Bringing home your first border collie puppy.

[TheCuriousOne]

My first border collie. My first puppy of any breed in quite some time.
Things I should know? Advice and experiences?

[Jescano]

there are so many posts about this very subject, just take some time and read through the forums. almost every new person seems to ask the same question

 

http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.php?showtopic=37183

 

http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.php?showtopic=37198

 

http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.php?showtopic=37176

 

http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.php?showtopic=37157

[teresaserrano]

I was a bit aprehensive. i had thorougly researched the breed - or at least i thought so - but in the end I didn't know that much. At least I knew this: they can be hiper, they're super smart, they need you to be REALY involved in their life because they need to be a significant part of yours. I already knew that and I was very ok with it so things have been going great. As long as you're commited to this dog, a bc shouldn't be a problem. But you do have to be very commited.

 

It's not that they need such an exorbitant amount of exercise - although they do need exercise. It's mostly that they need to BE there with you, and they need you to be there with them. They need to do stuff with you. They also need to learn how to relax and do nothing during all that time you won't be doing stuff with them. They're not yard dogs, and some have to learn how to just lie down and sleep.

 

Apart from that, they're the most delightfull amazing breed I have ever had the pleasure to share my life with. But they are work.

[Gloria Atwater]

What the others have said. A border collie is a full time dog. They must be part of your lifestyle and part of your life. They need exercise, true, but most of all, they need healthy, interesting things for their brains and they need to interact with you. A bored, ignored border collie is one that's apt to end up doing undesirable things.

Remember, a border collie is learning even when you're not teaching him something.

 

Also, crate training is a must for a puppy that lives in the house.

Best of luck with your new pup!

~ Gloria

[CptJack]

I posted this in another thread, and I think it fits here - though Gloria said it better and more concisely. She also covered the INVOLVEMENT with the dog that's part of the package that I didn't nail down, but still.

 

Border Collies are a little weird for me, because they have this reputation. In some ways it's deserved - I mean people cautioning others to make danged sure they really want a BC is a good thing! It's just more and more as Molly gets older, the more I read and the more I learn I'm not sure the reputation they have for being difficult is really for the right reasons.

 

Are they athletic, high energy and intelligent? Absolutely, yes.

 

They'll warn you until the end of time that you need to exercise the dog for eight billion hours a day, even though in my experience most do okay with a lot less than that (Lol). They won't tell you that what they really need is to be really and truly engaged with their handler and mindless running won't cut it. And even that endless exercise can be BAD for them, and you need to teach calm indoor behavior, not encourage nutty behavior.

 

They'll tell you they'll herd the cats, but they won't tell you that what they often are is dogs with a lot of prey-drive who want to chase everything that moves, from dust motes to grasshoppers to shadows to CARS, and that they can become absolutely and utterly obsessed (in a clinical sense) with doing that. Or that if they're allowed to 'herd' the cat for a while as part of an ongoing game and catch the cat they may very well kill it.

 

They'll tell you the dog's smart, but they won't tell you that smart doesn't necessarily mean the dog does what you want it to, or that that the dog will learn things you don't mean to teach, because part of that intelligence is developing connections fast. Sure, she housebroke in about 5 minutes but she also learned how to flush the toilet if she wanted a fresh drink (ugh) and for fun, and that 'losing' her toy under the couch would get me to stop what I was doing and interact with her in even less time.

 

I think, basically, that BCs are awesome and in a lot of ways they are over-hyped, but in others people just... don't always have a clear picture of what really is involved. It's not the energy that gets people into trouble, it's just a weird set of expectations of the dogs. The expectation seems to be that they're going to need a lot of exercise and they'll be fine with that. But that's really not how it works.

[ourwully]

My Juno turned 1 today and she was my first puppy. Like all the others have said they are a committment. As much as I thought I was prepared, I wasn't. The one thing that kept me sane was the crate. Thank goodness she liked it and still rushes to get in it for her night's sleep. They need time for rest and you will need it to so the crate is the perfect solution. Just don't over use it.

Although we went to puppy classes, I wish that I also had had the book Control Unleashed:The Puppy Program from the start. I am pretty sure if I had that book from day one we would be way further ahead today. All that said, it has been a wonderful journey so far. She is a great dog and the people on this forum have been exceptionally helpful.

The other thing I have to say is that it seems like every Border Collie is different and comes with its own set of challenges. Keep this in mind when getting advice and make sure any advice you receive is appropriate for your puppy and your philosophy.

Good Luck

Bill

[Maxi]

My Juno turned 1 today

Bill

Happy birthday Juno.

[RemsMom]

The one thing that kept me sane was the crate. Thank goodness she liked it and still rushes to get in it for her night's sleep. They need time for rest and you will need it to so the crate is the perfect solution. Just don't over use it.

This. Today was one of the few days that I needed to be away from the house all day so I dropped Nattie off at daycare. She played nonstop all day and fell asleep the minute I got her into the car. When we got home we fed her dinner and let her loose in the house to play with her toys. She was just like a toddler that had been to Disneyland and was hyper from being overtired. She would not settle down so I put her in her crate for the night.

