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Hi there! My name is Giuli and I am 20 years old. I live in St. Louis, MO with my boyfriend (Tim), cat (Zephyr) and three ferrets (Mizu, Samson, and Delilah). I am a pre-vet student and while my future focus as a vet will be on ferrets, i've always had an interest in dogs, border collies specifically.

 

I've read about border collies since I was 16 years old, and their versitility and intelligence has always fascinated me and drawn me to them. I am a really hands on pet owner, my future career will be dedicated to pets and currently my whole day revolves around school and my animals. My cat and three ferrets all eat a raw diet supplemented with whole prey (like mice, rats, fish, etc). My pets are my life. Having a dog that I could take to agility trials, herding trials, obedience competitions has always appealed to me. My ex-boyfriend had a very sweet but timid lab mix and it always bummed me out that I couldnt go do activities (flyball, agility, etc) with his dog because the dog was too timid.

 

I know that border collies are VERY high energy and require alot of attention. While that may be bad for some people, that is exactly what draws me to them. I WANT a dog that demands attention. I WANT a dog that I can take to do dog sports like some people take their kids to soccer practice. I want that so badly. I dont just want a dog to sit in the house with me and keep me company.

 

I currently live in a one bedroom apartment. I work about 30 hours a week and go to school full time (about 12 credit hours). My boyfriend works and attends school the same as I do. Financially I know I am not stable enough for a border just yet (I just moved into my new apartment), and to be honest I dont know if the time I have availble would suit a dog of this energy level and intelligence.

 

I came here ask some questions. I would love to get a border, but I just dont know WHEN would be the ideal time. I am young, but very dedicated to my animals and I am very responsible. My pets recieve the best medical care and the best diet possible. Sorry this intro was so long. Here are my questions:

 

1. What is the ideal living environment for a border collie? Would they be okay in a one bedroom apartment AS LONG as they got TONS of exercise each day and lots of activities each weekend?

 

2. Would my current schedule (which inclues about 45 hours a week of classes and work) not provide enough time for my border collie?

 

3. I know border collies have a tendency to 'herd' (duh! lol!) if raised from puppy hood with them, would a border be okay with my cat and my ferrets? (NOTE: My ferrets romp and play with my cat, they wrestle with her and chase her and sometimes scare her off! They are NOT prey animals, just small carnivores that love to play, like a perpeutal kitten/puppy)

 

4. How much daily exercise does a border collie need, and what does this exercise entail (twice daily hour long walk/runs? Daily 30 min fetch in the park? daily agility practice?)

 

5. I'd like to get involved in activites with my future dog (especially flyball, agility, and obedience. Herding trials would interest me as well if I had the time and ability to do that). How much practice goes into these exercises during the work week? I am assuming that the actual activity/competitions takes place on the weekends?

 

I am basically trying to get an idea of WHEN would be the ideal time for me to get a border collie. Getting a dog is a lifelong commitment and not something I take lightly. I want to make sure I am doing this at the best time possible, when I am able to best care for my future border. I'd really appreciate it if you guys could volunteer your and expertise to help me out a little.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

-Giuli

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I think it's a lot like planning to have kids--there never is an ideal time, but your gut will tell you when you're ready. As for exercise, BCs need physical stuff, but probably more importantly, they need mental stimulation. I don't know about agility training; most people who are learning to work their dogs on stock, but do not have their own stock generally do lessons as often as they can--the norm seems to be once a week. You could spend a couple of hours at a lesson, plus drive time.

 

As for your own individual schedule, only you know if you really have time for one more thing added to your already busy life. Seems like lots of folks on here have their dogs in "less than ideal" settings, i.e., small apartments, condos, etc., but they make time spent with the dogs a major priority.

 

If raised with the ferrets, the dog would most likely end up playing with them, too. As stated on here in numerous other threads, "herding" anything other than livestock is just a bad habit, and not necessarily an indication of working ability anyway.

