Thats not a border collie!

[DeltaBluez Tess]

A long time ago, someone told me that Shiro was not a Border Collie. She is mostly white and huge and they said Border Collies are small and black and white.

 

I siad she was an offshoot of the Border Collie lines...the breed was a "Mars Sheepdog" and they went "ah, we have heard of those before"

 

I just made that name up....Mars, cuz I like the Planet.

 

Diane

[ShoresDog]

I'm expecting Deb (Allie Oop) to weigh in with a retell of the vacation trip where the European tourists were taking pictures of Allie, who they assumed to be a pet coyote!

[Shelley86]

Some people just have such strange ideas about what dog breeds our guys can be. I don't have a BC anymore (but will very soon!), but used to have a classic marked short haired BC with spots/ticking all over his white. I got asked ALL the time if he was a dalmatian mix. Mind you, this was also around the time 101 Dalmatians was popular- but it got ridiculous after a while of correcting people.

 

I have an Australian Shepherd, and the one comment I get tired of hearing is "OMG, What happened to your Border Collie's tail??" He is totally Aussie, he has a heavier structure and wider frame, but he has a good amount of herding instinct and eye, which is probably what confuses them. People don't believe he's an Australian Shepherd, they always ask if I have papers. No, I do not.. Unless rescues give out pedigrees.

[setsail]

I actually get more people say Jackson is a border collie than a mix. So it must be the coloring and marking because he looks very much like the show collies colorwise. Then when I say he is a collie/border collie mix then they go "oh yeah! I see it in his nose and his pretty big".

 

And sheltie people ALWAYS ask if he is a bi-black sheltie. Um, he's big for border collie, neverless a sheltie. he's 50lbs and 24in at the shoulder. But I can see the resemblance so I just say that he is just a sheltie on 'roids and explain he is a rough coat collie/border collie mix. However, when playing with other shelties, they all look at him and the female shelties fawn over him. To other shelties he is like the Sheltie King. It is bizarre.

[Root Beer]

Actually, one thing I have found that usually satisfies people is to say, "He's a very rare type of Border Collie." I almost don't like to say it because merles and smooth coats aren't really that rare - although I haven't seen any other merle smooth coats - but it does usually end the speculation as far as their concerned.

[theshine]

I get it all the time because Shiner is a blue merle. Everyone thinks he's Aussie. I certainly can't prove he's not part aussie, but I don't think so...he is built like a bc and moves like one. I get the same thing with my shelties, people think the merle is an aussie or even a husky mix (bi eyes) and the tri color is, of all things, a border collie. It doesn't bother me unless people want to argue with me about it, which does happen. Otherwise I'm just happy to talk about my dogs.

[Jack & Co.]

I'm expecting Deb (Allie Oop) to weigh in with a retell of the vacation trip where the European tourists were taking pictures of Allie, who the assumed to be a pet coyote!

 

That's what I thought of too, Jan!

[Ace]

Wow...isnt this something to look forward to

 

The worst thing I got was nice Collie, with Rush. She doesnt have a blaze, and she is tri color with tipped ears (as well as smooth coated). I think the most amazing thing was an 8 year old girl who came up to us on a walk and knew exactly what breed she was (I was shocked). I have people ask all the time at the vets office. No one's argued with me yet lol. Still, no one knows what breed she is. I always have people ask what breed Bear is, and they all ask what breed Rush is too XD. I think she looks like a BC, even if she doesnt have a pedigree.

 

*heres a picture so you know what she looks like*

 

 

Shes cute either way

 

Diane

[juliepoudrier]

Ace,

Rush looks a whole lot like my Willow. See the photo below--Willow's on the bottom right.

 

J.

[esox]

Several people that have been told that Alex is a BC have informed that no she is not. She's too skinny she must be crossed with something. The couple of them that I managed to convince she was a BC told me I was starving her. I tried to explain the difference between working BCs, even agility BCs, and show BCs.

Of course it doesn't help that Alex's tail was broken at birth and she only has half a tail.

Alex even has the "classic" show BC markings.

 

One person was quite adamant about her being mix. She asked me don't you want to know what your dog is? I told her I do; she's my best friend.

 

Esox

[PSmitty]

Wow, Rush does look like Willow's mini-me!

 

Alex is a rare miniature husky. Or something. We went to a new e-vet on Sunday, so they hadn't seen him before. The girl taking our information said, "Uh, ummm, uh....so what would you breed would you call him"? She didn't even want to venture a guess.

[NorthfieldNick]

Everyone guesses that Nick is a BC, but they always want to know why he's so dusty. He's blue, which really looks like mud-brown or a washed out black. I've had people ask if his coat faded.

