BC Personality Profiles..

[AKB]

Poor you, that is an awful story. Rune and Idolon are beautiful. Although- I've never seen dog here that wasn't. I have three dogs, Ingrid is my Border Collie mix. My husband and I adopted Pasqual, a very angry seven year old papillon mix while we still lived in an apartment under the condition that I would voluntarily ban myself from browsing petfinder. Almost three years later, we bought a house. Long story short, my husband loved this house. I hated it, a lot. We had put offers on several houses we both loved, and each one was in turn rejected. So I conceded to put an offer on the house I hated- with conditions. First, we would remove all metallic flowered wallpaper as soon as possible. Second, when the yard (an acre and a quarter) was fenced, my husband would build me a chicken coop, which I would fill with four hens. And third, we would adopt a newfoundland or newfoundland mix. We decided it would be best to get a puppy, since any full- grown- self- respecting dog woud simply laugh at Pasqual's attempts at intimidation. Once we had the house under contract, I gleefully began browsing petfinder, which admittedly I had never actually stopped doing. And there was Ingrid- half newfoundland, half border collie. She was nine weeks old, and lived about five hours away. I just knew she was my puppy. I immediately emailed her picture to my husband, filled out an adoption application and as soon as the house was ours we picked her up (the nice rescue where we got her was doing a petsmart adoption day only two and a half hours away, which was perfect). She didn't wind up looking much like a newf, save for her webbed feet and decidedly un- border collieish little jowls, but I couldn't care less. She's my pumpkin. I would have loved her if she wound up having two tails and a fifth leg. She has the best disposition of any dog I have ever known- she is smart and sweet and sensitive. We were found by an aussie puppy this summer, and we are so lucky, he is wonderful too. They never get tired though.

[Bo Peep]

Usher was ordered (sounds like a catalog) from Don Helsley. Don & I used to practice with my old dogs and I had lost 2 in 2 years and was down to one. I asked Don 1 1/2 years in advance for a pup. Migraine was still alive and doing pretty good at 14 1/2 but before Usher was born, cancer took her life. I was dogless. I just trusted Don and asked for a male. All I got was a picture because the dam was in Oregon.

 

Usher was born on Aug 15, 2006- he is neutered. That makes him sad- LOL.

 

The look of the dog meant nothing to me. But I do hate to admit I sure was pleased he turned out so handsome. I had only had one tri before, but not as much brown as Usher.

 

I realized I bit off a little more than I could chew when he was a pup. After all, it had been 13 years since I'd raised one and no older dog to help teach him. He's very high prey driven. My obedience teacher compares him all the time to Miss Lacey, Mick and Migraine and said "He's stubborn!" He's probably too much dog for me, but he's mine and we are already in love so there's no turning back.

 

Usher is a nerd. He is obsessed with so many things I can't list them all. Raindrops that fall off the roof. He stands on his back paws and tries to catch them- he can stand on those 2 paws forever. Sprinklers, hoses. If I go to the bathroom he waits for me to take a shower-every time- I absolutely love these quirks. Everyone of my dogs have had some. He, by far, has the most.

When we do accomplish a task I am more proud of him than I was with my others, because it takes more work and patience for me. Usher is NOT your timid border collie. He is sweet, yet so happy to see you he gets over-excited. We're still working on that. Plays well with others (no mad-teeth tm) sorry....owe you one. Not food aggressive, no dominance issues or (really surprising) separation issues.

Usher will come live with you if you have a tennis ball- no loyalty. He doesn't smoke or drink alcohol.

He's the man in my life

[Kayleegator]

Awwww! I love your profile of Usher: you know your boy so well! He's a sweetie, even if he is a nerd.

[OurBoys]

JJ, 4-5 yr old male, rescue, we were told he is a 100% bc.

