Root Beer Posted December 10, 2022 Report Share Posted December 10, 2022 She wasn't exactly planned .... we were going to wait until this coming spring or summer to add another dog. But, a friend sent me her shelter listing, and we ended up adopting this girl. Her name is Stella Marissa. And ... according to her DNA test, she is 25% Border Collie!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted December 10, 2022 Report Share Posted December 10, 2022 Welcome to the Boards, Stella! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted December 10, 2022 Report Share Posted December 10, 2022 Stella is BEE YOU TI FUL! Hope you have a great time with her!!! Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachdogz Posted December 11, 2022 Report Share Posted December 11, 2022 Aww this sounds like Kismet!! She’s adorable! It was meant to be! Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted December 12, 2022 Report Share Posted December 12, 2022 I'm curious. What's the other 75% From just this pic I'd have easily believed it if you'd told me she's purebred BC. LOL Congratulations, Stella Marissa. You scored yourself a great home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligande Posted December 12, 2022 Report Share Posted December 12, 2022 she looks gorgeous, congratulations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted December 14, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2022 On 12/11/2022 at 7:57 PM, GentleLake said: I'm curious. What's the other 75% From just this pic I'd have easily believed it if you'd told me she's purebred BC. LOL Congratulations, Stella Marissa. You scored yourself a great home. Some of the results were surprising ... 31% Australian Cattle Dog 25% Border Collie 26% American Eskimo Dog And ..... 17% Chihuahua!!!! Honestly, I don't see the Chihuahua in her at all - not physically, nor in personality. But, the Cattle Dog, Border Collie, and Eskimo Dog .... definitely!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Elle Posted December 16, 2022 Report Share Posted December 16, 2022 Wow, she is gorgeous! I can see why you couldn't resist her. What size is she? I will be looking for a small border collie or BC mix when I am ready for my next dog. Small because i don't want to have a dog I cannot pick up if there is a need to, and the amount of weight I can lift has decreased. she looks like a great size. And it sounds like a good mix to me, since ACD and American Eskimo are both good, smart breeds. Chihuahuas can be pretty darn smart too. Like you, I don't see the chihuahua, but can see the other breeds. All in all she seems to be a good dog and I hope you'll keep us up to date on her. Do you think she will make a Freestyle dog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted December 16, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2022 4 hours ago, D'Elle said: Wow, she is gorgeous! I can see why you couldn't resist her. What size is she? I will be looking for a small border collie or BC mix when I am ready for my next dog. Small because i don't want to have a dog I cannot pick up if there is a need to, and the amount of weight I can lift has decreased. she looks like a great size. And it sounds like a good mix to me, since ACD and American Eskimo are both good, smart breeds. Chihuahuas can be pretty darn smart too. Like you, I don't see the chihuahua, but can see the other breeds. All in all she seems to be a good dog and I hope you'll keep us up to date on her. Do you think she will make a Freestyle dog? She is small! It was so perfect. I wanted a Border Collie-sized dog and my husband wanted another small dog. When I saw Stella for the first time, the first words out of my mouth were, "she's little!" But, she's not. She is not much shorter than Bandit, but she is smaller. She is only about 25 pounds, although I think she has gained a bit. She was underweight when we first adopted her. But, I can easily pick her up, and I love that. Bandit is small, too - he only weighs 35 pounds - but now he is the biggest dog in the house. His new nickname is, "my BIG BEAST!" Yes, I think she is going to be a Freestyle dog. Not sure about live competitions, although I am hopeful. She was completely shut down when we brought her home, and she still gets nervous when I take her places. But, she has come so far. She is completely comfortable at home now. I really think that once we start classes this winter and she gets used to that context, she will gain a ton of confidence. She was from a hoarding situation, and I know her early life was not optimal, but she has been a delightful surprise over and over and over. At the very least, we will definitely be doing video stuff, but the possibility of live is there, I think. She is so smart and she already does some Freestyle moves naturally! Her gait is gorgeous!! I think she has a bright future as a dancer! But, we shall see!! I will definitely keep you posted! Here is a more recent photo. Her coat is growing and her weight is more normal now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachdogz Posted December 16, 2022 Report Share Posted December 16, 2022 wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Elle Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 She is just stunning. My experience with fostering shut down dogs from hoarding or puppy mill situations is that if progress is made quickly, there's great potential for the dog to become a normal, friendly and outgoing dog. If the progress is very slow, the dog is going to get better, learn how to be a dog, and be comfortable at home but may not ever be comfortable with strange people or situations. This is of course in general, and there is always the exception although I didn't personally have one. Her having come a long way already shows great promise. I would bet that she will make a dancer, and would love to hear more of her progress over time. Even Kelso, my most shut down foster dog ever, became a happy and goofy playful dog eventually. He won't ever be OK with strange people, but he can go to a new situation or place and be OK as long as he is with his people. And it took a year and a half just to get him to the point that he knew how to be a dog. So I think you have every reason to be optimistic. (I'm a little jealous!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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