 

I'm sure others will chime in with lots more detailed responses...I'm heading out to see if any new lambs arrived overnight,

A

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Hi! I'm one of those folks who has a bc in a "less than ideal" situation. I actually have 3 dogs in an apartment. :rolleyes: I made a huge commitment to making sure my dogs get enough exercise so that basically means that if I'm not at work, I'm with the dogs and I mean that seriously. My bf also works from home so he takes the dogs out in the middle of the day. I'm pretty much a crazy dog lady. I take Soda to herding lessons once a week. Soon we will start agility. Daily, she gets about 3 hours worth of walks and about 30 -40 minutes of "cardio" --frisbee or whatever. I got her specifically to do herding (herding lite) and agility.

 

I would suggest getting an adult bc b/c their energy needs will be less. I got a three year old and she's no sloth, but I'm sure a puppy would have been worse. Also, I knew a bit about her history and knew that she was used to small spaces.

 

Also, be aware that having a dog in an apartment and then moving to another apartment with a largeish dog can be difficult. Typically, you will have pay more and a lot of times search outside of your immediate area, especially if you live in a metropolitan area. It took us about 3 mos to find a new apartment that allowed dogs, but granted I live in SoCal and have a "banned breed" but, still, it ain't easy. You MUST commit to keeping the dogs no matter what.

 

Good luck, and really assess what you can do for your dog!

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soda-pop has a great point

 

a young adult may be a way better choice for your first dog

and i would advocate for rescue over a breeder anyway

adopting a dog already house and crate trained will lessen the load considerably

 

i have 2 dogs in a 1 bedroom apartment - 18mo and 7yo

and they get about 2 hours a day exercise and survive just fine

 

and yes, i think your gut tells you when its the right time

and then you use your head to make it work :rolleyes:

 

good luck

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I am not going to address most of this because I think the answers to these questions are searchable as the questions come up often.

 

However, I can address the dog-and-ferrets thing; it would be nice to think that a dog raised with ferrets will be safe with them. This is not necessarily true. My first BC was raised with my ferrets but she was a bossy police-type dog and she soon learned what they were and were not allowed to do (ie - not allowed to dig in plants) and took it upon herself to enforce the rules (ie, lifting them out of the plants by their tails or heads). She also did not like it when they ran near or over her while she was playing with a toy and would "discipline" them, and ferrets are small and easily damaged. They soon had to be separated as I couldn't trust her not to injure them.

 

Briggs was also raised with my ferrets and he only wanted them to all be in one place at one time, and was forever carrying them to the designated spot. He fortunately had a gentle mouth, but it could have been bad if he didn't.

 

My roommate's dog Hannah was about 6 years old when she adopted her, and was always pleasant to the ferrets, though she had never lived with any before.

 

You need to be aware of the possibility that the dog could pose a danger to the ferrets. It's not entirely true that an animal raised with an animal of a different species will be peaceful with said animal. Briggs harassed the cats his whole life. Tweed has snapped at the cats his whole life, but Piper either wants to play with the cat or ignore her. Mr. Woo cuddles and plays with the cat, but kills other small animals gleefully.

 

And of course we get dozens of dogs who were raised with kids and don't like them either.

 

RDM

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I also agree you will know when the time is right. In the mean time do some research. Find out what activities are available in your area. How much does it cost? How much time is required? At what level to do you want to participate? For fun vs competitive in competition are require different levels of time and practice.

 

Find out what equipment is involved for an activity and do you need to travel? One you have some information travel to a local practice or event. People will be more than willing to talk to you and help. This will give you a good idea of what is involved with the different activities and types of canine personalities. Ask people what types of traits they think are good to have in a dog for that activity.

 

Please also give some thought to the wear and tear that may occur on the dog doing a wide variety of activities. My dogs are rescues and I had their hips ecrayed to make sure it was safe for them to participate in companion sports.

 

The other thing to consider is what type of dog do you want. consider the energy level and personality traits that you need in a dog. Make a list of what you want to do with a bc and a list of traits; must have , like to have, and deal breakers.

 

This will help you fins the bc that is right for you (i.e.energy level, age gender, personality, house trained, crate trained, good hips, color size). The list also helps when you are ready to start looking and get caught up with the cute dogs and want to take them all home. It is important for you and the bc to make sure th match is right from the start.

 

In the end they are a great breed and people say the dog picks you, but do some research first.

