YOU & Dogs

[Bo Peep]

Getting to know you type of thing- Copy and paste. Hope all will join in with me.

 

First dog as a child: pug

 

First dog as an adult Mix toy

 

Why a BC? I lived on a farm

 

Did you do research? Sadly, no- my neighbor had Aussies, my sis-in-law had cattle dogs, I chose border collie

 

First BC Miss Lacey- 1987- 2004 No papers- picked her up on an impulse. Fell in love at first site.

 

What made you want to get another? First BC was so smart and the best dog, didn't know if it was her or the breed. Got another-

 

What have you done with your dogs? Miss Lacey was a herding drop-out. My 2nd dog was tough on sheep but a love bug, my rescue......... saved my life ( and me his) Natural outrun, with a few years of work got me going and turned me on to trailing. My son trailed him also)at 16). I showed Miss Lacey and Migraine in obedience, Migraine in beginning agility, China, Mick, Migraine and Faith in Border Collie N/N trials. I did what they liked.

 

How many BC's? WOW- I did rescue in Clackamas county, so I had a kennel license. At one time I owned 6. 2 to train and sell, but 4 keepers.

 

How many do you have now? Just one........thinking of adding another. Talking to some, but really waiting for a rescue.

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? LOL. The list continues. I made the mistake of the laser light- thank doG I moved. He fixates on the "fan" I have 3. The ones inside don't bother him. The outside fan does. I absolutely love these quirks and my friends have told me "How can you live with this?" and I reply " HUH"

 

City dog or county dog? Now, City dog. Before, lived on 5 acres, then 40, then got divorced, lost the farm- literally-my dogs adapted. We changed to other venues to keep them busy. Yet after 4 years of not seeing sheep, Migraine remembered her whistles. Smart breed!!!

 

Would you ever get another breed? Maybe. But probably not.

 

 

Now it's your turn.

[Laurae]

First dog as a child: A beagle named Bimbo by my Dad. He's got kind of a weird sense of humor.

 

First dog as an adult: Sophie

 

Why a BC? Sophie was a stray. I found her abandoned in a city park bathroom when she was a puppy. I thought she was a lab, until I met a PNW BC rescuer, who ID'd Sophie as a BC mix and told me a thing or two about border collies.

 

Did you do research? As much as I could, once I found out what she was.

 

First BC: Taz

 

What made you want to get another? Craig was given to me to help me become a better stockdog handler.

 

What have you done with your dogs? I have tried agility, flyball, and stock work with Sophie, but she is happiest as a hiking buddy. Taz and Craig work stock and hike with me.

 

How many BC's? Two and a half.

 

How many do you have now? Two and a half.

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? Taz sees ghosts, I think (just like Polo...)

 

City dog or country dog? Sophie and Taz used to be small-city dogs, Craig used to be a country dog—now all three are suburban dogs.

 

Would you ever get another breed? Probably not.

[Skyler]

First dog as a child: Long Haired Dachshund / Yorkie Mix

 

First dog as an adult: Border Collie

 

Why a BC?: My great uncle had them on his farm when I was a very little boy. Nicest dogs ever. I remember playing with them for hours on end and they loved every bit of it.

 

Did you do research?: I did actually but I was brought up around them so I knew what I was getting into.

 

First BC: Jackie I got when I was young and was a mix actually...but what a dog she was.

 

What made you want to get another? Well, after knowing them growing up, Jackie and my first BC Skyler I couldnt imagine another breed. Aside from shedding he was literally the perferct dog. And I literally mean perfect.

 

What have you done with your dogs?: Skyler was a frisbee dog and was darn good at it. Aside from that he was just by my side at all times and we shared everything. Used to do a lot of backpacking and he and I spent tons of time alone hiking in the middle of nowhere.

 

How many BC's?: Always just one at a time.

 

How many do you have now?: Just one - Eight week old little Koda....I never knew pure evil could be so sweet

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs?: Well, Borders ARE quirks...lol. I know we had to put a hook latch on the pantry door because Skyler somehow learned to open door knobs on his own. We kept finding the door open with a head-sized hole in the dog food bag!

 

City dog or counrty dog?: How about suburb? I live in a nice neighborhood outside of the city. We are a small country town with tons of farmland surounding us.

 

Would you ever get another breed?: Well, I have a little long-haired female chihuahua - rather my wife does. I love tons of other dogs but as far as my dog goes I cant imagine even thinking of another breed. There is just this special light in the eyes of a Border that I have yet to see in any other dog....cant put my finger on it but its there without a doubt.

