Recent Puppy viewing.

[Vixdamix]

Hello there! I am fairly new to these boards, And i know their American, but i'd love your opinions on what i am about to ask.

 

Over the weekend in wales, we went to this farm, which is actually open to the public, As it is one of the animal farms. But i was told they had BC pups for sale, their parents were working sheepdogs, and so were their parents, anyway, i fell in absolute love with this bitch, and shes amazing. I have asked them to keep her for me till next weekend but, i need to clarify a few things.

 

Is the working background of the parents any good?

 

Is it wise to buy a dog from a farm?

 

Or is it best to buy from a breeder where we know the parents are domesticated?

 

Are they aggresive?

 

Are they good with children?

 

Good with other dogs? (I have a king charles spaniel)

 

What would the exercise regime be? (I know they need plenty of excercise, and we arent far from cannock chase)

 

See, i know these pups have been handled as they are on this farm/reserve where visitors pick them up hold them etc everyday,m theyve also had their first vaccinations too.

 

 

So any guidance is absolutely appreciated. Id love a Border to compete with in agility/flyball.

 

If this breed isnt suitable, can you suggest one?

 

Regards.

 

Vicky.

[Dal & Mad's Mom]

I would say BC are great if you get good guidance.

 

Look for puppy classes to help with training and expose your pup to all you can and they will be nice.

 

As far as exercise there are days maddie reminds me of my 2 year old nephew. I try to be kind but, strict as in she has to take breaks(naps) in her crate.

 

I'd never own another breed but, I'm long hooked.

[prosperia]

Hi! Welcome to the Board!

This link will help answer some of your questions and will give you an idea of the culture of the board.

http://www.bordercollie.org/cgi-bin/ultima...ic;f=1;t=008029

 

Some of your questions dealing with agression, children, and other dogs really depend on the individual dog. These issues are sometimes not apparent until the dog matures. There are plenty of BC's that do well with kids, love other dogs, and arent the least bit agressive. If you are concerned about problems, there are tons of adult dogs that need a home. You will already know their tempermant, size, etc. Rather than taking a chance on a pup.

[Sue R]

...this farm, which is actually open to the public, As it is one of the animal farms. But i was told they had BC pups for sale, their parents were working sheepdogs, and so were their parents, anyway, i fell in absolute love with this bitch, and shes amazing. I have asked them to keep her for me,,,

I would be cautious about any farm/breeder who was willing to sell puppies to "anyone who showed up and showed an interest" (unless, of course, you discussed the suitability of a Border Collie of their breeding in your family situation). That's how we would up adopting our Megan - she was an impulse buy on the part of someone who was not really prepared to give her a suitable home, and all the breeder was concerned with was getting money in his pocket and the pup off the farm (to make way for more pups to sell, I expect). This may not be your situation but you might need to consider it.

 

Is the working background of the parents any good?

There are many quality Border Collies produced in Wales. There is no way for anyone on these boards to even guess about this particular farmer/breeder.

 

Is it wise to buy a dog from a farm?

I would personally not recommend purchasing a "show-bred" or other non-working bred Border Collie. There are pups born to excellent farm dogs (that's where the Border Collie originated, on the farm) and/or trial dogs. There is, likewise, no way folks on the board could answer this question, in my opinion. Seeing the parent and grandparent dogs working would be a help in assessing their abilities, and the potential abilities of their pups.

 

Or is it best to buy from a breeder where we know the parents are domesticated?

A breeder who does not work/trial their dogs is not someone I would ever buy a pup from, nor is someone who breeds for the show/pet/performance market. Simply buying a pup from a breeder or farmer gives you no indication that the pup has been well socialized.

 

Are they aggresive? Are they good with children?

 

In general, I would say that Border Collies are not aggressive but they tend to be noise and motion sensitive, which often makes them not suitable around younger children. If they do not lead "fulfilling" lives, they can be very prone to bad habits (like car-chasing, cat-chasing, fence-running, digging, etc.).

 

 

Good with other dogs? (I have a king charles spaniel)[/quote}

 

Again, this varies from dog to dog. They are, in nature, not at all like a King Charles Spaniel, which is a very suitable house pet.

