BORDER COLLIE TRAITS

[Ooky]

 

SO many of these are Odin all over! Let's see, except for the butt-parking, Mudpups could be describing my dog. I mean it's uncanny. And the bug thing? My whole life I thought only cats did that. Odin is my on-command spider-eater - which someone caught me do once ("Odin! Spider!" *gulp*) and was so incredibly mortified that I think they're scared of me now. He also looks so solemnly at me when I feed him. I have to tell him like 5 times it's ok to eat (well, only twice for raw ) . I mean, I know he's been on NILIF since I got him, but it sometimes makes me feel weird. Too funny, so many of these really weird BC quirks!

[herdcentral]

My girl like to run ahead and hide. I can just see her nose poking out but I pretend I havnt seen her. Then when I get close she likes to race out. I have to act surprised and throw my hands in the air. She loves this.

 

My young ACD often spoils the fun by running in and revealing her hiding place. I can see the look of annoyance on her face.

 

When people or dogs approach from a distance on a walk she likes to crouch right down and creep towards them with a very concentrated look on her face.

[ragtimedog]

They have to be with me ALL the time. All 7 of us go up and down stairs, to the bathroom, inside, outside....

Cupped paws, playing on backs, yes. I'd add

COMPETITIVE! Will have to be first out the door, down the stairs, knocking me down is fine.

Stalking each other. Throwing a toy for you to pick up and hiding to see if you throw it.

[OurBoys]

I love this thread! JJ & Jake have done so many of these!

 

JJ is more of a watcher than Jake. He doesn't have to be in the same room with you but if he is, he's going to watch you even if you don't realize it. If his eyes didn't glow in his reflection, I would have missed this stare.

 

Jake has to be in the same room with you. He doesn't always have to be watching but he has to 'feel' you are close by. He also enjoys sleeping curled up but his 2nd favorite sleeping position is a bit odd.

 

If JJ has to use the bathroom, he'll bark once. If I'm not fast enough, he'll wait a couple of minutes before barking (once) again. Jake will walk up to you and put his nose between your knees. If I don't move fast enough, he'll move his nose upwards. If I ask him to wait and he feels he can, he'll lay down and curl up. If he feels he can't wait and has to go NOW, he'll move his nose all the up! That's something he had to figure out for himself since I didn't understand his signal for going out when we first got him. Back then, he would walk up to me and press the top of his head against my leg. I thought he wanted to be petted! When I didn't get it, he decided to give me a quick jab in the crotch with his nose. I figured out real fast what he wanted then! I guess in our house, training is a 2-way street......

[bc4ever]

I love this thread! JJ & Jake have done so many of these!

 

JJ is more of a watcher than Jake. He doesn't have to be in the same room with you but if he is, he's going to watch you even if you don't realize it. If his eyes didn't glow in his reflection, I would have missed this stare.

That is an awesome picture!!

[Ceredwyn]

I forgot stuffing their head through the crook of your arm. The dogs at the rescue do it while I'm trying to type but, my old dog did it to the point I had to put my arms behind my back when play time was over. He'd shove his head through either direction to get your attention.

 

My Belle is the only dog we've ever had that does this -- and she does it to the point of mayhem.

[Sophinator]

Here's a few more weirdness traits:

 

Lacking sheep poop, Sophia has learned to annoint herself in essence of dead earthworm. Delicately picks the liquifying morsel out of the lawn, places it strategically, and then rolls in it. It is apparently essential to get the fragrance (?) on your neck and behind your ears. As the goo is mashed into your fur, the aroma becomes "fixed."

 

Adores cauliflower as a snack. Wouldn't eat broccoli if she were starving. One is white, one is green. It's the same danged thing! Is it the texture???

 

Hates the icecream truck. Turns into Cujo, jumping stiff legged, every hair on her back up, so angry she's literally "spitting mad."

 

Hates the UPS truck, the mail truck, the school bus. Loves the UPS guy, the mailman, and the bus driver.

 

When hunting rabbits, dog needs to keep the critter in sight. This is best done by pogo leaping. Impersonate a Jack Russell on steroids. (Sophie's vertical leap is such that she's had her back parallel to the ground at my shoulder level--and I'm not a short person.)

 

Uses escalating violence to awaken owner. If a nose nudge doesn't do it, try clawing (with the patented BC curled paw technique) mommy in the head. If that fails, do a full flip body slam into mommy's abdomen. The resulting shock to her bladder will have mommy up in no time. Dog doesn't comprehend that it is not absolutely necessary to arise at 5:00 AM on a regular basis.