 

JJ's original owner went on a trip and dumped JJ in his neighbor's fenced-in backyard without telling the neighbor. The neighbor wasn't the type to go into his backyard everyday so we don't know how long JJ was there without food and only stagnant water to drink. Apparently the neighbor dog-sat often but when he found JJ in his backyard and the original owner didn't bother telling the neighbor, he had had enough. He didn't want to call AC so he called the police. The officer that came out to his house told him of a bc rescue service. That's how JJ ended up in rescue. When we first adopted JJ, he had a hygroma on his right elbow. JJ's vet told us the only way a dog JJ's size could get a hygroma was if he only had concrete to sleep on. We use to wonder often if he was also beaten. Any time we would go outside to pick up sticks that had fallen out of the trees or pick up a stick to knock down a spiderweb, JJ would run scared as if we were getting ready to hit him. And according to his foster mom, his coat was in just horrible shape.

 

 

Jake, 2 ys old male, rescue.

 

In Jake's previous life he spent a lot of his time tied to a tree. He belonged to an elderly man who would untie him to herd. Jake went into rescue when his original owner (I think) went into a home (nursing or asst living???) Since Jake was approx 1 yr old or less when we adopted him, we wonder how much herding time he had. We have a feeling he was tied to the tree for the most part. When he first arrived, he didn't know how to play. The only thing he would do is pick up a tennis ball and drop it. Then he would bat it around with his front paws like a cat. That was it. We had to take baby steps to teach him how to catch. DH taught him how to catch with popcorn. The first time Jake actually caught a tennis ball, DH and I got so excited and yelled so loud, we scared him. When he realized we were happy and not mad at him, that's all it took! Catch is one of his favorite games now!

When Jake was removed from his original home, he went to his foster home. His foster mom then took him to the vets and he had to stay overnite. Shortly after he went back to his foster home, he was taken over to the transporter's house. The next day, he was driven down to our house. By the time he got here, he had decided he wasn't going anywhere else. Jake told us he was here to stay. It took a few trips to convince him when he got into our SUV, he will always come home with us. And to this day, every time he jumps out of the truck, he acts like a kid at Christmas time! Yes, we are definitely his forever home! JJ's too, of course!

[petina]

JJ, 4-5 yr old male, rescue, we were told he is a 100% bc.

 

JJ's original owner went on a trip and dumped JJ in his neighbor's fenced-in backyard without telling the neighbor. The neighbor wasn't the type to go into his backyard everyday so we don't know how long JJ was there without food and only stagnant water to drink. Apparently the neighbor dog-sat often but when he found JJ in his backyard and the original owner didn't bother telling the neighbor, he had had enough. He didn't want to call AC so he called the police. The officer that came out to his house told him of a bc rescue service. That's how JJ ended up in rescue. When we first adopted JJ, he had a hygroma on his right elbow. JJ's vet told us the only way a dog JJ's size could get a hygroma was if he only had concrete to sleep on. We use to wonder often if he was also beaten. Any time we would go outside to pick up sticks that had fallen out of the trees or pick up a stick to knock down a spiderweb, JJ would run scared as if we were getting ready to hit him. And according to his foster mom, his coat was in just horrible shape.

Jake, 2 ys old male, rescue.

 

In Jake's previous life he spent a lot of his time tied to a tree. He belonged to an elderly man who would untie him to herd. Jake went into rescue when his original owner (I think) went into a home (nursing or asst living???) Since Jake was approx 1 yr old or less when we adopted him, we wonder how much herding time he had. We have a feeling he was tied to the tree for the most part. When he first arrived, he didn't know how to play. The only thing he would do is pick up a tennis ball and drop it. Then he would bat it around with his front paws like a cat. That was it. We had to take baby steps to teach him how to catch. DH taught him how to catch with popcorn. The first time Jake actually caught a tennis ball, DH and I got so excited and yelled so loud, we scared him. When he realized we were happy and not mad at him, that's all it took! Catch is one of his favorite games now!

When Jake was removed from his original home, he went to his foster home. His foster mom then took him to the vets and he had to stay overnite. Shortly after he went back to his foster home, he was taken over to the transporter's house. The next day, he was driven down to our house. By the time he got here, he had decided he wasn't going anywhere else. Jake told us he was here to stay. It took a few trips to convince him when he got into our SUV, he will always come home with us. And to this day, every time he jumps out of the truck, he acts like a kid at Christmas time! Yes, we are definitely his forever home! JJ's too, of course!

