Looking to get a border collie! Advice please...

[shatchp]

Howdy,

 

Well, first off, I don't bring anything like the experience you'll read from others here. I think you're doing the right thing in making contact with BC owners, and this board is full of folks who speak from experience. We adopted our first BC two years ago from the humane society, and had no idea what we were getting into. I fell in love with 1 1/2 yr old Maggie when I met her...only she had just come out of surgery...so she was functioning at about 1% of her potential. There was a reason the shelter named her Busy! She was a BC/Aussie/something else mix, and as I did research I realized she was mostly border collie. It was fairly obvious.

 

To make matters more complicated, she ended up having a congenital (we believe) kidney disease, which took her away from us just 3 months ago. She needed constant interaction, lots of exercise...like a 3 mile run and two walks a day...plus lots of play time and obedience work. She was aggressive with other dogs, and could never be left alone uncrated. An avid reader, when we did leave her out of the crate, she devoured all the books within reach! Did I mention BCs can be highly cultured? She learned to roll over in like 3 minutes...blew me away. It was a challenge, and a lot of people would have, and should have, returned her to the humane society. But, we quickly became BC people...She changed our life, and thankfully we were able to meet her needs.

 

We just adopted another BC from the humane society, a 4 month old male named Ollie. All we have to go on is our observations of him in a kennel, with his litter mates...it is a crapshoot. But, we've already been successful with a very difficult dog. It's serious business to commit to this breed. I strongly suggest, as already stated, that you get some hands on experience with BCs. The range in temperament can be vast...these are tightly wound, dynamic bundles of athleticism with the intelligence of a 5 year old human (so I've heard)...highly trainable, but also highly independent. So, go into it with your eyes open.

 

But, when and if you do, you'll find these dogs to be incomparably special. Prepare to have your life changed.

 

Good luck,

 

sam

[shanni and kingsley]

when i was looking for a dog to replace my silky terrier when she passed away.. i thought and looked really hard for one which will suit my lifestyle... eg. i was looking for a companion who would in a way keep me motivated in running and jogging.

 

i did consider getting a bc puppy. however, as i am working full time.. i was fearful of the time i would need to train and for him/her to get out of puppy stage .. the chewing.. the hyper activeness and i may not have the time to be there.

 

Getting kingsley at 4 was really a blessing as he fitted right in. And best of all, he was obedience- trained and toilet trained... though there are areas that i needed to work with. His basic obedience is good, running footwork is excellent.. and recalls and off leash is great and i know his idiosyncrasies, energy level and temperament.

 

Getting an shelter dog doesn't mean that you will lose out on the doggy/bc experience.. rather... i think i work harder with kingsley than i would have with a pup..knowing of his issues, committing and wanting to work with his issues and wanting to make his life better than his previous one.

 

I have gained more insight in training and teaching him new stuff instead of taking things for granted. i put lots more effort and patience teaching him new tricks and such.. and i'm so proud of his every achievement. He has taught me to be a better owner than i was with my previous dog.

 

Regardless of the preparations that i did.. i find myself planning for things to do with him every weekend... cos this is wat he needs and i enjoy... i have lost some friends.. but gained lots more too.

 

And most importantly, i learnt lots from this board... tapping on the years of experience of others.

[AK dog doc]

Ya know, if you can read all that and still say, "Bring it on!" then I think you'll probably do all right. BCs are not for the faint of heart or the noncommittal. Doesn't sound like you're in those categories, to me.

 

Meanwhile, keep learning, because the more you "get it" about BCs before you get one, the easier this will be for both of you when it comes time. It'll increase the chances that you pick the right dog for you, and that once you have that dog you'll make fewer mistakes and figure out faster what to do to fix the ones you don't avoid.

 

Crossing my fingers that juuuust the right BC for you makes it to your door. Sometimes you get just the dog you need, even if it isn't the dog you expected to get, or the one you thought you needed... that's the greatest good fortune I can wish you, so I'll wish you that.

 

P.S. Melanie, as always I love reading your marvelous posts - so intelligent, so insightful, so beautifully written. You're right, everyone should have a dog like your Harley (or my Merrik) at least once in their lives. I've always loved animals, but Merrik was why I fell IN love with dogs. To this day I feel honored and humbled and blessed beyond what I deserve to have had her grace my life. She repaid me a thousand times over, and more, for every little thing I gave her. How could I have been so lucky? The gifts she brought me didn't end with her death. Almost 15 years later I am still enriched by her, by what she brought me, by what she showed me, by the ways she opened up my soul. I miss her still.