 

mobcmom

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I would caution you to wait until you start vet school to decide. Having just finished a four year doctorate, I understand the rigorous schedule and grueling pace that comes with it. I waited until my 3rd year to get a dog. I often had 16+ hour days of clinic rotation and classes and was forced to use a doggie daycare on those days (sometimes 3-4 days a week). It was not easy. I had to carefully arrange every aspect of my day to make sure she was getting what she needed. I also got her at 4 months of age and would DEFINATELY advise getting an older rescue to start. Puppy and grad school = difficult.

 

I would definately consider waiting until you are in vet school to see what the schedule, expectations, and time commitment would be. Right now as pre-vet your schedule sounds much lighter than what will come with vet school.

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1. What is the ideal living environment for a border collie? Would they be okay in a one bedroom apartment AS LONG as they got TONS of exercise each day and lots of activities each weekend?

 

I wouldn't say Border Collies need TONS of exercise but they do need some. Problem solving games are a lot better spent on time than two hours of running. My border collie, Chesney just turned three and I have had him since he was a puppy. I am only 22 now. I got him after my second year of college over the summer so I had time to establish him as about as well mannered as I could for the age that he was. When I brought him to school with me I was by myself and played soccer with a full time schedule of classes as well. Chesney spent a large portion of the day in his crate but when I got home from soccer and school all my time was spent with him (not necessarily attention to him, but he was with me and thats all he wanted.) He learned the routine and was quite content with it so long as he got out for a couple hours a day. We lived in an apartment as well.

 

 

2. Would my current schedule (which inclues about 45 hours a week of classes and work) not provide enough time for my border collie?

 

You know how much free time you have. But I would say that if your free time is spend with your dog with some exercise involved you should be ok. ESPECIALLY if you got an adult that doesn't have the puppy energy to burn off

 

 

3. I know border collies have a tendency to 'herd' (duh! lol!) if raised from puppy hood with them, would a border be okay with my cat and my ferrets? (NOTE: My ferrets romp and play with my cat, they wrestle with her and chase her and sometimes scare her off! They are NOT prey animals, just small carnivores that love to play, like a perpeutal kitten/puppy)

 

Chesney was raised with our cat and will forever try to herd/pester her. He's never harmed her physically but I can only imagine having a Border Collie constantly staring you down isn't all that calming for the nerves.

 

4. How much daily exercise does a border collie need, and what does this exercise entail (twice daily hour long walk/runs? Daily 30 min fetch in the park? daily agility practice?)

 

I only had time to take Chesney to the park when I was at school that first year and a half. When I moved to another condo and soccer ended he gets longer walks around the neighborhood along with herding on sundays.

 

5. I'd like to get involved in activites with my future dog (especially flyball, agility, and obedience. Herding trials would interest me as well if I had the time and ability to do that). How much practice goes into these exercises during the work week? I am assuming that the actual activity/competitions takes place on the weekends?

 

Dog sports are as time consuming as you make them. If I could I would be out working my dog on stock everyday! Some people want to train agility everyday but can. I think that depends on the end goals in mind as well as amount of time you can spend doing them

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3. I know border collies have a tendency to 'herd' (duh! lol!) if raised from puppy hood with them, would a border be okay with my cat and my ferrets? (NOTE: My ferrets romp and play with my cat, they wrestle with her and chase her and sometimes scare her off! They are NOT prey animals, just small carnivores that love to play, like a perpeutal kitten/puppy)

 

Hi---

 

Great questions...I am sure there's plenty of expertise here for all of them!

 

As to the ferret thing, though.... One of the things about BC's is their prey drive....hence the issues they can have with cats who share a household. (Of course, there are plenty of other types of dogs with terrific prey drives too...rescued greyhounds I have known come to mind.) Our new guy, Kip, who has been with us only a few days, exhibits "significant interest" in watching the cat: eyeing him (with what my daughter calls his "amazing laser vision") and sometimes crouching/dropping his head in a predatory stance. Kip gets redirected from this every time by the humans. The cat has also added a measure of redirection in terms of clearing the room, puffing up to his MightyMightyBrushtailTeethandClaws self, growling and hissing. Cat also has 21 lbs of body weight and four feet worth of claws to back it up with...and has lived with large dogs in the house before. We suspect that Kip stuck his head under the bed (cat's lair) to investigate the cat yesterday and THAT is why Kip now has a dime sized abrasion and half dollar sized lump on the very top of his bony head---exactly where a quickly retreating dog head would have smacked into the bedframe on the way out.