[Murphys mom]

My name is Murphy, and I will be 5 months old next week. I was born on a farm where both my parents live. I came home with my family at 8 weeks old. It has been quite a learning experience for my human mother, boy was she dumb. She has learned alot by reading these forums and we are doing great! She learned about NILIF and everyone is much happier. We are one happy family these days

 

I weighed about 13 lbs. when I came home and now I'm about 36! My paws are huge so we knew I'd be big.

 

Potty training was pretty easy for me, but we are outside alot so that helps!

 

I am losing my baby teeth so I'm chewing alot, but mom gives me frozen rags to chew on and they really feel good.

 

I love to play when I not chewing and I like to go for short walks. I also love my new pool!

 

I am learning to sit-stay and down stay although it's really hard to remember to stay until I'm called.

 

I love the car we go bye-bye alot because my human sister has drivers traing and 2 basketball practices every day.

 

I'm not scared of any noises so far but when a pinecone fell out of a tree the other day and I hid in the hostas, mom thought that was so funny

 

This picture is the night I came home and I was very stinky!

 

 

This is me now, wet again from my pool.

[fotobridget]

Liberty Ann is 18 mths (June 15) and was a kill shelter rescue at 8 wks. I walked in looking for a BC puppy, female, and she was in the first cage--with fifteen other puppies. She was the only to just casually walk up to the edge of the cage to look at us. She didn't bark, just looked at us and tilted her head consideringly.

 

I fell in love with her right then. The shelter lady entered the cage and I asked if the puppy was female--she handed me an obviously beagle puppy and told me this was a BC female...I said no, I want that one!

 

It was the eyes that I fell for first...so much essence in that little face I couldn't resist. She was exactly what I wanted before I began my search two months earlier.

As soon as she put Libby in my arms I knew that THiS was my dog!

 

Two weeks later and I was almost ready to take her back! (J/K) The vet informed me she had worms, demodex, ringworm, and a bladder infection. All of her hair fell out, her skin got all crusty, and the bladder infections were reoccuring until the age of...now! Finally her hair is back--and to our surprise--she's a rough coat. We thought she was smooth...

 

Libby is slightly noise reactive, but not like some of my previous BCs. She is my dog, and knows it, but when it's time to be cute and get her own way--she's daddy's girl through and through.

 

she's one of the calmer BCs I've owned (not that she isn't hyper! just not as much as my others were) but she is still more wound up than our Labranard, and sometimes her daddy can't handle that...he'll get on to her and she'll look at him--and her lower lip will slip out into a pout. Daddy just melts! He sometimes carries her on his hip like a baby, and has actually burped her when she's had hiccups...so now, she runs to daddy whenever she has hiccups--wanting burped.

 

She really is like a child in a fur suit, and I think Daddy enjoys that.

 

But she knows Mommy means business--and as such, she does pretty much everything I tell her, but rarely anything her Daddy commands.

 

Of course...Daddy isn't the one training her, either...

 

Still...she's a very mischevous little bugger...

[fotobridget]

ack! evil computer doubleposting

[Seelie Fey]

I talked to rescues and a breeder that was the friend of a friend. I dithered and debated. I was in the process of applying for a little speckly female from Arizona Border Collie rescue when I got a notice from Albuquerque Eastside that they had a female border collie puppy.

 

 

I got in there just as they were closing, and adopted her, sight unseen. They kept her to spay her and I brought her home the next day. She was four months old and had lost her home, been dumped at a shelter, spayed, and rehomed with me all in less than 48 hours.

 

She woke up from her spay surgery soaked in pee. She peed everywhere. You looked at her, she peed. You put her in her crate, she peed. You opened the door to her crate, she peed. The first night, in her crate, she yipped and I told her "quiet" She did. However, she had diarhea and that was the last time she tried to tell me she needed out for months. She was terrified and desperate for acceptance, but I couldn't wash her because of the spay stitches and had to do the best I could with pet wipes and patience. I researched "excitement urination" and "submissive urination" and "crate training" and "housebreaking a puppy" I took her out every two hours, day and night. I used a cooking timer to wake myself at night, and she learned to pee on command, when the timer went off. I had serious adopter's remorse. Part of me wished I could just take her back and not deal with all the issues.