[mbc1963]

Border Collies do not fit into a normal human lifestyle. They cause normal humans to alter their lifestyles to accomodate their dogs.

 

Um.... Yup!

 

When I got Buddy, I was working 8 - 9 hour days and then doing eBay from home a couple hours a day to bring in extra money. It was nice - I had spare change for movies, dinner, etc.. Nice.

 

Then I realized that with Buddy, I was spending 2 hours a day (minimum) walking him... and eBay became too much for me. So I gave it up and just concentrated on Buddy. Less money, but more physical fitness. Walking. Up hills. Down hills. Cardio workout. Lost 20 pounds while still eating everything I want. (Not thin, mind you - just less fat!)

 

And the flip side is that all this walking (I'm on my feet during my job, too, on concrete floors) is messing up my feet. Apparently I'm a pronator and my arches are aching.

 

SO: Summary: The dog has made me poorer, thinner, and with sorer feet. I guess you could say we build our lifestyles around our dogs.

 

Mary

[sandra s.]

There ARE easy going border collies, let's not forget that! I'm lucky enough to have ended up with one of those.

 

Costs for Kessie: Food, vet. Dog tax. Collar. Slicker brush. Dog tickets for the train to university & back. Ball. Frontline for field trips into Tick Hell Country (aka middle Germany). Sometimes a small additional fee for a having her in hotel room.

That's pretty much it! I buy her lots of other stuff of course, but those are the things she NEEDS - the normal doggie stuff. No special BC points, you see!

 

The one thing she does need is time. Luckily (?) I had absolutely nothing to lose in terms of a social life, so there's plenty of time for her normally. But she doesn't care very much about what happens during that time, as long as we spend it together (and I do mean together - not me carelessly dragging her along to wherever I'm going). When I have lots of studying to do, she just goes into snuggle mode, as long as she gets her little breaks.

 

There are some things I haven't done ever since I got her (skiing, travelling abroad for rock concerts, cinema, travelling anywhere you can't go by car, etc) but I don't feel any sense of loss or of sacrifice. The truth is that I do not WANT to be anywhere without her.

 

I'm sure that if you are commited, as Melanie so beautifully described, to make the big decisions in life with the dog in mind, a good rescue organisation could find you a BC that doesn't ask for much except to be your companion wherever you go. Good luck!

[shelb'smum]

You will be

 

Okay, I admit that was mean. I couldn't resist.

 

Really, enjoy your new dog. But do take to heart the part about starting out with a dog, not a puppy, as your first BC (because there will be more), about getting someone who knows the breed to match you up with the right dog, and about the fact that your life WILL change in ways you are not expecting.

 

Also, start putting aside some cash. Dog sport hobbies can be expensive, and you'll be getting into a few soon, even if you don't think you will be.

 

 

LOL ITS true too. I wasn't single when I got my BC mutt.....in fact I was in a 3 year relationship.... a few months down the road.... and I was single parent of 2 dogs.

[Guest LJS1993]

Come on guys, telling the guy that he will lose his relationship if and when he gets a BC pup is bad karma for sure. Who knows, it might bring him and his current girl closer together.

[shelb'smum]

Come on guys, telling the guy that he will lose his relationship if and when he gets a BC pup is bad karma for sure. Who knows, it might bring him and his current girl closer together.

 

 

wasn't trying to tell him he is going to lose his relationship!! just sharing some real life experience

 

 

** a Border Collie WILL NOT ruin a relationship.... but sometimes it will show you who the person you are with is REALLY like and if you are suited to be together

[painted_ponies]

My DH has grown to love his little collie girls. When he and I married, I had a Great Dane and a wolf hybrid (I rescued the latter - for the record I think these are a very bad idea as pets). Shortly after the honeymoon, DH started having nightmares about monsters under the bed. He thinks BCs rock, by comparison.

[muggs]

OK..the other side...I think there were times I actually didn't break up with my college boyfriend because I didn't want to lose the border collie . LOVED having a border collie in college. Now married to said boyfriend for 15 years and have another border collie!

 

You sound like a great border collie candidate to me. Just take the advice and get a rescue, or second choice, get a well-bred pup from working stock. Don't give your money to an AKC breeder, backyard breeder, or puppy mill.

[Meg+Whiley]

All I want to add is to say: it's just like having a new baby. They are very cute and sweet, but they need constant attention, they poop and pee, they wake you up twice a night to go out. Just make sure you have the energy to be able to be up half the night, then running around half the day. I'm sure that other people have already said all this. It's all worth it, don't get me wrong. But it's quite the handful. I didn't expect for my life to be focused around puppy as much as it has been. So just imagine all the responsibilities of a new baby and include the fact that they want to follow you everywhere you go. Fridge, bathroom, sitting at the table: You will always have a BC at your feet! But enjoy I wouldn't trade her for the world

[sharkie]

if you adopt make sure you know how to fill out the questionnaires. i always keep thinking that's a test that i'd have to pass in order to get approved...this can be a bit challenging for new owners.