 

What would the exercise regime be? (I know they need plenty of excercise, and we arent far from cannock chase)

 

Border Collies require both mental and physical occupation. A bored Border Collie will devise its own amusements which may range from obsessive-compulsive habits (shadow-chasing for example) to destructive habits (digging for example) to dangerous habits (nipping at children or cats, for example). It's not just a matter of "putting miles on the dog" but rather a matter of satisfying the dog's needs for mental and physical exercise.

 

See, i know these pups have been handled as they are on this farm/reserve where visitors pick them up hold them etc everyday,m theyve also had their first vaccinations too.

A lot of good socializing for young pups is essential, and it sounds like they get a great deal of it in this location. I am just really concerned about someone producing pups in such a public venue and then selling them on to "the visiting public".

 

As for competing in agility/flyball, Border Collies are outstanding in these competitions when they are trained properly. Whether or not a Border Collie is a right fit for your household is something you need to research and determine. There is a wealth of information on these boards, and you may wish to use the "search" function at the top of the page to find pertinent ones.

 

These are my opinions strictly from your post, and I may be misreading the situation entirely.

 

 

So any guidance is absolutely appreciated. Id love a Border to compete with in agility/flyball.

[Sue R]

...this farm, which is actually open to the public, As it is one of the animal farms. But i was told they had BC pups for sale, their parents were working sheepdogs, and so were their parents, anyway, i fell in absolute love with this bitch, and shes amazing. I have asked them to keep her for me...

I would be cautious about any farm/breeder who was willing to sell puppies to "anyone who showed up and showed an interest" (unless, of course, you determined the suitability of a Border Collie of their breeding in your family situation). That's how we wound up adopting our Megan - she was an impulse buy on the part of someone who was not really prepared to give her a suitable home, and all the breeder was concerned with was getting money in his pocket and the pup off the farm (to make way for more pups to sell, I expect). Also, evaluate your reasons for wanting this pup/breed. Is it an impulse, or based on your personal knowledge and research into the breed? This may not be your situation but you might need to consider it.

 

Is the working background of the parents any good?

There are many quality Border Collies produced in Wales. There is no way for anyone on these boards to even guess about this particular farmer/breeder.

 

Is it wise to buy a dog from a farm?

I would personally never purchase a "show-bred" or other non-working bred Border Collie. There are pups born to excellent farm dogs (that's where the Border Collie originated, on the farm) and/or trial dogs. There is, likewise, no way folks on the board could answer this question, in my opinion. Seeing the parent and grandparent dogs working would be a help in assessing their abilities, and the potential abilities of their pups.

 

Or is it best to buy from a breeder where we know the parents are domesticated?

A breeder who does not work/trial their dogs is not someone I would ever buy a pup from, nor is someone who breeds for the show/pet/performance market. Simply buying a pup from a breeder or farmer gives you no indication that the pup has been well socialized.

 

Are they aggresive? Are they good with children?

In general, I would say that Border Collies are not aggressive but they tend to be noise and motion sensitive, which often makes them not suitable around younger children. If they do not lead "fulfilling" lives, they can be very prone to bad habits (like car-chasing, cat-chasing, fence-running, digging, etc.).

 

 

Good with other dogs? (I have a king charles spaniel)

Again, this varies from dog to dog. They are, in nature, not at all like a King Charles Spaniel, which is a very suitable house pet.

 

What would the exercise regime be? (I know they need plenty of excercise, and we arent far from cannock chase)

Border Collies require both mental and physical occupation. A bored Border Collie will devise its own amusements which may range from obsessive-compulsive habits (shadow-chasing for example) to destructive habits (digging for example) to dangerous habits (nipping at children or cats, for example). It's not just a matter of "putting miles on the dog" but rather a matter of satisfying the dog's needs for mental and physical exercise.

 

See, i know these pups have been handled as they are on this farm/reserve where visitors pick them up hold them etc everyday,m theyve also had their first vaccinations too.