[gypsy84]

First dog as a child: Freckles the English Setter. He was the best dog you could ask for growing up. Sure he couldn't care less about playing fetch, didn't like swimming, and was moody constantly... But I can't even count the times we dressed him up and pulled him around the block in our little red wagon

 

First dog as an adult: My Gypsy

 

Why a BC? I've wanted one for years. While we had Freckles, I loved him, he was my best friend and I'd never trade the memories I have of him for anything. BUT, I wanted a dog like you see on TV, one that plays fetch, wants to learn things and follows me around.. Basically I wanted Gypsy!

 

Did you do research? Yes... I wasn't allowed to get a dog until Gypsy so all I had was time to research

 

First BC: Gypsy

 

What made you want to get another? Only have one so far... But I definitely want another! Once things are settled a bit then it's time for #2

 

What have you done with your dogs? Just training general obedience and tricks. I trained Gypsy without obedience lessons, which I'm quite proud of Plus we made a bunch of agility jumps and once it's warm enough to, I'll start Gypsy on those. Even though I have no clue what I'm doing agility-wise, she'll love it and have fun.

 

How many BC's? Uno

 

How many do you have now? Well it hasn't changed in the last 2 seconds...

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? Gypsy's best strategy when we're playing tug is to clench the rope as hard as she can in her teeth and flop down on her side. Only ever her left side though. She likes to hump Milford. She also stalks the dogs in the dog park. Maybe they look like sheep. Or maybe I just have a border collie.

 

City dog or country dog? Gypsy's a city dog, but hopefully that'll change within her lifetime!

Would you ever get another breed? Yes of course. Next dog will probably be an Aussie for the DH (Gypsy got him hooked on dogs!) and then after that, an ACD or ACDxBC pour moi. But who knows, another Gypsy might come along when I'm least expecting it

[WyoBC]

I think we did one like this before. But it's always fun to do

 

First dog as a child: A red heeler named Micky

 

First dog as an adult: My border collie, Black Jack

 

Why a BC? I lived outside of town and had always loved the BC smarts

 

Did you do research? Yep, over a year and a half of reading, volunteering with the WBCR, and walking - playing with BC's at the animal shelter here in town (where my Black Jack came from)

 

First BC: My sweet little Black Jack. Got him from the shelter I was volunteering for

 

What made you want to get another? Only have one, for now

 

What have you done with your dogs? Herding lessons, agility (for fun) tried fly ball, and Frisbee

 

How many BC's? Two are best

 

How many do you have now? Just the one, for now

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? That's a hard one. Which day? lol. He always talks (aaaahhhh rrrrooooooooo) just when I'm taking him out in the morning, he'll put his front paws on my bed in the morning and give me a kiss to wake me up, and he has to eat from the left side of his dish.

 

City dog or county dog? County dog. He loves his room to run, and his rabbits to herd.

 

Would you ever get another breed? No not really, I'm a BC kid of guy.

[Aquarius89]

First dog as a child: Samoyed

 

First dog as an adult: Erm.. Border Collie?

 

Why a BC? Mickey is a BCx that we adopted from a rescue. We adopted him based on his temperament, not his breed. Then I found the BCR board, and got even more addicted.

 

Did you do research? A little, but not a ton. I remember reading this a few days before Mickey came home.

 

First BC Mickey.

 

What made you want to get another? Mickey was very smart and had a good temperament. He always acted lonely when we went for walks and when he saw another dog, he would get so sad. He had lived with his brother and two other dogs since he was a pup so we decided to get him a companion (Molly).

 

What have you done with your dogs? Molly did flyball, and I have an agility set that I do just for fun with the dogs. Molly has been herding once. Hopefully in the new year, I will put them into agility classes.

 

How many BC's? Two.

 

How many do you have now? Two.

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? Molly's unique speech, Mickey's mind games to get what he wants...

 

City dog or county dog? City dog!

 

Would you ever get another breed? It's a possibility. But I have told myself no more dogs, and I quite honestly think I will stick to it. It's not fair to my two. The way I see it, I only have two arms for two leashes.

[PDing]

First dog as a child: Yellow Lab - Murphy

 

First dog as an adult: Border Collie - Polo

 

Why a BC? Impulse. I was planning on rescuing a Border Terrier, but ended up walking out the shelter with Polo.

 

Did you do research? If I did my research, then it wouldn't be an impulse, would it?

 

First BC Polo

 

What made you want to get another? Another dog or another BC? I volunteered at the shelter, it was only a matter of time before I take one home.

 

What have you done with your dogs? Polo has done 3 obedience classes. Nothing at the moment, no flyball or agility class is available at the training schools.

 

How many BC's? One.

 

How many do you have now? One.

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? Sees ghosts like Taz. Though, Polo goes to his crate at 11:30pm on his own. Didn't train him on that and he's usually within 5 minutes of the time (pretty dang accurate internal clock he has).

 

City dog or county dog? City

 

Would you ever get another breed? Probably not. Polo is a handful at the moment.

