Guest jackieandryan Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 So my girlfriend and I got our first Border Collie. I have read about them for years and known people who had them as well. For the past few years I have always held back on getting one. I caved on Sunday night when I came across a litter of 12 week old pups that needed a home. They were flea infested and not living in the best of conditions. The people wanted to eventually breed, but got a premature surprise. They really had no business owning dogs at all, let alone trying to breed them. Although these aren't my ideal conditions for adopting a new dog, I just really felt for her and wanted her to have the best home possible. I already have two dogs, so she will have plenty of affection from both people and other animals as well. I also have roughly ten acres for her to run around on as she pleases and she will get plenty of exercise. I have read over the forums quite a bit, but would love to hear more input and advice from other BC owners. As of right now, she is 12 weeks old and 12 lbs. We took her to the vet today and got her vaccinated. She has hook worms and kennel cough, but other than that the vet says she looks good. With the meds and dewormer, she should be feeling better in no time. She also has double dew claws, which we are planning to have removed when she is spayed in 4-6 weeks. Does anyone have any opinions as to why we shouldn't remove them? Thanks in advance. -Ryan and Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berocca Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Well first of all she is absolutely gorgeous. Such a shame about her first home, some people just dont deserve dogs. By double dew claws do you mean front and back or 2 on each front? (I have seen that before). Back dew claws dont really serve much purpose in my opinion but I would never rob my dogs of their front dew claws. If you watch a dog changing direction suddenly at speed (which BCs spend a lot of time doing) you will notice that the dew claws actually come into play. They help to provide stability to a turning dog and can stop their legs from sliding out from under them. I know a few dew-claw-less dogs at agility that have trouble with tight courses because their legs slip out from under them. In my opinion, unless they are in some way infected, stick out abnormally, or she develops a nasty chewing habit I would leave them be. Have fun with her, she looks like a cheeky one Oh, and welcome to the wonderful world of BCs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shatchp Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Very cute...has that kennel-cough-not-feeling-great-about-life look I saw in both my dogs when I adopted. The sweet thing is lucky to have a clean and caring home. I'd also leave the front dew claws. The back ones I've seen are usually just hanging by thin tissue and don't serve much of a purpose. The front do serve a purpose and are more traumatic to remove IMO. My first BC mix had rear dew claws that had a tendency to get snagged and tear...an inconvenience. We never removed them because she came to us spayed. I love that second picture...so precious. Have fun with her. No amount of reading about border collies can compare to walking through life with one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepandakom Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 What a cute puppy you have. If our rescues have rear dewclaws we have them taken off when they are spayed or neutered. It's just easier to have it all done at the same time. I agree about leaving front dewclaws--they are like human thumbs, but the back ones really have no purpose that I've seen and they tend to get caught in things. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat W. Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 She is a cutie, thank you for taking her from the situation she was in, hopefully her siblings will find similar loving homes. I agree with leaving the front dew claws and removing the rear. Our rescue girl Meg had rear dewclaws that were simply attached by tissue and she ripped one off playing before we could get them removed. Although no serious damage was done, it was painful and bled like a big dog for a bit. Hopefully your girl will recover quickly and give you a true introduction to the joy of having a BC. Hope to see lots of updates on her progress! Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 ^^Ditto. Adorable puppy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheRuffMuttGang Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Cute pup! I agree with having the REAR dewclaws removed at the time of her spay as they serve no purpose unless they are firmly attached to the legs (most are not). With older dogs that are already altered I leave them alone unless they cause a problem. That being said, I've not had any issues with rear dewclaws at all. I've had two dogs with them and neither has had any issues with not having them removed. I am of the opinion 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' so I just leave 'em be unless they prove to be hazardous. I am a little surprised your vet vaccinated your pup if she has kennel cough. That's a huge hit to the immune system when it's already trying to fight the kennel cough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jackieandryan Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 I'm not touching the front dews. Just the 4 in the back. Both dew claws in on each foot in the back seem to be barely attached and bother me a lot. You can even see them in her 1st picture if you look close. She is definitely "cheeky" as one person mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheRuffMuttGang Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Is this one of the pups from Irving, TX? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jackieandryan Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Is this one of the pups from Irving, TX? It sure is. The only reason I stopped by was because they were so close to were I work in Irving. Did you happen to go see the dogs as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jackieandryan Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 I really would have preferred to adopt and we had looked for over a month at various shelters. I don't usually like to act on impulse but I just really wanted to make sure that she got a loving home. The scary thing is that the people told me they are still planning to breed but, "will be ready next time so they can sell them." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet_ceana Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Thank you for giving that wounderful girl a great home. She is absolutely adorable! My best advice is that ice cubes are great for chewing and they make gums numb. Other than that put up your shoes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoku's mum Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Welcome and congrats on your sweet new pup, she is a cutie! Ditto to all above about the dew claws. Hoku is my first BC, also, and believe me, they are not like other dogs! Check out NILIF It make life really good with a very smart (and possibly quirky ) dog. Be firm and fair in your training, and manage, manage, manage! Set your girl up to succeed, and keep things as positive as possible. Of course some small reprimands are needed to teach some manners, but manage your situation so that your pup stays out of trouble and you are praising and enjoying, rather then punishing your pup for things that YOU let happen, like chewed shoes, begging, and puddles on the floor. Work her brain, they LOVE to learn, and it really tuckers them out. Check out clicker training if you don't know about it. The clicker has been the best thing for us, and Hoku LOVES to train. We have ended up using the clicker to deal with some of Hoku's fear issues, and it has been amazing. When we are in a strange place and he starts to wind up and get all weird on me, I pull out the clicker and run through some of his tricks, and he calms right down, focuses on me, and all is right with the world again. Crate training is also a great thing, teaches your girl where her "off" switch is, and believe me, you want her to have an "off " switch! I'm sure others more experienced then I will have other great advice, but these things have worked great for us. And you are in the right place to learn about BCs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyoBC Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Congrats on getting your new pup. Thanks for rescuing her from there. I'm sure after she gets all better she'll have lots more energy. You in for a life time of fun. She looks like such a sweet puppy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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