A lot of good socializing for young pups is essential, and it sounds like they get a great deal of it in this location. I am just really concerned about someone producing pups in such a public venue and then selling them on to "the visiting public".

 

As for competing in agility/flyball, Border Collies are often outstanding in these competitions when they are trained properly. Whether or not a Border Collie is a right fit for your household is something you need to research and determine. There is a wealth of information on these boards, and you may wish to use the "search" function at the top of the page to find pertinent ones.

 

These are my opinions strictly from your post, and I may be misreading the situation entirely.

[Kat's Dogs]

Is the working background of the parents any good?

Only you (or someone who knows the dogs) can know that. Can't really help you out there.

 

Is it wise to buy a dog from a farm?

A farm (of any kind really) is the only place I would ever look for BC (other then rescue of course). I would only get a BC from a place where they can work stock.

 

Or is it best to buy from a breeder where we know the parents are domesticated?

BC are 100% domesticated. They are not "wild dogs" or they would be going around eating the sheep instead of herding them. They are just as domesticated as your average Golden. Only Goldens retrieve and Border Collies herd.

 

Are they aggressive?

With good training a socialization - no they won't be aggressive. Border Collies as a breed are not usually aggressive at all - herding or show dogs.

 

Are they good with children?

Again, with good training a socialization - BCs can be great with kids. The only thing is, with young kids that run around a lot - a Border Collie might nip their heels or in some other way try to herd them. This CAN be corrected. However, it takes time and dedication to do so - you would be trying to train out a Border Collie's strongest instinct.

 

Good with other dogs? (I have a king charles spaniel)

Yet again, with good training and socialization - yes, they can be great with other dogs. But sometimes they might try and herd other dogs (by staring at them usually). "Staring" in Dog-lingo usually means to fight so although they may not be trying to start a fight, the staring can get a Border collie in trouble. Also BCs are not really much like the KC spaniel. So it would be a big change.

 

What would the exercise regime be? (I know they need plenty of exercise, and we aren't far from cannock chase)

Lots of mental work (training and mind games) plus a ton of physical, like ball-fetching, frisbee catching and so on. AT LEAST a good 3 hours a day needs to be spent not only "with them" but working with them (training, playing, exercising). Most people here (myself included) spend way more then that.

 

See, i know these pups have been handled as they are on this farm/reserve where visitors pick them up hold them etc everyday,m they've also had their first vaccinations too. So any guidance is absolutely appreciated. Id love a Border to compete with in agility/flyball.

Good. It sounds like the pups have been taken good care of (being held by lots of people and such, plus they have had their vaccs.) I to am wondering if the pups are being sold to anyone who walks by - something to be careful of. Whenever you get a dog (of any breed) the breeder should be able and willing to take the dog back if things don't work out. Something to check for...

 

Agility is great BTW! A very good thing to do with a BC, and the KC spaniels do really well to.

 

If this breed isn't suitable, can you suggest one?

You didn't really say anything about what your daily life is like. So I can't say right now if a BC is good for you or not. I would suggest doing some more research though. The fact that you thought herding dogs are wild dogs is not bad, just says that you are a bit uneducated in the world of BCs. But hey, there is a first time for everything right? Look around the boards, read up on websites and books and really think about it. By just coming here you are already off to a great start in decided if a BC is right for you. Just keep up the search and keep other breed options open.

[Ruger's Dad]

Ruger was purchased from a farmer who trains sheep dogs. He was 3 months old when I purchased him and totally untrained. He didn't even know how to go up a flight of stairs.

 

He has been great around other dogs since he has very little interest in them. He will chase our cats on command but will leave them alone when told.

 

The biggest difference that I see in this breed compared to bird dogs is their force of play. The German Shorthair that we had when I was growing up and our Springer are great kids dogs. I won't think twice about giving our Springer to an 8-9 year old to take her for a walk. I trust her that much.

 

Ruger is different. When he plays he is very rough mouth. That may be part my fault cause I will wrestle around with him. Our Springer has never hurt me. Ruger has bruised me through my winter jacket by nipping my forearm.

