They really are Magnificent

[Jlacy]

My last dogs were Blue Heelers (8 years), next was my Aussie, then my first BC 3 weeks ago.

 

Watching a Border Collie jump and run is just an incredible show of natural athletics. I’m not sure anyone that doesn’t have one fully understands.

 

People said, Aussies and BC's are the same thing. I see now they are not the same thing at all.

 

My Aussie is awesome on her feet, but my Border Collie is just incredible.

[agilityrunningdogs]

I agree with you whole-heartedly. I've had greyhounds and schnauzers, and just got my Border Collie 10 months ago. They are almost a different species. It's breathtaking to watch him flat out run and then turn and switch directions without any hesitation. His flying lead changes are so smooth and his jumping arc is so natural. What a breed!

[desertranger]

I've owned border collies for almost 40 years. Unique, tempermental, poetry in motion on the ground or in the air they have abilities far beyond those of normal dogs. esoteric reference to what? You speak of athletics and it is a treat to watch them run along then put on a burst of speed to reach the target. On the other hand there is a brain behind all that physical prowess. There is an ability to solve problems, they will tease you and even try to control the situation. A well trained and educated BC will amaze people as you make tiny unseen(by people) gestures with your hands and they respond sit, stay, down, and run, jump, spin. I don't have to speak to my dogs as actions speak louder than words as people marvel and gasp as they watch.

 

Yet there is a caveat; be careful. These are smart dogs, scary smart and they have the ability to not only train themselves but to train you. Always remember that the worst of them are miles above any other dog and the best of them are ninjas and as we know...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Welcome to my nightmare." - Alice Cooper

 

 

Both of you are in for years of entertainment.

 

 

 

I can't find the other ninja pic. Riley(?) in the trough.

[flyer]

Always remember that the worst of them are miles above any other dog and the best of them are ninjas and as we know...

 

Love that shot DR.

[agilityrunningdogs]

Going to kill the moment here but;

Honestly, I think my schnauzer Komet, is smarter than my Border Collie, Mal. Komet's incredibly witty, has a wicked sense of humor, and if he thinks it's in his best interest, can pick up on a trick in no time flat. But, I think that Mal is more inclined to learn what I have to teach him than Komet, who is very self-centered. But then again, my measure of intelligence might be different than somebody who herds, or somebody who does barn-hunting in which case each breed would rank differently. I can only judge based on our lifestyle. I have to add though, that Komet has seriously got a screw loose, he's very nuerotic and overall freaky. While Mal is very adaptable and stable, and just an overall GOOD dog. So while Border Collies are intelligent, very much towards the top of the list of smartest dog breeds, perhaps it is their biddability that pushes them into #1.

[flyer]

I agree with all the posts so far and I marvel how when Colt leaps on the bed how light he is in his landing. He jumps like a deer. Effortless. I've seen him turn on a dime and clear three feet with ease and he's just about a year old. (I'm not jumping him, saw it in play in the forest)

 

He is also crazy fast. I've only seen him run with a couple of female BC's so I don't know if he's fast for a BC or just alot faster than the slightly smaller females. Haven't seen any other male dogs of other breeds keep up yet, either.

 

I love his athleticism. I stand in awe of him.

[JohnLloydJones]

These are smart dogs, scary smart and they have the ability to not only train themselves but to train you.

 

The scary part is not that they can train people, but that they do it so subtly that the the people don't even know what's happening until it's too late:

 

Throw my ball:

 

Please throw my ball:

 

Oh and when I first got Senneca, my female, I used to think of her as a ballet dancer -- her movements are so graceful.

