MistyMae Posted March 25, 2013 Report Share Posted March 25, 2013 Hello, I am a newcomer to the BC Boards and I am a beginner in the Border collie world. This spring/summer, I am getting my first Border collie puppy (I've had a Border mix in the past) to be trained for flyball, dock diving, and perhaps herding. It will be a puppy from Culleymont Farm. I have had much experience with Border collies and I have had puppies in the past, however, does anyone have any general advice on them? Odd trivia from knowledgeable BC owners is appreciated! Or, feel free to share stories of your BC's! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted March 25, 2013 Report Share Posted March 25, 2013 I just want to say thank you for choosing a good breeder of working dogs. I'm sure if you have any specific questions, you'll get lots of advice and stories! J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted March 25, 2013 Report Share Posted March 25, 2013 Welcome! I would like to second Julie's comment about getting your pup from a responsible breeder of good working dogs. These dogs are very smart and that goes for the pups. I think a person needs to be on their toes when raising a Border Collie pup because their smartness means they learn *fast* whether they are learning what you want them to learn (the "good" stuff) or what you don't really want them to learn (the "bad" stuff). As Julie pointed out, ask questions when they arise - and right when they arise because a pup can learn a bad behavior or habit very, very quickly. You will want to "nip" the bad behaviors in the bud, before they become a habit. The rules here include that you will have to post pictures of your puppy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smalahundur Posted March 25, 2013 Report Share Posted March 25, 2013 Dive in the archives, that should keep you busy for a while.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyMae Posted March 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2013 Thanks everyone! I was VERY picky about where I'd get my puppy from. I will most definitely post a picture upon its arrival! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchemist Posted March 25, 2013 Report Share Posted March 25, 2013 I'm also pleased to see you supporting a breeder of working Border collies! My advice: 1) Probably half the people you'll meet will say, "oh, a Border collie puppy? I hear they need a LOT of exercise!" Don't listen to them - smile and ignore them. First, growing puppies have tender joints. Overuse can rapidly lead to injury. Border collies will NEVER let you know when they've had enough - they'll go until they drop. You don't want to be responsible for letting a puppy injure itself. Some studies have even shown that puppies raised in a house with stairs (presumably, with access to such) are at an increased risk of hip dysplasia. Why take a chance? 2) They are scary smart, which can make them amazingly easy to train. It can also mean that something can become an obsession in no time. You may think it's cute the first time, but you'll rue the day you didn't stop it the first time if it becomes an obsession. 3) Crates are your friends. Or, better yet, a combination of crate + X-pen + watch-like-a-hawk-the-entire-time-a-puppy-is-loose. 4) Keep your puppy lean (not roly-poly), and consider moving it off puppy food MUCH earlier than the bag would have you believe. And recognize that no two people will give you the same advice on feeding your puppy/dog. 5) Be consistent; insist on the sort of manners you wish to see in a grown dog. But also let the puppy *be* a puppy, don't expect too much from a baby. (This may sound contradictory, but it means things like "don't let it jump up on you as a puppy if you don't want this as an adult"; "don't expect that a tiny puppy won't try to mouth you, but gradually wean a mouthy puppy from this behavior by yelping and stopping play so that it develops bite inhibition"). And enjoy! And post photos!!! I'm sure I'll think of other things as soon as I press "add reply"! * Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 I'm also pleased to see you supporting a breeder of working Border collies! My advice: 1) Probably half the people you'll meet will say, "oh, a Border collie puppy? I hear they need a LOT of exercise!" Don't listen to them - smile and ignore them. First, growing puppies have tender joints. Overuse can rapidly lead to injury. Border collies will NEVER let you know when they've had enough - they'll go until they drop. You don't want to be responsible for letting a puppy injure itself. Some studies have even shown that puppies raised in a house with stairs (presumably, with access to such) are at an increased risk of hip dysplasia. Why take a chance? 2) They are scary smart, which can make them amazingly easy to train. It can also mean that something can become an obsession in no time. You may think it's cute the first time, but you'll rue the day you didn't stop it the first time if it becomes an obsession. 3) Crates are your friends. Or, better yet, a combination of crate + X-pen + watch-like-a-hawk-the-entire-time-a-puppy-is-loose. 4) Keep your puppy lean (not roly-poly), and consider moving it off puppy food MUCH earlier than the bag would have you believe. And recognize that no two people will give you the same advice on feeding your puppy/dog. 5) Be consistent; insist on the sort of manners you wish to see in a grown dog. But also let the puppy *be* a puppy, don't expect too much from a baby. (This may sound contradictory, but it means things like "don't let it jump up on you as a puppy if you don't want this as an adult"; "don't expect that a tiny puppy won't try to mouth you, but gradually wean a mouthy puppy from this behavior by yelping and stopping play so that it develops bite inhibition"). And enjoy! And post photos!!! I'm sure I'll think of other things as soon as I press "add reply"! ^^^^ This is REALLY good advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 I'm also pleased to see you supporting a breeder of working Border collies! My advice: 1) Probably half the people you'll meet will say, "oh, a Border collie puppy? I hear they need a LOT of exercise!" Don't listen to them - smile and ignore them. First, growing puppies have tender joints. Overuse can rapidly lead to injury. Border collies will NEVER let you know when they've had enough - they'll go until they drop. You don't want to be responsible for letting a puppy injure itself. Some studies have even shown that puppies raised in a house with stairs (presumably, with access to such) are at an increased risk of hip dysplasia. Why take a chance? 