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I don't see an intro forum, so I'm just going to stop lurking and join the fun. This board has been an immense help in all my research and general knowledge of the breed - what a great place! I've been working up the courage to adopt a dog since August and just a couple of weeks ago, I rehomed my furry friend, Nessie. She's a smooth coat border collie and I don't see much else in the gene pool. The shelter seemed to think she was a mix of some kind. She's about 9-10 months of age.

 

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I'm not very interesting, so lets talk about the dog some more! She's a really sweet girl, with loads of puppy energy and I've had this giant grin on my face pretty much constantly since finding her. She's convalesced from being spayed and she's already settling down on the leash, but loves frolicking around after birds, squirrels, paper bags, the air ... Right now, the only challenge is this intense fear of the car moving with her in it - drool city! And sometimes she just feels like crap and tosses her breakfast :/ I've read lots and it looks like it's a phase - I've started crating her in the car, opening the windows and feeding her once we get to the destination to reduce the mess. She made it to Maple Ridge (about two hours in the car) this weekend, but still leaked a few kibbles from her face when she jumped out onto the street. If it gets any worse, it's time to meet the vet. Other than that (oh and squeaky toys), she's very happy, compliant and easy going, which is easy on this first timer.

 

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I'm looking to start agility practice with her as she grows up (provided she likes the sport). She's food motivated and will do a bit of work for pats - toys don't seem to do much at all, yet. I'd like to get her to play a little gentle rope tug, but she'll only do it when it a rotten piece of wood off the ground and then she starts eating all the bark while staring directly at me. I'm looking for a good trainer in the lower mainland (near Vancouver/Burnaby). If anyone knows a good contact who really knows how to work with half-witted humans and young border collies as companions in particular, please PM me.

 

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That's the intro. Again, I'm glad this place exists and I think Ness is better off for it. Thanks for having me and m'dag :)

 

-Rich

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Welcome! Kudos to you for adopting a shelter dog!

 

A lot of shelters consider many Border Collies to be mixes because of the great physical variety and appearance that is found in this breed that should not be bred for looks. She couls readily be all Border Collie from her photos, She looks like a purebred lucky dog to me!

 

Very best wishes!

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Welcome Rich and Nessie

She is a doll and looks like a full BC to me!

I have a pup very simular in coat and looks. She was a carsick fool. It's getting better, now she just drools. Didn't seem to matter, in the crate or out of the crate. Stable footing seems to be good along with air. If she could she'd have her head out the window. None of my other border collies do this but I think she feels that bad.

 

Give her time and keep the car or crate filled with washable things and just go. Make sure it's to fun places so she sees the car even tho it makes her sick as a good thing.

I hear ginger is good but with all the puke I never tried it on Faye. I didn't feed her breakfast if I knew we were going somewhere. Now she can hold her dinner down so I don't worry as much.

 

This to shall pass.

 

Welcome to the boards and the wonderful world of border collies!

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Yes, the car sickness should pass.

 

My first dog threw up all over my daughter only half a mile from the rescue where we picked him up. He would drool a lake even in a stationary car with the engine off.

 

It's often stress related so make the car a good place to be. I fed Charlie in the car on the drive, then graduated to just switching on the engine but going nowhere, then just to the end of the road etc.

 

Travelling in a covered crate so she isn't disturbed by visual motion can also help, as can over the counter human travel sickness pills given a little while before the journey, but check with your vet as to a suitable brand and dose as I can't advise on what you have over there.

 

And just add - she looks like my kind of collie.

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Another Kudos to you for adopting a rescue BC - and a pretty one too. She sounds like a keeper. I am sure she will like agility if given the right introduction (keep it about fun!). The toy drive can be increased. You have only had her a couple of weeks - she may still be getting comfortable with her new situation.

 

Jovi

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Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone!

 

bcnewe2: good call on the stable footing thing, I found she drooled less and actually slept(!) now I've put down some rug anti-slip like this http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10132260/ and a bit of fleece in her crate - she also wanted to play and run instead of hang around the car feeling gross after the trip.

 

mum24dog: I'm experiencing some of the same behavior - it can't be just motion sickness, because I tried the slow introduction/end of block thing and she'll drool even thinking about jumping into the back. I think she was so sore from surgery that she didn't even look at my friends who were taking care of her in the back seat on the way home. She drooled even when nearly asleep/groggy, though - I'm grateful I don't have to do their dry cleaning :). She was shipped down to Burnaby from Fort St John, BC which may not have been her favorite thing to do, then she gets dumped in a kennel which was probably even more un-fun.