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Just a teeny sidebar here. This is a very good quick "getting to know you" tool. I've seen other similar surveys here but this is the best written that I remember.

 

May I suggest changing the subtitle to "Intros" or "Getting to Know Us" and making it a sticky? Then each new member can add to this, and also people can get a quick rundown on who we all are when new to the site. I love sites that do this when I'm new.

[BustopherJones]

First dog as a child: The first dog I remember was Lucky, an Irish Setter.

 

First dog as an adult: Bonnie, a Beagle.

 

Why a BC? I fell in love with the breed at our St. Andrews Society Highland Games, after watching the dogs perform in trials.

 

Did you do research? Yes, to a degree. Our vet also recommended a BC to replace the Springer Spaniel we lost to cancer, knowing that we had always had 2 dogs in the house. I found out a lot more through this website after I acquired the dog, but still am glad about my decision.

 

First BC: Annie.

 

What made you want to get another? Annie is the only BC we have had in the family.

 

What have you done with your dogs? Both Annie, the BC, and Missy, the BC-Belgian Sheepdog mix, are companion dogs. Annie is a ball player, who also does some therapy work at a local convalescent home. During the summer, Annie also loves to go hiking and swimming. When I retire, we will undergo formal SAR training, as our vet feels this is what Annie is best suited to do.

 

How many BC's? One and a half.

 

How many do you have now? One and a half.

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? Annie feels the need to snuggle at night, getting as close to me as the laws of physics allow.

 

City dog or country dog? Suburban dog.

 

Would you ever get another breed? As much as it pains me to say this, at our age it would be unfair to get another dog. So Annie will probably be our last dog; Missy will not be repalced when the time comes.

[Sasha's Mom]

First dog as a child: A Westie named Lady

 

First dog as an adult: GSD Nikolai

 

Why a BC? Accident. Neighbor found a sad, tick-covered puppy, and she was too young to tell - thought she was Chow initially. Well, she's not.

 

Did you do research? Once she started to grow up and it dawned on me what she was doing.

 

First BC Sasha (a mix, but enough)

 

What made you want to get another? Another dog or another BC? #3 was a happy accident (setter/lab), #4 was because I fell head over heels for her.

 

What have you done with your dogs? Obedience at this point only. Working on Frisbee with #4

 

How many BC's? Two (unless you count 3 BCx foster dogs who've stayed with us, one is here now)

 

How many do you have now? Four dogs, 2 cats, a bunch of fish and a bearded dragon. And a partridge in a pear tree.

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? Sasha talks. Nikolai dreams out loud. Sassy won't get dirty or wet and pouts about it.

 

City dog or county dog? Surburbia for us at the moment, possibly country soon.

 

Would you ever get another breed? Of course. We rotate fosters through all the time of varying background. I love my BCs, but if another poor mutt grabs at the heartstrings, there are no qualms.

[PrincessJenni]

First dog as a child: A dog of unknown breed named Snap, because that's what he did; he snapped at people. I don't think we had him very long, as we lived "out in the country" and dogs had a way coming (read: being dumped in the vicinity and finding their way to our house) and going pretty quickly there for a while.

 

First dog as an adult: Molli the Border Collie

 

Why a BC? I am a runner and I wanted a dog I could run with. That, along with other factors I deemed important, contributed toward my deciding a Border Collie was what I wanted. (Ironically, despite wanting a dog I could run with, I've never run with Molli because I've always been afraid -- probably rightfully so -- that she'd trip me.)

 

Did you do research? Yes.

 

First BC: Molli, November 2003.

 

What made you want to get another? I was serving as a Foster Home for Addie and was only supposed to have her until she could be adopted. She was just the absolute sweetest dog, but she also seemed very sad. Her stay with me was the 4th place she'd been in a year (original home, foster home, adoptive home, me). It struck me that every time she was supposed to be somewhere that someone was supposed to love her and take care of her, she got shuffled off somewhere else, and I realized that there was no way I could do that to her. I wasn't necessarily looking for a second dog when I got her, but I fell in love with her and had to adopt her. By the way, I had other foster dogs both before and after Addie, but she's the only one who got to me like that. When I think about my life at that time, I think I needed her as much as she needed me. I've had her for over two years now, and she's been a fantastic addition to my "pack." The way she wags her full body with happiness when I come through the door at the end of the day always makes me smile, she and Molli do well together, and I swear my kitten (Zoie) thinks she's her mama!!

 

What have you done with your dogs? Molli did obedience -- puppy pre-school, basic, basic AGAIN (it didn't take so well the first time), Click-a-Trick, and Advanced -- all before I got Addie. Mol's still a wild girl, but at age 4 she's settled down TREMENDOUSLY and is becoming a really good girl. I spent some time a couple of years ago teaching Molli to catch a frisbee, and playing frisbee in the backyard is still one of her favorite things. Addie thrives on pats and attention and doesn't seem particularly motivated by anything else -- no interest in fetch, frisbee, etc. I haven't done any classes with her, but she has benefited from what I learned in Molli's many classes, and is a wonderful, well-behaved girl.