 

Kip tolerated all the other dogs and cats in the vet waiting area on Saturday with no "issues". However, he went a little (a lot :D ) ape when the young woman and her boyfriend walked in carrying/handling 2 ferrets.

 

I don't know enough about ferrets...I assume, like any animal, they wound not hesitate to use their teeth if needed--but they look (in my human opinion) a lot more like prey than even a cat does. :rolleyes:

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My first BC was raised with my ferrets but she was a bossy police-type dog and she soon learned what they were and were not allowed to do (ie - not allowed to dig in plants) and took it upon herself to enforce the rules (ie, lifting them out of the plants by their tails or heads). She also did not like it when they ran near or over her while she was playing with a toy and would "discipline" them, and ferrets are small and easily damaged

 

This is true, mine is forever tattleing on my cat. However....

 

As to the ferret thing, though.... One of the things about BC's is their prey drive....hence the issues they can have with cats who share a household. (Of course, there are plenty of other types of dogs with terrific prey drives too...rescued greyhounds I have known come to mind.)

 

This I will have to disagree with. My Blaze does GREAT with my cat Rebel. It all depends on the dog, and normally if the dog is raised from a puppy with cats it is not an issue.

 

And rescued grey hounds being good with cats is NOT what I have seen. My sister in law owns 2 retired grey hounds and they do not do well if they see any cat, squirrel, rabbit. you name it. If they see they try to go after it. And inside they are the sweetest, most calm, and loving dogs that you have ever met. They just can't help it. It's what they are.

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This I will have to disagree with. My Blaze does GREAT with my cat Rebel. It all depends on the dog, and normally if the dog is raised from a puppy with cats it is not an issue.

 

And rescued grey hounds being good with cats is NOT what I have seen. My sister in law owns 2 retired grey hounds and they do not do well if they see any cat, squirrel, rabbit. you name it. If they see they try to go after it. And inside they are the sweetest, most calm, and loving dogs that you have ever met. They just can't help it. It's what they are.

 

I think you may have misunderstood me, aBC4me... :rolleyes:

 

Cat + dog = not always good, depends on the dog. Or, sometimes, the cat. My dogs have done well with Bloomberg. Our dearly departed cat Sadie was NOT "good" with dogs; no matter how good the dog was to her. She used to launch ambushes on the dogs from the fridge or couch, then get chased, then huddle for days in the bedroom being snarky with everyone.

 

Dogs with strong prey drives = many types of dogs, including very notably BC's and greyhounds, among others. The strong prey drive ("chase what moves") is part of what allows BC's to do their work and greyhounds to run after lures. Prey drive is also what will tempt one's BC or greyhound to chase Fluffy the cat.

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You'll get lots of answers here. Welcome. I used to live in Cedar Hill, just south of St. Louis. THere are some great dog people in St. Louis. Check out the St. Louis Herding Club, it's where I got my frist start in BC's working. It's an all breed club but the Pres. and most of the people really involved have bordercollies. There are some active Aussie people but they all seem to get along.

 

I wanted to mainly adress the ferrat question.

I raised Mick (he's 4 1/2) with a kitten (insert ferret here). He loved his kitty played great. then I got another cat when he was about 7 months old. Mick was so much bigger than that kitty he frightened the poor thing when he would try to play. the cat that was raised with him seemed to keep the peace. We moved and Mick's cat died within the first 6 month here from some horrible tick type disease I'd never heard of. From that point on Mick the cat lover turned into a cat killer. He is not trainable, at least not by me, and he's a trained stockdog that I'm training myself so he does know how to listen and behave.

He wil go after any cat that he sees. I will never trust him around another cat. Probably cause the 2nd kitty that we got would growl at him and really hated him so Mick decided cats were evil after his special kitty died. But no matter what, I've never been able to "cure" him of his hatred of cats and I've done lots of trying. I talked to his breeder who is a very informed open dog trainer, she tells me Mick's mom was a noted cat hater and had killed a few. :rolleyes: She agrees with me that she never figured out a way to stop the behavior. So at least I know I'm not just missing the boat here or at least I don't think I'm a bad dog owner though I am a horrible cat owner.