 

As far as being around children, I wouldn't have any fears that he would behave himself. But I would not under any circumstances let Ruger play with a yard full of kids running around and acting like wild idiots.

 

Just use your common sense. Socialize your dog as best that you can and always supervise his play with children. Believe you me, a great dog, a ball, and a bunch of kids will put a giant smile on your face.

[juliepoudrier]

Originally posted by Kat's Dogs:

[Lots of mental work (training and mind games) plus a ton of physical, like ball-fetching, frisbee catching and so on. AT LEAST a good 3 hours a day needs to be spent not only "with them" but working with them (training, playing, exercising). Most people here (myself included) spend way more then that.

I just want to point out that I spend *nowhere near* three hours (let alone more) a day entertaining my dogs. Between working full time and farm chores in three separate locations, there just isn't time enough in the day for "tons of physical activity." That said, you do need to plan to spend time training your pup, socializing it, and just playing with it. Anything that requires the pup to think will wear it out a lot faster than running it for hours. But I think--and I've said this before on these boards numerous times--that if an owner thinks a border collie needs hours and hours of exercise every day then they are quite likely to CREATE a dog that needs hours and hours of exercise every day. I know people repeat the "lots of lots of exercise" thing to try and emphasize to newcomers to the breed that they aren't your average couch potato dog, but too much of a good thing (exercise and play) can be just as bad as not enough. And these dogs should be perfectly capable of hanging out with their humans without constant or near-constant attention, especially when they are adults.

 

Just my opinion.

 

J.

[Kat's Dogs]

"Just my opinion."

 

It is my opinion too.

 

However, I spend more like 8 hours training and playing and just doing something everday, not to mention just time spent "with" Dazzle. 3 hours is the very LEAST I think you should spend (actually TRAINING and participating in something with your BC besides just sitting there) with an ADULT dog that is. A pup would need more like 28 hours a day! A typed that post kinda fast and was in a rush so I really ment 3 hours of very stuctured activity for an adult - not counting the playtime and just time you spend with the BC but rather just doing something with them to keep them from finding something of their own to do.

 

Sorry 'bout that.

[kajarrel]

Like Julie, I spend very little time playing with my dogs. I do, however, bring one or more of the dogs with me when I run errands, do chores, etc. I include my dogs in MY life rather than work my life around my dogs. This works well for me (and my husband), but may not be typical of/possible for others on the list.

 

Other than this point, I agree with much of what has been written.

 

Kim

[RaisingRiver]

I agree with Julie on the time 'training/playing' with a BC. I think it also varies from dog to dog. I spend about 15mins a day 'playing' with River (frisbee or fetch). They are hard playing as she's running full bore, but she only lasts that long before she's panting like crazy and lays down. We might do this twice a day, but often only once.

 

Now, I do live on 5 acres and am home during the day, so River does spend outside time w/ my other dog for a few hours each day. She's only crated when I'm out of the house and while I'm sleeping at night.

 

We do go to the dog park and walk around once to 3 times a week.

 

River is quite content following me around the house and laying at my feet. I could spend more time training her, but I don't always have the time in my schedule. At 9 months, she has sit, stay, down and recall (plus drop, leave it, wait). I know Kat's Dazzle knows like 97 something commands - which illustrates how much she works w/ Dazzle.

 

River is a very laid back BC, who doesn't show any herding tendencies at all - other then giving the eye and fully emercing herself into a good game of fetch or frisbee - and while obedience training (ie. sit, stay).

 

Oh yah, and River does hang out with me when I'm outside and sometimes take her in the car with me for errands, etc. She's very well socialized. She also starts agility tomorrow.

 

Sorry to stray off topic.

[juliepoudrier]

Kat,

I think the amount of time you spend with your dogs is the exception and certainly shouldn't be considered the rule for everyone. The fact is that many people work full time and then take care of households/farms (or spend all day farming)--we don't have 3-8 hours each day to devote to training or playing with our dogs (unless we choose not to sleep I suppose). I don't even spend 3 hours a day training my working dogs. As Kim does with her dogs, I *spend time* with my dogs. Some come to work with me, they go pretty much everywhere with me, we hang out together in the evenings, the ones who aren't retired do the farm chores with me, we go for long walks, we play some, etc. My dogs are a very large part of my life, but they do not *run* my life. I personally don't think anyone needs to spend 3+ hours every day working/playing with their dog(s). And I do believe that if you choose to do that, you create a dog that needs that kind of stimulation every day.

