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New member TheWandy


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Most definitely give agility a go!! 4 is definitely not too old. I have heard of dogs that start at 8 and enjoy several years of running around a course.

 

Any type of training can benefit a dog, and most dogs can really turn on to agility when trained in a fun and positive manner.

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I grew up in Eastern KY. Floyd County, which is right next to Pike County. Both Border Collies and Aussies are common in the area and it's still extremely common for dogs to run lose or just be dropped off somewhere when they are no longer wanted.

 

I would guess she probably has some Aussie in her, but I also wouldn't put it past somewhere to dock a border collie tail either.

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I started my boy on agility last spring, at around 7 and a half. Now he's 8 and his enthusiasm is greater, if anything.

 

And he loves trick training, or when I hide his kong and he has to find it. Or walking someplace new - lots of brand new scents!

 

Border collies have active, agile minds. Any silly thing you can train your dog to do will be a good thing. Just make sure it's something you won't be sorry about. I taught my 1st bc to get a ball out of a small trash can. Ended up having to keep the bathroom door closed, because she'd empty the small waste basket in there. Won't do that one again.

 

Ruth and Gibbs

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Both of my current dogs are from KY. One is clearly a purebred border collie, picked up as a stray just outside Paris, and the other a likely border collie mix came from the shelter in Bowling Green.

 

The PA rescue I adopted them from says the same thing that Michelle does, that dogs running loose and/or simply abandoned are heartbreakingly common.

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I worked for the local county animal shelter the summer between high school and college and it was the hardest and most heartbreaking job I've ever had.

 

KY always ranks lowest in animal welfare laws. Rescues have really been doing a good job of coming into most of these county shelters and pulling animals, but that's not always better (one rescue was recently raided and 178 dogs were confiscated). The situation is just not going to get any better here or in the South as a whole until the laws are made and enforced and people have more of a respect for pet ownership.

 

I'm glad that your pup found a good home with you.

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I've heard and seen people who have docked their BC's tail. Not sure why. They have beautiful tails and they use them for a lot of things.

It is a regional thing. In some areas of the country (central OR for one) border collie tails are always docked when they are a day or two old. Standard practice. So it doesn't mean there's Aussie in there just because the tail is docked. I think it's a horrible practice to dock any dog's tail, but no one asks me my opinion ;)

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