I manage Mick, even when we go somewhere and they say "oh my cat can take care of himself and teach your dog to respect cats" It's not happening, I've pulled a cat out of his mouth while he was shaking his head trying to kill it. I've removed a cat claw embedded in his forhead after he went after my Mom's mean cat (she would not listen and tried to let them be together when I wasn't there) Nothing so far has deterred him.

 

So my words of warning are...be ready to keep your ferrets seprate if things don't go right and don't assume that just because you raised them together things won't change. IF you love your ferrets be ready to do what you have to do if need be!

 

Now...if anyone here has suggestions about teaching Mick to leave a cat alone...go for it. I'll try anything. He's had "Come to Jesus meetings" and they've worked for a while but then a few days or weeks later he's right back at it. I refuse to draw blood or break bones to teach him to leave the cats alone, I choose to manage the situation the best way I can. But only because I've found no other options. I placed my last cat so he could be the loving house cat that he deserved to be.

 

I think BC's are like preparing to have children (didn't Anna say something like that?) You're never really ready (unless you live on a sheep farm) for a BC or kids for that matter but if you love them, you will adjust and work it out. My oldest daughter has one of my non working bc's. She goes to college, more than full time (I think she's taking 16 hrs. this semester) works 2 jobs, DH is in Iraq, and her dog is her life. They do quite well together. He is what keeps her grounded and gives her love while her DH is away. She came into the marriage with her dog, They think he's practice for real kids!

 

I've raised 3 kids that we were in no way ready for and have 4 BC's at the moment. I also bought the farm and sheep to go with the dogs! :D

 

Good luck and when/if you want some BC contacts in St. Louis you can PM me. There's a flyball group that practices out at Purina and there are several places that you can do agility in the area.

 

Kristen

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This I will have to disagree with. My Blaze does GREAT with my cat Rebel. It all depends on the dog, and normally if the dog is raised from a puppy with cats it is not an issue.

 

Actually, I for one specifically addressed this in my post. Being raised with another species is no guarantee that the dog will be excellent with that species. Just because it worked out this way with Blaze is not a barometer for how it works out for all dogs and cats.

 

The point being made is that raising a dog with the ferrets does NOT guarantee the ferrets' safety. Some will be fine, some will not. The OP needs to be prepared to accept that her future dog and ferrets may not mix well, whether she adopts and adult or a puppy. A puppy raised with ferrets can grow into a dog who is not good with or safe around ferrets, like my Abi.

 

RDM

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If being raised around something makes a dog get along with it, or good at it, as an adult then a lot of dogs would not need to be rehomed because of their adult attitudes towards...children, cats, men, women, cars, horses, agility, flyball, herding.....

 

I grew up on a farm, and I love it. My sister grew up on the same farm. She doesn't hate it, but there is a reason she has an apartment in a major city instead. She doesn't like farming, she doesn't like dirt, she doesn't like chores that happen after dark or in the rain or in the mud. She had a greyhound...and they walk once or twice a day and enjoy the view.

 

Dogs are just like us in this way.

 

If the OP thinks she is ready I suggest she adopt an *adult* Border Collies from a reputable rescue that can help her screen the details of the perfect match, and follow up on keeping everything in order. Then when you finish school, and have a few "BC" years behind your belt, some sport training experience (you think you will like it, but you may not...life's funny that way) then you select the right puppy for yourself. At that time you may not want a puppy...more the luck for another great rescue adult.

 

The last thing you need going into vet school is to be a new dog owner, a new puppy owner, a new BC owner, etc etc. It's hard enough for those of use who've done grad school with these dogs...and we went into it with our eyes wide open and a great support system that could take our dogs if needed.

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Actually, I for one specifically addressed this in my post. Being raised with another species is no guarantee that the dog will be excellent with that species. Just because it worked out this way with Blaze is not a barometer for how it works out for all dogs and cats.

 

Exactly. If you want to be safer go with a mature adult dog, not a pup or teenager.

 

I won't tell you not to get a BC given your situation because that would make me a hypocrite, but understand that if you do go to vet school it will take a lot of extra work on your part to keep a dog happy. Many of my classmates without dogs are now thankful that they do not have one. I have had to enlist the help of friends and family to care for mine. Also, you will more than likely have to put any dog sports on hold during school.

