# Border Collies!



## Flaviruthless (Mar 15, 2011)

How many people on here have them? I will be getting a pup later this year and just wanted some more background on the breed - as well as photos! Please share stories of training, fun times, etc...

I'm very excited as this will be my first dog, we have had dogs in the family before but none of them have been mine. I plan to look up some training, agility and fly ball facilities before I get the pup so that I'm well prepared. 

Cheers


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## Exotic_Doc (Mar 15, 2011)

Hey, ive worked with the breed alot and i can help you with whatever you need. First of all choose a pup from a registered breeder no matter what breed you go for, as they test( should and double check with them) for common diseases in the breed prior to breeding and although you may pay abit more it is well worth it when you know that you are getting a healthy pup with the lifetime support of the breeder. Border collies are a very high energy dog and not one to be left in the backyard, they need a job in life so to speak so a steady and firm hand in training and raising is needed. The breed is ranked number one in intelligence of any other breed and they are amazingly smart. Grooming includes a quick brush once a day to reduce finding hair everywhere. Stick to a premium diet such as eukanuba/Royal Canin(my favourite)/Advance and personally stay away from science diet no matter what anyone tells you as the base of it is oatmeal not meat/fish/chicken like other brands and alot of dogs suffer from allergies to it(more than any other food i have found). They are amazing dogs and if you have any specific details i would love to help you, do you mind me asking where you are getting the dog from? Is the breeder registered? And how big is your property?( the size of the property in my personal opinion doesnt matter as long as the owner is willing to take the time to walk their dogs DAILY) i have seen many a times, giant breeds living in apartments...Enjoy your first puppy because the joys and fun times are endless. My samoyed pup is 16 weeks old now and although i go crazy sometimes i love him to pieces  And he even gets to come to work with me and meet all the other dogs so thats a massive bonus hehe  Ask away....


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## Flaviruthless (Mar 15, 2011)

Awesome. My property is not big but it is next to the greenslopes park with all of the bike way so there's ample room and opportunity for us both to exercise. My Aunt has two borders that she will be breeding again this year  Thanks for the advice.


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## vampstorso (Mar 15, 2011)

we always had Kelpie/collie crosses when I was a kid..absolutely amazing breed. They were never top end blood lines, usually free infact. 

I now have a beautiful Dalmatian, still a beautiful dog but very different!

I think my favourite thing with Collies, although of course any dog CAN be this way, is generally they're really good around and protective of children. (whereas my Dalmatian would accidentally kill a kid from being so active!)

Also a great breed for having around your other animals, since they're family orientated. 


...I know this has all ended up as just a heap of random rambling! but really my point is they're one of the most amazing dogs you could have! Enjoy your new puppy!

Something I learnt with my Dalmatian (first dog I've had grown up), is don't listen to the CRAP you hear on tv about starting to house train dogs at 3 months...that's just insane!!
we started house training at 7 weeks of age...in two and a half weeks he was totally house trained...so seriously, don't under estimate their puppy intelligence! (save yourself a lot of cleaning too!)


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## Kitah (Mar 15, 2011)

Exotic_Doc said:


> ... and personally stay away from science diet no matter what anyone tells you as the base of it is oatmeal not meat/fish/chicken like other brands and alot of dogs suffer from allergies to it(more than any other food i have found)


 
Just a quick note on this- Food allergies aren't actually that common in dogs in comparison to other allergies, and when they do occur, they are typically due to five main protein sources- beef, chicken, lamb, pork and usually less commonly in dogs, fish. Food allergies can _only_ occur to a protein source the animal has been exposed to previously. A good quality diet is ideal however, and make sure you stick to the correct lifestage- for example, start your pup on a puppy medium breed food- these have been formulated to encourage the correct rate of healthy growth for your pup. If for example a pup like a Great Dane is raised on small breed puppy food, they can actually grow too rapidly which may result in complications. 