 

Poor little puppy dog was so screwed up. She got better, though. The more puppy agility and flyball and puppy obedience that I gave her, the better she got. For such a spooky little thing, she quickly fell in love with every human on my flyball team. I had to learn whole new training methods, going from my hard headed, obedience is optional Zeph to soft, soft, Seelie.

 

Strangely, she seems well adjusted, now. She only pees for one person on the flyball team she especially loves, and the vet. She loves flyball and agility and is a fast little thing. As a puppy, she seemed somber, but now is a cute little bouncy dog. There is a dog on the flyball team that she seems to idolize. Her eyes fix on that dog and she barks when that dog barks, hops when that dog hops, runs back to try to steal that dog's toy, and in general makes a fool of hersef over her idol. I even had to pull her out of agility class with that dog, because Seelie just couldn't focus on anything but that one dog.

 

Seelie is so soft and submissive around people, but is a little b***** around other dogs. While she isn't snarling or aggressive, she'll flash the mad teeth quite freely. I enjoy playing with her and my other dog and seeing her switch from mad teeth at Zeph, cute sweetness at me, mad teeth at Zeph, cute sweetness at me, back and forth.

 

She is competitive with other dogs, inteligent, status conscious, prone to jealousy, and learns by direct observation. If the dog in class before her climbed the scramble, waited at the bottom and got a treat, she'll climb the scramble, wait at the bottom and clearly expect a treat. If I brush her tail, I swear her head gets jealous. I called her dragon puppy at first, because she would sneak all of Zephs toys and chewies away and then curl around the mound like a dragon.

 

She is always underfoot. Although she's agile and avoids being stepped on or tripped over, I find myself looking for her and unable to see her because she is right there at my feet, like a comedy routine.

 

 

 

 

[SoloRiver]

This is old, but what the hey. Some of you have seen it already.

 

An Analytical Dog

 

Solo was born on May 5, 1999, spent his first year locked away from the world, and every year after that trying to make sense of it, to make up for what he’d missed. Cinco de Mayo is an incongruous birthday for a dog with Solo’s characteristic mien. Solo has gravitas. It’s impossible for anyone who meets him to miss it: this is a dog who thinks too much. Dogs were not meant to ponder the mysteries of the universe, but that’s what Solo does. He ponders, and he worries. How do those airplanes hang in the sky like that, why don’t they fall down? That guy coming down the sidewalk, what are his intentions? Light, is it a particle, or a wave?

 

Shepherds are wont to say that a Border Collie isn’t really mature until he has as many years as legs under him. And I think they’re right, and I think Solo has changed a lot in the time he’s been with me (he seems to have grown out of his tortured artist phase, for example), but at the same time he’s always been a little world-weary beyond his years. Solo has ancient eyes: tip-tilted, deep-set, a pure, feral amber, shot through with bright yellow at their centers, deepening to antique gold at their edges. I’ve seen Solo’s eyes gazing at me from countless wildlife posters. They hold the relentless, unwavering regard not of an observer, but of a judge.

 

Most people talk to their dogs using baby language. I speak to Solo in complete sentences. I have perfect faith that he understands me, and that if it weren’t for the bothersome fact of anatomy, he would answer me in complete sentences, too. I only wish that he would believe everything that I tell him. “This man wants to be your friend.” “That train is not thunder, and it does not want to kill you.” “Just because I am running water in the tub does not mean that I plan to give you a bath.” He trusts me, but he is an empiricist, and a skeptic. He believes things when he sees them with his own eyes.

 

Solo pads down the sidewalk with a muscular, leonine gait, shoulders sliding easily under the mantle of auburn and white he wears over his withers, head down, eyes forward, tail slung low and businesslike between his hocks. I don’t lead Solo anywhere; he walks with me. It’s not the same thing. People invariably stare when Solo goes by, and often hold themselves very still, the way they might if they encountered a large and beautiful predator in the forest, watching until it slipped off between the trees. Solo has star quality. It’s ironic, and unfortunate, because I think if Solo could have just one wish, it would be to be completely unremarkable – to pass through the world unknown, hidden in the shadows, never subject to display.