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I would definately consider waiting until you are in vet school to see what the schedule, expectations, and time commitment would be. Right now as pre-vet your schedule sounds much lighter than what will come with vet school.

 

Truer words have never been spoken. Vet school is 18 to 25 credits a term of heavy science. It's essenatially two full-time jobs in and of itself. It was great fun - but I'd never worked so hard in all my life, and that includes the 8 years I spent getting my other two degrees, even though I worked outside jobs (sometimes full-time) whilst getting those degrees. Thank God I didn't have a BC puppy to rear! I'd have gone nuts - or the dog would have. My dog was ten when I started vet school, and while we went on hikes nearly every day (and of course played and cuddled EVERY day, with or without the 3 mile hike in the mountains) I'm eternally grateful that she WAS ten, and didn't need the kind of intensive intraction that a young BC would do. If I was working hard toward a deadline, she was perfectly content to nap at my feet, and if we skipped the hike for three days in a row it was never an issue. (Well, for her anyway - it drove ME nuts, but she was easy about it.)

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1. What is the ideal living environment for a border collie? Would they be okay in a one bedroom apartment AS LONG as they got TONS of exercise each day and lots of activities each weekend?

 

This depends so much on the dog and the dog owner.

 

We used to live in a HUGE house that had a teeny little back yard. That didn't work very well for me. We obtained all three of our original dogs while living there, and we made it work, but I do much better with our small home and a fenced in acre of land.

 

That's more because of me than the dogs. They would be perfectly happy getting leash walks and park-type exercise. I'm much more of a fetch and games in the yard type person, though.

 

Also, we have four dogs and none of them have ever gotten TONS of exercise on a daily basis. When the weather is nice, they might get an outdoor play session (maybe 10 minutes) before I go to work. If the weather isn't nice, I'll toss the ball as I get ready for work, or (more frequently), I do a 5 minute clicker session with each dog before I leave.

 

When I get home, if the weather is nice, we go out in the yard again for more extensive exercise time (maybe 20 minutes), then I get dinner, watch TV, open mail, etc., while they relax on the furniture. Later I either take one of them to a training class, or we have another play session. I do another training session in the late evening.

 

In the summer, they get much more outdoor exercise/play time. Each one with get an outdoor training session in the evening (usually agility), or I'll hang out in the hammock and toss a ball.

 

2. Would my current schedule (which inclues about 45 hours a week of classes and work) not provide enough time for my border collie?

 

It depends. You might want to consider an older dog for your first Border Collie - maybe 6 years old or older. That would probably work out fine, just as it would if you were out of school and working.

 

3. I know border collies have a tendency to 'herd' (duh! lol!) if raised from puppy hood with them, would a border be okay with my cat and my ferrets? (NOTE: My ferrets romp and play with my cat, they wrestle with her and chase her and sometimes scare her off! They are NOT prey animals, just small carnivores that love to play, like a perpeutal kitten/puppy)

 

You might be able to get an older dog through rescue that could be tested on cats, or that had been raised with cats in his or her former home.

 

4. How much daily exercise does a border collie need, and what does this exercise entail (twice daily hour long walk/runs? Daily 30 min fetch in the park? daily agility practice?)

 

This depends on the dog and handler. I described my general dog exercise schedule above. I tend to do more mental work with my dogs than physical exercise.

 

5. I'd like to get involved in activites with my future dog (especially flyball, agility, and obedience. Herding trials would interest me as well if I had the time and ability to do that). How much practice goes into these exercises during the work week? I am assuming that the actual activity/competitions takes place on the weekends?

 

You would most likely start out with a weekly class that would probably be an hour long. After you finished the basic level classes and moved into a sport, that would most likely continue weekly. If you did both agility and obedience, that would be two one hour classes weekly.

 

The cool thing about training is that outside of classes, you can get a lot of training done with your dog in very short daily training sessions. My dogs always get at least one 5 minute training session per day - usually two and sometimes three.

 

Once you get into competitions, that's where the time commitment increases. Generally, an agility trial, or obedience trial, is going to be full day event. There are usually two days in a row offered, although going on both days is optional. I usually only do one of the two days.

