Another good reaction to wanting a border collie

[Laurelin]

I went to dinner last night with my old roomie. We had a good time but she asked about her other old roomie, Summer. I tell her Summer is doing great and that she loves Bernard (My sister's puppy)and loves to play with him. She was shocked Summer was actually playing. (Something Summer wouldn't do for the first year we had her) I told her I loved Nard and he was the best dog ever. She asked if he was like Summer at all personality wise.

 

I told her to remember Beau back when he was a puppy. Beau had left a real impression on my friends as being possibly one of the craziest dogs ever. He was just really excited (and a puppy!) when they met him. He's normally very calm in the house. I told her Nard was like him, only on crack. She got this look on her face and started talking. "I think of all the dogs I've known papillons have to be the most hyperactive. I like dogs that are happy to see you when you get home and play when you want to, but then curl up beside you and sleep the rest of the time.'

 

So I go 'That's what the papillons do. They really sleep most the day.'

 

"Yes, but that's because they're zooming around the rest of the time.'

 

So I'm sitting there thinking that's what she just described, a dog that plays but will veg out too. So I say, "Well, if it makes you feel better, the other breed I want is just as much energy only 6 times bigger."

 

She narrows her eyes, "What breed are you getting?"

 

"Well, I would really like a border collie."

 

*Look of utter horror* "WHY on EARTH would you want a border collie!? Do you actually LIKE spastic dogs?!'

 

Yeah, I guess I do if you call my dogs spastic.

[Lizmo]

I call Blaze a spaz

 

Actually, it just comes out "you crazy dog", because he's done something ridiculiously smart to get what he wants.

 

Good thing about Blaze is, he never actually destroies anything. He just leaps/bounces/zoomes around making himself look like a total goob Example: We've been going to the lake alot lately. Blaze of course wants something thrown into the water. . .so he goes out and swims then when he comes back up to me, he shakes so funny. He is shaking so hard, and so fast that the latter half of his body just kind of wiggles off to the side making him loose his balance. Looks like his back end is just wiggling off! LOL

[Bo Peep]

I love that quirky side of border collies. That's why I'd never have another breed. They are wacky and fun. They are NOT however for everyone. Looks like you are doing your research and have been here long enough to know that. I'm sure your old roommate will just love your border collie.

[Laurelin]

I love that quirky side of border collies. That's why I'd never have another breed. They are wacky and fun. They are NOT however for everyone. Looks like you are doing your research and have been here long enough to know that. I'm sure your old roommate will just love your border collie.

 

I bet she'll be shocked that it actually sleeps sometimes.

 

I figure after handling Nard this long, I can take a bc easily. For a five pound dog, he's a mess. Nonstop energy- check. Independent thinker- check. Destructive- check. Hard headed- check. Quirky- check. What's bad is he's probably my favorite dog I've had personality wise. I describe him and his antics and tell people how awesome he is and they look at me like I've grown two heads.

 

Lizmo, Summer's nickname from my old roomies was Spaz. I'm not sure where they got that, she's lazy most the time.

[AllieMackie]

Laur, I was reading a friend's "dog bible"-esque book yesterday - one of those books that has info on all breeds, dog healthcare, and all that. Anyways, I was browsing the breeds for fun, and they listed the papillion's energy level as "low". I died laughing - I thought of you, and also of a local friend, who's papillion might as well be a mini, froofy BC - ridiculous energy, intelligence, and drive. And he's well-bred, and well-trained.

[Laurelin]

Laur, I was reading a friend's "dog bible"-esque book yesterday - one of those books that has info on all breeds, dog healthcare, and all that. Anyways, I was browsing the breeds for fun, and they listed the papillion's energy level as "low". I died laughing - I thought of you, and also of a local friend, who's papillion might as well be a mini, froofy BC - ridiculous energy, intelligence, and drive. And he's well-bred, and well-trained.

 

That's how all mine are, though I have met some not so drivey ones. I've had a couple laughs this week from an all breed board where someone mentioned them on a list of 'calmest dog breeds' and then on our papillon list we had a new puppy owner complaining that they had wanted a lap dog and they got a bundle of energy. They wanted to know how to 'turn it off'.

 

I've heard from people with both breeds that it's a fairly easy switch to make. I know a lot of people with both and have talked to as many people as I can with both. Trying to prepare myself as much as possible!

[desertranger]

If I kneel down on the ground and get Jin's attention he'll come to me. If I give him a thumbs down he goes down. He loved the tunnel after a brief (10 minute) introduction. Is that the sign of a spastic dog? If it is I'm for it.

 

 

What you want is a stoopid dog. BC's are the perfect stoopid dog. What are you waiting for?

[Lizmo]

He loved the tunnel after a brief (10 minute) introduction. Is that the sign of a spastic dog? If it is I'm for it.

 

Ahah, Blaze was the same way. He lights up with this goofy grin if I say "tunnel"

[Laurelin]

Ahah, Blaze was the same way. He lights up with this goofy grin if I say "tunnel"

 

Really? the one here that gets the excited reactions is 'climb' (A-Frame) Don't know why.

