Introduction

[Fly2Dreamer]

Hi, I'm new here and have been lurking for awhile. I am currently sans BC, and have (after a ton of soul searching) decided the BC may be the breed for me. I am not looking to aquire a puppy or dog for at least another year, preferably two years. I've worked with dogs for 10 years, and since the beginning have been drawn to borders. At the time I was a preteen and my parents were wise enough to not "get a border collie for the kid so she can learn some responsibility", lol. I got "my" first dog a few years ago and now have two, but keep coming back to bordercollies for their intensity, tractability, trainability, loyalty, ability to learn whatever you have the patience to teach, and the fact they're just plain good lookin' dawgs.

 

My first dog is aloof with other dogs, sweet to humans and children alike, and a sensitive soul in the biggest sense of the word. My second dog is a herding breed, and is stubborn, willfull, lugheaded, beautiful, speaks excellent "dog", and has the kindest soul on the planet. He is a working bred dog as well (gotta love them breed splits..sigh). I happen to be good friends with his breeder, who is well versed in her breed and was able to point out the good and the bad of her stock. I liked what I saw, so I bought him.

She knows I am a training junkie and I have an absolute blast working with my dogs and horses. No dog of mine spends their days idle at home alone, they go with me everywhere (work included), and are taught/expected to behave in public.

 

Back to borders...I've read the forum topic citing the red flags to look out for when looking for a breeder, I've read the whole bordercollie.org website and then some, and have talked to longtime owners, etc, but I'm still having trouble knowing what breeder is right for me. I love the intensity/tractability of a good herding dog, but I'm worried that a true working bred BC would be too much for a first time BC owner, and I don't really want an AKC championbred dog (for more than one reason).

 

Is there a fine line I need to look at when choosing the right breeder/pup/dog for me? Would a less intense pup from a working litter suit me well? Or would a dog from a rescue or shelter suit a first time owner better? Or should I contact breeders directly and upfront ask them these questions and see what responses I get?

Any advice would be greatly appriciated..

[SincereArtisan]

Sounds like you're well prepared!

 

As far as the breeder vs. rescue thing, I always vouch that you should browse rescue first. You may find exactly what you're looking for. As you're not looking to work stock (at least I don't think so?) the working lines of a dog I suppose wouldn't matter in your case, apart from the assured health of the puppy. Either way, whether you get a puppy from rescue or a puppy from a breeder, there is no guarantee as to what kind of dog that pup will grow into. For first-time wanna-be BC owners, I think an adult rescue is the way to go. You'll know a little more about what you're getting into, right off the bat. There are plenty of high-drive, biddable intense and clever purebred BCs in rescue just at or barely under a year old.

 

I take my dogs to work with me too, and they go just about everywhere I can bring them. My first BC was a rescue--a puppy, and OMG...wow. Talk about exhausting. My second rescue was an adult dog, SO much easier, and a love. My third was an adult, and a real firecracker, but still easier to train than 12 months of puppyhood.

[OurBoys]

For a 1st time bc owner who is not into herding, I recommend a rescue. We went that route after doing our homework and that's the only route we will take. I've had a number of dogs in my lifetime but never a bc. When dh & I decided to get another dog, we chose to go thru a rescue. It was the best thing we could have done. A foster home will eval a dog and will tell you if a dog you see on their website, is right for you. They will tell you if the dog is shy, if they get along with cats or other dogs, how they are around small kids, if they enjoy righting in cars, etc. IMO, a bc is a breed that is like no other. IMO, a lot of people have a problem comprehending their intelligence. (Ex: My dh told me one time dogs can't learn words-they learn sounds. JJ proved him wrong.)

 

If anyone tells you a rescued dog won't bond with you, don't believe them. A rescued dog knows 'a good thing when they see it'. It's been my experience, a rescued dog appreciates a good home. JJ & Jake are the best additions to our family we could have.

[Guest SweetJordan]

I think an adult rescue is the way to go. You'll know a little more about what you're getting into, right off the bat. There are plenty of high-drive, biddable intense and clever purebred BCs in rescue just at or barely under a year old.

 

I take my dogs to work with me too, and they go just about everywhere I can bring them. My first BC was a rescue--a puppy, and OMG...wow. Talk about exhausting. My second rescue was an adult dog, SO much easier, and a love. My third was an adult, and a real firecracker, but still easier to train than 12 months of puppyhood.

 

As a first time BC owner I went w/ rescue. Though part of the reason I did was because I knew that there were so many homeless BCs out there and I just couldn't bring myself to buy a puppy. And really I'm just learning about what makes a good BC breeder as finding one is a bit different than other breeds. I also decided that starting w/ an adult would be best. Though I ended up adopting a 15 month old w/ no prior training it was still much easier than a puppy and she came housetrained. I don't have to go around all day saying no (I can relax as she knows what she can and can't chew on), or worrying that it's time for a potty break. And I don't have to get up in the middle of the night to let her out. After spending just a little bit of time teaching and showing her things we're able to enjoy her. But I've also found that it's fairly easy to get a BC puppy in rescue if that's what you really want and are prepared for. Just remember that you never know w/ a puppy, but w/ an adult what you see is what you get. Make sure that if you do go w/ rescue that you spend time evaluating the dog yourself instead of just taking the rescues word. If you don't know how to do this find a good trainer to help you. That way you will know for sure what you are getting and whether the particular dog you are interested in is a good match. Also many shelters and rescues will let you foster first and then you can adopt if it works out. Some rescues will even let you take the dog on a trial basis to see if it's a good match.

[Seelie Fey]

Rescue!

