love1dawson Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 Too funny! We have 2 Aussies, 1 has a very slim build and one is bulky. You can actually find information on 3 or 4 different "acceptable sizes" of Aussies. Kate is a merle and we usually just get the question "what kind of dog is that".. I had a similar experience about 20 yrs ago with a Chow that I shared with a room mate. I had taken him out for a walk and was stopped and asked what kind of dog he was. When I said Chow, he argued with me. First he said that he wasn't a chow, then he said that he had to be a mix as he tried to open his mouth to confirm that his tounge coulnd't possibly be purple. I just smiled and and said "ok, think what you want". No use arguing with someone that *knows* they are right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 I just smiled and and said "ok, think what you want". No use arguing with someone that *knows* they are right. My sentiments exactly. That's what I do. That's what I say. It's sort of like that "wrestling with pics" saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPSY Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 IPSY, you have a sable? Can we see pictures, or just point me in the direction of some already posted? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 IPSY, thank you. She's beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 I have found, over time, that the "he's a very rare type of Border Collie" line has worked well with the people who are convinced that Dean must be something else, or is mixed, etc. I guess that acknowledges that they know what they "know" (ex. Border Collies are black and white, etc.), and allows them to continue to maintain those ideas, while recognizing that in rare circumstances there could be rare differences. While I realize that a smooth coat tri merle is not rare in the truest sense of the word, it is far from typical or common, so I have no problem saying it to people who really don't know that there can be so much variation in the look of the Border Collie. It's one of those cases where I can usually make everyone happy. I'm happy because they acknowledge that my dog is (or at least might be) a Border Collie. That's important to me because it is true. I don't care if they think he's a "rare" one! And they are happy because I'm not saying they are wrong. Win-win doesn't happen much with people, but in this case I find it works well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPSY Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 IPSY, thank you. She's beautiful! Thank you ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobcs Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 Lass was listed at the shelter as a "male terrier mix". Thank goodness the local border collie rescue was there to pick up another border collie that day and saw her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPSY Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 Lass was listed at the shelter as a "male terrier mix". Thank goodness the local border collie rescue was there to pick up another border collie that day and saw her! Terrier mix ? I do see alot of GSD in her , and a little chihuahua ! LOL... Its amazing the people they hire to work in shelters . At least hire people that have a clue , I can understand its hard work and really tough to get volunteer help , but really ! If you cant tell a male from a female dog , well........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Jessie~ Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 This thread is hilarious! Rory's been called all sorts of things... Springer Spaniel, Borzoi , Aussie, Sheepdog, Collie, Golden Retriever . Most people usually just ask what he is, thankfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 Lass was listed at the shelter as a "male terrier mix". Thank goodness the local border collie rescue was there to pick up another border collie that day and saw her! Wow! Seriously? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geonni banner Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 Wow! Seriously? Ok, this is a little off topic, but what about male dogs and horses in the movies being referred to as "she"? I mean, not the double horses/ dogs, for the star of the show, but some non-character that isn't even named... Wouldn't it be just as easy to say "he"? Oh right... You're not supposed to look! For pete's sake! I've known people who didn't know their own cat's or fluffy dog's gender because "it wasn't polite to lift the animal's tail and look"! Reminds me of reading that there used to be a guy on the "Lassie" tv set whose job was to be sure that you couldn't see Lassie's penis sheath in the shot. Very important to keep the notion that Lassie was a "she"... When I was a kid there was this unspoken idea that all dogs were boys and all cats were girls. (I wonder where they thought puppies and kittens came from... Did they really think all those St. Bernards were born to feline moms?) It sometimes carries over into adult life. My tomcat's name is Mugen, and I can't break my neighbors from calling him a her. And yes, they don't really believe Sugarfoot is a Border Collie either, because "he" has a medium coat and very little white. Sigh... When I got into Collie Rescue I found that all Collies were "she" unless proven otherwise. To my amazement this not only applied to sable and white roughs, but to all Collies, including merle smoothies - where the evidence of gender was in clear view. (Except for the people who insisted the dog wasn't a Collie because of markings, color or coat length - then it was a he.) It was actually harder to place a male sable and white dog. You'de say you had a nice sable male, and you would get a blank look and a plaintive, "But we wanted a girl, like Lassie!" So then I would explain how all the Lassies have been males, and you would have thought I had told them there was no Santa Clause. Cripes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclare Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 When I was a kid there was this unspoken idea that all dogs were boys and all cats were girls. (I wonder where they thought puppies and kittens came from... Did they really think all those St. Bernards were born to feline moms?) I think this is really prevalent, I guess because the image of feline grace jibes with our image of what constitutes femininity. What I find more often in adulthood is people for whom animal gender doesn't really exist. My mother, who is not a dog person, uses he, she, and it interchangeably when referring to my dogs, because she has this ingrained view that static assigned genders apply only to humans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geonni banner Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 I think this is really prevalent, I guess because the image of feline grace jibes with our image of what constitutes femininity. What I find more often in adulthood is people for whom animal gender doesn't really exist. My mother, who is not a dog