[border_collie_crazy]

as for intelligence compared to others? I would have to say that Happy is far and away my smartest and most talented and graceful dog. but Im afraid that when it comes to smarts, Misty does NOT come in after Happy, the number 2 spot belongs to Rusty, my terrier mix. he is far from obedient or biddiable, but that dog is beyond smart. anyone who belives dogs dont get even, has not met Rusty. dont think a dog plots? wanna bet? my mom lost her temper and throw a shovel in his direction trying to make him shut up...he was so put off that he went in the house, broke down her gate, went into her room, pulled all the blankets off her bed, pee'd on her pillows, then marched up to her with a vary cocky posture, gave her a sharp bark and walked away. Rusty mat be a lot of things, but stupid aint one of em! Misty actually falls near the bottom of my pack..Perky comes after Rusty..I have seen the wild problem solving she has done...like pushing a rolling chair accross the room to use as a step to get on the desk to eat a hunk of cheese. Perky(heinz 57) holds personal protests..she doesnt like me, but when my mom is busey with somethinbg perky will be like start acting like I am her best friend..but she makes such a show of it..like my mom has to be within veiwing distance, she she will keep checking to make sure my mom is paying attention, and the second my mom goes "ok fine" and stops, I once again becomes an annoying thing in her way. Ladybug(Collie X) comes after Perky, disabled and deaf, but freakishly smart, I can teach her a new hand signal in minutes, and she carfeully studies everything, I have watched her ease herself into things, like when she wasnt sure about my rabbit..I didnt have to do anything, she started herself in another room, and alowly moved herself closer day by day as she felt more comfortable until my rabbit was able to jump on her and cuddle with her. she did it with the floors too, she has trouble with them and I didnt have to work with her on the floors, because everyday she would spend her times practicing competly of her own accord. after ladybig THEN come Misty(BC) Misty is very intune with me, but she is more enthusatic then intelligent lol,,she is far from stupid, but she is just not as smart as Happy, Ladybug, Rusty and Perky. after Misty comes Ripley..he has been described as smart, and he is to an extent, but he doesnt really compare to the others. Electra(Toller) is not even on the intelligent scale...I jumped for joy when she figered out how to walk through an open door. before that if a door wasnt open wide enugh for her to barral through...she was stuck.

[Jlacy]

I'm still waiting for mine to settle in and hope that training will become faster. He is much more perceptive than my Aussie, but my Aussie is much quicker to train. I hope this is just that he's unsure right now and his mental quickness shows up soon.

 

He's one of the sweetest dogs you could ever meet. Gets along with everybody, doesn't chase squirrels or cats, doesn't bark or chew, plays with my Aussie all day and sits by my side the rest. He's not obsessive about anything except his Tennis ball. CGC certified after 10 days from arrival. Just a good dog. Smarter than my Aussie? I just don't think so, even the basics were twice as hard to train. 3 weeks now and he's still not house trained, he is not connecting the dots in many behaviors. The lights are on, but nobody is home.

[pansmom]

I'm still waiting for mine to settle in and hope that training will become faster. He is much more perceptive than my Aussie, but my Aussie is much quicker to train. I hope this is just that he's unsure right now and his mental quickness shows up soon.

 

He's one of the sweetest dogs you could ever meet. Gets along with everybody, doesn't chase squirrels or cats, doesn't bark or chew, plays with my Aussie all day and sits by my side the rest. He's not obsessive about anything except his Tennis ball. CGC certified after 10 days from arrival. Just a good dog. Smarter than my Aussie? I just don't think so, even the basics were twice as hard to train. 3 weeks now and he's still not house trained, he is not connecting the dots in many behaviors. The lights are on, but nobody is home.

 

