Serena+Eluane B.C. Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 I thought this would be a fun post for everyone to talk about all the crazy quirks of our Border Collies that make them unique/special or if anyone has a fun lifetime tale to tell that makes their Border Collie unique. It's also great to share stories of our Heart Dogs who have also passed on...and to remember our fondest memories of them.... 1. Like how nosy Border Collies can be in terms of always wanting to see what their owner is up to. For example if I say, Mama needs to clean the bathtub, Eluane will tear upstairs just to investigate and watch intently as I get the scrubber out. Or if I say Mama has to go do Laundry, she'll race to the Laundry room or if I say Mama has to go to the Mailbox, she runs circles around me until I get my bag out for stuffing all the junk mail into. Another game we play is that James will put 10 tennis balls and hide them throughout the house and he will put several different ones at a time, but the game is that she has to get the right tennis ball that James specifies that she must choose... A general uniqueness of Border Collies. They run like a herd of elephants and when they accidentally slam those paws into your foot it's like OOOOOOOOOWwwww! and when they lie down it's a huge KERPLOP, THUD and BOOM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLloydJones Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 A general uniqueness of Border Collies. They run like a herd of elephants and when they accidentally slam those paws into your foot it's like OOOOOOOOOWwwww! and when they lie down it's a huge KERPLOP, THUD and BOOM! Not a true generalization. I had one foster, whose informal name was Mr. Thunderpaws and lived up to your description; my female, Senneca, on the other hand is perpetually in stealth mode and will sneak around without you ever knowing she's there. The one foster that became a legend in the dog park was Rhys bach, whose hobby was training people to throw his ball. He would go up to random strangers; set the ball down at their feet; crouch and take a couple of steps back and stare intently until the person threw the ball for him. His technique was irresistible and he was able to get people who never interacted with their own dog to throw ball for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Moon Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 The one foster that became a legend in the dog park was Rhys bach, whose hobby was training people to throw his ball. He would go up to random strangers; set the ball down at their feet; crouch and take a couple of steps back and stare intently until the person threw the ball for him. His technique was irresistible and he was able to get people who never interacted with their own dog to throw ball for him. Yep, that's how I met him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawford Dogs Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 I can't help but love the Border Collie idiosyncracies (spelling?). Loki brings everyone toys and if there is a dog nearby with a ball at a park he steals the toy and takes it to the dog's owner to be thrown for him. Oddly enough, they do. I can't take him to dog parks or regular parks with a lot of people otherwise he goes "hunting" for a new ball-throwing owner. Since he's been growing still he's only allowed limited fetch time which means I have to go get the toy from his "new" person and catch him. Argh! I had a Border Collie named Motion that went 3 blocks away across a busy street because she saw people out BBQing. I had told my nephew not to throw the toy anymore because she had a bad shoulder & had enough- so she disappeared. When I spotted her 3 blocks away giving a very confused family a stick I was shocked. Everytime I turn off the tv or anything dings the dogs run through the house with Rose roo-rooing at the top of her lungs before finally tackling Loki. And my 19 mo. old Loki turned his scoot (back up in a straight line) trick into a sideshow on leash. From about 6 mo of age he backs up and offers downs in the hopes of getting off leash (he has to down to get off lead/access livestock). Its quite amusing although a bit irritating. Only Border Collies come up with such odd ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoresDog Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 The one foster that became a legend in the dog park was Rhys bach, whose hobby was training people to throw his ball. He would go up to random strangers; set the ball down at their feet; crouch and take a couple of steps back and stare intently until the person threw the ball for him. His technique was irresistible and he was able to get people who never interacted with their own dog to throw ball for him. My two do this as a team sport. Daisy is better at tracking and catching balls and frisbees than Juno (who is actually faster but not as canny). However Daisy is shyer than Juno with new people. So Daisy catches the ball and deposits it about 10' from the new person. Juno quickly picks up the ball, darts in and deposits it right at the person's feet, and does the "throw the ball" stare, which in her case includes some dancing around and pointing at the ball and the person alternately. People find this little two-dog routine hilarious and are suckered into extensive ball play! We walk on a college campus rather than a dog park, and the high point of this occurred over Christmas when the two dogs found a pack of Naval Academy cadets out here for a bowl game. They of course were not only having fun with the dogs, but also outdoing each other in the quality of their throws. And then they started kicking a soccer ball around with them. The dogs had died and gone to heaven! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 Buzz's favorite thing ever was meeting new people. If he could get them to throw a ball, they were instantly claimed as His Friends. He would refuse his favorite food treats if there was a stranger he hadn't met anywhere in the vicinity. I'd always ask if he could say hi, and every now and then, someone would say 'no'. Buzz was always so disappointed! Shonie in her old age is pretty clumsy, and Gibbs loves to yodel. And play like a Border Shark. Ruth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 Riley will steal someone's ball at the park, take it to an unsuspecting stranger on the other side and ask for it to be thrown. I have, on several occasions, hollered "Don't throw the ball! It's not his!" at complete strangers. He will also come stick his head in the bathroom every morning after I brush my teeth. I have no idea why. Daisy follows me absolutely everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 I have a little bit of a border collie named Sea. Sea collects feeding bowls if I don't pick them up after feeding quick enough. She's always got a metal feeding bowl in her mouth, whether she's running, playing. If she joins the other border collies in a running around, she makes sure she has a bowl in her mouth, growling and vocalizing the entire time. She's discovered the versatility of feeding bowls --- they can be stacked! so when I crate her, it's always with 2 or 3 empty feeding bowls because she stacks them and unstacks them just so she can stack them again, when she's bored. Quite a character, is Sea. I'll post some pics of the little booger and her bowls later when I'm home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary&Sully Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 I have a little bit of a border collie named Sea. Sea collects feeding bowls if I don't pick them up after feeding quick enough. She's always got a metal feeding bowl in her mouth, whether she's running, playing. If she joins the other border collies in a running around, she makes sure she has a bowl in her mouth, growling and vocalizing the entire time. She's discovered the versatility of feeding bowls --- they can be stacked! so when I crate her, it's always with 2 or 3 empty feeding bowls because she stacks them and unstacks them just so she can stack them again, when she's bored. Quite a character, is Sea. I'll post some pics of the little booger and her bowls later when I'm home. Videos please??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 I had to throw out that hideous rusted old thing when Sea wasn't looking. She put the bowl down for a minute to say "Hey. We'll have none of that sort of thing around here!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waffles Posted August 6, 2011 Report Share Posted August 6, 2011 That is hilarious! I love those photos! My guy will go right up to strangers and throw his ball or fisbee at them. Most people find it amusing. He has no issue walking up to strangers and nudging their hand with his head for a good rubbing. If there is a group of us standing around while he plays frisbee he makes sure to bring it to everyone so they all have a chance to throw it for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoresDog Posted August 6, 2011 Report Share Posted August 6, 2011 Those pictures of Sea and the bowls are hilarious! Thanks for digging them up, Vicki. If there is a group of us standing around while he plays frisbee he makes sure to bring it to everyone so they all have a chance to throw it for him. I wonder if this is a common thing? If two people are available to throw, Daisy is very careful to deposit the frisbee at their feet alternately, so each person gets the same number of turns. Juno, on the other hand, figures out who has the best arm, and they will be her lucky beneficiary every time! They are so funny on the beach -- they are always shopping the surfers walking along in their wet suits and carrying boards, who often will pause and give them quite long throws. They've made the association that surfers = good throwers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brady's mom Posted August 6, 2011 Report Share Posted August 6, 2011 My guy will go right up to strangers and throw his ball or fisbee at them. Most people find it amusing. Brady's perfected this to an art, lol. Most people seem to think it's charming and indulge him in a few throws. He's also quite the flirt with the ladies~. He seems to have come to the conclusion that he can seduce anyone of the female gender into giving him love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogger_woggers Posted August 7, 2011 Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 Back when our little girl was alive we used to joke that she knew ahead of time when we would be leaving the house. And she could usually tell if she was coming with us or not. Whenever we had to go to work and leave her behind, she'd sit and pout in the corner while we were getting ready to go. Sure enough, as soon we were out of the house she'd jump out of her pouting position, dash across the room and glare at us from the big picture windows as we drove away. I'm certain she stayed there and watched the road until we got back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelleybean Posted August 7, 2011 Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 Whenever I come home, even if I've only been gone for an hour, Asa cries and yips like I've been gone for months! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bn_here_b4 Posted August 7, 2011 Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 Jody never chewed any of my stay at home/weekend shoes. He did, however munch two pairs of work shoes and the toe out of a brand new boot that I only wore to work once. He is also a fair dog and includes everyone in his games. He brings toys to each person in turn. Though I wonder if it is a sense of fairness or has he realized the playing will last longer if he splits it up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bn_here_b4 Posted August 7, 2011 Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 Sorry about the double post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arf2184 Posted August 7, 2011 Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 When Meg hears the sound that the computer makes when I log off she jumps up and runs to the bedroom door (because that sound means its time to go to bed....no matter what time of day it is). When she wants to go for a walk, she brings me my 'dog' shoes...or rather she throws them at me. She doesn't touch any of my other shoes (which is good...she can be rough with them). When I'm going to work in the morning, she tries to run out the door and jump in the car. On carpool days, I ride with my mom and Meg always goes to the right car long before either of us get there. I work at a hospital so she can never come with, but she sure tries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 Seven (hound mix) always says hello when I come home then proceeds to tell me about her day. Woo, roo, roo, wa woo....If I talk back to her (which I usually do) she'll go on forever. Seven is very clever--once tricked Star out of a bone by picking up a stick which, of course, Star then had to have too. As soon as the bone dropped, Seven was on it! Seven is highly offended whenever anyone tries to throw a ball for her. She puts her nose up and looks away! I guess she thinks fetching is beneath her! Swimming is maybe her favorite activity, and she will swim in anything but the pool (which we discouraged when she was a pup). Best dog in the world for sure. Star has this hilarious, "What, you talkin' to me?" look when she doesn't understand what you want. She sort of wanders around a little, sits, scratches, wanders some more. But all the while you can see the wheels turning. She also takes turns with everyone when playing ball. She follows me everywhere and gets the most curious look on her face when I'm in the shower (I imagine she's horrified with my apparent fascination with washing--her, the kids, myself). She loves boat rides, but doesn't care to swim where she can't touch. Silly girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 Those pictures were great!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixx Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 Well I had a funny thing happen today... Took the girls to the ocean, their first trip there. They were intimidated by the water rushing at them and would run away, but then come back in to the waves, then run away. Quite charming these two, entertainment all day! They got to the point of loving the water and splashing around, ripping around along the shore. Seek found the perfect stick. Instead of bringing it to me, she insisted on barking at it over and over and over! No matter how far away I got she would just stand there hovering over it and barking. The best part is the cute little quirk she has, she stomps her front paw when she wants me to throw a toy/stick and starts huffing at me. She's always done this and she did this today with the stick. I know it's very demanding and bossy, but I love this about her. She is adorable when she stomps her feet. Finally to the funny thing that happened today. On our drive back home I was holding Seek on my lap (both the pups passed out), I thought I saw something in her tail... expecting to pull out some sort of plant, I pulled out a fishing line set up!! It was the little safety pin thing with weights on it. So weird! How random is that?? I thought to myself "only a border collie..." Of course that's not true, lots of other breeds have long hair. Cedar is like a little dog. She lays on the deck in the back window of my moms car, everytime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InLikeFlynn Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 Flynn was doing a funny thing at our campsite recently. He was repeatedly sticking his nose into leaf litter and making a "whoofing" noise. He would go from spot to spot and do it, or stay in one place and "whoof" repeatedly, with his sides going in and out in an exaggerated way with each "whoof". I asked him if he was okay and he would wag his tail happily, I guess he had found some chipmunk holes and was trying to flush the chippies out. Flynn also likes to have the last word. When my husband has told him to stop barking, Flynn will grumble. My husband will tell him to stop grumbling, and then Flynn would make a little "hmmph" sound--so funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serena+Eluane B.C. Posted August 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 Bwahahahaha Sea4th I am ROFL with the metal bowl photos!!!! I also loved reading the whuffing-puffing noise when they encounter leaves or the ocean waves (Sixx), and I got a hoot out of Flynn always needing to have the last Word, InLikeFlynn. Oh, gee, yeah Border Collies are all like Sharks the way they hover and stare at the ball....and yeah, they will con everyone in sight to throw the dang ball 100x over and poke their noses and thrust that ball into a guest's lap or hand like an obsessed stalker, lol! Hey, just checking---everyone does get the very cute border collie 90 degree back-and-forth head tilt? right??? like they are trying soooo hard to listen to every single word you're trying to say? Right? James says that every single border collie displays this characteristics and it's one of their funnest traits. And hey does everyone get the "quivery ears" when border collies are in high alert-mode?? it is the cutest thing to see in how expressive they can be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nansee Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Hello :-) I'm a newbie here but not new to Border Collies or their quirks. We just brought home, Leila, a sweet little rescue (possibly a mix but no one knows) who's 13 weeks. Already she's bringing me her food bowl and throwing her Kong down the hallway. She wants to play with our cat but she doesn't like his "prickly" response. I'm looking forward to many more years of antics and goofiness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoresDog Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Leila is darling! Welcome aboard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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