 

How many BC's? 2

 

How many do you have now? 2

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? Neither of them is a fan of the doorbell, that's for sure! Even doorbells on television set them to barking. Addie is a little shy and will try to get behind me and put her paws up on the waistband of my pants when in an unfamiliar setting. Molli used to freak out if her frisbee hit a tree or the fence before she got to it. If that happened, she wouldn't pick it up, although she'd circle and stalk it to make sure it didn't get away. Same thing if her stuffed baseball hit the wall and bounced back when I threw it for her. That doesn't seem to bother her as much now as it did a couple of years ago. My favorite, technically unrelated, Molli-Frisbee story involved the time the frisbee sailed right over the fence into the neighbor's back yard. She watched it go OVER the fence, then immediately began trying to look UNDER the fence for it. I was pretty impressed with her for that one... Molli likes to go outside and race up and down the fence line with the chocolate lab from next door. They don't bark, growl or snarl at one another; they just race back and forth on their respective sides of the fence. Oh, and Addie? Her favorite place to poop is in the mint-bed in the back yard. (It was there when I moved in.) She comes back smelling minty-fresh, so I'm pretty okay with it...

 

City dog or county dog? Pretty much City. I have a house with a fenced back yard so the wild girls can run and chance each other silly, but there are no sheep on the scene... Addie has seen sheep once since I've had her, but showed absolutely no interest in them whatsoever.

 

Would you ever get another breed? Maybe someday, but I think I'll always have Border Collies, too...

[Pat W.]

First dog as a child: a wonderful mix-breed named Chicklets

 

First dog as an adult: Kipper -we believe he was a bc/gsd cross

 

Why a BC? I was stationed in London and fell in love while watching all the herding competitions on the Telly

 

Did you do research? Yes I wanted to be the best BC momma possible

 

First Ashe - now 14yrs young

 

What made you want to get another? Because like everyone else on the list that has multiples I am mentally unstable LOL. Honestly the whole family wanted another one and we were blessed with Meg from MABCR - she was going to be my hubby's agility dog but, came to be my daughters partner instead

 

What have you done with your dogs? Agility, frisbee competition, hiking playing, would give my eyeteeth to play with sheep with Whim

 

How many BC's? Three and a bossy Aussie to keep everyone in line

 

How many do you have now? Three

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? Ashe has to carry something in his mouth while playing outside at all times, Meg and Ashe both go crazy barking when we use to have tickle wars when the kids were young

 

City dog or county dog? suburban although becoming less "sub" and more "urban" fairly quickly wish we could move further out

 

Would you ever get another breed? I'd like to have another aussie when Riley passes, and eventually a Pembroke Welsh Corgi --just love those little bunny butts. Never have anything other than one of those three though. When Ashe passes we will wait a bit before deciding BC or Aussie and see what falls into our lap

[flrpwr52]

First dog as a child: A Heinz 57.

 

First dog as an adult: A Peek a Poo.

 

Why a BC? My first foster was a BC, and I kept her.

 

Did you do research? Yes, I wanted to make sure I could do what was best for the dog.

 

First BC? Lucy, she's been gone for 16 years and I still miss her.

 

What made you want to get another? You can never have just one dog and BC's grow on you.

 

What have you done with your dogs? Obiedence training and rally-o.

 

How many BC's? In my life, so far, I have had 7.

 

How many do you have now? Three

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? My girls know how to tell time. They know when it's time to eat, play, sleep, etc, and they are good at letting me know what time it is too.

 

City dog or county dog? Country.

 

Would you ever get another breed? Right now no. I don't know if that would change when I get older and can't get around as well to give them the exercise they need. I do know I will always have a dog by my side as long as I am still breathing.

[MaryP]

First dog as a child: Well, the first dog that we had was a cocker spaniel, but he ran away when I was 3. I begged and begged for a dog and finally when I was 6, my parents gave me a cock-a-poo. We used to dog sit a cock-a-poo and really liked it, so that is what we got. Her name was Sarah and she was a wonderful dog.

 

First dog as an adult: Peppy, a rescue Scotch-poo (Scottish terrier/poodle mix)

 

Why a BC? A couple years after Peppy died, I started really missing having a dog and began researching dog breeds. I never considered border collies. I wanted another terrier or terrier mix. I could never find what I was looking for. Then, I realized that I was looking for a dog that was just like the one that had died but I was never going to find that dog. So, I figured that it might be better to just get a dog that was nothing like what I had had in the past. So, I adopted Milo. I think he is probably a mix, but I don't know for sure. He was the best dog I had ever had and I was hooked on border collies because of him.