[INU]

I got mine as a puppy too and she was my very first dog. I don't think she's handful at all. She's high driven and always wanting to do something with me but she's always had a off-button. My lifestyle changed completely since I got her but I don't think it was because I got a Border Collie that is hyper and needs this and that. I wanted to change my lifestyle because I enjoy working with such an intelligent breed. They make you want to be with them. Other things (partying and travelling without dogs) seemed so dull after I got her. I don't know if it would have been different if I ended up getting a husky or GSD like I originally planned. Maybe it would have been the same, I probably loved any breed I got for my first dog anyway... I'm just glad that I did end up (even though by accident) with a Border Collie as my first dog.

[mbc1963]

This is a fun thread. And interesting!

 

I just reread a couple pages worth of posts, and it sounds pretty darned scary to own a border collie. I just wanted to be sure Ryan knows that it isn't ALWAYS a nightmare!

 

I do spend a couple hours a day exercising the dog now - getting out in the woods and enjoying the environment, regardless of the weather. That's a nice thing, most of the time. I enjoy winter much more when I'm forced to go out into the beauty of it. And I really, really feel in touch with the outside world, rather than separated from it. Outside the couple hours of walking Buddy, my life is pretty easy-going and laid back. Buddy will play hide and seek or chase if I agree to it, and I sometimes do. He comes around with me to stores and stuff when I can take him, and he enjoys the stimulation, but it doesn't require any effort on my part to have him hop in the back seat.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, outside the actual exercise time, Buddy hasn't really changed my lifestyle much. I get up at 5:30, walk him for 45 minutes, then leave for work. I can be gone 8 - 10 hours, and he's fine. I come home, feed him, play a bit, and then take him out for an hour+. Then we come home, play a bit, and settle in. I work, or watch TV, or go on the computer. He lies by my feet. I go to the movies, out to dinner, shopping... all the things I used to do. He's wonderful at home, and never chews on things or messes the house. I think he just sleeps in his little bed under the table. ::Shrug::

 

So there. Choose a border collie wisely, and you don't have to buy a sheep farm for him.

 

Mary

[SoloRiver]

I got mine as a puppy too and she was my very first dog. I don't think she's handful at all.

 

Yeah, but you're not a very average dog owner. You do SAR for fun. That's 500% more than most pet owners want to put into a dog!

[Pia]

I got mine as a puppy too and she was my very first dog. I don't think she's handful at all. She's high driven and always wanting to do something with me but she's always had a off-button. My lifestyle changed completely since I got her but I don't think it was because I got a Border Collie that is hyper and needs this and that. I wanted to change my lifestyle because I enjoy working with such an intelligent breed. They make you want to be with them. Other things (partying and travelling without dogs) seemed so dull after I got her. I don't know if it would have been different if I ended up getting a husky or GSD like I originally planned. Maybe it would have been the same, I probably loved any breed I got for my first dog anyway... I'm just glad that I did end up (even though by accident) with a Border Collie as my first dog.

 

Your comments and ones of so many on this post echo the last year of my life. Well, it took me this long to join this board, why? cause I was too busy raising a BC puppy. I have owned lots of dogs, mostly mutts, some smart, some dumb! Some I spent lots of time with, some I spent miniminal time with. I also work 8 to 9 hours a day so time outside of work now is time for Tucker. Yes things I used to do seem boring now, things I want to do now means taking the dog along with me. I read that male BC's are actually calmer and less aggressive/protective. Can't say for sure but having this male would make some sense on that statement. I just found out though that the only thing that makes Tucker give a warning growl is an aggessive dog coming at me. When he is off leash without me close, he is fine with that same dog.

In the end it is fate, if I had read half of the stuff on BC's before I found that poor little puppy who needed a home maybe I would have thought twice, but to miss out on the look on Tuckers face the nite I went back to the SPCA to take him home would have meant missing a moment in time that will live in my heart forever. So don't let anything scare you, this breed will adapt to you. They are smart enough to do that.

[ErinKate]

I didn't read all the posts. Forgive me if I repeat. I too am a fan of rescue. For the novice owner, there is NO REASON to bypass a rescue dog. I have two, and they are the bomb x 2! lol One is mildly disabled, (don't tell him, he doesn't know) the other is my agility dog. Both are great herding dogs. I just knew I didn't need a dog bred to the hills to be "on call" at my farm.