 

When my husband is home on the weekends he feels sorry for the puppy because I put her down for a nap in the crate. My husband thinks I should just let her be loose in the house but she will not settle down and sleep. The odd thing is she isn't a super hyper puppy it is just that she will not settle down and sleep if there is something else going on. I feel like a have a toddler in the house again!

 

By the way, I don't think puppy daycare is a necessity but in our case I feel it is unfair to Nattie to leave her alone in her crate for 7-8 hours when she is used to being left only 2-3 hours maximum. Also, my GSD gets really stressed when he is away from his people (boarding when on vacation) and I am attempting to avoid that with my BC.

[KJT]

I am a first time BC owner too and my pup is now 10months old (have another mixed breed dog and have had boxers in the past). I did all my research, spoke to breeders, BC owners etc in prep for our new arrival at the start of this year. I thought I was well prepared, but I had forgotten what the puppy stage was like (other current dog is 6). From my experience over the last 8 months with my boy, this is what I have learnt about the BC...

- They love to have a "job" or a purpose. Whether it's coming to check the mail, being taught tricks, manners, obedience etc, their minds need lots of activity.

- "lots of exercise" does not have to mean lots of physical exercise. As a young pup, my boy would get more stimulation from being taught new tricks. Even teaching him to go to different areas of the house on command for 5-10mins (e.g mat, crate, door, bed etc) was more mentally draining than a run off leash at the park.

- They do need physical exercise every day, but a short session in your yard with a purpose, again, can do more than a 30min blat at the park (e.g circling around trees, heel work, body or hind end awareness games.

- They will keep going until they drop! My BC would go at full speed every day if we let him, however you need to keep sessions short and recognise when they are tired even if they are not physically slowing down. Having "downtime", be it in a crate, on a mat or bed, is a must throughout the day to make them rest/sleep.

- Kongs have been my dogs best friend (and my sanity saver!). Having several kongs stuffed with treats (peanut butter, kibble, cheese, carrot, pumpkin, yoghurt, carrots, a bully stick) and always in my freezer have been great to give him when I need to have a shower, do some work, chores etc and have put him in his crate. Even for car rides, or times at agility competitions when I have taken the older dog out, giving him a kong, keeps him entertained and quiet.

- They need rules and boundaries in the house, I.e knowing where they are allowed and not allowed, which is their toys and not their toys, their food and not their food, as well as when you will play with them and not play with them (example that my boy has had to learn: a ball in the dinner plate while you are eating, is not appropriate play time!!!)

 

These are the things that I have discovered and although I probably did read them in a book or get told, it didn't really sink in til I had experienced these things first hand.

 

I love my boy to bits and couldn't imagine owning another breed now, I think I am hooked!

Good luck and have fun!!!

[D'Elle]

Best advice that I have for you:

READ THE BC BOARDS!

Seriously. Read every thread you can, especially those relating to puppies and training, and ask for advice here, and then take that advice and apply it. This is probably the best resource that you can have, because the people who post here come from all over the world and many of them have been training border collies for decades. They are very generous with their time and energy to help others. You are lucky to have found this place.

Best of luck with the puppy.

[TheCuriousOne]

I have been reading board for many years. And many others. I am a "performance person". (i know this board doesn't favor..)
I Just signed up recently. Used to be a very active board back 3 years ago or so...

Anyways, when I look things up by typing them, irrelevant things pop up.
Sure, almost every thread is packed with some nice information. But i virtually never get what i am looking for when i go to search this board...

[TheCuriousOne]

What i mean when i ask for advice, is in bringing home the puppy. First few months with puppy, and any mistakes i should look out for. Any advice or things you would warn others about? Something you could have done better, or wouldn't do with your next performance or working puppy?

This will be my first puppy in a long time. And my first performance border collie of my own.

I am stocking up on interactive toys, treat toys. Any puzzle like toys for puppy to work with. Any advice on anything else? Favorite crates? Toys? Pens? Vaccinations? Food?
That's what i mean.
Thank you for the help.

[TheCuriousOne]

Happy belated birthday wishes!

[simba]

Keep your vaccination records somewhere really safe, and make sure you'll remember where they are not just now but 10 years hence.

 

Food- all I can say is try the dog on different brands to see what works best, and don't believe the hype. My dogs have allergies, and it's amazing how the expensive food can sometimes set them off horribly, or just make them lose condition, and some cheap ones or ones that are expensive but not 'fancy' (Royal Canin) can make them shiny, healthy, happy furballs. A lot of it is hype. The Blue Buffalo founder has essentially said that's why he got into the dog food business: "You can get into the market small with contract manufacturers making the stuff... Slap on a good label, come up with a slogan, and off you go... There were already a lot of smoke and mirrors in how pet food was advertised, and that was the sort of stuff we were good at.” Don't listen to the marketing, listen to your dog. Terrierman has a lot of good, if...um... forthright posts about dog food.

 

Good link (at least I found them useful) here, here, and here. There is also a really good thread on vaccination somewhere, mostly by AK dog doc, but I can't seem to find it.

 

Go over the old threads on socialization, inadequate socialization seems to be one of the biggest regrets for people I know with adult dogs.