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

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Wilson is amazingly rotten and I love him dearly but definitely never want another........Oh Willy..

So I will put you down for "one rotten dog".

You want more goats, I think that's crazy. They never stop whining and trashing stuff around here.

 

[pennyJo1960]

It is a true pleasure to see dogs work as they where meant to nothing quite as beautiful

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The second one, one of my daughters got. She got called Moona. She was half the size of Gimli and a lot brighter. I've watched Moona walk along a privet hedge 6 foot off the ground and not once sink in to it.
There is a walk along the Cornish coastline (Cornwall UK) We did about 20 miles one day on the map. What the map doesn't take into account is the ups and downs. Moona and Gimli would run on ahead, then run back to the end of the human line, then run on ahead again. They must have covered three times the distance of the humans and every time Moona came back to herd the humans, she would make sure she went between the humans and the cliff edge.

You sound like you enjoyed them. After they matured they were better dogs, busy but better dogs?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It is a true pleasure to see dogs work as they where meant to nothing quite as beautiful

I'm still trying to figure out what my boxer's job is. She terrified of visitors, especially the UPS man. If Rosie is running, someone is coming.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Going to the akc read the standard on Boxer there you may find a answer but what has she been trained to do ?

 

[ShrekDawg]

I loved that.

Me too!! Seems quite a perfect description of a Border Collie LOL

Always “on” and ready to work and if you don’t want to, they’ll make their own work!

There's a wonderful example of a human with less intelligence than the dog.
I've had two border collies (Welsh)

true!!

and they sound lovely!!

I do enjoy smart and sometimes challenging dogs. I love watching a smart dog reason stuff out. I love it when they find a loophole in the rules.

My current pack is pretty easy. Most are mature and past shenanigans. My Shorty pup was too easy to raise. She's a smart pup, and a snuggly dream dog. I guess I'm a bit bored with well behaved dogs, and am ready to be tested, and entertained.

Seems you are definitely ready for one!!

I’m kind of the opposite... had too many stubborn dogs and ready for a nice, obedient, easy to train one lol

Maybe BC isn’t the best bet.

But they seem like excellent dogs.

Definitely seem like a challenge though. Libby and Gator are/were definitely thinkers. Always calculating and trying to figure out WHY they should do something and usually always had to have something in it for them LOL

But they’re also Pyrenees mixes (alone with a few other things, Gator was Lab/Pyr, Libby is Lab, Pyr, Boxer, and we think BC) so the stubbornness likely comes from the Pyr.

Hopefully BCs have the smarts but more willing to listen?

Oh and Libby always finds loopholes in the rules LOL

My favorite is when you tell her “in the bed” and then eventually she gets bored or hot or whatever and will army crawl almost all the way off the bed until just one paw or two paws are touching it, back legs barely on it, then she’ll look at you like “what? Technically I’m still on it”

I remember one time DB & SIL watched her do this and then told her to get back on and she backed all the way back up and onto the bed but she didn’t get up to do so, she just crawled backwards all the way

Gator I used to sometimes negotiate with him just like you would a toddler.

I love dogs you can negotiate/argue/have a conversation with LOL

I swear he understood every word you say. Libby too. Franklin not so much but he’s a good boy and tries hard LOL

I enjoy dogs that can outsmart people.

Is there a difference? What does Welsh mean?

Me too lol so fun.

And I was wondering too.

....Bahahaha
Definitely I love Wilson and seriously if all dogs were like him I'd never own another dog..

My first border collie (Gimli) arrived as a pup. The kids hated him to start with. He had pointy pup teeth and would lie by the sofa where the kids sat nipping their ankles.
Two hours a day minimum walking and training and he was bearable but still got bored.
Most seem to have one thing you just can't train out of them. The Welsh border collies are tire chasers.
With Gimli it was golf balls. I used to walk him accross a golf course for a while to get into the countryside. He would hear the whack as the golfer struck the ball and then track it in flight. Of course Gimli thought they would like the ball back.
Some people take golf very seriously I discovered.

