Border Collies

Mine has been absolutely wonderful. He's been very easy and incredibly adaptable. He's traveled extensively; South Africa and all around Europe. He would go everywhere with me. He takes everything in his stride and behaves impeccably. He has been so easy to teach.

Both of his parents worked but he's shown no interest in sheep- in fact, embarrassingly, he's a bit suspicious of them! He's easy with children, cats, other dogs, poultry and horses.

He's been kept very busy with at least two or three walks a day; usually a morning run, a ride/cycle and a long slow walk after dinner. He's also picked up the role of "helper dog" to my dad who has been left quite disabled after multiple cancer surgeries. Rio's vocabulary is quite extensive. He can identify different kinds of shoes like "boots" or "slippers". He can bring keys, telephone, towel, blanket, open doors, close doors and will bring the phone to my dad if it rings.

Definitely will stick to BCs going forward. We got ours from a local farm and I bought him because I liked the sire. Lovely, easy dog and an excellent worker. Not that mine has inherited any talent!

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LadyGascoyne said:
Mine has been absolutely wonderful. He's been very easy and incredibly adaptable. He's traveled extensively; South Africa and all around Europe. He would go everywhere with me. He takes everything in his stride and behaves impeccably. He has been so easy to teach.

Both of his parents worked but he's shown no interest in sheep- in fact, embarrassingly, he's a bit suspicious of them! He's easy with children, cats, other dogs, poultry and horses.

He's been kept very busy with at least two or three walks a day; usually a morning run, a ride/cycle and a long slow walk after dinner. He's also picked up the role of "helper dog" to my dad who has been left quite disabled after multiple cancer surgeries. Rio's vocabulary is quite extensive. He can identify different kinds of shoes like "boots" or "slippers". He can bring keys, telephone, towel, blanket, open doors, close doors and will bring the phone to my dad if it rings.

Definitely will stick to BCs going forward. We got ours from a local farm and I bought him because I liked the sire. Lovely, easy dog and an excellent worker. Not that mine has inherited any talent!

82D4247F-2F6F-44EF-B117-38FF786EB4F5_zpsdjc4sxgy.jpg
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He's gorgeous! Just my type of collie :)
 
maisie06 said:
Forgive my ignorance but does that mean he makes a better working sheepdog, is it to do with staring down a sheep??
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Sorry for the late reply. Sheepdog-speak doesn't always make sense, I agree! It's all to do with how the dog deals with his sheep and how they in turn view the dog. Some dogs have 'power' over sheep, whilst others are weak. Sheep that are accustomed to a dog which is strong and means it, will laugh their little socks of at a dog which is weak, and all but ignore it.

I had a dog (now gone to heaven) and with sheep at 100 yards and him at heel, they would form in to a flock as I walked in to their field. I've had some sheepdog 'trialers' who would bring dogs out and the sheep would all but ignore the dog.

'Eye' is another important point because some dogs whilst focussing will appear to look through or past the sheep. The dog with real eye will focus in a way that the sheep understand.

if I haven't made any sense, further explanation is available! :o

Alec.
 
Oenoke, your girls are gorgeous. I particularly like the one on the left. Where did they come from?

LadyCascoyne, your chap looks fab. He has such a happy looking face! Did you get him in New Zealand?
 
I have two BCs at the moment. They are both rescues so I can only speculate at their backgrounds, one is slightly neurotic and wired and the other is very laid back. The more laid back one I got at around 14 weeks, the other at 18 months. They have both been agility dogs (now retired), the wired one was super but the laid back one was capable but unwilling!
I don't think I'd have any other breed now, their intelligence and willingness to please are just what I wanted in a dog. In my experience they are a breed that needs a lot of direction, some more than others of course.

If you want to guarantee the personality you end up with I'd definitely go for breeder and looking at their parentage and environment, a rescue can be a bit of a gamble but well worth it if you are prepared!
 
My local horse page mentioned a collie that was sick after eating horse poo. I'm wondering if it was ivermectin based wormer in the poo. Avoid dog wormers with that for collies, just a timely reminder for anyone thinking of getting a bc.
 