Vala, a rescue, whom I've had for a little over two months, is not as smart as my previous BC-mix, but she also seems to be struggling with a little bit of worry over pleasing me... Like she's getting better... showing more independence - trying to forge ahead on leash, taking my hand and gently trying to guide me toward the door (she's only tried this twice but I'm thinking though it is very cute not sure if I should encourage that one) but this took a couple months for her to get to that point. At first she only did the things she knew were okay, and sat still and froze up for the rest (I think she might've CGC'd or come close right after I brought her home too). But after a couple days she started showing interest in squirrels and cats. And then after a month she started forging on leash. And now after two months apparently she's starting to wonder if maybe she can control my movements (see hand-holding, haha). Oh and the housetraining? I think it's hard to housetrain an adult dog! But she picked up on that after 4 weeks or so, except for once when she got sick, and she has always picked up really quickly on voice commands relating to directions, left, right, in the front, in the back, she will run to my back door or front door as requested, she knows faster (for jogging), commands related to movement she's really good at, sit, down, wait, stop, we're working on heel now. At first - sweetest dog in the world - but I wondered if anybody was home too but I think what I was dealing with was nervousness, sickness, she wasn't feeling good, and she REALLY liked her new home and didn't want to think too hard on her own until she learned the rules backwards and forward because she REALLY wanted to stay and not do anything to tick me off. (One of her flaws once she knows a rule is she will try to enforce that rule on the cats... I don't let her, but she's really a goody two shoes and it's cute.) Anyway one of the best things about BCs is their personalities, and I think after only 3 weeks with a rescue situation you probably don't know what you've got yet. Others will respond more and with more expeirence in your other thread I'm sure but just off this one experience of adopting a rescue, I say give it a couple months of working to build the dog's confidence and you may see more independent thought.

[Jlacy]

Anyway one of the best things about BCs is their personalities, and I think after only 3 weeks with a rescue situation you probably don't know what you've got yet. Others will respond more and with more expeirence in your other thread I'm sure but just off this one experience of adopting a rescue, I say give it a couple months of working to build the dog's confidence and you may see more independent thought.

 

It's funny you say that, because my Aussie has her own thoughts and Jax looks to me for ideas. Apparently, he does not have many independent thoughts at this point.

 

Jax is a great dog guys, I just wish for little less reserve and a little more spark. Jax is not dumb, because he excels at "other" more natural mental tasks far beyond my Aussie. Yes, he is a plotter, self aware, watches TV, tracks airplanes in the sky etc. etc.

 

I just think his uncertainty may be getting in the way when I try to "train" something. I first noticed this when training Sit. He had never been trained to do anything before me, so it is ALL new to him. Obviously, he learned something or he would have failed his CGC, but it took longer than something like that would take for my Aussie. My Aussie snaps her commands, everything with Jax is the slow lane. Even the CGC evaluator had a comment. " He takes his time, but he get's there" and that in a nutshell, is Jax today.

 

We have the rest of our lives and it will be interesting to see what I really have. I should also be careful what I wish for

[ziggzmom]

I'm still waiting for mine to settle in and hope that training will become faster. He is much more perceptive than my Aussie, but my Aussie is much quicker to train. I hope this is just that he's unsure right now and his mental quickness shows up soon.

 

He's one of the sweetest dogs you could ever meet. Gets along with everybody, doesn't chase squirrels or cats, doesn't bark or chew, plays with my Aussie all day and sits by my side the rest. He's not obsessive about anything except his Tennis ball. CGC certified after 10 days from arrival. Just a good dog. Smarter than my Aussie? I just don't think so, even the basics were twice as hard to train. 3 weeks now and he's still not house trained, he is not connecting the dots in many behaviors. The lights are on, but nobody is home.

 

 

Hi,

 

JMHO-I think some dogs are more apt to dive right in and try things...They are just naturally more confident. Does that make them smarter or is it that their confidence lets them try things without worring about being 'wrong'?

 

Being able to learn the things he did to earn the CGC in that short a time says quite a bit about his intelligence. I'm sure even my 'smart' dogs couldn't learn all that in 10 days-LOL. Besides that, Jax isn't your Aussie, he's Jax your border collie, and he has a lot to teach you! Dogs like him will make you think about new ways to teach an excercise because he doesn't just dive in and try things. Let him show you who 'he' is=)

 

Janet

[Laurelin]

I think people put too much emphasis on intelligence = ease of training. I think ease of training comes from having an intelligent dog that wants to work with you but there are many equally as intelligent dogs that don't really care what you want them to do, lol. Those intelligent lists to me are interesting. I haven't had a bc yet but every other dog I've had has been in the top 10 on those rankings. They're all so individual though it's pretty hard to compare them to each other. I've had one sheltie who really was a moron but was great with commands. Common sense though? He had zero. Problem solving skills? Not there. My other sheltie though? She was really brilliant but in a conniving way. She was not nearly as reliable with commands but boy would she do things I didn't think were possible. My current two dogs- one is very in tune with what I want and very willing to try new things. She picks up commands faster than my other dogs ever have. My other dog is another thinker. She has to think about things before doing them even if you really want her to.