 

Did you do research? Yes, but I researched terriers, not border collies. But, I've done plenty of research since adopting Milo 8.5 years ago

 

First BC Milo, 8.5 years old and the best dog in the world

 

What made you want to get another? Lots of reasons. For one, once I started dating my bf, Milo dropped me like a hot potato. Milo is totally in love with Steve! Then, Hurricane Katrina happened and I was sick at seeing all the suffering dogs that were left behind and the people who were plucked from their roof tops and forced to leave their pets behind to die. It was gut-wrenching. I had wanted to rescue a Katrina dog, but I knew that I wanted a BC. I couldn't really find any BCs that came from Katrina, but while searching, I came across Charlie's Petfinder listing and fell in love. So, I adopted Charlie a little over 2 years ago. He's my heart dog.

 

What have you done with your dogs? Mostly agility. We do frisbee for fun, have tried Rally, and both Milo and Charlie have been on sheep a few times. Milo really enjoyed it, but he has pretty bad hips now and just can't do it anymore. Herding is probably not in the cards for Charlie, but he is turning into a really great agility dog for me.

 

How many BC's? The three bcs or bc crosses that I have now, but I also do rescue and have had numerous ones come through and stay for anywhere from a few weeks to several months.

 

How many do you have now? Well, one for sure (Charlie), one that is either a bc or bc cross (Milo), and one that is a bc/devil cross (Skittles).

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? I don't know if it's a quirk, but Milo likes to seek out crawl spaces to sleep in. The shower is his favorite spot right now. Charlie likes to hump Steve's leg. I don't know, it's weird. He never tries to do it to me. Skittles has too many quirks to name just one. I guess the funniest thing that he does is drag his back legs straight out behind him when he is getting off a bed or the couch, or whatever. He's kind of a lazy dog. Sometimes he'll stop in the middle of his dismount and just stand there with his front legs on the ground and his back legs straight out behind him (often above his head) still on the couch or bed.

 

City dog or county dog? city for now but we are hoping to change that within the next year

 

Would you ever get another breed? Probably not, but you never know. One of our favorite foster dogs probably didn't have much or any bc in him. I would have kept him with no problem. But, I'm really hoping that my next dog will be a sheep dog, since Charlie is not really cut out for herding.

[Rockstar]

First dog as a child? A mutt named Sitka.

 

First dog as an adult? My BC Rockstar!

 

Why a BC? I loved the breed and really wanted a dog to do dog-sports with, take everywhere with me, and one that had lots of energy and wanted to play!

 

Did you do research? Yes, I am a research fiend.

 

First BC? Rockstar.

 

What made you want to get another? I'm still waiting for that right dog to come along for our second dog that my bf just can't say no to!

 

What have you done with your dogs? Frisbee and flyball.

 

How many BC's? Roxy is a solo artist.

 

How many do you have now? 1

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? She likes other bc's better than other dogs. She will run up to them and start playing and ignore other dogs at the dog park....I think it's funny.

 

City dog or county dog? City. With hopes to eventually move somewhere a bit more country.

 

Would you ever get another breed? I am not against it, but right now-No. Maybe when I'm old and need a dog that is a bit more calm. But I can't imagine life without a bc right now!

[border_collie_crazy]

First dog as a child: Shadow, a BC/Sheltie

 

First dog as an adult: uuuuhhhh I am only 20, my own personal first dog is Happy but I got her when I was 13. if you only counts dogs I got after the age of 18 it would be Electra(Toller) and Rusty(mix)

 

Why a BC? my mom wanted one actually, I didnt, after I got one though I fell and in love and..my mom didnt lol

 

Did you do research? yup.

 

First BC: Happy

 

What made you want to get another? Happy had been retired from Flyball at the time, I wanted another BC to compete with

 

What have you done with your dogs? with all my dogs? well, Happy:Flyball, Agility, Disc, Barral Racing, stock work, soon to try Drafting. Misty:Flyball, Agility, Disc, Stockwork, Barrale Racing, Bikejoring,Rally-O and soon to try Drafting. Electra(Toller):Obedience, Showing Rally-O,..tried Hunting, and Barral Racing. Rusty: Agility and Rally-O and Bikejoring. Ripley:Flyball, Agility, Bikjoring. Perky:Flyball, Agility, Musical Freestyle

 

How many BC's? 2 and half

 

How many do you have now? 2(but 6 dogs total)

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? umm Happy has to go outside and roll in the grass or snow or dirt after every meal. Misty jumps everything, stairs dont exist to her lol. Electra always zones out. um Rusty is nothing but Quirks lol. Perky is a priss, dont dare move or breath when she is within 2 feet of you because she will have something to say about it. Ripley likes to lick your nose lol

 

City dog or country dog? all are city dogs, but Happy, Misty and Electra were all born in the Country

 

Would you ever get another breed? I will always have BCs, but I do like to have other breeds as well.