He sounds amazing and hilarious.

It means they come from Wales in the UK. I believe that is where they originate from. Most are sheep dog stock.

I know they were developed along the border of Wales and England I believe hence the name of them.

To get one directly bred in that area would be incredible. Generally dogs bred in the country of origin tend to stay truer to the original type.

Did you work yours?

Is this the type of dog you mean @Shadrach ??

Nice. I'm sure there was some unhappy golfers.

You must be a fan of Tolkien. I like the name Gimli.

I would just laugh my ass off if that happened to me. Some people are too stuck up lol

I think your heart is set on a Border Collie no matter what anyone says..
Good or bad reviews...

x2!!

I’m still on the fence though lol

No, they worked me.
I didn't work them properly. I lived in Bristol (UK) at the time. I did train Gimli as one would a sheep dog but they are not town dogs, or inside dogs come to that. I know people keep them as pets but imo it's cruel. They are working dogs.

Just out of curiosity, do you think they should all be actual working farm dogs with sheep and stuff or is giving them an alternate job/outlet like agility, nose work, obedience, trick training, etc. or even as a service dog good too? Or even herding something like chickens or goats.

Cause I know some people just keep them locked in a crate all day or only go for a walks around the block daily or in a city apartment and I do think that’s cruel but wondering if all jobs besides sheep or cattle herding are cruel... wouldn’t want one being miserable.

We don’t have a ton of land but also not in a city either. We have almost 3 acres and are set back in the woods. So plenty of room for exercise but we also have tons of areas to hike and swim and stuff off leash too.

And I love training/keeping dogs busy and entertained lol

Oddly, it’s fun to me

It does seem that way. It just feels right at this point in my life. I have never had a bad dog. Some drive me more nutty than others, but those also are the most interactive.

Now that I have 2 new knees, and everything else is settling down in my life it's time for some chaos, and strolls through the fields to exercise an active dog. My husband is excited about getting another one two, so that's always a bonus.

Sounds like you are definitely ready for one then!! I think you should do it.

New hobby.....maybe....

I love that video.

Okay following dogs and me go back 40 years currently have 2 have to get the
one of Mareema updated she is almost 3, Mosse is the Lab he is 7 now heart of gold for us never socialized as pup they have 1/2 acre to run chickens and him he would bring each one soft mouth but really freaks the birds out

I love them.

I found the books hard to follow when I was younger. Now after watching the movies repeatedly it all makes sense to me. I love them now.

They do need a job. Good thing I got some goats, and poultry to herd.

I wonder if agility and nose work and trick training will be enough of a job for one... plus lots of hiking/swimming/off leash running.

 

[chickens really]

So I will put you down for "one rotten dog".

You want more goats, I think that's crazy. They never stop whining and trashing stuff around here.

Well I'm not talking about Goats. I'm talking about Border Collie dogs. I'd take my kids over another Border Collie..

 

[ShrekDawg]

Oh I'm not trying to talk you out of it Lisa at all. Just reminding you of the breed and lots of better matches out there..
I definitely won't get another. I like dogs with off switches..

I’ve been reading and apparently it is possible to teach them to have an off switch and some naturally have one so maybe it depends on the dog haha

Of course they’re not happy about it but from what I’ve read, most are workaholics outside but will settle in the house.

 

[Shadrach]

You sound like you enjoyed them. After they matured they were better dogs, busy but better dogs?

Unfortunately not. I left Bristol and the dogs stayed behind. It wasn't possible to take them with me. Technically they belonged to the family as it was. Gimli's behaviour went down hill once I had gone. My daughters, like many teenagers, were not really interested in going walking for a couple of hours each day. Gimli became destructive in the house and chewed his way through everything he could get his teeth around. Moona got fat and lazy.
I did enjoy them for six years but they are one person dogs.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Going to the akc read the standard on Boxer there you may find a answer but what has she been trained to do ?

They are a protection breed. No one told Rosie that. She likes to hunt small animals if allowed, but she isn't. She has a killer instinct for critters.