 

Seelie's a pound puppy, and she fulfills her bc role perfectly for me. Had some issues starting out, but no more and considerably less than some puppies purchased directly from breeders. Although I don't know her pedigree, I believe she is purebred, as do most people who see her. Certainly, she has a bc personality.

 

If you work with a rescue organization, they will often give a rough scale of a dog's intensity and bidability. Even an intense dog can certainly learn "go lay down" with training and patience, as long as that's not the only thing you teach it! Even a mild dog will learn to regard you as a 24 hour doggie entertainment system if you act like one.

 

Just my opinion.

[afrancis]

I agree with others here too!

Both my dogs were rescues from the Humane Society; the first, Riley, at about 1 year, came totally housebroken, chew-proof, and immediately knew how to heel off-lead. My second, Skye, at 7 weeks, a totally different story in terms of all the above (she was a pup, after all!) but learnt very quickly and is the most approval-seeking dog I know. Neither dog came from a fostering situation so I didn't know very much about their temperament before bringing them home, but I knew after Riley that a bc was the only dog for me.

I was having "dog-policing" issues with Skye and I am happy to report that she (and I) are having a much quieter time on our outings. She met another border collie with a stick the other day and responded to my recall almost immediately with tail wagging and listened when I told her to "stay by me" and "leave him alone". Granted the bc owner did call me "Maam".

Good luck (especially waiting two years!)

Ailsa

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Another vote for rescue! There's some great rescues in the midwest. If you post your interest, someone will answer for sure.

[Pippin's person]

The two working-bred dogs we have are the easiest BCs we have in many ways, so I don't think you'd have trouble there. BCs bred from working lines tend to also be bred to have pretty easy off switches (if you think about it, a dog that demanded constant, intense attention from a rancher/farmer probably wouldn't last all that long).

 

We also have two rescue BCs and one came with some issues and the other is completely laid back. The one with issues might be the most devoted dog we have.

 

The two we have who came from a breeder who doesn't breed primarily for working ability have excellent temperaments around all people, are extremely easy to train and are generally pleasant dogs.

 

So, you *can* do well with a lot of different kinds of acquisition, and given that you've done a lot of background work already, I suspect you'll be fine with whatever route you choose.

 

That said, I agree with others that you'd probably have a very positive experience with a rescue--most BC rescues do an excellent job of matching people and dogs and so you'd be very likely to get a dog pretty well suited to your particular situation.

 

On the other hand, given your background and interests, a working bred BC might well pull you into the world of livestock work, from which there is rarely means of return.... :D

[Ruger's Dad]

Ruger is a farm bred house dog. My first thought is I think he is better looking than some of the show dogs. I like that lean lanky looking. My only regret buying Ruger is that I didn't get one years ago.

[Fly2Dreamer]

Thank you all for the replies and advice

 

I have been watching a particular rescue like a hawk for awhile. A friend of mine adopted a BC from this rescue a few years back. The rescuers are straight up front and told her his good traits, bad traits, things he did well, needed work on, etc. She also keeps in touch with her adopters and is there for any problems that crop up, and demands pics <g>

 

Lucky for me this rescue is about a whole half hour away.

 

I'm thinking I would love to wait about 2 years, but like someone said...good luck

 

Again, thanks, and I will keep in touch!

[haleigh]

I'll take it your midwest location is around michigan, illinois, indiana, ohio, minnesota, right? If so, I certainly like the midwest border collie rescue than the great lakes one. IMO, the dogs are more carefully evaluated, and have a higher owner success rate.

 

 

Oh-welcome to the boards

[grenzehund]

I'll take it your midwest location is around michigan, illinois, indiana, ohio, minnesota, right? If so, I certainly like the midwest border collie rescue than the great lakes one. IMO, the dogs are more carefully evaluated, and have a higher owner success rate.

 

I had a really great experience with Great Lakes Border Colliie Rescue. My Tansy (in my avatar) has her quirks, but is a perfect dog for me.

 

Susan

[haleigh]

QUOTE(haleigh @ Feb 10 2008, 11:12 AM) *

I'll take it your midwest location is around michigan, illinois, indiana, ohio, minnesota, right? If so, I certainly like the midwest border collie rescue than the great lakes one. IMO, the dogs are more carefully evaluated, and have a higher owner success rate.

 

 

I had a really great experience with Great Lakes Border Colliie Rescue. My Tansy (in my avatar) has her quirks, but is a perfect dog for me. smile.gif

 

Susan

 

She's a good lookin' dog too! I had a harder time trying to get a dog from GLBCR than MWBCR, the GLBCR dogs I like better, but I personally don't think they put as much thought into placements. How long have you had Tansy?

[Fly2Dreamer]

I'll take it your midwest location is around michigan, illinois, indiana, ohio, minnesota, right? If so, I certainly like the midwest border collie rescue than the great lakes one. IMO, the dogs are more carefully evaluated, and have a higher owner success rate.

Oh-welcome to the boards

 

This is a private rescue out of a persons home, with foster homes dotted around. They're not big, but I haven't even really talked with MBCR or GLBCR yet. I've been scanning the heck out of petfinder, just in case

 

BTW, neat pic in your sig!

[grenzehund]

She's a good lookin' dog too! I had a harder time trying to get a dog from GLBCR than MWBCR, the GLBCR dogs I like better, but I personally don't think they put as much thought into placements. How long have you had Tansy?

 

Thanks, I've had Tansy for three years now! I was so impressed with their work that I then volunteered for them. Having fostered and successfully placed 14 dogs for them, and been involved in the placement of quite a few others, I feel their process is fairly careful. While GLBCR, like all volunteer rescues, is not perfect, the majority of their matches are very good ones. The last statistic I have, they had a less than 2% return rate, FWIW.

 

Fly2Dreamer, we look forward to updates!