person, uses he, she, and it interchangeably when referring to my dogs, because she has this ingrained view that static assigned genders apply only to humans. Hmmmm... I guess I just always assumed that the whole thing was about "Dick & Jane." Spot was the dog - a male, and Puff was the cat - a female. Every other first reader seems to repeat this arrangement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclare Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 Hmmmm... I guess I just always assumed that the whole thing was about "Dick & Jane." Spot was the dog - a male, and Puff was the cat - a female. Every other first reader seems to repeat this arrangement. Heh...that probably makes more sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby's dad Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 Ok I try to be reasonable. I am pretty patient with people, I think. My husband and I live quiet lives except for the odd wildlife emergancy with big predators But I was at the grocery store the other day. I had little Gunny with me. A lady came up to me and said, "What a nice little Jack Russel cross dog." I kind of gave her a puzzled look. Then said, "She's a border collie." "No," the lady replied, "She's not. Look how small she is and a red coat, and her hair isn't longer and fluffier like it should be." I was getting more confused and I said, "Lady this dog is a sheepdog, she works. You know brings sheep to you, thats the way they are. A Jack Russel doesn't do that." The lady then began to tell me how she knew all about dogs and my dog couldn't possibly be a Border collie. I was standing next to my truck and pointed to little Cap. Who was asleep on the seat. "So What about that dog. Is he a border collie?" The lady smiled at me patiently and said, "No....although he might be a cross bred. He is black and white but too small and wiry. Are your dogs registered? Thats the way you can tell, you know who the parents are." I was beggining to be perplexed. If I had had sheep in the truck I might have let them out in the parking lot! "Well no, not unless the dog pound registered them before they came to the dog rescue. But they work. Thats how I could tell..." She simply smiled. Finally I guess I had had enough, " Well, thanks for your opinion on my dogs. If you ever want to see my crossbred dog and Jack russel work sheep or goats or whatever give me a call. But I think you need glasses or something." Then I got into the truck and drove off. The lady waved very sweetly at me. Her parting comment, "They are very nice dogs." Wasn't that weird? Just the other day I was in the drive-thru at a local Arby's. The guy in the window stuck his head out and asked me what kind of dog Toby was. I told him he's a Border Collie/Blue Heeler mix. The guy just stared for a moment and responded, "Nope, I don't think so." WHY IN THE HECK WOULD YOU ASK THEN. I just wanted to flick him in the eyeball. All I could do was sit in disbelief and wait for my food. Ah the ignorant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPSY Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 Ha ha..When he tells you how much for your food , I would have just said " I dont think so" and went and got my food from somewhere else , LOL.... Seriously , I would have liked to have flicked him the eye too ! I mean really ! But , just for kicks and giggles , I would have been interested in what breed this knuckle head thought Toby was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njnovice Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 People always ask what kind of mix Mick is...either that or they think he's a heeler mix. Once somebody thought he was part pit. The one neighbor across the street who breeds and shows Shiba Inus once asked me what kind of dog he was. When I said, Border Collie, her response was..."Well, he doesn't look like any Border Collie I've ever seen." I'm like, "He's definitely a Border Collie. I have his ABCA papers." She then goes, "Oh, so he's not registered with the AKC?" "Nope, he was bred to work sheep." Hell, people used to even say about Beag, "Oh, what a pretty Border Collie mix." And to me, she was the absolute perfect picture of the stereotypical Border Collie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPSY Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 Its also quite fun to tell them something completely off the wall , like this dog is a mix of persian and chihuahua or maybe cattledog and siamese. The faces on some of the people are priceless , LOL.. They walk away with a really surprised , confused look on their face, and they might think your a couple short of a six pack too , but hey , who cares ? LOL.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejano Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 Its also quite fun to tell them something completely off the wall , like this dog is a mix of persian and chihuahua or maybe cattledog and siamese. The faces on some of the people are priceless , LOL..They walk away with a really surprised , confused look on their face, and they might think your a couple short of a six pack too , but hey , who cares ? LOL.. We had a dear mutt years ago whose mother was a lab...goodness knows who the father was. At any rate, we told people he was a miniature English Sheepdog, because in truth, he looked most like an English Sheepdog pup ...April Fools! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine R. Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 And here´s my German Shepherd, Giant schnauzer, Terrier crossbread. I remember that when i took this foto and placed it on my website - it was the first time that i recognized, that Lone looks different... I wasn´t aware before... because when you have your puppie always around you don´t see how it "mutates" Greetings Christine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPSY Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 Wow , cute picture ! But how could you miss the shiba inu ? Its very clear to me that this pup is part shiba inu . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 Oh, Christine, that photo is priceless!!! Not to belabor the issue (but some of it is soooo entertaining) - and not to poo-pooh the dear shelter workers who work their tails off....but we had one said to be a border collie. She is absolultely adorable - and loving - and badly in need of a good home - but I'd say much more likely cattle dog and, um, terrier! diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest echoica Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 I would like to introduce everyone to my... HUSKY. LOLOLOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 I got ripped off. I paid for a Border Collie, but instead I got a pit bull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mariji Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 Hahahaha You guys crack me up. I just get kelpie cross. I'm pretty sure kelpies arent fluffy!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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