 

Jax sounds like a cool dog and he's obviously smart from getting his CGC so fast. He's not your Aussie though and he'll never be. That's the beauty of dogs (to me at least). They have so much individual personality and so many individual positives.

 

That said BCs are really magnificent creatures and imo no other dog breed compares. But then again other dog breeds shouldn't compare because they're just not the same.

[ziggzmom]

It's funny you say that, because my Aussie has her own thoughts and Jax looks to me for ideas. Apparently, he does not have many independent thoughts at this point.

 

Jax is a great dog guys, I just wish for little less reserve and a little more spark. Jax is not dumb, because he excels at "other" more natural mental tasks far beyond my Aussie. Yes, he is a plotter, self aware, watches TV, tracks airplanes in the sky etc. etc.

 

I just think his uncertainty may be getting in the way when I try to "train" something. I first noticed this when training Sit. He had never been trained to do anything before me, so it is ALL new to him. Obviously, he learned something or he would have failed his CGC, but it took longer than something like that would take for my Aussie. My Aussie snaps her commands, everything with Jax is the slow lane. Even the CGC evaluator had a comment. " He takes his time, but he get's there" and that in a nutshell, is Jax today.

 

We have the rest of our lives and it will be interesting to see what I really have. I should also be careful what I wish for

 

 

Hi,

 

I've had dogs that were like this....They can 'snap their commands'. I teach things in very small pieces(easier to be successful that way) and know that with confidence will come the 'snap', but you can't rush it. It's so cool when you see them get that confidence and 'own' the excercise, tail wagging, eyes sparkling, so pleased with themself=)

 

Janet

[HoosierMike]

Obviously, he learned something or he would have failed his CGC, but it took longer than something like that would take for my Aussie. My Aussie snaps her commands, everything with Jax is the slow lane. Even the CGC evaluator had a comment. " He takes his time, but he get's there" and that in a nutshell, is Jax today.

 

Not to say that all are alike, but my female does the same.

She does her commands at warp speed, while my male will do them,

but at a much slower pace too. He picked up the behaviors very quickly,

he just acts on them at his own speed. Granted, I have limited experience

because I have always had female dogs, but they all seemed to respond

faster than this little male does. I read that male dogs are sometimes more

"goofy" acting, and that sure seems to be the case with mine.

 

Is this common with female vs. male?

[Jlacy]

I think people put too much emphasis on intelligence = ease of training. I think ease of training comes from having an intelligent dog that wants to work with you but there are many equally as intelligent dogs that don't really care what you want them to do, lol. Those intelligent lists to me are interesting. I haven't had a bc yet but every other dog I've had has been in the top 10 on those rankings. They're all so individual though it's pretty hard to compare them to each other. I've had one sheltie who really was a moron but was great with commands. Common sense though? He had zero. Problem solving skills? Not there. My other sheltie though? She was really brilliant but in a conniving way. She was not nearly as reliable with commands but boy would she do things I didn't think were possible. My current two dogs- one is very in tune with what I want and very willing to try new things. She picks up commands faster than my other dogs ever have. My other dog is another thinker. She has to think about things before doing them even if you really want her to.

 

Jax sounds like a cool dog and he's obviously smart from getting his CGC so fast. He's not your Aussie though and he'll never be. That's the beauty of dogs (to me at least). They have so much individual personality and so many individual positives.

 

That said BCs are really magnificent creatures and imo no other dog breed compares. But then again other dog breeds shouldn't compare because they're just not the same.

