Gloria Atwater Posted September 29, 2011 Report Share Posted September 29, 2011 I have been reading a lot about developing drive in puppies and teaching them to play, so I am going to do what most people have suggested. I am going to pick the puppy with the personality traits I am looking for and be confident that the prey drive will come along. Wish me luck. That sounds like the best bet, Roscoe. I've never met a BC pup that lacked the will to play and romp. Even if they're subdued when you first bring them home, with love and TLC - and food! - they come around within a day. Pick the personality you like, and the rest will come along. Someone did mention, so I'll reiterate, be sure to keep in mind that the methods one might use on a GSD could be too intense for a Border Collie. Go easy on the dominance, and just establish boundaries and rules as you go. Keep us posted when your pup comes home. ~ Gloria Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted September 29, 2011 Report Share Posted September 29, 2011 .....Does everyone on this forum have 4 border collies. Is owning one addictive, if you get one you end up getting several? Yup, it's addictive. I presently have 3, two young dogs and one 12-1/2 year old retired guy. When the old fellow goes, I'll have to remind myself that I really don't need to fill the gap right away with yet another young dog ... ~ Gloria Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted September 29, 2011 Report Share Posted September 29, 2011 And here's Kestrel stalking some half-grown chicks that ventured in to the front yard. Kes is 7 weeks here. J. Ack!! LOVE it. Roscoe11, yes, addictive. I started with a lab mix, added a BC mix, and have since added two Border Collies and the only thing stopping me from more is my husband. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted September 29, 2011 Report Share Posted September 29, 2011 Does everyone on this forum have 4 border collies. Is owning one addictive, if you get one you end up getting several? Shouldn't that question be *at least* four border collies? Several would be just the tip of the iceberg! J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roscoe11 Posted September 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2011 Someone did mention, so I'll reiterate, be sure to keep in mind that the methods one might use on a GSD could be too intense for a Border Collie. Go easy on the dominance, and just establish boundaries and rules as you go. Keep us posted when your pup comes home. ~ Gloria Yes my GSD was a hard dog witch i am sure made up for a lot of my training blunders. I am well aware that the training style that worked with my GSD would not work with a BC. I am a little concerned that between me and the dog, I am the one that's going to need the most training. Again wish me luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted September 29, 2011 Report Share Posted September 29, 2011 Lol, Roscoe, I've owned border collies for 15 years, and I definitely still need training! Good luck! ~ Gloria Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc4ever Posted September 29, 2011 Report Share Posted September 29, 2011 I am a little concerned that between me and the dog, I am the one that's going to need the most training. I thought that was always a given with most dogs and owners, especially Border Collie owners! If you watch and listen carefully, these amazing animals will teach you wondrous things about yourself and the world around you; about a love you didn't know you were possible of feeling, about loyalty, about the joy of working and the pleasure of just hanging out with your people. Enjoy the ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam Wolf Posted September 30, 2011 Report Share Posted September 30, 2011 I would expect to see 4 legs, a head, two functional ears, two functional eyes, a tail and some sort of colour and white on the pup. As for the towel test, I've had people want to test my litters (I allowed with a chuckle) and the pups tried to go around the moving towel to grab it from the front. That was not in any temperment test books I've read. Unfortunately there are lots of litters being produced-often called working lines that have little or no drive. While some of these make good pets, they are near worthless as any sort of working dog. It takes a ton of effort to get them motivated even for simple tasks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudpups Posted October 6, 2011 Report Share Posted October 6, 2011 now that's a cute puppy. Does everyone on this forum have 4 border collies. Is owning one addictive, if you get one you end up getting several? I havn't been on this forum for quite a while, but just had to reply to your question;) We started with one border collie, then got number two. Next came the farm, sheep and border collies number three and four. Numbers five and six have just been added to our family. So in my opinion, yes, border collies are most definitely addictive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaporflowers Posted October 7, 2011 Report Share Posted October 7, 2011 Just my experience... When I picked out my little Scorchie, I did a very light version of a temperament test. I clapped my hands to see if the pups followed me, made some loud noises, and handled them in various ways. It was a pretty uniform litter; they were all responsive, affectionate, sound, and comfortable with handling. I picked Scorch because he was the one I felt a connection with. I made my decision when the pups were only 5 weeks old. I visited a few times and he was always the one that would maintain eye contact and follow me around the most. Oh yeah, and he was a tug maniac. The running joke is that he came out of the womb with a tug toy in his mouth. Here's a video of him at 6 weeks old: Honestly, I really liked that he maintained a strong grip on the toy even if I touched him or moved him around. He wasn't ever possessive of the toy; if I let it go, he brought it right back. That solidified my decision to bring him home. For what it's worth, he's the same today. Fostering tug drive in him was no problem. When I tug with him, I could lift him off of the ground and he wouldn't let go (I don't do that of course). IMG_1852 by VaporFlowers, on Flickr How much could I tell from the early tugging behavior? I don't know for sure, but if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say that was a pretty good indicator that he had a good start towards tugging as a reward. That was something I took into account since I planned on doing sports with him (although with my back it's much more obedience and rally focused). That all being said, that high tug drive did come along with an intense, driven, super-eager-to-please, sensitive dog. He has a great off-switch but sometimes goes over the top when he gets too amped up. We've battled excessive enthusiasm, forging/wrap around heeling, and anticipating commands, but those were all things I was prepared for. I wouldn't say he's a good first border collie but he was perfect for me. Just my randomly put observations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roscoe11 Posted October 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2011 Just my experience... When I picked out my little Scorchie, I did a very light version of a temperament test. I clapped my hands to see if the pups followed me, made some loud noises, and handled them in various ways. It was a pretty uniform litter; they were all responsive, affectionate, sound, and comfortable with handling. I picked Scorch because he was the one I felt a connection with. I made my decision when the pups were only 5 weeks old. I visited a few times and he was always the one that would maintain eye contact and follow me around the most. Oh yeah, and he was a tug maniac. The running joke is that he came out of the womb with a tug toy in his mouth. Here's a video of him at 6 weeks old: Honestly, I really liked that he maintained a strong grip on the toy even if I touched him or moved him around. He wasn't ever possessive of the toy; if I let it go, he brought it right back. That solidified my decision to bring him home. For what it's worth, he's the same today. Fostering tug drive in him was no problem. When I tug with him, I could lift him off of the ground and he wouldn't let go (I don't do that of course). IMG_1852 by VaporFlowers, on Flickr How much could I tell from the early tugging behavior? I don't know for sure, but if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say that was a pretty good indicator that he had a good start towards tugging as a reward. That was something I took into account since I planned on doing sports with him (although with my back it's much more obedience and rally focused). That all being said, that high tug drive did come along with an intense, driven, super-eager-to-please, sensitive dog. He has a great off-switch but sometimes goes over the top when he gets too amped up. We've battled excessive enthusiasm, forging/wrap around heeling, and anticipating commands, but those were all things I was prepared for. I wouldn't say he's a good first border collie but he was perfect for me. Just my randomly put observations. Wow it looks like you have a great dog on your hands. Thanks for the video. It is 4 weeks before I get to pick out my pup. I am trying not to get to excited, so I can make a rational decision and not an emotional one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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