fluffy & pretty...

[Guest PairDogx1.5]

I have a dog that has an amazing coat, never had a dog with one like it. She can go slogging through oily stagnant pond muck, get dirty with the best of them, sliding through mud on our walks, even changing colors in the red Arizona clay after a rainstorm. Once in awhile she even gets a chance to roll in sheep crap. But no matter how much fun she's had, within an hour or 2 she looks like she'd just had a bath and been groomed, the black is glistening, the white is like new snow. And a week later the other dogs that were having all that fun with her are still carrying the muck.

 

At a couple of herding events, many people commented on how pretty she was, and my response has become, "Well, you won't hold that against her now, will you?" I even had a couple of people admit that they thought I had bathed & groomed her as if for a show. One person assumed I was AKC-affiliated. And you know, I don't do anything to her, can't remember the last "bath" -- maybe a comb once a month or so.

 

I don't know if I have a point. It's just that sometimes I sense an undercurrent of prejudice against prettiness. It's not my dog's fault she looks the way she does. It's nothing that I do, because anyone that knows me will tell you, appearance is not very high on my list of priorities or values. If we say that it doesn't matter how a dog looks, then that's what we mean, right?

[ikw]

Pairdog,

 

I've got couple of what is considered as "pretty or very handsome dogs".

It isn't about a prejudice but when you get some Joe or Moe asking you if you'll breed that dog to this bitch and how lovely the pups will be without a clue,we'll have some real problem. Make that,we have problems.

When do Border Collies looks simply breathtaking and beautiful? I have yet to see an ugly one when they are behind their sheep.

 

 

------------------

Inci Willard

Clearville,PA

814-784-3414

ikw@pennswoods.net

[Eileen Stein]

I can't imagine anyone being prejudiced against a dog because it's pretty. Never encountered that. Just because I'm opposed to formalizing and ritualizing the idea of prettiness, developing a description of what's pretty and what isn't, and judging and breeding dogs based on that prettiness standard, doesn't mean I'm not sincere when I say to someone (as I often do) "What a pretty dog!"

 

I'm not doubting you -- I'm just saying I've never run into anyone commenting disapprovingly on a dog's being pretty. I have one dog who looks like a show dog, and people who know me well sometimes tease me about it, but that's different.

 

BTW, I've found a lot of border collies have that ability to magically become spotless within a couple of hours of a mud coating -- lying down dirty and rising up clean. It's a great quality!

[JEL]

Pretty Is as Pretty Does....that said, its no crime to have a dog who is pleasing to the eye....

 

jmho...

 

Janet

 

p.s. I read this somewhere in connection with working Border Collies, and I've always liked it:

 

A Dog that is striking and beautiful

is not always good;

 

But a dog that is Good

is always Beautiful.

[Amy]

Pairdog,

I have a male that is very traditonal looking, beautiful coat, perfect markings, etc. A perfect example of a cookie cutter barbie collie. Until he starts working.

 

If anything I feel that I'm envied..so many handlers have commented how lucky I am to have a good working dog that so pretty. This dog was not bred for looks..it just happened.

 

Any yes Inci I too hear the wouldn't he throw pretty puppies..makes my skin crawl.

[Guest PairDogx1.5]

I'm sure you guys are right. When I say I "sense an undercurrent", it probably could translate to "I'm paranoid".

 

But on the other hand, it's possible that some kind of preference exists. I haven't spoken to many breeders of working dogs -- fewer than 10 -- but every one of them said that their working customers pick first from litters, and almost invariably they select the more plain, mostly black pups. If pups are left after working customers have spoken, they are usually the "fancier" looking ones. This is preference, this is selection. Granted, it might be partly due to the "percentage of white" factor, but I think it's more than that. All pups in a litter have the same breeding, you can't tell much at that age, so selection is made at least partly on color & markings preference.

[Guest PrairieFire]

Well, don't know that would carry through on my litters - about working folks picking the plain ones - there's a pretty fancy little boy in Washington State...and both of Mary's that she kept are colorful tris...

 

I think people just pick whatever might stir thier hearts - whether they are looking for workers or not...

 

If you think there's a prejudice against pretty working dogs - go to my website, look under the pups link and take a look at daddy - tell me HE ain't a handsome boy...