 

Although his tastes can at times be quite rustic, Solo has the heart of a poet, and the intellect of a scientist. He appreciates clearly outlined parameters. If he were a musician, he would undoubtedly be a master of some expressive yet regimented form, like jazz. But really, I think he would like to be an engineer or a mathematician – engaged in finding underlying principles and rules, and using them to understand the structure of the world around him. He delights in manipulating objects, in determining all their properties, their smells, their weights, whether they can be easily disassembled, whether they roll. When he figures them out, they get assigned to a category and filed away in his brain and he never forgets them. When he encounters things that don’t fit into his categories, it vexes him. And then he ponders them, and he worries.

 

His favorite games have lots and lots of rules.

 

Solo has opinions about everything, and he is extraordinarily unforgiving. The things he likes, they are the Best Things Ever. The things he doesn’t like, they are Dangerous and Should Be Avoided. There’s not a whole lot of in-between with Solo.

 

The people he loves he would die for.

 

How could I not be totally, hopelessly enamored with this dog?

 

Solo is not what most people expect in a dog. He is a cipher, carefully blank, impassive, and wary, lest he make himself vulnerable. I only wish everyone could know the dog I know.

 

Everyone should know a dog like Solo at least once. I know, and regret already, that I will never know another dog like him again.

[WyoBC]

I'm not good at writing bio's but I'll give it a shot.

 

My name is Black Jack. I am around 2 years old. I am a boy, but got neutered at the shelter (so half boy now? )I didn't like that to much. I was rescued from a low kill shelter that I was in for about 8 months. No one wanted me because the people that found me said I chased horses. That's non-sence since I'm scared of them! I was also afraid of new people because I was abused before I made it to the shelter. I think I'm pure bred BC, but I might have a bit of Aussie in me. When I came home from the shelter I didn't know how to play or even what that ball thing was. For the first few weeks I thought he was throwing it at me, not for me. But I figued that one out. Now I have to make sure he doesn't forget to play ball with me everyday. Shortly after I started to love playing with toys and chasing balls I hurt my back really bad. I couldn't move for a few days. I went to the vet and got an x-ray. They said I have three bad disks in my back and two that will need surgery sometime. He told me it was because I probably got hit on the back by someone. If the pain gets to bad I will have to get them fixed. For now it's doing ok. Some days are worse but after an asprin I'm ok again. After almost five months of love and care from AJ I finally started to trust him. Now a year and a half later we're doing agility, play ball everyday, and I go everywhere with him. We're best friends. I couldn't live without him, and I doubt he could without me. We were truly meant to be.

[Bo Peep]

AJ-

I haven't read this for awhile, but what a lovely tribute to your dog. I will add Bailey's final blog to the list. Thanks so much for sharing.

[Bo Peep]

Hi-

My name is Bailey- My mom took me out of the shelter before I was PTS. I was a 2 time returnee and needed meds. Nobody would take me.

Now I have lost weight- a lot- 13 pounds. I should be on a late night video!!! Mom rescued me and wanted to place me, but fell in love. Yet she foud the "perfect person" for me. Mom is sad, My step-brother is sad.

I am good with children.

I am moving soon to Oregon. I will miss Mom!

Yet, I am doing a good job in providing a hearing dog service.

Take a look at me now!!

P.S. I have grown my coat back. I am happy and lost over 15 pouds now- Richard Simmonds, take me on!!! LMFAO

Sorry, have to show my coat off as in DEC. 07. It's much better now!!!