 

As long as a person is willing to make his/her dog(s) an integral part of his/her daily life, there is no correct formula for hours per day of training or playing. I am not saying you are doing the wrong thing for your dog and your situation, but to tell other people that they need to be able to devote the time to training that you do is wrong.

 

Kim,

I think your approach is quite typical of most folks who are running farms and/or working.

 

J.

[Kat's Dogs]

Did you read this part of my post?

"It is my opinion too. However, I spend more like 8 hours..."

 

I don't expect other people to spend that much time (I know it in most cases isn't at all possible), I was simply saying what I do (as you stated how much time YOU spend and it is so different). But in my experience these dogs do need a lot of time. Every time you let the dog outside to go potty, take them for a walk, give them their food, give them table scraps, invite them to sit on the couch with you, play fetch with them while you are watching TV, say "get out of the way!" when you drop your hamburger on the floor and a whole bunch of other little things are contributing to the 3 hours. Maybe that was too much to say. But if you really think of all the little things that you do with your dog (all the little commands you might be giving them throughout the day even without thinking about it) - maybe you will be surprised and how quickly the time adds up.

 

I was a bit surprised though to find that you don't spend at least 3 hours. A pet ferret needs (as ALL the books/websites say) at least 3 hours of out-of-cage time. I thought that maybe other BCs besides my Dazzle also get at least as much one-no-one time as a ferret requires. Most of the BC books I read, and websites I looked at (including the boards) before getting Dazzle kept stating that these dogs need a lot of time (at least 3 hours or more) devoted to them a day or they would find something to do by themselves. Or if not actually stating that - then implying it. I got Dazzy expecting to have to spend that much time because that is what I kept reading. I'm sorry if I got the wrong impression of how much time these dogs require - I simply believed what the books said about giving at least that much time and applied it to my dog and it has worked out great.

 

So, Vixdamix, please disregard the "3 hours" part and instead think of more like 1 hour or less one-on-one time - because I guess I was mistaken. You can however, choose to spend more time with the dog if you get one - the more time the dogs gets, the better it is.

 

Sorry again, for all the confusion.

[juliepoudrier]

Yes, Kat, I read that part of your post. I'm a very good reader in fact. The point is that the OP asked what the exercise regime should be and you posted that 3+ hours is *the least amount* of time you should spend training. Here are your exact words:

 

AT LEAST a good 3 hours a day needs to be spent not only "with them" but working with them (training, playing, exercising)

Sorry, but I don't think a person has to spend 3+ hours daily training a dog to ensure its happiness. And that's MY opinion. I also said that the dog needs to be an integral part of your life, which should mean to a reader that you are doing something with your dog--including it in your daily activities, even if those activities don't revolve *around* the dog.

 

You have since clarified your original statements to mean that you consider all that "regular" time as part of the 3+ hours training time. I suppose it's a difference of smeantics, but since I live in the same house with my dogs, I guess I could say that I spend close to 16 hours training time by your newest definition, but I consider training time to be formal training time, not time spent together (just as you stated in your original post), even if they are getting informal training during that time. And I think most people would read 3+ hours of training time the same way (as formal training time).

 

Again, I am not saying that what *you* are doing *with your dog* is wrong, though you seem to think that, nor am I trying to fight with you--I am saying that it's not necessary to lead others to believe that they *must* spend an equal amount of time on the formal training (your first implied definition) of their dogs in order to consider themselves good border collie homes. And while I understand wanting to impress on people that border collies aren't your average couch potato dog, I think you can do a disservice to the dogs as well by telling people that they need hours of daily mental and physical exercise when it's really not true, at least not in my experience with a houseful of mostly working dogs. Anyway, I give up--I think I made my point anyway.

