog will develop his insticts as he gets older and have a more distict crouch/stare/stalk? #2. Does anyone think my dogs coat will continue to grow? Does he seem like a short coated or long coated BC? There have been some people who ask me if my dog his a mix between a BC and something else. He is tall and skinny (I think too skinny, I'm trying to slowly fatten him up). In a few days he will be 7 months old. He stands at 54cm at the withers but only weighs 15.5 kg. He is fine boned. Will he grow much more in weight? He has small paws. Is there a point when their bones thinken up a bit? I saw two bcs the past weekend and they both had big paws. They weren't stockly. They were just thinker. They looked strong. When can I expect my boy to stop growing? Has anyone had a Border Collie that looks like mine at 7 months, How do they look now, as full grown? #3. What is a good excerise routine for a puppy? I walk him a few times a day. Each walk is about 20-40 mins. Sometimes we play fetch but only for 15 to 20 mins and only a few days a week and its really low key. I let him rest a bit in between throws. Mostly, we play in the house and do training exercises. Does that seem like too much? Should I cut out fetch? #4. Finally, my BC LOVES to run. He runs huge laps around all the other dogs at the dog park. Most dogs don't even bother chasing him because he runs so much and fast. Is that normal for a BC? He is a rescue. So I am not sure if he is 100% BC. They said at the rescue he was. And he sure does look like one to me. He is smart, has a moderately BC eye and crouch. The other day he saw some sheep and boy did they catch is attention . Sorry for the long post. I'm new to this and Border Collies. I want to know as much as I can! Thanks, Matt