You probably have admired TRAINED border collies from afar. You have heard all about how smart they are. Do you know what happens when a smart dog ISN"T properly trained? Do you know what happens when they don't have a job? My long time motto- give a border collie a job, or they will find their own, and you won't like it. Border collies are great, just make sure you know what you are getting into, and head to the nearest rescue please.

[Alaska]

Far be it from me to beat a dead horse , but I just re-ran across "The Myth About Border Collies", which is actually a pretty good summary of all the perspectives in this thread.

 

Since I did break down and post on this thread one more time, the other thing I wanted to say to Ryan is that you will probably find, when you get your border collie, that it's not so much about having a dog who can and will go along on any adventure you plan, but that those adventures will start to be replaced by different adventures that are equally fun but somehow seem to originate from your dog. That, for me, was a big difference between the go-anywhere, do-anything dogs I've had all my life, and the border collies that followed. My dogs have always accompanied me on whatever adventures I felt like going on, but before border collies, dogs never really seemed to determine the course of my life in the way they have since. For example, I've always gone backpacking with my dogs, but before border collies it never would have occurred to me to drive to a sheep farm and sign up for a herding lesson.

[SarahAnn]

Welcome to the Boards Ryan. As you can see, there is no shortage of information to be gained here. About 18 months ago, we found a small BC who had been turned in to a local Vet to be euthanized. The owner said that he was "a little over 3 years old and had become a problem". ????? We had no experience with BC's and really had no intention of keeping the dog. We just looked into his eyes, listened to his pleading bark, and took a giant leap of faith. We waited one week to make sure that the owner was not coming back for him, and then brought him home with us. We live in a rural area and had every intention of finding a suitable home in the country for him with one of our friends. He already knew it, but it took us a couple of weeks to realize that he had already found a suitable home. Now I can't imagine life without him.

I will encourage you to frequent these Boards. Everything that I know about Border Collies, I have learned here. I check out the site almost every day, and never fail to learn something practical or simply gain greater understanding of the breed. I also encourage you to look for a rescue dog. The need is so great, and so are the rewards. If you haven't already done so, look at the rescue site www.bcrescue.org. Good luck, and welcome back to Georgia.

[Rskillz]

Ok so,

 

I've taken in the overwhelming amount of helpful information from all of you and I've decided to jump headlong and neck-deep into getting BC puppy. Maybe in the future I'll look into a rescue dog but as of now I guess I'm just deadset on a puppy.

 

So, with that said.

 

What do I need to do now? I've narrowed down a few breeders and I'll probably get one in August. What should I buy in advance? Whats the best harness/collar brand? I will spare no expense and make no shortcuts. What will I need for the puppy?

[Guest WoobiesMom]

Crate, crate, crate and crate. And connect w/a good vet in advance. A crate can be a lifesaver for the pup and a furniture/clothing/shoe/carpet/etc saver for you. I'm partial to a harness right now and a martingale collar when training because my dog gets spooked and can wiggle out and run easily. Things to chew on for those puppy teeth but it'll take some trial and error to discover what works for your pup. My pup loved frozen washcloths (w/supervision - heard a dog once swallowed one and nearly died!) And load up that sense of humor and patience, you'll need it! Good luck and have fun! Post lots of pics when your new arrival joins your family.

[gypsy84]

I've taken in the overwhelming amount of helpful information from all of you and I've decided to jump headlong and neck-deep into getting BC puppy. Maybe in the future I'll look into a rescue dog but as of now I guess I'm just deadset on a puppy.

If you're deadset on a puppy, then why not consider the option of a rescue puppy? There's always "accidental" litters being surrendered that could use a good devoted home.

 

I got my now 8 month old from a rescue when she was 9 weeks old (wow, time flies when you're having fun!) and I have absolutely zero regrets with her. I knew she was simply going to be a companion animal so I knew I didn't have to spend a lot on a well-bred dog. Instead of paying $500 and upwards for a responsible breeder's puppy, I paid a $200 adoption fee which included her spay, tattoo, license for 1 year, bag of quality puppy food, 6 weeks of pet insurance, and a couple of puppy toys. If you looked into it, a shelter around you might offer a similar deal. Not only do you save a life and give an innocent puppy a home, but you save money and get a bunch of perks too! It's a win-win situation

 

In the end, there will be no difference whether or not you got your puppy from a shelter, a rescue, or a breeder; as long as you are 110% committed then you'll endup with the most loyal friend you've ever had and a lifetime of memories together Good luck.