[Sophinator]

Oh yeah. Like several posters have mentioned about their dogs, Sophie also hits the floor like a ton of bricks and groans like an old lady when she lies down. Always has, even when she was a youngster. But curl up in a ball to sleep? Not Sophia. With her global ambitions, she has found a way to lie on her side and somehow manage to extend her legs both forward and backward while still maximizing space to the side. A Great Dane would be challenged to take up more square footage! She also snores. And farts, the silent Weapon Of Mass Destruction variety. And jerks around like a spastic when she dreams, yipping and making indescribable noises. Why is the bed jerking? Is that an earthquake? Did a truck hit the house? Oh, it's just Sophie. She's an especially fun dog to sleep with....

[Soda-pop]

Cap is looking for rabbits when he should be herding sheep!

 

Soda is [in]famous for sticking her head in holes when she's supposed to be working. I was walking her back to set her up for an outrun today and she sticks her head in a hole and is just sniiiffffinnnng and I got annoyed and started to tell her to get her head out and she started to take off thinking I was going to say "get back"...

 

She'll be holding the sheep to me and then stick her head in a hole really quickly, walk up, stick her head in a hole, walk up, rinse and repeat.

 

Drives me nuts. (but it's also a little funny)

[Vickkers]

Mine do most of the above.... someone mentioned their dog loving to lick their beard?

 

Clover LOVES my husband's hair product and will happily relieve him of it (from his head) nightly if allowed....

 

Clover and Zeus are also both obsessed with my deodorant..... I'm constantly asking them to stop trying to lick my armpits and they'll even go so far as to go find a shirt out of the laundry and lick it clean. They don't do it when I'm fresh out of the shower and deodorant free though.

 

I guess I have chemically-dependent dogs??

[beachdogz]

how about carpet-eating?

 

sorry, hijacking from my post "How Old" as my dog continues to find random spots in my carpet, lick them until they are soaked, and then rip out the carpet fibers with her teeth. I now have 3 spots (one of which she already has gone back to twice, so it is twice as big) and now it's an obsession with her and she is doing it when we're home and not watching her.

 

a bored border collie...never a good thing.

[beachdogz]

how about carpet-eating?

 

ok, so luckily I still have remnant pieces of my carpet which is probably 27 years old (and still in great condition; we don't use that room much - used to be a formal living room). So I cut a piece and get the glue and am gluing a new plug of 1"x1" carpet back into where she ate a hole.

 

The B.C. trots over, and sits next to me and (this is no lie) sits there looking at the carpet...and then me...and the carpet...and then me....back and forth. She's not the least bit traumatized. She's looking at me as if to say, "...so...what are you doing now? huh? how'd you like what i did, huh?" Honestly, I never saw anything so funny in all my life. It was all I could do not to laugh. Then she starts pawing me. Go figure.

 

These dogs are hilarious...when they're not eating your carpet!

[afrancis]

Whenever Brody scratches himself with a back foot, he'll end up biting/chewing on that foot. He's never hurt himself and it's mostly funny.

 

I know its not a bc, but sort of like this? Sounds and looks scary! Hope he doesn't hurt himself ...

 

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=kKpuAJF7Q_s

[fotobridget]

Ok….a sort of fun post.

 

I’m new to owning a Border Collie. So…are the following traits that I see:

a. Border Collie traits?

b. General dog traits?

c. A particular dog’s trait?

 

1. Points (lifts a paw to “set”) – both my BC and my mix do this. I noticed a photo of Monicah’s dog in another photo with that paw up

 

2. Walks like a cat, one paw in front of the other – both my BC and my mix do this. Sometimes (not always) they will walk on the narrow brick trim between our pool and the grass, one foot in front of the other. There seems to be no reason to do this; no reason to avoid the grass. And, my BC did it the first day she got here…so it’s not like she learned it watching my mix.

 

3. Lays on back and plays with toys in the air (like a cat) – both by BC and my mix do this. We used to say that the mix was either raised by a kitty or was part kitty.

 

4. Curls her paws and uses them like hands – Only my BC does this. It is amazing what she can do with those paws. I don’t remember ever seeing a dog curl their paws like that to hold things. It’s like they’re her little hands.

 

5. Lays her head in your lap – I noticed other people referring to this trait in other posts. Mine does this. Is it a Border Collie thing? I never had another dog that did it quite like this and so often.