 

J.

[Allie+Tess&Kipp]

I don't think 3 hours a day is excessive, or 8 hours. I think it's all in what someone thinks of as training. Some people believe they are training their dog every minute they are with the dog. Based on such a perspective, someone who has the dog near them for 8 hours a day is training it for 8 hours day.

 

Allie + Tess & Kipp

http://weebordercollie.com

[Carson Crazies]

I agree with Julie. I think it is possible to create dogs that cannot settle because of the mindset that a Border Collie needs an insane amount of stimulation and exercise to be happy. While I spend my non-working hours with my dogs, I work full time, and I don't devote 3 hours one-on-one per dog per day set aside training time. That would be 15 hours a day - leaving one hour to sleep. While I do lots of fun stuff with my dogs, and I do train with them, alternately I expect my dogs to have an off switch.

 

Small tangent. I hear from time to time a poster saying, "My dog won't settle down. I just don't know what else to do. We go for a five mile hike, a one hour agility class, play fetch for an hour, run through the everglades, and then fetch for another thirty minutes - EVERY DAY!! Why won't my dog settle down? What else can I do?". These types of constant stimulations often create a dog that requires... a five mile hike, a one hour agility class, fetch for an hour, a run .... every day. We're often getting what we're asking for. I'm not saying that there isn't a dog here or there that comes out of the box revved like this, but Border Collies have been bred for generations to just hang out and wait until its time to go to work.

 

[/tangent]

 

I expect my dogs to be able to hang out with us and not act like Fred Flinstone Rejects - without excessive stimulation. Some days I expect them to act right without much work from me -- and they do. When we do exercise and play we do it HARD though! I have a relationship with my dogs, and we all enjoy it.

 

I think the average person does need to know that Border Collies are different. But I'm not sure that we're not doing our dogs a slight disservice in overstating the stimulation/exercise/play thing in a lot of cases.

[Tassie]

I agree with what Julie and Laura are saying, and I certainly think that some of the hyper dogs are made that way by too much stimulation. I think one of the nice things about the breed is that they can go from sound asleep to full on in a very short space of time - and then back again to chilling when the action's over, provided that you've persuaded them that they do have an off switch (or at least a stand-by mode).

 

There are probably some differences in the needs of a single Border Collie (or any dog) as distinct from one in a dual or multi dog household, but for me, the key need I see in my dogs is 'hang-time with human' - and I think that's what Julie and Laura are speaking about with their dogs. ISTM that's some of what Kat's dogs is speaking about in terms of the incidental training and relationship building that occurs whenever you interact with your dogs.

 

While it's important to emphsize the need for training, and for some mental stimulation, and adequate physical exercise, perhaps we should be concentrating on the desirability of making ourselves available to our dogs for significant periods of time.

 

I do like the way Laura put this:

I expect my dogs to be able to hang out with us and not act like Fred Flinstone Rejects - without excessive stimulation. Some days I expect them to act right without much work from me -- and they do. When we do exercise and play we do it HARD though! I have a relationship with my dogs, and we all enjoy it.

[Kyrasmom]

Like kids, I think dogs need to know how to be bored and not become pests. Though I really think that when we bore them, they just chill and nap.

 

All of my dogs have had some sort of formal trainng that we reinforce here and there throughout the day but I doubt I could manage 3 hours of one on one time with each of them. With eight dogs, that's 24 hours right there! When they were pups, I never overscheduled their activities and praised them when they would pick a corner and nap when I was busy.

 

They alternate outings with us and for the most part hang out with us. Meal time is always a good time to do a few tricks but all in all, they seem to have just molded themselves to our lifestyle. Ready to go when we are, ready to chill when we need to work. With 110 degree weather, for the most part, they each pick an AC vent and sleep.

 

When I work outdoors I have my own personal entourage and some tag team balls playing always happens but I know my dogs have done well when houseguests tell me: you would never know there are 8 dogs in this house! Everything in moderation works well for us.

 

Maria

[airbear]

Originally posted by Kyrasmom:

When they were pups, I never overscheduled their activities and praised them when they would pick a corner and nap when I was busy.