[Lenajo]

First dog as a child: Longhaired Dachshund was there when I was born, and helped raise me. LOL...actually my parents had 13 gundogs (setters and pointers) when I was born. First dog of my own as a Rough Collie named Laddie, who promptly died under the wheels of a local police car. Then I had a English Setter, and we always had mixed breeds.

 

First dog as an adult: Joey, Australian Shepherd

 

Why a BC? Why not? Tired of slogging uphill trying to work and trial Aussies.

 

Did you do research? Nope

 

First BC: Pie

 

What made you want to get another? Pie

 

What have you done with your dogs? Herding, agility, obedience, therapy, and tracking. And tried flyball, dock diving, and lure coursing. Also trained for service work.

 

How many BC's? Over the last 2 decades, far more than I can count.

 

How many do you have now? 11

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? How do I love thee? Let me count the ways....

 

City dog or country dog? country dogs that are comfortable anywhere

 

Would you ever get another breed? not to replace the BC, but I would love to have room for auxillary breeds - in particular Chinese Cresteds (thanks to Becca). Also love the hard core workers, the Pits, AmStafs, Rotties...

[G. Festerling]

First dog as a child: A tiny yorkie named Mimi Maus. Yeah I know, not very imaginative but hey, we were raised on Disney comic books and she was supposed to be Mini Maus. My parents promised me a dog if I went home every day after school and would do my homework without prompting for a year. Looking back, I think it should have been a much bigger dog! However, she was a dream!

 

First dog as an adult: I think she was an Aussie. We found her as a stray.

 

Why a BC?: After many months of bitching to my boss he finally promised me a pup out of his BC male. Only one problem, the only time they tried to breed him he did not like the bitch....So one of my bosses friends finally took mercy on me (maybe on my boss too? not sure to this day if the dog was a gift or if my boss paid for her!) and presented me with a little black and white bundle of joy. So to answer the question, a BC was what was given to me!

 

Did you do research?: No. I lived with a few before I got my own. And I have been learning every since then. So no, real life experience but no research. Plus many of the people I worked with had them and worked them on their ranches and I had always admired those dogs.

 

First BC: My little Gem. Never forgotten and the reason for all the ensuing madness for years to come.

 

What made you get another?: I bred her once and kept a female. Then I bred her daughter once and kept a male and it went from there. So as I am typing this 2 of my dogs are decendents of her and are the biggest comfort I have in my life (next to my mom and dad of course). I can not imagine not having a BC around. They suit me. They suit my personality and I am fortunate to be able to suit them I guess.

 

What have you done with your dogs?: Almost everything? Never competitive. I have done herding, they helped me with my stock and in the roping pens. I have played frisbee, herded ducks and pigeons just because I could. Recently I have started agility classes. Two of my guys have even been on the mondio ring field with me. Go figure, they showed more promise than my shepherds.

 

How many BC's?: There are 5 at the moment. My old girl Belle. The special needs case. Her son Thor who always amazes me. Then there is my Belle. The energizer bunny that is always working. My Moco who is the one that is always good for a laugh and then my forever rescue Gizmo.

 

How many BC's now?: The same 5 above. I don't want to retype everything but of course there have been more that will always live in my memory. Of course my old crew that has kept me company for so many years and is no longer with me. They truly where my little angels. I just may not have always known it.

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs?: Too many to list. But they all make me laugh. They also have a great talent for driving me crazy when the time is right!

 

City dog or country dog?: Country all the way!

 

Would you ever get another breed?: Most definetly. As I also have German Shepherds and have had Malinois and the occaisional heeler for rescue. But, I will do all I can to never be without a Border Collie. That is a promise. As long as the Border Collie stays true to their nature. But I guess that is always a concern with any working breed.

[in2adventure]

First dog as a child: Mitzi, Cocker mix - she could climb fences and got hit by a car. My parents went to a local farm and got a black lab/collie (the full size type) named Corky that live to a ripe old age

 

First dog as an adult: Tika, Husky/BC cross

 

Why a BC? When I got Tika, I was racing sled dogs and loved the huskys. I was volunteering at an SPCA when she came in at 16weeks. Love at first site! As she grew, it became apparent that even though she looked pure husky, something else was in there. Turns out she had a HUGE herding instinct. Took her to a trainer who confirmed "probably BC". The older she got, the more I loved her personality. Smartest dog I've ever had. Hooked on BC's ever since.

