Get some sheep then they will be happy otherwise you will never see the real dog. Bit sad really for those that are kept as pets but the difference from watching a working dog to a pet is amazing. Same goes for Labradors funnily enough. Would never have believed that they move so fast when doing what they were bred for.
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Border Collie owners...what should I know?
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Posted 2 years ago #
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We have 5 pups at the moment, they are 2 week old, along with our 2 farm bred parents.
I have always had Border Collies from being a young lad, great dog, and great family pets if trained properly.
Some good comments above, only thing i will say is give it plenty of exercise but don't over do it, they will go until they can't walk through exhaustion.( i once saw someone do that, but thats a different story for another time!!)
The other thing is make sure you let it know who is the Boss from very young, even though there cute as pups, they soon become unruly and it is very hard to get them out of bad habits.
And watch your heels, because when they nip you to round you up it can hurt!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Posted 2 years ago # -
I had mine 2 yrs and although he was a brilliant dog, he could be quite distructive if left alone too long, I let him go back to the breeder I had him from for free as he could not cope with us being out at work during the day, the breeder gave him to a retired couple that did not want a pup but wanted a collie..
Fantastic dog if you dont have to work , or, you can take them with you.Posted 2 years ago # -
mine is 6 months old and going through a phase of barking me awake at 2 in the morning for his breakfast
first time we let him off the lead we thought he wouldn't stop running, he must have ran about a mile out of sight, waited five minutes and he came back running at exactly the same speed......funniest thing i've ever seen.
He's mad as a brush and has oodles of energy, i can hear him destroying his cage as we speak.......also very true about eh toys, he loves playing fetch for hours at a time
some photos:
when we got him
Posted 2 years ago # -
Haven't read any of the above comments, sorry. In my experience, they are silly mad for about 12-18 months, stick with it, then they mature into great dogs/pets. My sisters collie turned out to be a jem and so intelligent he didn't require any formal training, but you wouldn't know it!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Grew up with a border, I was 5 or 6 when we got Ben and he lived untill he was 16. Fantastic dog, I think it helped he had a family of young kids to entertain him! Hated getting a bath tho!
My greyhound was 'rounded up' by a young collie in the park on Sunday- every time he moved the pup headed him off! Jim was not amused- squirrels to chase etc!Posted 2 years ago # -
My dog is 1/8 border collie, 1/8 bearded collie and is mental if that is any help.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Lovely dogs but agree - get it socialised with other dogs/people early. I've met a few Collies that distinctly tried throwing themselves at bingo to fight. Its stressful for the owners having another dimension to worry about IMO.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Mine is ace - mad as a box of frogs and doesn't get anywhere near the physical exercise he should do. Follows you around a lot, lets you know what he needs... loves to play (and will collect the correct toy that you tell him to get - so long as he can remember where he left it that is, we are in a 3 story town house so it can go missing from time to time).
He keeps himself occupied mostly trying to herd our two cats. 1 of which is a teeny tiny moggy (well, she was - now a fat little cat) and the other is a HUGE Maine Coon. Jake the Collie and Ed the Main Coon get on really well together, probably as they are both so intelligent. I think Jake just wished they would play with him more!
I very rarely put him on a lead, my wife does a lot more than me (I just whistle to him to keep him close and on pavements). He charges around like a mad thing on the hills and in the woods, loves playing with sticks and is very hard to knacker out. Took him on the mountain bike when we lived in Scotland and only did a max 10ish miles but he would run flat out for the full ride, then fall into an exhausted heap for 10 minutes before wanting another go
Ace dogs, so long as you get a good one and spend the time with them. Bit neurotic, but if they are occupied then they are fine - we can leave him alone for half a day without any problems (the cats keep him company - he will just gaze at them for hours if they are asleep!)
Ours was a rescue dog - had him for coming up 2 years and he is about 6 now I think.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Thanks for the replies, we have had dogs before and have been without one for 16 months, we line 5 mins walk from fields and moors so not bad and 400 yards from a park.
Intresting as we took him to puppy class last night far far more intrested in humans than dogs..........very wary and then snappy and then literally bored of them.
Plays with toys for ages happily, on the moors really good bar grouse freaking him out.
Exercise is a good point as getting the right level seems hard as he flys on the downs and trudges the ups, currently 30 min in the morning, 30mins play at lunch and then upto 45 mins moor/field walk with some days as more of a saunter than a walk.
Training wise possibly the easiest we have ever had, really eager to learn and very receptive.
but loves to try and chase cars, got over nipping us but still likes to 'soft chew' in play, when running tries to bite/nips legs and veers in front almost to trip you up...gotta work on that.....gets beaten up by the cat!
couple of pics
Posted 2 years ago # -
sorry
Posted 2 years ago # -
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NikNak7890 - Member
RichC
3 hours a day? For a 10 month old?
That's WAY too much physical exercise for a dog so young.
Thats what I thought, however after we took him to the vet we were told that was about right because of his size/development but it needs to be in 45 minute chunks, so he is walked 4 times a day.
He is isn't a collie, (he's a mongrel chesapeak/spinone cross) but due to his size (he's around 28" to the shoulder, and 42kg of muscle) he needs a fair bit of walking or else he gets the puppy zoomies really bad and jumps up, play mauls etc and takes a lot of calming down/controlling which isn't easy
Posted 2 years ago # -
They have evil looking eyes collies!
Posted 2 years ago #
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