Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, All Herding breeds, Tell Me About Yours

[chickens really]

My dog looks adorable. Who cares what right is? That's a personal preference.

Are you cranky Lisa....Definitely who cares ? I'm just saying..

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Are you cranky Lisa....Definitely who cares ? I'm just saying..

Maybe on this subject. I do what's best for my dog.

 

[Dirtclawed]

We have plans to get a border collie sometimes next year. It's been quite a few years since I've owned one. I need a refresher course of what I'm in for, so please share your dogs and experiences with the breed.

I remember mine loving to run the goat fence while carrying her tennis ball. She'd than take a quick dip in the kiddie pool to cool off before getting back to work. She was wicked smart, and darn good looking. We took her everywhere. She was always busy outside, but easy going in the house.

So please share your border collies, and hopefully no one talks me out of one.

I'm editing this thread to add all herding breeds, especially Australian shepherds.

I have never done the awesome border collie,but I have done a few generations of heelers,,keep them busy and working they are wicked smart and as long as they taught like a little kid and not abused they never leave your side,paitience is key for some,and I have raised mine around six kids so it can be done.

 

[chickens really]

Maybe on this subject. I do what's best for my dog.

Me too ! Wilson looks ridiculous after getting shaved. His hair definitely isn't like it should be..

 

[chickens really]

I have never done the awesome border collie,but I have done a few generations of heelers,,keep them busy and working they are wicked smart and as long as they taught like a little kid and not abused they never leave your side,paitience is key for some,and I have raised mine around six kids so it can be done.

Awesome dogs!!!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have never done the awesome border collie,but I have done a few generations of heelers,,keep them busy and working they are wicked smart and as long as they taught like a little kid and not abused they never leave your side,paitience is key for some,and I have raised mine around six kids so it can be done.

What a gorgeous dog. It seems most herding breeds are sensitive to rough corrections. I don't generally need to do nothing but tsk, and give the stare and my dogs know.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I did ask shave my first one. She was show bred too. My working type I did not shave and would never even consider it. They were all different in coat type. The show bred ones were are so thick in the undercoat I couldn't get it out when they blew their coats. I personally see nothing wrong with shaving them. They are happy, I'm happy. There's worse things in the world for dogs to have to experience.

That makes sense!! Some dogs do have super thick coats. Franklin doesn’t have too thick of a coat on most of his body but does have a super thick “mane”/collar as well as butt fluff LOL

And I have read that for the cooling effect to work, they have to be brushed out regularly because otherwise all the dead undercoat will trap air/not allow airflow to the skin but I don’t think it’s possible to ever fully brush out every last bit of undercoat or even a quarter of it on the super thick coated dogs LOL

I know I brushed Franklin a few times this summer as well as groomed him right before the wedding and I spent probably at least an hour straight or longer maybe hour and a half or two just brushing him and ever even made a dent lol I got tons of fur off, sure, but tons more was STILL coming off him.

I think I gave up after it went over an hour lol

I was trying to get every last bit but it was just impossible.

And I went back like a week later and got tons more off. Slightly less than the week before but barely.

Granted the first time he hadn’t been brushed in a long time so there was way more fur than there would have been otherwise, with regular upkeep maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad, but still.

I think on the super thick dogs it needs to be daily rather than weekly and that is a LOT of time.

I personally don’t mind it but it does get old ha which is why Labs are appealing to me more and more lol but they shed like crazy too.

And I was using an undercoat rake (amazing tool. So efficient lol) and a greyhound comb too so it wasn’t like I was using something that wasn’t working or something. But he just has sooooo much fur.

Some dogs do and I think for yours, shaving is fine because it works.

DB & SIL opted not to shave Franklin after reading all the information about it but they also live on the water so get the breezes, usually a few degrees cooler there than it is here, and have a couple huge shade trees and dirt for him to dig in and cool down in.

So for them leaving the coat works.

But every dog is different and your dog sounds highly miserable in the coat hah

Frank is also very light colored and they boat and hike/walk a lot so he’d probably get sunburnt if they shaved him.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Sorry, that last post got a bit long winded.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Probably a bit of a long shot but has anyone ever heard of Kelpies? I don’t think they’re very common outside of Australia but they are another breed I love and have considered getting. They are even more crazy/hyper than Border Collies though if that is possible LOL but they seem like great dogs. Australian Kelpie they are called.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have heard of them, but haven't looked into them.