 

Did you do research? A TON before I adopted Lucia. None before Tika........I was looking for a husky...LOL

 

First BC Tika Marie - I miss my girl

 

What made you want to get another? Their fun, quirky personalities, devosion to their owners, hard working, smart, size, loveable nature

 

What have you done with your dogs? I did agility with Tika and we both loved it. I also do agility with Lucia and tried her on sheep

 

How many BC's? one and a half (if you count Tika too)

 

How many do you have now? one......................for now

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? a bit needy and clingy. I don't mind it though. Jumpy at load noises.

 

City dog or county dog? Mostly a country dog, but we do spend a couple months every year in the city

 

Would you ever get another breed? Not intentionally, but I wouldn't turn away a dog in need if we crossed paths.

[vaporflowers]

First dog as a child: A Cairn Terrier named Mugsy. I was a dog nut from the very beginning, but my mother was allergic. The Cairn was one of the breeds she could live with without a reaction.

 

First dog as an adult: Jack, a pit bull-something mix, possibly some border collie in there.

 

Why a BC? When I was a child, I borrowed Jane Burton's "A Dog's Life: A Year in the Life of a Dog Family" from the library so many times, it was practically mine. That is where Jack's name came from, and I was in love with the border collie right from the start.

 

Did you do research? Yep, I volunteered at a shelter as a teenager and met a lot of representatives of the breed.

 

First Wolfie, ~2 years old, is my first definite BC (possibly mixed).

 

What made you want to get another? When I realized I was losing Jack (brain tumor), I knew Wolfie would need a playmate. Plus, I wanted another competition dog. Jack retired from competition when he started showing unexplainable aggression, and Wolfie retired before he even started due to bad hips.

 

What have you done with your dogs? Competitive obedience, rally, fun agility (but would like to get competitive).

 

How many BC's? Two

 

How many do you have now? Two, Wolfie (~2 years) and Scorch (10 weeks)

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? Wolfie likes to nip people's butts if they run playfully away from him. He is also a notorious tail-puller when it comes to other dogs... ESPECIALLY his Aussie or Corgi friends that only have little nubs.

 

City dog or county dog? Suburban. Will probably be apartment again someday soon and I will miss the yard terribly.

 

Would you ever get another breed? I'd really like an Ibizan Hound someday... and I've always wanted a Dutch Shepherd, ever since I lost Jerry Lee, one of my favorite dogs at the shelter (who was a purebred Dutchie). And someday, when I'm not a renter, I'd like to rescue another pittie.

[vickim]

First dog as a child: ; A St Bernard/Husky mix named Toni. She came to me via a neighbor who moved into town from teh country, and Toni needed a farm to be on. Toni was my best friend.

 

 

First dog as an adult: Whisper. You can see her to the left...

 

Why a BC?: A high school friend showed dogs and only had BCs. I've wanted one ever since.

 

 

Did you do research?: Yes. And I learend far more from visiting these boards, though.

 

First BC: Whisper

 

What made you get another?: So far I only have the one, and Whisper is not the type of dog who likes a lot of noise and activity around her, so I likely wouldn't get another one until she goes to the rainbow bridge.

 

What have you done with your dogs?: I wouldn't dare have Whisper around sheep unless a farmer really wanted a dead sheep. I really think that Whisper would try to take down anything she could. I tried agility in my own backyard, but she's sort of klutzy, and I could not have her around crowds; she's a rescue and whatever her past may be made her far too fearful of large crowds and too much noise. For the most part, she loves to hike with me, so we've found an activity to do together.

 

How many BC's?: Just one.

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs?: The most peculair thing: Whisper is a self-appointed policman. I have a cat and while Whisper and the cat get along very well, the BIL's dog who live with us temporarily (the dogs all get on very well) want to chase the cat. Last weekend, one of the dogs made the slightest move toward the cat and I just knew it was going to be a game of chase. Whispe saw the same movement, interpreted in the same way and barked and gave quick snap at the air toward the dog--and the dog listened to her.

City dog or country dog?: Country

 

Would you ever get another breed?: Maybe, but I would look for a BC first.

[sandra s.]

First dog as a child: None of my own, but plenty of canine buddies around the farms here. I think they were all mutts, except for a Riesenschnauzer and a Dachshund who used to wrestle with our cat.

 

First dog as an adult: Dandy, another "borrowed" dog. I used to take her for hikes and good times a couple of times a week. She was some kind of hunting breed mix, about a year old when I met her. Her owners have since moved to England with her.

 

Why a BC? : Kessie just turned out to be one.

 

Did you do research? Nope, and I'm very grateful for that! I'd have been scared away. Prospective adopters ought to be matched with DOGS, not breeds. Kudos to the shelter in Bad Tölz!

 

First BC: Kessie

 

What made you want to get another? As far as I can see, I'm not going to get another as long as Kessie stays with me. One-dog person. But even I can feel the allure sometimes, watching larger groups of BCs interact!

 

What have you done with your dogs? If she has a "job", it's to be my mountain companion. I don't like hiking with humans and I've hiked plenty on my own after Dandy was gone. I don't know what it is that a dog adds, but it's essential!

