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

[oldhenlikesdogs]

There you go @oldhenlikesdogs we are more alike than you realize that is how I go about things today I came up in stronger world I guess training I am 59 now I started in my 20th year had a no fool man who wanted us to have solid obedience dogs I took obedience trail champion with a smooth coat Chihuahua he tracked retrieved we had a war teaching him to heal her did not want to get close to my feat spent 20 minutes him screaming like air from balloon until he sat against my foot he never said no again and got many rewards and goodies

I have a half Chihuahua rat terrier mix. She is a strong personality. I commend you for obedient training one of those little Chihuahua tyrants. They are stubborn little dogs.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I knew it. Hotdogs.

I should have just mentioned that first.

 

[Conan]

I should have just mentioned that first.

• Hotdogs
• 40 acres
• 24 hours a day access to beloved owner

GOALS.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I love this discussion.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I use to have liver in armband in obedience

 

[ShrekDawg]

Dogs will do anything for a smelly nasty treat lol

 

[Kris5902]

Wow, so much great info... we currently have 4 working border Collies for herding our sheep, they aren’t all great at it, but some of that is due to age and upbringing/training. They are excellent defenders against Raccoons, can climb trees, and could probably drive the truck on their own if given enough time to learn it.

Amazing dogs but they have no understanding of when to stop. Celti would chase and retrieve toys until he dropped if the human would just keep throwing it, please? Please??? He has also been known, if left to his own devices, to walk himself two or three miles down to the beach looking for some entertainment (the small humans are often there, and they will throw things I bring them!) he can pick up a paper clip or a single piece of hay from the floor and deposit it on your lap to throw for him... please? Which is pretty good for an un-neutered male for behavior and roaming on a very large property.

Boots is aggressively bonded to just one person, and if that person isn’t there will defend her house quite viciously. If that person doesn’t really like you, she is even more aggressive. She is a biter. She is also almost completely blind and half deaf with age. She had a rougher start to her life and never quite got over it completely, even after all her years here. She can’t see the sheep, but she still wants/needs to help herd them.

Alice gets hot spots and has to get a belly shave in the summer, and it isn’t even particularly hot here. She has some hip problems and severe arthritis, again, mostly an age thing. Both the girls are mostly “retired”, but just try telling them that when the feel up to “working”.

Delta is taking after his Father, but is more heavyset with longer silky fur, yes it’s long enough to braid, but he doesn’t like to talk about that incident, though our female WWOOFers thought it was quite giggle worthy at the time! His only real “training” at herding is coming from watching Dad Celti work, and all things considered, he is learning it fairly well. A bad habit he shares with his Father and Alice is rolling in Poop, preferably horse, but sheep, chicken, and cow will also do (in that order).

Chasing and catching birdies is his (IMO) worst habit, though he’s fascinated with baby chicks, and will try to herd (unsuccessfully) the grown chickens. He will catch ravens, swallows, and such, and took on a Bald Eagle once; he almost got it, there were feathers everywhere, but the Eagle escaped (it was feeding on a deer carcass when he caught it, and they are a prolific pest animal here that greatly damages livestock, though for his safety I would not encourage that particular behavior) He also will dig up buried lambs that didn’t make it, and likes to lick the poopy lamb bottoms.

So, No doggy kisses, thank you very much! Delta is the newest generation here and will probably help train a few new dogs in the coming years, once Alice and Boots pass on. Wonderful dogs to have around, but they must have “work” or they tend to get a little neurotic. Mere mention of the “R” word and they are climbing trees to get it, say “sheep” and they are ready to bring them, and if they manage to get into a truck, you had better take them somewhere so they can help you do something... because why else would you have opened the door?

 

[Birdsong 82]

She's very good looking. I'm glad you stuck with her. She has such a sweet face. How old is she now?

She was just under a year when we got her and she's about six years old now but almost still as playful as a puppy. When we first got her it was hard. I never had anything try my patience so much and I have a teenage daughter! But I knew she was young and she was getting used to having freedom. And I'm glad I stuck it out to She's so sweet and just such a happy dog. Unfortunately trying to calm her anxiety and it taking so long we never got a chance to train her as necessarily a herding dog but every animal we have she has loved from the beginning. Never cross towards any of them just interested in wanting to play
Her owner did care and that's why she found her a new home because she knew it wasn't right to have her locked up that long every day and she had tears in her eyes when we picked Molly up. Until about a year ago we tried to send her updates letting her know she's doing well

 

[Birdsong 82]

Sounds like you're up to having one! Busy, smart, needs gainful employment or will be crazy. Some do have hip dysplasia, difficult in a dog who's really not a couch potato.
Mary

Hip dysplasia affects a lot of the large braids. We took care of a yellow Labrador the last two years of his life and I've never seen it that bad. I have heard also that Collie's and German Shepherd's or at risk of it. We have a Shepherd Collie mix who is about 13 now and about three or four years ago we noticed we needed to start helping her into the car and onto the couch. She doesn't seem to be in pain from it but it has slowed her down a bit. She was kind of more of a calm dog anyway and I think her age added to her slowing down.

 

[Birdsong 82]

This is Sadie is Shepherd Collie mix. But you can only tell by looking at her. I love her To no end but she is far from the smartest dog I've ever met. So many times where she's done something and I just looked down and shook my head. But the friendliest dog you'll ever meet. Even my mother who absolutely hates animals likes saddie. And for the breeds that she is she is she's always been super calm. She loves to go to the park things like that but otherwise she prefers a nice couch to lay on with her head on somebody's lap. And she loves to wear coats and costumes and such. She always gets excited when she sees them I guess she knows how good she looks
The second picture is the two girls headed to the park.