2) They are scary smart, which can make them amazingly easy to train. It can also mean that something can become an obsession in no time. You may think it's cute the first time, but you'll rue the day you didn't stop it the first time if it becomes an obsession. 3) Crates are your friends. Or, better yet, a combination of crate + X-pen + watch-like-a-hawk-the-entire-time-a-puppy-is-loose. 4) Keep your puppy lean (not roly-poly), and consider moving it off puppy food MUCH earlier than the bag would have you believe. And recognize that no two people will give you the same advice on feeding your puppy/dog. 5) Be consistent; insist on the sort of manners you wish to see in a grown dog. But also let the puppy *be* a puppy, don't expect too much from a baby. (This may sound contradictory, but it means things like "don't let it jump up on you as a puppy if you don't want this as an adult"; "don't expect that a tiny puppy won't try to mouth you, but gradually wean a mouthy puppy from this behavior by yelping and stopping play so that it develops bite inhibition"). And enjoy! And post photos!!! I'm sure I'll think of other things as soon as I press "add reply"! * Great advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassidy Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 I'm also pleased to see you supporting a breeder of working Border collies! My advice: 1) Probably half the people you'll meet will say, "oh, a Border collie puppy? I hear they need a LOT of exercise!" Don't listen to them - smile and ignore them. First, growing puppies have tender joints. Overuse can rapidly lead to injury. Border collies will NEVER let you know when they've had enough - they'll go until they drop. You don't want to be responsible for letting a puppy injure itself. Some studies have even shown that puppies raised in a house with stairs (presumably, with access to such) are at an increased risk of hip dysplasia. Why take a chance? 2) They are scary smart, which can make them amazingly easy to train. It can also mean that something can become an obsession in no time. You may think it's cute the first time, but you'll rue the day you didn't stop it the first time if it becomes an obsession. 3) Crates are your friends. Or, better yet, a combination of crate + X-pen + watch-like-a-hawk-the-entire-time-a-puppy-is-loose. 4) Keep your puppy lean (not roly-poly), and consider moving it off puppy food MUCH earlier than the bag would have you believe. And recognize that no two people will give you the same advice on feeding your puppy/dog. 5) Be consistent; insist on the sort of manners you wish to see in a grown dog. But also let the puppy *be* a puppy, don't expect too much from a baby. (This may sound contradictory, but it means things like "don't let it jump up on you as a puppy if you don't want this as an adult"; "don't expect that a tiny puppy won't try to mouth you, but gradually wean a mouthy puppy from this behavior by yelping and stopping play so that it develops bite inhibition"). And enjoy! And post photos!!! I'm sure I'll think of other things as soon as I press "add reply"! * Yes, great advise. Especially about insisting the manners you wish to see in a grown dog. I know way too many people who when there dogs are pups they let them get away with lots of stuff (like jumping) because they are cute and small. Then when they grow up, the owners wonder why they have all these bad habits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassidy Posted April 2, 2013 Report Share Posted April 2, 2013 Also, I just thought of this and its probably a given, but give the dog lots of direction. Don't just expect it to know what to do. Border collies are smart, but if they are left to figure out what to do in a situation, chances are what they do wont please you. And this is just my opinion, but teaching them lots of cute but useless tricks, (of course as an addition to the important tricks) is good, it gives them lots of mental stimulation, and most of the things you can teach without having to leave the comfort of your home. So those days when you are too busy (or too lazy ) to go somewhere with your dog, you can just give them some mental stimulation through tricks, right at your home! Of course you would still have to give them physical exercise but, you know. Also, that reminds me. Especially with border collies, they need mental exercise as well as physical. Just throwing a ball in the yard won't cut it. They need some sort of mental stimulation also. That's great that you are planning on doing dog sports with the dog, border collies crave work. Oh and- Good luck. :-) This is a quote about BCs that always makes me smile- "Want to be cool? Get a Border Collie. Want to move a sheep across your 3,000-acre ranch? Get a Border Collie. Want to really compete at agility? Get a Border Collie. Want to have a job, a life, and your sanity? Get a Lab." -Unknown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLloydJones Posted April 2, 2013 Report Share Posted April 2, 2013 Want to be cool? Get a Border Collie. Want to move a sheep across your 3,000-acre ranch? Get a Border Collie. Want to really compete at agility? Get a Border Collie. Want to have a job, a life, and your sanity? Get a Lab." -UnknownSanity is greatly overrated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beach BCs Posted April 2, 2013 Report Share Posted April 2, 2013 Sanity is greatly overrated. Agreed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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