 

Hi Laurelin,

 

You know better than anybody on this bc board what Jax means to me as well a Peyton and what we have "all" been through. You also know that Jax breaks many of the typical stereotypes of BC's. I think you said it best, it's a different kind of intelligence I see in Jax. I'm not accustomed to seeing it and it wasn't what I expected. I see no crime in trying to understand the breed which is completely new to me, and help my new dog.

 

Jax is a wonderful, calm, well mannered dog, who anyone on the planet would be proud to own. He has cognitive ability that is awe insping, but the fact is Peyton learns hand commands faster and ties verbal commands to the hand commands faster. I have been using a clicker with Jax for 3 weeks, and I'm still not convinced the clicker is 100% loaded. He got his CGC off hand signals. He still requires a hand signal for sit. It's that he's not connecting the dots that has me baffled.

 

Is it the fact he's shell shocked? Overly cautious, trying to please too hard? To soon to teach sit? I don't know, that's what I'm trying to figure out. But one thing is for certain, I feel the same was about Jax as Peyton and you know better than anyone on this board what Peyton means to me.

 

Joe

[desertranger]

I'm still waiting for mine to settle in and hope that training will become faster. He is much more perceptive than my Aussie, but my Aussie is much quicker to train. I hope this is just that he's unsure right now and his mental quickness shows up soon.

 

He's one of the sweetest dogs you could ever meet. Gets along with everybody, doesn't chase squirrels or cats, doesn't bark or chew, plays with my Aussie all day and sits by my side the rest. He's not obsessive about anything except his Tennis ball. CGC certified after 10 days from arrival. Just a good dog. Smarter than my Aussie? I just don't think so, even the basics were twice as hard to train. 3 weeks now and he's still not house trained, he is not connecting the dots in many behaviors. The lights are on, but nobody is home.

 

How old is Jax. Jin's 11 mo next Thurs and had to take his CGC test twice. His first at 9 months was a failure because he was put off by another dog that went nuts when he walked in.

 

Back on subject I think most of you are missing something. Individual BCs are a package in themselves. Some fast and easy to teach some taking longer but no less able to perform whatever their specialty. Drive and athleticism vary widly from dog to dog as does intellegence. In a dog team I had Glynnis, Fuzzer, Pique and Poque <peek and poke> all trained to pull me on rollerskates (before rollerblades) They also pulled a wagons of different sizes. Glyn was full of drive. She took charge during energetic work and kept the dogs moving at a mad pace when were rollerskating. Fuzzer was conservative and had a lot less drive. He would take charge even over Glyn when the work was heavy and required more finesse and control. That's pretty important when they're pulling a wagon filled with kids. Poque was the defender. Never a sweeter dog unless seriously provoked. He killed 2 rattlers in his short life and guarded the kids jealously. I know Poque knew rattlers were lethal. He took a bite to protect my daughter.

 

Jin is different from all the other BCs I've had. Emotionally and physically. He's tall and lanky and sensitive to my moods. Never had a tall lanky moody dog before. Sometimes it's easy to teach him something like the shuffling of soccer balls around the greensward. Other times it seems to take forever; put the ball (or other object) in my hand or pick up any indicated object. Yet when on the greensward he will tell me what he wants me to hit, kick or throw (i.e. Soccer or tennis ball or Frisbee). He also tells me when he's tired and wants to rest.

 

Starting when I grew there were rough collies, poodles, airdales and of course BCs. I('ve seen smart well trained dogs of all breeds yet none have ever come close to what a border collie means to me. Even with a Abby, a well trained (and in some cases better trained than Jin) rough collie in the house; if it's not a border collie it's just another dog. BTW Abby is 8yrs, has her CGC and is the perfect dog in public, much better than Jin.

[Jlacy]

How old is Jax. Jin's 11 mo next Thurs and had to take his CGC test twice. His first at 9 months was a failure because he was put off by another dog that went nuts when he walked in.