That's probably the best advice I ever got from a trainer. She encouraged me to praise Bear when he was doing something suitable, like chewing on a bone or napping. I may have overdone it, as all three sleep somewhere between 16 and 22 hours a day, as far as I can tell.

 

At agility trials, I wake Wick up (yes, WAKE her up) about 10 minutes before she runs, and after she charges around the course, screaming like a banshee, she gets a cool-down, a few tosses of the ball, then she heads very determinedly back to the ex-pen to resume her nap. Bear has been known to try and take a nap on the startline, but that's another issue.

 

All together, I think mine get an hour and a half a day of 'exercise' which consists of a morning romp (15 minutes), hike in the woods with dogwalkers (1 hour) and after work ball (15 minutes). They do about 15 minutes of agility once a week, and Lou works sheep about once a week. The rest of the time, they are pretty much dead to the world.

[Kat's Dogs]

I too praised Dazzy for resting at my feet or on a dog bed while I am working or just doing anything that doesn't require her help (dusting for example ).

 

Now, anytime I am not doing something with her she will just sit there and amuse herself (usually by throwing toys on top of the fish tank ) or just....sleep. Sometimes for hours but if she hears any word that sounds like "agility", "walk", or "work" she goes crazy and start bouncing off the walls. I believe this is the often talked about "Border Collie Off/On Switch". A great thing to discover! She also gets some "alone time" in her crate during they day. Both for herself and to give the shih tzus a break from her.

[Keegan's Mom]

Well, I'll chime in. My husband and I tell people that these dogs require about 4 hours of exercise a day to strangers that we don't want to consider this type of breed just because they thought our dogs were good looking.

 

However, in reality...my dogs just woke up, ate, and are now lying around because I'm on the computer. We do through the ball a lot during the day, we do play tug here and there for a few minutes throughout the day. They do go outside and play with their toys, without us, for an hour or so during the day...but they do just lie around too when we aren't busy doing anything.

 

The best type of exercise for us is working sheep. After a session of working sheep, my dogs are down for the count for 2 days (if I just let them lie around for those days). I like to think they are dreaming about what we just did so that next time they go out they are smarter about their training.

[Ruger's Dad]

Since I put in from 45-50hrs a week at work here is my normal schedule: Walk- 4 times a week for about 30 minutes. Exercise- I average a 1/2 hour a day with the frisbee. Remainder of the day- Throwing the frisbee in the house during dinner, TV, going to bed. Once Ruger turned 1yr old he has slowed down in the evenings a bit. He is not as annoying now.

 

By the way, there is no way these dogs get much exercise from walking. Look at the body structure, they are made to run. Walking is great for you but the dog will learn socialization, obedience and discipline. Use the backyard to get them running.

 

One last thing, both my Border and Springer are in great shape. They are solid hard muscle.

[Kat's Dogs]

Yeah, walking doesn't do much but what you need to do is trot your dog. Just walking is when both paws on one side of the dog move at the same time, trotting is when paws on the opposite sides (one front paw, one back paw) move at the same time.

 

It works different muscles that don't usually get worked as much so trotting and full out running will do way more the just plain walking. Also, for Agility folks, when your dog trots they are using the same muscles that they use for jumping in agility so it is a good way to build up the jumping muscles without actually putting stress on the joints by doing lots of jumping.

[bobh]

I have it real good i only work 3 days and have 4 off I have 2 BCs ,1 aussie and 1 lab . My dogs go every where I go. My aussie needs the most exercise or she starts playing real ruff with the others and some one gets hurt so today 10 min agility training swim 15 min frisbee 10 -15 min thrown at head level no jumping up this is how we work her sprinting. 3min hill work runing up the hill 10 min trick s swim again 10 min

So my aussie gets about 1 hr of work on a day off 20min when i work 4AM get home at 8:15 at night. My other dogs get about 30 min total of structured work ? and they are in very good condition play

Its true that i am always (ALmost ) doing thinks with my dogs , like sits downs walk up send outs come in to me but i do not count this time

bobh