 

------------------

Bill Gary

Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center

River Falls, WI

715.426.9877

www.kensmuir.com

[nancy]

Gee, my neighbors all love Fergie because she always looks so clean. i tell them that it's a border collie thing - the dirt just doesn't stick.

 

We can go down through the soggy wet field, she can nose into the burr-filled scrub and wade into the ugly muddy pond, and we can come home through the woods. Sure, she leaves mud print on the kitchen tile. But her white is glowing and her black is shiny.

 

I read on either this or the previous board that border collies sort of shed dirt. That isn't true? Then how does Fergie manage. She doesn't care where she goes and is gorgeous. I watch out and look like Pig Pen in Peanuts.

 

nancy

[Dawn Bailey]

I have had Border Collies for about 18 years now and here is all the reasons I have used to pick a pup. And I believe I have only picked one pup out of a litter myself, all others were picked by the breeder per my specifications.

 

pup that looks most like the parent I like the best. (genotype)

 

only male pup in the litter.

 

if the decision is between two pups, I ask for the one that is the most people oriented.

 

I have never picked because of more white, less white, brown, smooth coat, rough coat etc.

 

I do like black dogs because of my Bob, and smooth coated ones because of my Nap. Very special dogs to me.

 

I have had folks accuse me of only buying handsome dogs, but I think they just look healthy and have nice coats.

 

in regards to clean coats, I think good food has alot to do with the dogs ablity to shed mud. I know when I have had dogs coming here that were not on the best dog food, they improved dramatically when I have changed their diet.

 

I also have had dogs that the white is more white then the average dog. My Bess not only has alot of white it also is very bright. I get accused at every trial about bathing her. She gets bathed maybe twice a year. The rest of the time she is in the sheep trough just like the rest of the crew.

 

for what it is worth.

 

Dawn

[Guest PairDogx1.5]

It's worth alot Dawn (and everyone!). It sets my mind at ease. Thank you for the responses to what is probably kind of a silly post of mine.

[DeltaBluez Tess]

>>Once in awhile she even gets a chance to roll in sheep crap<<

 

Hey, I know this dog and I bet I know where where the sheep crap was that she rolled in!!!

 

She is quite a looker but man-oh-man can she herd and with power.

 

She has quite a bit of push and my stubborn goats even moved *right* quickly for her.

 

She is a really nice dog and has no problems in moving stock.

 

Diane Pagel

[Guest PairDogx1.5]

Thanks Diane! That's really nice to hear coming from a trainer/handler like you, of dogs like your Tess & Haig & Libbi. Guess I won't bother with trying to muck Kate up before the next event .

[SoloRiver]

Solo is very handsome -- even some Barbie Collie folks have said so (which immediately sent me running to make sure Solo wasn't too fat or stumpy looking, but I digress). He has been to many trials, though I have never run him, and other handlers are usually appreciative of his looks. It might help that he's very masculine looking and not at all foofy, but for whatever reason, no one has ever been derogatory.

 

Now, I've gotten comments because he's red (and everyone knows red dogs can't work, right?), but not because he's pretty.

 

-- Melanie, Solo the Red, and The Fly

[Shawna]

I have had several comments by herding folk about how pretty Darcy is. They have all been very polite and never derogatory (sp?, it's late and I can't spell some words at the best of times).

 

I guess I'm lucky though - they've even complimented her beautiful dark red coat. Well except one person who owned a dark red border collie and asked me if Darcy was out of the same line. She said that they were all somewhat psycotic. But she also told me that although some of them were slow starters like Darcy, they pretty much all turned into awesome working dogs in the end.

 

From what I remember her dog did very well.

[Guest PairDogx1.5]

I apologize if I made it sound like anything derogatory was ever said, I didn't mean that at all -- every single compliment was sincere, and I was happy that my dog was even noticed. It's just that I sometimes felt expectations for working ability went down in proportion to how "pretty" the dog was. And, I was amazed that people could think that I spent alot of time cleaning & grooming, when I hardly do anything at all.

[Britta]

When watching at my local trial i've had plenty of people come over to chat to me, compliment my dogs for their looks & usually i get asked when i'm having a go.

Almost every time someone will say '...they're way too clean to be working dogs...' - i've never been offended by it and have always taken it as the tounge in cheek comment it was meant to be. (in my dreams i just go to the post & proove them wrong,...)

Britta