 

This is going to sound odd, but I also recommend starting with an older dog for sports. No, you won't end up with the champion of the world, but you can learn your skills on a dog that is more settled, and that is great preparation for a future adolescent trainee!

 

I hope some of that info is helpful and I wish you the best with your decision.

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I have three Border Collies in a studio apartment and I am a postdoc in a research lab. I had two in a studio apartment while I was finishing a dual PhD. Upside of having dogs in grad school: flexible schedule (usually -- vet school not so much as a PhD program). Downside: tons of work with both the dogs and school and feeling like you never get your head above water.

 

It can work out if you are really, really dedicated and spend nearly all of your leisure time with the dogs. I would also recommend beginning with an adult dog from rescue and/or a rehomed working dog that didn't work out for someone for some reason (not going to make it to Open, retired from trialing, whatever). Whether it works out or not really depends on what kind of owner you are. You can nearly ALWAYS make it work out, but it will depend on what sacrifices you're willing to make and that's hard to say from this end.

 

Also take heed the warning about finding rental with dogs: I did manage to find one in San Francisco that allows three, but if I ever had to leave this place it'd be hell finding another one. Many cities have sparse rentals available for people with more than one dog, or any dog over 20 pounds. There's nearly always SOMETHING, but it might not be where you want to live and it will definitely cost too much.

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Since no one else has said it yet (I think), let me suggest that you consider fostering for now.

 

1. If you wind up with a foster who gets along great with your other animals, maybe you'll want to adopt. If not, you only have to manage a divided household for a limited time, and you'll have learned firsthand what others have said above: some dogs do fine with ferrets/cats/etc. and others do not.

 

2. Sad but true, many college students in their early 20s adopt and then choose to give up a dog later because <insert reason here>. In particular, your upcoming years in vet school, as Alaska Dog Doc said, are a real concern. You may believe that you can buck this trend - and its certainly possible that you could - but be aware that the odds are stacked very heavily against you.

 

Finally, a personal observation from someone who has had many kinds of animals over the years, including always at least one dog. I used to enjoy all of them equally, and especially the ferrets, but since the first border collie entered my life four years ago, other animals just don't hold as much interest for me. Border collies are so versatile that there seems to be no end of ways to share your life with them, and my relationships with my other animals now feel one-dimensional by comparison. This really caught me by surprise, and I know not everyone feels this way, but it is something for you to consider.

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Wow! Thanks so much to everyone for offering your thoughts and suggestions. I really really appreciate it!

 

1. I hadn't considered an older dog, my boyfriend really wanted a young dog so that he could bond with it from babyhood, train it to do well with the ferrets, and train it from puppyhood to be an 'obedience masta (read: master lol)". How easy is it to find a WELL TRAINED border collie that is in its adult years?

 

2. Fostering was not something I had considered, but that seems like an EXCELLENT idea. Would a rescue agency allow me to foster a dog if I do not own my property though? Remeber, I rent a one bedroom apartment. Also, are there even any border collie rescues in St. Louis? I dont think I've ever seen one here.

 

3. Getting busy in vet school is definitly something I worry about AND I will be moving from St. Louis, MO to Fort Collins, CO to attend vet school. There is a big move and my future and I wonder if maybe it would be better to get a dog AFTER my move.

 

4. As for losing interest in the ferrets after getting a border, thanks for brining this up, I had only vaguely considered it. When my ex boyfriend got his lab I really enjoyed spending time with the dog and because it was a new experience for me I did spend more time with the dog then the ferrets at first, but there is something about being able to sneak a ferret into places a dog could never go, something about watching them steal and stash my possessions, something about the way they play and sleep, that reassures me that those little monsters will never get old for me. :rolleyes:

 

Again thanks so much everyone! Keep your thoughts and suggestions coming! Im certainly not done learning just yet!

 

-Giuli

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Wow! Thanks so much to everyone for offering your thoughts and suggestions. I really really appreciate it!

 

1. I hadn't considered an older dog, my boyfriend really wanted a young dog so that he could bond with it from babyhood, train it to do well with the ferrets, and train it from puppyhood to be an 'obedience masta (read: master lol)". How easy is it to find a WELL TRAINED border collie that is in its adult years?