 

Summer liked the tunnel until she got stuck in a chute. I'm not sure how she did it, but she turned mid-flight and wrapped the chute around her. She'll tunnel now, but for a while we had fear issues with the chute. Gah.

[SoloRiver]

The thing with Papillons is that temperaments and drive are all over the place. I've met conformation dogs that were positively lethargic. Also, there are a ton of irresponsible breeders out there who aren't really selecting for anything. My ex-Papillon was purchased at a pet store by his original owner and had tons of drive, but not nearly as much focus as the Border Collies. He was identified as a future agility superstar by a former World Team member, so I am guessing that drive- and focus-wise he was about as good as it gets in Papillons. However, I suspected at times that a JRT was somewhere back in the woodpile due to Skeeter's personality and coloring. He had a lot of ticking in his coat, and also had that terrier smell (AKA "doggy BO"). Appearance-wise he was all Papillon but his pedigree was from a paper mill and probably not worth the ink it took to print it.

 

I think you will be an excellent Border Collie owner, but I also think they are qualitatively and quantitatively different from Papillons -- not to mention that Papillons seem so varaible -- so it would be unwise to expect them to be too similar to each other.

[Laurelin]

The thing with Papillons is that temperaments and drive are all over the place. I've met conformation dogs that were positively lethargic. Also, there are a ton of irresponsible breeders out there who aren't really selecting for anything. My ex-Papillon was purchased at a pet store by his original owner and had tons of drive, but not nearly as much focus as the Border Collies. He was identified as a future agility superstar by a former World Team member, so I am guessing that drive- and focus-wise he was about as good as it gets in Papillons. However, I suspected at times that a JRT was somewhere back in the woodpile due to Skeeter's personality and coloring. He had a lot of ticking in his coat, and also had that terrier smell (AKA "doggy BO"). Appearance-wise he was all Papillon but his pedigree was from a paper mill and probably not worth the ink it took to print it.

 

I think you will be an excellent Border Collie owner, but I also think they are qualitatively and quantitatively different from Papillons -- not to mention that Papillons seem so varaible -- so it would be unwise to expect them to be too similar to each other.

 

 

I've met all kinds of paps. Extremely fearful to mellow couch potatoes to Bernard the spazz. One of my girls is the most serious and focused dog I've ever seen (to the point of it being rather amusing) and the boys think life is a joke. I think borders actually are just as all over the place as paps too. You get the conf dogs that are pretty mellow, the crazy sports dogs, and the BYBs who are who knows where. Most of my experience has been the pound dogs. Even then they're all over the place in regards to temperament and activity level. Neither breed seems NEARLY as variable as our shelties have been though.

 

Nah, I don't expect them to be the same. I've had lengthy discussions about the differences in the two with their owners. The response seems to really really vary depending on what type of dogs the people have had, though. My dogs seem to be on the upper end of the drive and energy levels for their breed. I blame it on of the dogs back in the line named Terri. He might've just been the most energetic, drivey dog I've ever met. Though he lacked focus and control with his energy. He was just all over the place.

 

On a side note: I have two pretty heavily ticked dogs but it rarely shows up in pictures. The only time in pics you can tell is if they're wet. I saw a tricolor at a show once that was very very ticked, it almost looked grey instead of white. It used to be looked down upon for some unknown reason to me.

[BCDreamer]

Don't feel bad, people looked at me like I was crazy when I said I had a Mini Aussie, and a GSD who is very active, and was looking to add a border collie.

 

Some people just don't get the breed, I think. For example, I have friends at school who don't get my love for dogs, and then when I mention Border Collie I usually get a "I'll pretend I know what you're talking about look" or a "WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU WANT THAT?!" look...

 

*shrugs* The way I see it, others don't have to love my breed choice, as long as all the others with a similar breed choice love their dogs, we're fine.

[Shetlander]

Laurelin, think of all the fun you will have proving people wrong when you get your Border Collie. I adore my Shelties and am conflicted about which breed my next dog will be, but I can't think of a dog that is much more fun to live with than a Border Collie.

[Sue_Deutscher]

Yeah, it's amusing when I say I have a Border Collie. I either get a blank stare and "What is that?" or "Figures YOU'D want that kind of dog."

 

THAT kind suits me very well.

[Laurelin]

Laurelin, think of all the fun you will have proving people wrong when you get your Border Collie. I adore my Shelties and am conflicted about which breed my next dog will be, but I can't think of a dog that is much more fun to live with than a Border Collie.

 

I thought about having shelties again too. I actually contacted a breeder I liked but no pups near the time I want one. But the more I think about it, the less I want one. I think I've kind of outgrown shelties. Not that necessarily, but my taste in dogs have changed a bit since I was younger. The things I like about them are present in bcs and other herders, and the things I don't like about them not so much. My last sheltie is 13 and getting a few health problems. It does make me rather sad to think I won't have a sheltie for the first time in 15 years, though. They've been really good dogs.