 

Back on subject I think most of you are missing something. Individual BCs are a package in themselves. Some fast and easy to teach some taking longer but no less able to perform whatever their specialty. Drive and athleticism vary widly from dog to dog as does intellegence. In a dog team I had Glynnis, Fuzzer, Pique and Poque <peek and poke> all trained to pull me on rollerskates (before rollerblades) They also pulled a wagons of different sizes. Glyn was full of drive. She took charge during energetic work and kept the dogs moving at a mad pace when were rollerskating. Fuzzer was conservative and had a lot less drive. He would take charge even over Glyn when the work was heavy and required more finesse and control. That's pretty important when they're pulling a wagon filled with kids. Poque was the defender. Never a sweeter dog unless seriously provoked. He killed 2 rattlers in his short life and guarded the kids jealously. I know Poque knew rattlers were lethal. He took a bite to protect my daughter.

 

Jin is different from all the other BCs I've had. Emotionally and physically. He's tall and lanky and sensitive to my moods. Never had a tall lanky moody dog before. Sometimes it's easy to teach him something like the shuffling of soccer balls around the greensward. Other times it seems to take forever; put the ball (or other object) in my hand or pick up any indicated object. Yet when on the greensward he will tell me what he wants me to hit, kick or throw (i.e. Soccer or tennis ball or Frisbee). He also tells me when he's tired and wants to rest.

 

Starting when I grew there were rough collies, poodles, airdales and of course BCs. I('ve seen smart well trained dogs of all breeds yet none have ever come close to what a border collie means to me. Even with a Abby, a well trained (and in some cases better trained than Jin) rough collie in the house; if it's not a border collie it's just another dog. BTW Abby is 8yrs, has her CGC and is the perfect dog in public, much better than Jin.

 

 

Jax is 12-14 months by most estimates. Jax had the CGC temperament right out of the box, all I did it train sit/down/stay/heel and leave it. He's not a hyper dog at all and not reactive to much of anything so far, except a Tennis Ball then he goes nutso. He tosses it to me in the car and sometimes to Peyton. Tennis balls is a game he understands and does it exceptionally well.

 

It's probably just a case of settling in or maybe it isn't, either way he is great dog to have around the house even if he never learned one thing more.

He's afraid of a frisbee, but then he's very reserved around many things.

[pansmom]

It's probably just a case of settling in or maybe it isn't, either way he is great dog to have around the house even if he never learned one thing more.

He's afraid of a frisbee, but then he's very reserved around many things.

 

Have you tried training without the clicker? Vala came home afraid of it. So afraid literally she started refusing the HQ treat because she thought that if she took it, the clicker would sound! Others suggested start with a pen, do desens, but honestly we are doing fine with body language and verbal cues right now. If the clicker's not loaded yet... any chance the clicker is freaking Jax out a little? One big piece of advice everyone gave me was don't push Vala too hard...

[elegy]

in terms of intelligence, i'm not sure steve has much on my female pit bull, luce. he's infinitely more biddable for sure- he spends his time trying to play my games and con me into throwing his ball. she spends her time plotting world domination. (my male pit bull is dumb as a box of rocks but a happy soul.)

 

as far as athleticism though, the border collie wins hands down. he's amazing to watch. he just moves so differently than any other dog i've owned.

[MicheleS.]

I have both an aussie and a BC. I find them both extremely intelligent but both seem to show their intelligence in different ways. My aussie is the same as you describe your aussie. She snaps her commands. She also learns things extremely quickly. It may take her an average of 3 tries to fully understand and execute something I've shown her. And she is able to string a series of behaviors together without even thinking about it. She is extremely biddable. She does everything with flair and entusiasm. She is extremely in tune with me to the point I think she seems intuitive.

Chase, the bc is very intelligent and very much wants to please me. It does take him longer to understand what I teaching him. Sometimes it's almost like he has to think about it and study it for a while. Sometimes I will try to teach him something in one training session and it seems like he just doesn't get what I'm asking. He's very goofey and funny when I'm training him. I laugh nearly the entire time. The next day I will train again and he amazes me by doing the very same thing perfectly like he's been doing it forever. Almost like he got his little training manual out overnite and studied! This just amazes me.