 

Older rescue dogs bond quite well too, and are certainly possible to train. Trained dogs appear in rescue all the time, plus the foster homes will often put some additional work into the dog.

 

2. Fostering was not something I had considered, but that seems like an EXCELLENT idea. Would a rescue agency allow me to foster a dog if I do not own my property though? Remeber, I rent a one bedroom apartment. Also, are there even any border collie rescues in St. Louis? I dont think I've ever seen one here.

 

It'll depend on the rescue, but I was able to foster from a 1-br rental.

Check out MoKan: http://www.mokanbcrescue.org/

 

3. Getting busy in vet school is definitly something I worry about AND I will be moving from St. Louis, MO to Fort Collins, CO to attend vet school. There is a big move and my future and I wonder if maybe it would be better to get a dog AFTER my move.

 

4. As for losing interest in the ferrets after getting a border, thanks for brining this up, I had only vaguely considered it. When my ex boyfriend got his lab I really enjoyed spending time with the dog and because it was a new experience for me I did spend more time with the dog then the ferrets at first, but there is something about being able to sneak a ferret into places a dog could never go, something about watching them steal and stash my possessions, something about the way they play and sleep, that reassures me that those little monsters will never get old for me. :rolleyes:

 

Again thanks so much everyone! Keep your thoughts and suggestions coming! Im certainly not done learning just yet!

 

-Giuli

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I think fostering an adult dog is exactly what you need. It would allow you to give a loving home to a dog until s/he can find a forever home and let you see if you have and are willing to have the time to spend with your forever dog of your own. It's a win/win situation and if you happen to "fall in love" than it's meant to be. I'm older and I would never want to go through the puppy stage again. Adult dogs have so much to offer. Most are potty trained, they don't chew (as much) and they are so desperate for attention they love you more than puppies. They appreciate you more because they know how hard their lives were before you.

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Wow! Thanks so much to everyone for offering your thoughts and suggestions. I really really appreciate it!

 

1. I hadn't considered an older dog, my boyfriend really wanted a young dog so that he could bond with it from babyhood, train it to do well with the ferrets, and train it from puppyhood to be an 'obedience masta (read: master lol)". How easy is it to find a WELL TRAINED border collie that is in its adult years?

 

Kip, our new rescue, 1.5 yr old, has clearly been trained. He also will be having some pointed review on down/stay... :rolleyes:

 

2. Fostering was not something I had considered, but that seems like an EXCELLENT idea. Would a rescue agency allow me to foster a dog if I do not own my property though? Remeber, I rent a one bedroom apartment. Also, are there even any border collie rescues in St. Louis? I dont think I've ever seen one here.

Tons of rescue resources...see the rescue section...and there are other Web resources out there too for BC rescue. Kip was a direct adoption from a county pound, but one of BC rescues put me in touch with someone who very kindly went to meet Kip for me before I made the 3.5 h drive to meet him/adopt him.

 

Again thanks so much everyone! Keep your thoughts and suggestions coming! Im certainly not done learning just yet!

I have found tons of info here..friendly folks very glad to share

 

-Giuli

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1. I hadn't considered an older dog, my boyfriend really wanted a young dog so that he could bond with it from babyhood, train it to do well with the ferrets, and train it from puppyhood to be an 'obedience masta (read: master lol)". How easy is it to find a WELL TRAINED border collie that is in its adult years?

 

Missy came to me as a 3 y/o. I doubt I will ever have a bond with any dog that is stronger than the bond I have with her. She has also been ridiculously easy to train. Remember, You are going to have to train any dog you get :rolleyes:. Which is good - training time is great bonding time and BCs love to learn. With an adult it's going to take less time to get to the finished product than it will with a pup.

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3. Getting busy in vet school is definitly something I worry about AND I will be moving from St. Louis, MO to Fort Collins, CO to attend vet school. There is a big move and my future and I wonder if maybe it would be better to get a dog AFTER my move.

 

I'd recommend getting a dog after you get here. There's an active rescue community at Wyoming Border Collie Rescue that always needs foster help. There are very active stockdog, flyball, agility, and disc dog communities here in Colorado as well, so you can suss out the local scene and get to know people first, too.

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