I agree with what Exotic_Doc said; You'd be best to make sure the parents are tested for hip dysplasia for example. I assure you, life for a dog with severe hip dysplasia is not good (for both the dog and the owner), and I've seen dogs less than one year old with dysplasia so severe they are just about crippled by it. It'll also end up costing you more in x-rays, pain relief, cartilage stimulants and possibly surgery. Make sure your pup's vaccinated fully, wormed, and on a good heartworm prevention which I'm sure you already know. Places like puppy preschools can be helpful to help you socialise your pup and start some basic training, and dog obedience is also fantastic. Collies definitely are very high energy, active, intelligent dogs and aren't suitable for many people, but if you're willing to put in the time, stimulation, training and exercise, you should have a nice, fit, healthy and happy dog!


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## thals (Mar 15, 2011)

Congratulations, they are both a very beautiful and extremely intelligent breed! A bc was my first dog of my own as well. Just keep in mind, these guys thrive on hard work. They really need a great deal of activity to keep both their body and mind's stimulated otherwise they tend to get quite destructive, digging, chewing, pulling clothes off the line etc. ooh and trying to herd people as well! :lol: They are great to involve in agility and flyball activities, all that sort of stuff will do wonders for them and keep both you and your puppy very happy! Of course training is a given and a bc pup will thrive and learn very quickly. All the best with your new mate to come 8)


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## Flaviruthless (Mar 15, 2011)

Thanks guys, I am so excited! Thank you all for your replies...


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## euphorion (Mar 15, 2011)

Kitah said:


> Just a quick note on this- Food allergies aren't actually that common in dogs in comparison to other allergies, and when they do occur, they are typically due to five main protein sources- beef, chicken, lamb, pork and usually less commonly in dogs, fish. Food allergies can _only_ occur to a protein source the animal has been exposed to previously. A good quality diet is ideal however, and make sure you stick to the correct lifestage- for example, start your pup on a puppy medium breed food- these have been formulated to encourage the correct rate of healthy growth for your pup. If for example a pup like a Great Dane is raised on small breed puppy food, they can actually grow too rapidly which may result in complications.
> 
> I agree with what Exotic_Doc said; You'd be best to make sure the parents are tested for hip dysplasia for example. I assure you, life for a dog with severe hip dysplasia is not good (for both the dog and the owner), and I've seen dogs less than one year old with dysplasia so severe they are just about crippled by it. It'll also end up costing you more in x-rays, pain relief, cartilage stimulants and possibly surgery. Make sure your pup's vaccinated fully, wormed, and on a good heartworm prevention which I'm sure you already know. Places like puppy preschools can be helpful to help you socialise your pup and start some basic training, and dog obedience is also fantastic. Collies definitely are very high energy, active, intelligent dogs and aren't suitable for many people, but if you're willing to put in the time, stimulation, training and exercise, you should have a nice, fit, healthy and happy dog!


 
I'm glad someone else stepped in to provide this information so i didn't have to type it all out! 

Just arm yourself with as much knowledge of the breed, training and available resources in your area as possible. Source your supplies from reliable suppliers (online is usually cheapest) and DON'T get your advice from petshops or groomers, always go to the vet for health advice and professional (and recommended) trainers petshop staff are usually only good for selling you what they stock and groomers are only good for telling you how to groom (duh). I can't STAND hearing shop staff and groomers giving training or health advice to owners when they are untrained and abviously don't know a thing about what they are talking about. *rant over*

Border Collies are wonderful dogs. I've never had one myself but i have had several Shetland Sheepdogs in my time. Very cheeky little monkeys the collies are!


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## maxPOWERS (Mar 15, 2011)

i work in a pet store and i vaguely remember science diet being made from chicken meal.
chicken being a major cause for allergies in dogs as they have built a weakness to it because its been pumped into there diets for so many years because its cheap,low fat and high in protein.


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## Exotic_Doc (Mar 16, 2011)

maxPOWERS said:


> i work in a pet store and i vaguely remember science diet being made from chicken meal.
> chicken being a major cause for allergies in dogs as they have built a weakness to it because its been pumped into there diets for so many years because its cheap,low fat and high in protein.