 

6. Any other things you would label as Border Collie traits (besides stalking and staring)?

 

 

Libby 'pounces' like the kitty cat that helped 'raise' her...it's cute...she also does ALL The other things you've mentioned....must be part kitty...

 

(And I love watching her 'tiptoe' or 'sneak' into the room when she thinks no one is looking...)

[fotobridget]

No one mentioned how BC's curl themselves up into those tiny balls like contortionists, so that will be my contribution. Poke and Ceana both roll into balls with nose to rear end. I think Pepper is too fat for this, and that is the only trait I really haven't seen from her since she came to us about a month ago.

 

Ahh, and how about extreamly noisy play!? Is it just me, or do they attempt to make the largest ruckus when playing? If I couldn't see, or know, my dogs I would probably swear there was some sort of fighting going on!

 

 

Libby rolls up into teeny tiny little shapes, too. But as for noisy play--she plays almost silently...it's the labrenard that barks and barks and barks....

[Nichole]

No one mentioned how BC's curl themselves up into those tiny balls like contortionists, so that will be my contribution. Poke and Ceana both roll into balls with nose to rear end. I think Pepper is too fat for this, and that is the only trait I really haven't seen from her since she came to us about a month ago.

 

Ahh, and how about extreamly noisy play!? Is it just me, or do they attempt to make the largest ruckus when playing? If I couldn't see, or know, my dogs I would probably swear there was some sort of fighting going on!

 

 

I got my first BC from the shelter when she was 6 months old, it wasn't long after that when I peeked outside and noticed her lying on her back, all four paws in the air, and her eyes shut....I thought she was dead! I found out she was just soaking up the sun on the warm concrete. She has many postitions that she can get herself into and curling up into a tiny ball is definitely her forte My newest 3 month old bc sleeps on her back with her feet in the air 90% of the time, no matter where she is.

 

As far as playing goes, they are both EXTREMELY noisy!! I had a german shepherd a while ago, and in all dogs that I have encountered in my lifetime, I have never met two dogs that TALK SO MUCH! They can change the tones and volumes of their growls, barks, moans, and groans. They are very noisy and very sneaky especially the way they can use their paws, they use them like hands.

[bc4ever]

noticed her lying on her back, all four paws in the air, and her eyes shut....I thought she was dead! I found out she was just soaking up the sun on the warm concrete. She has many postitions that she can get herself into and curling up into a tiny ball is definitely her forte My newest 3 month old bc sleeps on her back with her feet in the air 90% of the time, no matter where she is.

 

My brother's BC/Aussie mix loves lying on his back, preferably in bed, resting his head on my brother's pillow!! But every time Scooter's on his back, he gets awful sneezing attacks!

[luvmycash]

Great thread

 

Let's see, Cash...

Sleeps on his back

Wraps his paws around everything and everyone, especially my legs when I'm trying to walk, he's done this since he was eight weeks old.

Here's a photo example of him playing with a golden retriever puppy. Note the paw.

 

However I see the list is missing tantrums. Doesn't anyone else's border throw tantrums? lol

Cash lives outside at the moment while I'm here at my folks place. He howls when he's left. Not just howls, he puts his head in his dog house and does it. Just his head. You'd think that would hurt his ears?? I tell him to be quiet, so maybe he's trying to deaden the sound? lol maybe I should give him a pillow to scream into.

But that's nothing compared to when I ride the horses and don't take him with me. He rolls on his back on the ground and howls as loud as he can! (with his head in his dog house) What's wrong with my dog? lol

 

My previous border collie, Molly, was the sweetest most gentle dog I ever met. She only ever threw the one tantrum, which is why I remember it. She got one of those little eyelid tumors that older dogs get. Well I had it removed because it was rubbing on her eye and she had two teeny little stitches on her eyelid. So on the drive home, she kept trying to rub it. And I finally said "Now, Molly stop it." She took her head and slammed (and I mean slammed!) it down on the seat with her nose pointing towards her chest. And she stayed like that! I was having trouble driving I was laughing so hard.

[beachdogz]

gee, I don't know if this is a trait, but...

 

this morning at around 6:15, Kylie was barking to go out (she lays her head on the bed as you are sleeping and "boofs" in your face. So DH actually got out of bed and let the dogs out! Well, he was gone a long time. When he came back I asked him why it took so long.

 

"Kylie wouldn't come in...I had to go out and get her."

"What was she doing?" I asked.