Where Gypsy does everything with flair, Chase is very methodical about how he works when he's learned something. He even chases a ball like he's serious. He does amaze me with his speed and athleticism. I love watching him run for a ball.

 

Since this is my first aussie and my first bc, I'm not sure if it's just the 2 different personalities of the 2 dogs, whether it's a breed thing, whether it's a male/female thing...? In any case, it's very interesting to witness and work with their differences. Both are extremely fun dogs.

 

Michele

& Gypsy

& Chase

[Jlacy]

I have both an aussie and a BC. I find them both extremely intelligent but both seem to show their intelligence in different ways. My aussie is the same as you describe your aussie. She snaps her commands. She also learns things extremely quickly. It may take her an average of 3 tries to fully understand and execute something I've shown her. And she is able to string a series of behaviors together without even thinking about it. She is extremely biddable. She does everything with flair and entusiasm. She is extremely in tune with me to the point I think she seems intuitive.

Chase, the bc is very intelligent and very much wants to please me. It does take him longer to understand what I teaching him. Sometimes it's almost like he has to think about it and study it for a while. Sometimes I will try to teach him something in one training session and it seems like he just doesn't get what I'm asking. He's very goofey and funny when I'm training him. I laugh nearly the entire time. The next day I will train again and he amazes me by doing the very same thing perfectly like he's been doing it forever. Almost like he got his little training manual out overnite and studied! This just amazes me.

Where Gypsy does everything with flair, Chase is very methodical about how he works when he's learned something. He even chases a ball like he's serious. He does amaze me with his speed and athleticism. I love watching him run for a ball.

 

Since this is my first aussie and my first bc, I'm not sure if it's just the 2 different personalities of the 2 dogs, whether it's a breed thing, whether it's a male/female thing...? In any case, it's very interesting to witness and work with their differences. Both are extremely fun dogs.

 

Michele

& Gypsy

& Chase

 

 

You described both my dogs as well as I could. I have the exact same paring and experience.

[Ooky]

Athleticism, yes. I know 2 aussies very well and Odin knocks both their socks off in speed, maneuverability, and stamina. My family's husky was pretty amazing, especially when he was <5, but still nothing like Odin.

 

Intelligence? I don't even know where to begin. We also had a mini-schnauzer when I was growing up and she was very smart (as was the husky). However, neither of them were even in the same league as Odin. He outhinks me regularly. He teaches me games. I mean, I'll start a game, and he'll add so many twists and complexities to what should happen to complete the game it is hilarious and more fun for both of us. I think this shows imagination and creativity.

 

But my best example? I'm pretty tired and nauseous at times, and lie in bed a lot more than I used to. Sometimes I want something but don't want to get up. Now, Odin has been retrieving thrown toys since he was a small puppy, but I understood that to be different from a cold retrieve of a random, stationary object that the dog was not already focused on. Yet one day I asked him to bring me something anyway. He got a little agitated for a second, then tried to bring me the object next to what I wanted ( a book), and then when corrected and encouraged, brought me the object. I did not train this, I just asked him. It's like living with an ape. It was repeatable, too - I have done it now with more than one object. I just have to point at something and say "bring it to me" (and play a little "yes-no" until he touches the correct object, and encourage him a bit so he knows I really do want him to mouth my stuff). Previously he had only ever heard this phrase colloquially, although I did teach a "bring me your leash". But note that the whole commands don't sound too much alike, and he has not tried to bring me his leash when I ask for an object. Stuff like this makes me think he's wasted on me, as I am a novice novice novice dog trainer and don't formally train him to do nearly what he's capable of.

 

His vocabulary is pretty amazing compared to every other dog I've ever known, too. In fact, I think that is one of the main ways science has tried to objectively test canine intelligence and found BCs to be way beyond every other dog breed.

 

But I would believe there are some individual BCs that are not as smart as other dogs of some other breed/mix. How could there not be? But I'm addicted to this combo and can't ever see owning any other type of dog at this point, want to maximize my chances of getting another like him.

