skip2milou Posted November 23, 2013 Report Share Posted November 23, 2013 I have lurked for a bit & posted a tiny bit but I figure I should introduce myself. I am from southern Ontario. My bf & I have 4 dogs between us. Lou is a black & white border collie, Tundra is a red merle border collie, Teeze is a mixed breed (about half border collie but does not look like one at all) & Emma is our Golden. Skip was my first border collie who passed away 3 years ago. We are a flyball home that dabbles in agility. I know this means to this board I have the worst- a red merle that doesn't do herding! He's still my dear boy who is everything I have wanted. He is also my only current dog that has herding lines in him. We play NAFA flyball here in Region 2. We play U-Fli with a team that is now split between Southern Ontario & Illinois. I haven't started completing in agility again & might not ever. It's so expensive & Tundra thinks agility should be done like flyball. Life is busy for me between full time job, 4 dogs, 1 horse & a bf who does home dialysis! Means a lot of the time I wish I could figure out how to have a 30 hour day. Let me know if you have found out how to have one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maja Posted November 23, 2013 Report Share Posted November 23, 2013 As far as I understand the issue on these boards is that BCs should be bred exclusively for their working ability. Whatever else anybody does with their BC is fine. They are terrific all-round dog, lovely to work with whatever you throw at them, so one should enjoy this feature in border collies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted November 23, 2013 Report Share Posted November 23, 2013 Welcome! It's just as Maja said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted November 23, 2013 Report Share Posted November 23, 2013 Shoot. Lots of people here have red dogs. They do everything with them. There are red dogs competing in stockdog trials and they are out there working, too. I think that red dogs are a lot more common out where the dogs are working cattle. Anyway, just jump right in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted November 23, 2013 Report Share Posted November 23, 2013 Confirming what others say, the board takes issue with how these dogs are bred not whether you use them for sports or only as companions. Quinn is as sports bred as they come, bought in my agility days before I found these boards. I have been on these boards for 8 years, learning lots about the breed and dogs in general. This is a wonderful place. Welcome! P.S. Sorry, no suggestions about 30 hour days. I am busy trying to find three day weekends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted November 23, 2013 Report Share Posted November 23, 2013 Welcome from me, and my red dog too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted November 23, 2013 Report Share Posted November 23, 2013 Welcome from another forum member that has a red tri and does agility. Jovi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted November 24, 2013 Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 Welcome from a member whose first two border collies were a red tri and red/white. The r/w girl, Shoshone, had ice blue eyes and one ear up, one ear down. She was a caution. Ruth and Agent Gibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rufftie Posted November 24, 2013 Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 welcome! I too have a red tri that I train for agility. he is from fabulous working dogs and red was quite a surprise to his breeders. because his work on sheep is not very important to me and he is not a "prodigy", I've had him neutered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louisewood12 Posted November 24, 2013 Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 Welcome from a newbie to the forum from the UK. My girls Cadi and Erin do flyball and agility amongst other things-they are incredibly easy to work with! I think the key is understanding dogs inside and out and keeping them mentally and physically happy!! I'm glad I have discovered this forum-lots of very useful tips and friendly members. Lou.xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip2milou Posted November 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 My merle was not neutered on request of his breeder to let him mature to begin with. Since then the request was to not neuter him & leave him intact. He is a great sports dog with a great personality. I have done the health clearances that his breeder requested. His ears are a radar system. In the picture here he is watching agility so both are up. My black & white had a bone chip in her elbow that we believe was the result of an accident (bruising that calcified). We couldn't be certain & not long after she started coming into heat every 4 months. I spayed her. My little mix was bred for flyball. Her breeder does clearances with her breeding dogs. Her contract with me is more thorough than my purebreds! I might know some of you American members in flyball. The U-Fli team I play with is River City Flyers & the NAFA team is Double Impact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted November 24, 2013 Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 My merle was not neutered on request of his breeder to let him mature to begin with. Since then the request was to not neuter him & leave him intact. He is a great sports dog with a great personality. I have done the health clearances that his breeder requested. That's all very lovely. But if he's being left intact with an eye to breeding him, none of these qualities make him breed-worthy. The only thing that will make him that is proven ability on livestock. Breeding him on the basis of his color and/or being great at sports and/or his wonderful personality without the proven livestock working ability greatly risks reducing that ability within the gene pool. And proving his ability on livestock isn't a simple matter of having him instinct tested. It's the long and arduous process of training him to open level stock dog trials or, at the very least, highly competent farm work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted November 24, 2013 Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 Precisely what GentleLake said! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted November 24, 2013 Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 ^^^ In a nutshell. Jovi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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