Sprig said:
Oenoke, your girls are gorgeous. I particularly like the one on the left. Where did they come from?
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This is Tayen, my youngest at just 2 years old, her breeder's affix is Breurn, both her parents compete at flyball (her dad has competed at Crufts flyball the last few years for Dream Team).
 
Okenoke, Tayen is fabulous. I didn't have any luck googling Breurn. I don't suppose you have a link to the breeders?

Has anyone had any dealings with Aviary Border Collies in Oxfordshire?
 
Clodagh said:
Alec if she was yours you would have to go and get some more sheep.
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Easy done, and were she mine, I would! :) I'd probably 'get wrong', but it wouldn't be the first time, nor the last I don't suppose.

I had such a bitch once, admired by half of Cumbria, but had it been her (Lynn) being filmed, she may well have nailed that awkward old ewe half way through! :D

Alec.
 
Alec Swan said:
Easy done, and were she mine, I would! :) I'd probably 'get wrong', but it wouldn't be the first time, nor the last I don't suppose.

I had such a bitch once, admired by half of Cumbria, but had it been her (Lynn) being filmed, she may well have nailed that awkward old ewe half way through! :D

Alec.
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Where did you farm in Cumbria Alec?
 
WorkingGSD said:
Ah, my mistake :)
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No problem. Atholl Clarke, should you know him, saw Lynn for 3 minutes, and made offers that a fool (this one perhaps!) turned down. She was 6 years old, in daily work and too useful to part with. Atholl tracked down her breeder Alan Elliot(?) in an attempt to trace her lineage, but whether he made anything of it, I'm not sure. The odd thing was though that I bought two bitch pups from the litter and the other, though a working dog, was never Lynn. I lived alone at the time and the dogs were with me (apart from when I was in the pub) 24-7. I feel certain that it was the constant companionship which brought out the best in her, rather than my abilities.

Alec.
 
Alec Swan said:
No problem. Atholl Clarke, should you know him, saw Lynn for 3 minutes, and made offers that a fool (this one perhaps!) turned down. She was 6 years old, in daily work and too useful to part with. Atholl tracked down her breeder Alan Elliot(?) in an attempt to trace her lineage, but whether he made anything of it, I'm not sure. The odd thing was though that I bought two bitch pups from the litter and the other, though a working dog, was never Lynn. I lived alone at the time and the dogs were with me (apart from when I was in the pub) 24-7. I feel certain that it was the constant companionship which brought out the best in her, rather than my abilities.

Alec.
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Alan Elliot has bred some very good dogs, and Atholl Clarke (Kirkby Lonsdale?) has too - he will be getting on in years now, but is still very well thought of.

Lynn sounded a very useful bitch. They seem to be getting harder to find. Hubby and I have often observed that you get the best out of working dogs by having them live with you and spending work and leisure time together.
 
Oenoke, I thought you might be interested that Tayen's sister is hopefully going to be having a litter later this year. They are going to get in touch with me if the mating works out. How have you found Tayen so far?
 
Sprig said:
Oenoke, I thought you might be interested that Tayen's sister is hopefully going to be having a litter later this year. They are going to get in touch with me if the mating works out. How have you found Tayen so far?
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Yes, I knew they were planning on breeding Tayen's sister at some time.

Tayen is a sweet little girl, she is coming along nicely with her agility and flyball training, I've just been taking it slow, hopefully she'll start competing this spring.
 
Oenoke, I hope you don't mind my persistent questioning of you?! Do you know Chazak border collies in the Forest of Dean? Their dogs seem to be a lovely type.
 


My girl Bella is a trialling bred bitch. She was bred by a trailer, sold to another one to bring on and then we got her at 16months old after having lived in kennels etc when with the other owners. She settled straight into home life with 4 working springer spaniels. House trained pretty much within the 1st week and she works our sheep too

I wouldn't be without her now but it is so different having a collie to any other dog - her intelligence levels are just phenomenal and she thinks that she is human not canine !!!

Can't get the photo to show grrrrrrrrrrrr !!!!!!!!
 
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