WildFlower Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 When the time came to find a family dog my mom did lots and lots of research and fell in love with the border collie. So thanks to my mom, I grew up with a border collie, Casey. We had Casey for 14 wonderful years. And while I was commuting from home to college; Casey and I really bonded. After Casey passed, I knew I would get another border collie. I waited until I finished my Master's program and then got Daisy with the intention of doing agility with her. I guess there were other plans for us because she didn't turn on to agility so we tried stock work. That was a little over 2 years ago. Now I have two border collies, a station wagon to haul them around in, and plans to buy a hobby farm. They really are wonderful dogs. I can't imagine my life without them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejano Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 When I took my first baby steps, a Border Collie watched over me. When I was sick and thought I might die, a Border Collie lay beside me, then a Border Collie pup urged me to get to my feet. Now that I am well, a Border Collie runs beside me. I can't imagine ever not having a Border Collie with me for so many reasons but T has all ready said it so much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorderlineCrazy(: Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 ....Now I have two border collies, a station wagon to haul them around in, and plans to buy a hobby farm. Hahah! My mom get a new car, which means I get the van. Not my first choice in a car, BUT it is very nice for hauling around my dog and whatever other foster dog I have at the time (: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Hahah! My mom get a new car, which means I get the van. Not my first choice in a car, BUT it is very nice for hauling around my dog and whatever other foster dog I have at the time (: Lol! I don't know how many times I've told people looking for a vehicle that will also fit their dogs that they should get a minivan. So many resist because of the lack of coolness factor. And then when they're whining about how they can't fit all their dogs, crates, etc., in their fancy (and way more cool) little SUVs, I am forced to say "I told you so." If I have to, I can fit all 9 border collies, 8 of them in crates, in my boring old mid-size van. (When I evacuated for Isabel, I fit not only the dogs--probably had seven or so at the time--but also the cats and the chickens and all their supplies, including a pen for the chickens, in that van! ) P.S. My first car, bought from a neighbor's estate and handed down from my sister was a Gremlin. I had to have a pillow to reach the pedals (the neighbor was very tall and I never could scoot the seat forward far enough) and at one point I had to get in and out through the passenger door. I was a college senior/recent grad at the time. You can imagine what the coolness factor was for me--a real boy magnet that car was, lol! J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Back in the early 80s (Yep, that dates me too), I had been living with my boyfriend (now husband) for about a year. We had adopted 2 cats the previous year. I had grown up with a dog - dachshund - and wanted another dog. One Saturday, after a morning of working on a house we were renovating (in addition to full-time jobs), we needed to stock up on weekly groceries. My husband was too 'tired' to go with me. I was PO'd, so I stopped at the local pound in Barre, VT before going to the grocery store. I was going to get my puppy, dammit. I saw a super cute little B&W puppy from a litter of 7 or 8 which had been found on the side of the road. She was the only one awake at the time and came right over to me, wiggling her butt. Warning!! - do not get the most active pup in the litter. :D This was not the way to go about adopting a pup, but she was a highly intelligent, but under-stimulated dog who was sweet and loved people. Lacey was probably a BC/Lab mix, and was with us for 16 years. If I only knew then what I know now, she would have been a superstar. When Lacey was about 5 months old, DH and I were at a local stream playing with the dog, and someone else there asked if she was a BC. I didn't know since I had never heard of a BC before. I went home and did some research and immediately fell in love with the BC breed. It was another 25 years before I got my border collie (jobs, city living, relocations, etc.), but now I have Torque, my 4 year old R&W, and he is such a joy. I had to convince my husband to agree to live with a purebred BC because of all the stories that depict BCs as housewreckers, crazy dogs that need hours of exercise every day. I really put a lot of time into socializing and training Torque, and while he is not perfect (what dog is?), he is the best dog we have had. I am currently angling to get another BC as a playmate for Torque. We have a 13.5 year old Sheltie mix, and while she is spry, she is not into the level of running and playing that Torque wants/needs. I have been fostering a BC/Pyrenees mix? for the last month, and Torque and the foster really love running in circles. Until I got the foster, I had not paid attention to the fact that Torque would like another dog (BC) who could be his running pal. Jovi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SecretBC Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 I grew up with small dogs (scotties and westies) -- But I was into horses and they weren't safe around the barn. So I wanted a big dog. I really fancied German Shepherds and Malinois, so that's what I looked for when I got a dog in my 20's. I ended up with Luke, a Lab/Shepherd mix. Dog sports were not on my mind in the least when I got him, but I got bored one long cold winter and decided to enroll us in a class to get us out of the barn. We'd always played with horse jumps and he seemed athletically gifted, so I thought he'd enjoy agility (I'd seen it on tv!). We both took to it immediately. When I first started agility, I honestly thought the border collies were completely crazy. I had no idea how those people could go home and live with those dogs. But over the years I made friends with those people and I got to know their dogs. I came to really admire their drive and desire to work as a team. I started to envy the intensity I felt while watching those runs. More and more I was drawn to the breed and I loved the personalities of the dogs I knew. They were very similar to myself and I just knew I wanted them in my life. Secret is my first border collie, but she won't be my last! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorderlineCrazy(: Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 I had to convince my husband to agree to live with a purebred BC because of all the stories that depict BCs as housewreckers, crazy dogs that need hours of exercise every day. To be honest, I actually like the BC stereotype. People think "Wow, they're so cute! But they're always hyper!" And before I got my girl, that's what I thought, too. When I thought of a Border Collie I always imagined this crazy, uncontrollable dog just sprinting around the house non-stop. It's not until I got my girl as a foster dog that I realized they're not necessarily hyper, but rather they could run for hours on end if you let them. But I think the stereotype is doing it's own little part in saving the breed. Because people are so scared of having this crazy, uncrontrollable dog that a good number of the people who have them are the ones who actually researched the breed first. Which means less BYB's and irresponsible owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushdoggie Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 I married a guy who had one. I hated her, she hated me. She had no idea why on earth he had to bring me and my 2 dogs (a Golden and a Siberian) into her life. She bit me at least twice. It took me years to appreciate her for the dog she was, but boy how I did. She could learn anything with two repetitions. She was beautiful and athletic, smart as a whip and gorgeous. She had dog class. I respected her, and once I earned it she respected me. She is the reason I started working with rescue. Over the years we added 3 others to our lives, and I can't imagine my life without one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc4ever Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 I married a guy who had one. I hated her, she hated me. She had no idea why on earth he had to bring me and my 2 dogs (a Golden and a Siberian) into her life. She bit me at least twice. It took me years to appreciate her for the dog she was, but boy how I did. She could learn anything with two repetitions. She was beautiful and athletic, smart as a whip and gorgeous. She had dog class. I respected her, and once I earned it she respected me. She is the reason I started working with rescue. Over the years we added 3 others to our lives, and I can't imagine my life without one. That was beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Which means less BYB's and irresponsible owners. If only this were so. And yet the rescues are overflowing.... J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorderlineCrazy(: Posted August 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 If only this were so. And yet the rescues are overflowing.... J. The key word, unfortunately, being "less". I know they're still out there, but thankfully it's nothing compared to the more common breeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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