Michael Parkey

cute, Cute, CUTE!

You have great advice above. I just want to add that we really appreciate the puppy pictures.

Thanks! We are suckers for puppy pictures.

Truer words were never spoken! Our Levi, a BC of uncertain ancestry, is 3 years old and 20.5" at the withers and weighs 42 lbs. During late adolescence, he peaked at 45 lbs., but lost 3 pounds in his third year. We always give him as much food as he will eat, except for treats which are rationed. By all criteria in the chart above, he is a very lean, fit, and athletic dog. On our last vet visit I asked if he needed to gain weight, and the answer was "No!" Our Aussie/BC? mix Buddy is 11 years old, the same height as Levi, and weighs 60 lbs. He is a rescue and when we got him at a

She certainly doesn't sound overweight! Comparing a dog's weight to numbers in a breed description tells you almost nothing about that dog's health and fitness. Can you get a second opinion from another vet?

Thanks for the info! I don't need another poultry project, so I'll stick to my ducks.

I raised bobwhites once. They were unbearably flaky and nervous. Are Coturnix more calm?

Nylabones are far and away our dogs' favorite toys, and they help keep teeth clean. But all dogs are individuals, and you probably need to keep trying things until you find Monte's favorite.

What a terrible decision you had to make! But you made it after careful thought and advice from experts who knew Darcy best. There are some genetic and neurological behavior problems that cannot be fixed. And you needed to protect your family. Don't grieve longer than you need to. There are so many wonderful dogs who need the kind of home you can give them.

Yes to the crate suggested by D'Elle. Long ago my sister had a large touring motorcycle and a wonderful little dog. She attached a study solid-sided crate to the luggage rack on the back of the bike, and padded the inside with carpet remnants. The carpet was important because it gave a non-slip surface so that Nipper (the dog) could keep his footing. Nipper loved it, and would jump into the crate whenever it was time for a ride.

Encourage your son to come here when he has questions or problems. He may get exactly the same advice you would give him, but it might be more effective if it doesn't come from his mother.

I raise doves and they lay MANY more eggs than I could possibly keep. When I make the morning rounds, any unwanted eggs become one-bite treats for the dogs, shell and all.

In Merle's Door, Ted Kerasote describes a similar use of an e-collar. He and Merle lived in rural Montana on the edge of BLM open range.land. Merle liked to chase cattle. If seen by a rancher, this could result in death by rifle shot! Though not a border collie, Merle was a sensitive and intelligent dog. If my memory is correct, it only took one use of the e-collar to stop the cattle chasing.

I enjoy genetics too even though I loathe breeding for color. You might try a search on coat color in Australian Shepherds. Aussies have more "standard" colors than border collies, so that may interest you. Australian shepherd people had much the same power struggle with the AKC as border collie people did, but lost the fight to keep the breed out of AKC earlier than the border collie breeders did. As my working Aussie friends say, beware the hair dogs and barbie collies!

Beautiful pup! Can't wait to see photos as his coat grows in.