 

MrSnappy: I can't WAIT to see her Santa photo. lol! what a goofball she is!

 

-Rich

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Another Welcome To The Boards coming from AZ. She looks all BC to me, and reminds me a bit of my female. Sounds as though you two have a good thing going and she's a lucky dog. thanks for adopting from a shelter.

 

It is true that she will get over the fear reaction to cars. It just takes time and patience.

Good luck with her!

D'Elle

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I met Nessie on the weekend and she is lovely. She thought Santa was great too :)/> She looks all BC to me!

 

RDM

 

When you said you were from the Lower Mainland area of Vancouver, I thought to myself, I know just who could point you towards everything border collie in that area. Glad to see you've made that connection already!~

 

Welcome aboard! Nessie is a doll. Best wishes for a long and happy partnership, and lots of updates for us here!

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LOL at the shelter they had my red boy Ripley listed as an Aussie. Nessie is beautiful and she looks all border collie to me.

 

Ripley also got carsick at first. As he settled in to life with me and got used to the car it passed -- now he's a champion traveler and has no problem at all with 12+ hour car rides!

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Welcome! I actually live in Vancouver as well, and have a 8,5 months old BC. Finding a Agility instructor in the Lower Mainland is not that easy. I have done some private classes with Swift Dog Sports (nothing intense, cause he is too young), they are all the way in Pitt Meadows - which, in bad trafic, is a drag. Then there is Paws Ahead in Burnaby, who I have no experience with but they are in Burnaby, which is pretty close. You have to wait until your pup is a year old though.

 

Other words of advice... Go to McDonald beach at the airport, it is THE best. And I always take Nelson to the beach at Crab park for lunch from 12-1. There are a few aussies and border collies out there! Hope to see you and Nessie around!

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Congrats on adopting such a pretty dog.

 

For car sickness, ginger snaps can help. I have some stuff that I bought from a holistic store just called Motion Sickness and it has helped my 9 month old pup tremendously. I can now feed him before we travel. He won't sleep in the crate and just sits there looking really pathetic but he no longer vomits. For him, I think the sound of the crate rattling upsets him more now than the travel itself so we have put duct tape on the handle and have tried to limit the rattling as much as possible and it has helped.

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I lost it at "..leaked a few kibbles from her face when she jumped out onto the street".

 

Then I lost it again at "..she'll only do it when it a rotten piece of wood off the ground and then she starts eating all the bark while staring directly at me". I picture her with this srs bsns look while maoing rotten log and cackled, drawing the entire office's attention. :3

 

Awesome post! Best lol I've had in days. AAAAND she's SUPER adorable! Shelter told me mix when I got my BC too, but it was LIIIES. Nessie DEFINITELY looks pure BC to me. I just started agility with my dogster 3 weeks ago, and it's super funfunfun. You will love it so hard.

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OH NO!! I have to agree with the "calm leash" training. Hope that she is ok and that she hadn't taken off on you when she pulled this little stunt lol.

 

She didn't get far and was a little stunned about what had happened. I put her leash back on, collected the remains of her harness and line, and jogged away from the park to get her to settle down. I brought her into the pet store and my hand looked just like that harness!

 

She seems to get very frustrated that she can't follow her every impulse on leash and I just have to keep her away from the high distraction levels for now (mostly other animals and sometimes food). She's walking great in medium to low distraction areas - no tension on the leash and sniffing gently, but when the afterburners turn on, look out world. Funny thing is, even when she fully stiffens up while fixated, she sits and waits, but I'm not interesting enough to break her attention even with her favorite toys and food. The squeaky fox toy can sometimes get her brain back. Usually I just jog back a few feet at a time until she looks away/yawns/stares at me and I can reward her, but it's putting a lot of pressure on her neck, which bugs me a bit. I really thought the harness would help with that, but she has now tested that theory rather scientifically.

 

Also, she no longer gets carsick with more stable bedding and a crate in the car. I also bribed her with chicken. One problem down, 400 more to tackle :)

 

All this said, obedience classes are job #1 after the holiday madness is over.

 

-Rich

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