Hey, its true that a branch of the science diet range has chicken but in general the main ingredient is oatmeal. Shooshoo im not petshop staff, and im not gaining or trying to sell her anything either . Kitah i have to disagree with you, from personal experience with alot of different people and their dogs science diet was the cause of more allergies than any other brand. It is mainly skin allergies with the brand but i do agree that fish is the least reactive and it is the base of nearly all sensitive skin kibble, we shall agree to disagree  At the end of the day whatever you decide to feed, stick to a premium brand you choose and you should be fine. You can also mix your kibble with meat( i find fresh minced meat from your local butcher the best) Or you can even go for a raw diet such as BARF( alot of people swear by it)


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## Flaviruthless (Mar 16, 2011)

I've heard a lot of good things about BARF but isn't it very expensive? (not that that's the main thing, the dogs' health 100% comes first) 
It's great to hear other people's opinions on all of this stuff 

Come on People - Photos!!!!


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## Exotic_Doc (Mar 16, 2011)

Rahni29 said:


> I've heard a lot of good things about BARF but isn't it very expensive? (not that that's the main thing, the dogs' health 100% comes first)
> It's great to hear other people's opinions on all of this stuff
> 
> Come on People - Photos!!!!



Hey, it is abit dear but you can mix it with premium kibble. Although the BARF is a complete diet in itself. I tried it a couple of times and it was very good, but i personally like to stick to Royal Canin and mince...


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## cathy1986 (Mar 16, 2011)

great dog if you have lots of time for them to exersize and train or they will be a huge pain in ur bum as they need constant stimulation i have 2 beautiful girls mother and daughter mum is black and whit and daughter is caramel soo beautiful but they have been alot of hard work stopping them escaping 6ft fences are no challenge up and over they go IMO they seem to get attached to one person in the family and will protect them and can be quite snappy little nips here n there to ppl they dont know as they are bred to be snappy to get the sheep moving always remember they are a specific breed that is ment to be a hardworking active and smart just make sure you do alot of research about the breed and make sure it fits in well with your life if your a busy family and work alot its not the dog for you get an ex grey hound is a really lazy house dog there great plus ya saving them from just getting shot


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## angie90 (Apr 8, 2011)

I had a border collie (it stayed on my mums acreage when I moved out). Best dog I've ever owned, she was SO smart and could unlock her pen no matter how many times I rigged it up differently, & sometimes I honestly thought she knew what I was saying! Very active dog too, & LOVED water. Sorry don't have any pics!


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## Flaviruthless (Apr 8, 2011)

That's pretty funny woody! I can't wait


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## euphorion (Apr 8, 2011)

BARF is great to keep in the freezer and to mix in with dry kibble once or twice a week. then nice meaty raw bones to chew on etc  always research your dry food before you buy. i am trying nutro at the moment, it has a shorter shelf-life than other foods because it uses less synthetic preservatives and insteads uses rosemary. i also like eaglepack holistic select and proplan salmon formula. rather dear, but well worth it.






Not border collies but Shelties are awesome dogs, gutsy little buggers they make great guard dogs. Then my mutt, smartest dog i know, i love challenging her with new things  Sorry they're not collies, but i thought you might like to see pics of my fur-kids.


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## Flaviruthless (Apr 8, 2011)

Thanks for the Shooshoo  It's always good to get other opinions regarding food. Your fur-babies are beautiful!


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## Flaviruthless (Jul 9, 2011)

Ok guys, update time! I got my new "pup" - 13 month old Chocolate / White Border Collie male - "Buddy". I have had him less than a week and he is just amazing! He's never been trained before but he's already sitting, dropping, coming when called and is just loving playing with the frizbee and ball!
He's currently on Royal Canin Junior and his previous owners (he was a giveaway) let his vaccinations lapse so the vet recommended not to take him on walks just yet; it's alright though, I'm on holidays so we've been playing ball and frizbee lots and lots (much more exercise than he had previously - he was kept in a pen with another dog). He was a giveaway because he bit the owner's horse - I can't believe how silly people can be; he's a herding dog and was not trained or entertained at all...


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## eitak (Jul 9, 2011)

My aunty and uncle have only ever owned border collies, and they are such obidient dogs!! The one they have at the moment won't even get the ball out of the gutter on the road with out permission, won't put a paw on the rd without permission, plays dead when you make your hand into a gun and pretend to shoot, crawls, sits, shakes, comes at first call evrytime. Super nice dogs!!!


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