 

"You're not gonna believe this: she was sitting out in the middle of the yard BARKING at the MOON!" (It was a full moon.)

 

oh, well. The Christmas tree didn't phase her...but a full moon (probably along with the snow), well....

 

I must say, I never had a dog that looked up in the sky let alone barked at the moon!

[sjones]

Belle's favorite place is the bathroom, infact we now call it Belle's room. If you happen to get into the bathroom before her, she will wait outside the door, hits the door with her paw then sits there until you come out. Then she gets up, gives you an annoyed look as she goes in and loudly plunks herself down in front of the toilet. Her strange thing to do when she's happy is to lay her head sideways on the floor with her butt up in the air, very funny to watch.

Floss follows me in the house wherever I go. In the mornings when I am in the bathroom getting ready for work she lays next to me watching my every move. When I give beefhide sticks to the girls, Floss and her sister Wisp will run around, tossing the sticks around, pounce on them before proceding to lay down and chew.

Annie is my thinker of the bunch. If she wants to play and no one is paying attention to her, she grabs a toy and bumps who ever happens to be available in the back of the legs. I remember how Annie tricked Maggie, our old heeler cross into giving up her chew stick. Annie knew that Maggie would bark like crazy whenever a vehicle pulled into the driveway, so as Maggie was chewing away, Annie gave a loud bark that sent Maggie barking and running to the patio window to see who was there. In the mean time Annie dashed over to where the chew stick was and ran off with it into another room. I sat and laughed watching the look on Maggie's face when she went back to find her chew stick missing.

It never ceases to amaze me at all the strange, quirky things bc's do

 

Samantha

[momtotwo]

I thought of this thread today when I drove through town. There was a ranch truck parked on the street and had 3 dogs in the back. (That's a joke around here that every vehichle has a dog in the back or in the front!) It's beautiful here today..about 48 and sunny. The blue healer and the golden mix were soaking up the sun and the border collie was curled up in a tiny ball! Made me laugh!

[pammyd]

As Ben and Mia are all I have ever had I just think of them as dog things - until people point out that their dogs dont do them

 

Playing noises - a undulating ahhhhahhhhahhhhahhhh mixed in with sneezes as each others hair gets up the nose

Their play fighting is unique to the other dogs here, usualy starts with Mia going for Bens neck, he brings one paw up then the other round her shoulders and slams her to the floor and walks away like he is discusted. She walks away and he runs over, grabs her back leg and trips her. THey both run over to a soft cushion or human to do smackdowns on and then rear up on back legs boxing and face fencing

If you have been eating something then talk to either dog they sniff right in your mouth (not touching or licking) and then give you a hurt look

Loooong looks of 'you are so stupid but I love you' when I try and ask them to do something they dont understand

 

Ben does his woof woofffhoooooowwwl when out at night - and becomes v excited when his doggie friends bark back

When really happy he sticks his head between your legs and wobbles his bum and tail back and forth and stamps his back paws in joy while you rub his butt

 

They both put thier heads on you or on the sofa when they want up - they have also started doing that to the other dog if it is on the sofa before them - actually asking permision of the other dog

 

If Mia has something Ben really wants but knows she is a bit grumpy he will chuck another toy at her or run to the door or something to distract her then he goes and gets what he wants

 

Both of them use excited kisses to move another dog away from something or someone they want

 

Ben does the breaking up of fights - if Mia is really stairing down a strange dog and it is just about to go bad he flys by and knocks Mia to the floor and makes her play with him

[beachdogz]

Their play fighting is unique to the other dogs here, usualy starts with Mia going for Bens neck, he brings one paw up then the other round her shoulders and slams her to the floor and walks away like he is discusted. She walks away and he runs over, grabs her back leg and trips her. THey both run over to a soft cushion or human to do smackdowns on and then rear up on back legs boxing and face fencing

 

LOL play fighting. My older, smaller dog takes the position on the bed "above" Kylie on the floor. Kylie jumps on the bed and they rear up on hind legs and .... honestly...they bump each other belly to belly like sumo wrestlers. Kylie jumps or is pushed off the bed and then immediately jumps back on and they repeat it over and over. It's the da***dest thing I've ever seen!

[JMack]

I taught Taj to ring some bells on the back door when he wants to go out. Trinity does it now, but I never taught her.

 

 

 

How? I would love to teach that to Durga.

[PENNSTER]

Mine loves to tipp over the water cooler trying to get the water jug to play wtih. She's a water jug junkie!!