[Jlacy]

The only complaints I have about Jax is he seems harder to train. That's it, there's nothing more. His personality is simply magnificent. He fits in our home like a glove. He's the perfect companion dog for myself and my Aussie. Let me make that perfectly clear.

 

It could be that he's not the ninja smart BC, but it could be that because everything is so new, he has shut down mentally. Jax is a shy and reserved dog, cautious and overly sensitive. Someone before me has been harsh with him and while his tail does not go totally between his legs, I do see some fear/nervousness in his tail position as he approaches everyone and even me. I would not say cowd, but it's not too far from it. Perhaps the best way to describe it is unsure of the outcome in any new situation. Is this causing him to be slow to train? Is he more focused on making sure he's safe than learning the command?

 

I remember the first days of basics and me not being able to get a spark. I was having a hard time, getting him excited about anything. He would not respond to any treat or my other dog with any excitement. He was mousey/meek/timid. He almost seemed preoccupied with the uncertainty and I could not get him to focus and any many cases he would not make eye contact. His tail would wag, but it was subdued. His ears were back and his tail was down.

 

That has changed somewhat over the last few weeks, Jax plays with my aussie all day now and they play very rough. I see what I would expect for BC behavior with the Aussie, but still not with me. Jax makes eye contact more and his tail wags with more enthusiasm now, but he's still not too sure.

 

Jax is a magnificent dog, but he's not confident to be himself until he knows it's all safe, as in the case with my Aussie. Sometimes, when I look at him he will roll over on his back in submission. He did that many times when he first arrived and less so today, but it's still there. This makes me feel very badly. I would not hurt this dog for the world.

 

Jax really does not have any obsessive behavior other than wanting to be with me 24/7. He is easily corrected, a single soft spoken leave it, will stop his activity in an instant and he won't ever push the issue. He's a loyal, easy to have around, easy to mold, mild mannered, quiet, go everywhere, do anything house dog. He does not chew things, chase squirrels, loves cats, does not get in the trash, is not dog or people reactive or exhibit any behaviors that need correcting at this point. That may change after the honeymoon period is over, but they are just non-issue as of today. Jax is just an easy dog to have around.

 

I see the BC in Jax when he is playing with my aussie, fun, full of life, energetic and enjoying himself just being a dog with someone he trusts like my Aussie. At the dog park, with the Tennis ball, he's all BC, wow..what a dog! Where I'm still not seeing the BC is with me. He is still shy, reserved and unsure in spite of my best efforts to assure him he is totally safe.

 

This will take time for Jax to be as comfortable with me as he is with my Aussie. If that helps with his training down the line, only time will tell. He's a magnificent animal with a magnificent personalty but he is not easy to train for whatever reason. I'm hoping it's the shyness holding him back but only time will tell.

 

Having said all that, he does not "need" any more training, he's nearly the perfect house dog even today. The problem arises when I want to teach flyball, tricks and other non-basic behaviors but as far as Jax being an out of control BC that is keeping us up at nights worrying about his behavior in the day, that is simply non-existent. Let's look at the facts, he's a CGC BC after all, and he earned every letter of it. The Jax CGC test story can be found here if you have not read or care to read it. http://www.chazhound.com/forums/t106993/#post1485613

[MicheleS.]

I think I've mentioned before that Chase is a shy, sensitive boy. The same as you, I have wondered if that doesn't hold him back from the potential I know he has. He does seem to have to make sure his environment is safe before he feels he can let himself go and act himself but that is getting better as his confidence grows.

That's just who he is right now, to a degree that might be how he'll be forever so I work with it and that's just fine with me. I have spent alot of time gaining his trust and building his confidence and he has come a long way. In an environment or a situation where he's unsure, he looks to me now.

It just takes some time. Chase is still making progress and gets better about keeping his cool all the time. He's 19 months old now and it amazes me how far he's come in what really is a short period of time and I'm sure he's not done amazing me.

 

Now, if I can only get him to stop thinking he's racing me around the agility course (I swear he really is doing this but that's a problem for another area on this forum), we might make a great team some day