Edited June 27, 2008 by Bo Peep

[bc4ever]

Scooter is a 3 1/2 year old pure bred Border Collie. He was born on my birthday!--it was meant to be! LOL! I had been wanting a dog for quite a few years and had looked at the shelters off and on. I kept leaning towards the herding breeds. What really sealed the deal was when my mother died in 2003. My brother came back from Colorado for the funeral and brought his BC/Aussie mix named Buddy. We were a little apprehensive, not knowing what to expect, but he was so sweet and well behaved and was a blessing during a very difficult time that I decided I wanted one of my own! I searched the ads in the local paper, went on BC rescue sites, scoured the shelters, but no Border Collies. A few times we found an ad in the paper, but by the time we called, they were gone. Border Collies aren't all that common around here. I had contacted a breeder recommended to me by someone who had had several of her pups. She was giving her bitch some time off and it would be a long wait till we could get our BC. I was beginning to get discouraged. Then one frigid January day my aunt called and read me the ad she'd found in a different paper. We called to make sure there were still puppies left, and headed out immediately. Scooter was one of a litter of 5 puppies. Two had already been taken. The mother was a very calm, beautiful red, and there were two males and a female left. The males were black and white and the female was all white. Scooter kept coming up to me and untying my shoes--a little Houdini! He was friendly and energetic. We took him home that night, even though raisin a puppy in the dead of winter wasn't what I had had in mind. He spent his first night in a Rubbermaid tub! He slept through the night, with a few times of popping up and peeking his out to look around. I would go stand quietly next to him and he'd plop down and go back to sleep. The next day we bought his first crate. He took to it immediately. The first night he slept almost twelve hours! I thought he was dead! Everyone had warned me we'd have a lot of sleepless nights with a new puppy in the house. But we never did. He took to training quickly, amazingly, since we had a blizzard two days after we brought him home, which made it sort of difficult to let him outside! Puppy school came next. He preferred visiting with the owners of all the other puppies to socializing with the puppies when it came time to mingle. And he was never treat motivated, which was a bit of a problem in puppy school, as that's the method they used. Aside from the usual puppy stuff, he was really easy to live with. He's been such a blessing in our lives. He can be calm or hyper, depending on the day. Thankfully, he is not afraid of thunder, fireworks or cannon fire. LOL! We live near a civil war park and there are lots of recreations and lots of loud cannon booms. He LOVES Frisbee, and a game I think he made up--a combination of soccer and hockey. He pushes the ball down the "court" with his nose, we kick it and he goes after it again and again and again. He never seems to tire of this game. He also likes hide and seek. Very good at this. We sat down one night and made a list of all the words he knew and came up with over 300. And still counting! He's amazingly intelligent and very sensitive to humans moods. He loves children, which sometimes isn't the case with Border Collies. And the kids in the neighborhood love him!! They come to see if Scooter can play! LOL! Whew! So there. You asked! LOL! Yes, we adore him!!!!

[FoxgloveBC]

It says character sketch, but I might give a little more...well because I love her.

 

I had a really bad streak of luck right before and right after I got Foxy. I almost felt like I was doomed as a dog owner as well. A previous dog I had recently signed to co-own started having problems and the contract that was laid out stated that he had to be sent to the other co owner if problems emerged. Not little problems, health/mental related. I felt so bad like it was my fault that it happened, even though I couldnt control it.

 

I started looking for a Border Collie after that, because I had always wanted one and after that experience, wanted to go with a different breed. Am I sure glad that I did, these dogs fit me perfectly to a T..I love them all!

 

Foxy came into my life, after being picky about what kind of lines I wanted my next dog to be from. She wasnt the color I wanted, but color didnt matter, my dog did.

 

My Sheltie got seriously injured in an agility injury only a couple weeks after I got Foxy. I was told to keep him under total crate rest for at least 2 months.

 

Boy my little girl saved me during those times when I felt extremely discouraged. She is always so happy no matter who you are, or what you say to her.

 

She's fast and tall (20.5") and all legs. She is extremely quick and has been described as the "dog who looked the most happy to just be alive." Everyone is her best friend, she meets no stranger. But she saves a special place for me and only will perform for me. Her intense stare and crazy looks make people always stare. Kids are drawn to her. Shes wiggly as wiggly could ever be. She is my everything and the only thing that has kept me together for the past half year. I thank god everyday that she is so young and that I can spend so much time with her. She looks wolfish at times, positively feral. She makes me giggle when I see her looking like that. I dont know how else to describe her, when I try I cant help but say over and over, "Man I love this dog. She was exactly what I asked for."