 

Now Lu, the mutt... that's another story. She's obviously got a lot of GSD in her, but anything else is a guess. She does not look pure GSD, by a long shot, but I've had people lament that her ears would be up if I'd taped them when she was a pup. Er, never mind the short coat, short nose, flat head... She's a Maine Country Hound. At least that's what I tell people. Lots of people assume Lu works sheep as well if they've seen Nick work. HA! The sheep would work her! She's firmly convinced the sheep have the power to make the hotwire get her

[JaderBug]

I don't have any stories to tell, but I've certainly enjoyed reading all of the stories everyone else has pointed out... I'm not sure which is more far-fetched, Yorkie or Dalmation!! My pup is only 7 months old, so I'm sure we'll have a lot of these sort of encounters down the road!!

[FoxgloveBC]

I have a new one to add to my list of breeds people have asked me on Foxy... Someone dared asked if she was part Sheltie........ wow......

 

Im about to put a big sign on her crate that says....THIS IS A BORDER COLLIE!!! lol

[cbm618]

I've had everyone from little kids to shelter workers say that my girl is a HUSKY!!! A husky! Maybe its the gay tail.... But seriously, does she look like a husky?

[Tranquilis]

But seriously, does she look like a husky?

A Sibe? No way. But an Alaskan..? Mmmm-maybe. Some prominant mushers have tri-color Alaskans with smooth coats, running in the 45lbm-range. The Alaskan has no specific conformation markers, beyond the double coat, the sound paws, and the desire to pull. I'm willing to bet there are some BCs that could plausibly be confused with Alaskans.

[AK dog doc]

I'm willing to bet there are some BCs that could plausibly be confused with Alaskans.

 

And a few vice-versa! Smooth coat BCs to be sure, but BCs none the less. I have one particular patient who came from village sled lines who (if I didn't know better) I would SWEAR was a smooth BC. Based on looks, I mean, not behavior.

[Ooky]

A Sibe? No way. But an Alaskan..? Mmmm-maybe. Some prominant mushers have tri-color Alaskans with smooth coats, running in the 45lbm-range. The Alaskan has no specific conformation markers, beyond the double coat, the sound paws, and the desire to pull. I'm willing to bet there are some BCs that could plausibly be confused with Alaskans.

 

 

That's what my neighbor said when he met my Odin - husky. My family's dog was a classic puffy double-coat prick-ear husky, so I was shocked. Odin seems so perfect BC. But I've so far gotten everything from "nice mutt" to, is that an AS. But the weird thing is, every African American in my neighborhood (about 70% black) knows EXACTLY what he is. Kids and adults. I don't think it means anything, just weird coincidence. My african american landlord, Lovel, who lives 2 blocks away, met him for the first time and immediately said, "Now that's a purebred BORDER Collie." Worried that he was upset at my choice of dog, I made Odin sit and explained about the parents' size (I had a size restriction) and how good he already was etc. Lovel said, "I was hoping you'd get a border collie! They are the BEST dogs". It was great!

 

 

--ooky

+Odin, Dr. Benway, and Lobo

[Liz P]

This is an "Alaskan Husky" that I used to own Didn't help that I ran her as a sled dog during the winter. It just confused people. Real sled dog people and working BC people knew her for what she was though. Everyone tells me she has Rosco's nose. (She is a great granddaughter of Roy Johnson's Rosco.)

 

[Soda-pop]

coyote. twice. Surprised the heck out of me. She's pretty classic b/w.

[Allie Oop]

 

 

 

Allie does have a tendency to look kind of "wild", but I did have a good laugh at the French Algerian tourists who swarmed around Allie while I was walking her in Zions National Park who kept chanting "coyote", "coyote". I guess they thought I was walking my pet coyote (complete with pink bandana).

[Jack & Co.]

Allie does have a tendency to look kind of "wild", but I did have a good laugh at the French Algerian tourists who swarmed around Allie while I was walking her in Zions National Park who kept chanting "coyote", "coyote". I guess they thought I was walking my pet coyote (complete with pink bandana).

 

Jan and I were hoping you would show up to tell that story, Deb. I still chuckle over the excitement created by your "coyote on a leash".

[PSmitty]

Allie's a wild girl all right!

 

Here's my husky:

 

[Soda-pop]

Soda and Allie kind of look similar in the face. Is that just me?

 

[bexie]

The worst thing I got was nice Collie, with Rush. She doesnt have a blaze, and she is tri color with tipped ears (as well as smooth coated). I think the most amazing thing was an 8 year old girl who came up to us on a walk and knew exactly what breed she was (I was shocked). I have people ask all the time at the vets office. No one's argued with me yet lol. Still, no one knows what breed she is. I always have people ask what breed Bear is, and they all ask what breed Rush is too XD. I think she looks like a BC, even if she doesnt have a pedigree.

 

Except for Molly having a little skinnier face, I'd say she looks like Molly. Molly is purebred but not registered. Have copies of her parents' Danish Kennel Club certificates but they also have better backgrounds than that.

 

We've had a lot of arguments and discussions about her breed, even with people who allegedly have BC experience. I was very happy last weekend when someone came up and asked if she was a BC.

 

People here just don't believe a smooth tri is a border collie. They usually tell me she must be a mix. I politely explain how BCs are defined by working ability not appearance, etc., etc., and otherwise ignore them.