Official dog activities don't appeal to me. We've tried some herding, but novice handler/novice dog/unexperienced trainer is not a good mix and it blew up in our faces. I'm still hoping for another opportunity there (but it would always remain a hobby).

 

How many BC's? Just one, but Kessie and I often look after my mum's BC, Kyla. At the moment I have her a lot, so maybe it's one and a half!

 

How many do you have now? see above

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? Are you kidding? Or is it compared to other BCs...then I don't think she's got any special ones.

 

City dog or country dog? Country, but I take her to university in the city.

 

Would you ever get another breed? If I couldn't have a BC, I'd just get a shelter mutt (like Kessie was supposed to be). I don't get the whole purebred hype. It would have to have legs, be the right size for mountains, get along with me, and not be deformed (as in pug etc). But as long as I can have a whacko BC, I don't see the point in having a normal dog!

[So Fl Sunshine]

First dog as a child: Cocker Spaniels, 5 of them, and then as a teen my own Springer… what was I thinking! She jumped the fence every day…

 

First dog as an adult: BC; Molly is my first dog at 38 yrs, but I like to count the fosters too.

 

Why a BC? I fell in love with one at 21 yrs and decided that when I was ready for one that was the dog.

 

Did you do research? Yes, I stalked the board for months reading then I offered to foster to make sure I could do it and it was the breed for me. A year of fostering and we have Molly. It was a win win decision. And I'm very happy that I did it.

 

First BC: Molly

 

What made you want to get another? Slow down there… we are happy with the one for now. -

 

What have you done with your dogs? Right now we are just working on the basics, reinforcing the commands she seems to already know and learning what the boundaries and rules are in my home. I hope to try her on sheep if I can find a farm around here.

 

How many BC's? At once? I had two male border mixes at 4 and 5 months. Siblings in foster. Talk about feeding off each other! I fondly recall them as ‘My boys’

 

How many do you have now? Just the one thank you.

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? Molly ‘talks’ to me when she means ‘no thank you mom’ uhu not going to bed right now thank you. Ruf, ruf.

 

City dog or county dog? City dog. I would love to have a piece of land in Murphy SC and plan to one day.

 

Would you ever get another breed? Maybe. But probably not.

[Kyrasmom]

First dog as a child: black and white rough collie named Rex.

 

First dog as an adult: My Samoyed Kyra. I still think about her every day.

 

Why a BC? : Hubby wanted one

 

Did you do research? Not enough I suppose given our choice for fluff-butts but I obviously don't regret them.

 

First BC: Will and Grace - got them together but they're not siblings. Grace won me over with her seriousness and Will won my husband over with his complete lack of.

 

What made you want to get another? They fit in well with our livestyle, we invest a lot of time and effort into our dogs. I also love going for walks with a dog that checks in with me versus my having to look for him.

 

What have you done with your dogs? agility, obedience, therapy work. They also have their own personal jobs, holes for me to plant trees, helping tear up cardboard for recycling, decorating the house as I obviously lack taste according to them... etc etc

 

How many BC's? Three purebreds, three mixes

 

How many do you have now? we have all of them now plus 3 more dogs for a grand total of 9

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? No common quirks, they all have their own. They do all share a common need to follow me into the bathroom.

 

City dog or country dog? Country, but they have good city manners when needed..well except for Wenty who only has manners when he wants to have them....but he still has a bit of puppy license left.

 

Would you ever get another breed? Never say never, hubby is yearning for a bulldog. I think it's safe to say I'll always have at least one or two Border Collies. They have been by far the easist breed to manage as a group but I can find something I like and could love about most dogs, purebred or not.

 

Maria

[r b m]

First dog as a child: Poodle(2)

 

First dog as an adult: Border Collie

 

Why a BC? I wanted a smart dog I could do lots of activities with.

 

Did you do research? Yes, enough to know I'd be crazy for getting one. However, I wish I had found this board before getting one.

 

First BC Sienna - March 19, 2005 - Registered ABCA

 

What made you want to get another? I haven't yet, but as we all know BCs are kinda like potato chips, you can't just have one.

 

What have you done with your dogs? Besides taking her with me practically everywhere, obedience, tried agility(hated it) been stock dog handling(training) for about a year now.

 

How many BC's? 3 while dogsitting my friends BCs.

 

How many do you have now? One

 

What "quirks" have you noticed with all your dogs? Sienna is a bit fearful of new places and larger "playful" dogs. She lies down after every fetch, 3 feet away from me. Other than that she's fairly well-rounded. Oh, and she freaks out around midgets.

 

City dog or county dog? Besides making it out to the farm 1-2 times a week, a city dog. However my dream is to have a farm within 3 years. Never thought this dog would change my life so much.