Border Collies! Where and why? Discussions

If I knew how to put up a poll, I would do

Anyhow, as I don't ...

One of the other discussions got me thinking about what sort of person owns a border collie; where they get their dog/pup from; and why did they choose that particular source (ie breeder, farm, rescue, newspaper ad, internet etc). Also, what do you do with your dogs.

Our collies are all International Sheep Dog Society registered collies, with the exception of one dog, who is unregistered, but who was bred by hubby so he does know all his ancestry. All our dogs are working sheepdogs on our hill farm and the majority were bred by us. However, we do occasionally buy in pups bred by other shepherds, that are ISDS registered and from working parents.

So far, all our dogs are work dogs (as well as mine being pets), but I am getting more interested in having a go at sheepdog trials (which was one of the reasons I got my very first collie pup). We will see ;-) Trying to convince hubby to have a go too, so it can be a family affair, and he is also a FAR better handler than me :-D

My Border Collie (WSD as on his KC activ reg) is 4 yrs old.

From working parents from an Add in the countrywide shop. Why? because I was told by a rescue that I wouldn't even be homechecked without 6 foot fencing so bought a puppy.
Father ISDS reg mother not.

Pick of the litter but not knowing what to look for ended up with a cryptorchid & neutered accordingly!

He does Agility in the main and dabbled in Obedience. I am a working mother of 3 in a normal family town home.

Hope this is the sort of info you want??

Recent Pic of Len


DSC_0166 (2) by hayleyatkins30, on Flickr

He's lovely!

I have five (no, really?!), two border collies, three working sheepdogs. I started off rescuing a four year old collie x (now RIP) and then bought a collie from a turkey farm through a friend's contacts. I got into agility to keep her busy and that was it! I got the second one from a farm as well and ended up with a very tall, long-legged lurcher type who is brilliant at agility ...... when he feels like it! The next one I bought through an agility contact and he has been an absolute star, despite being diagnosed with epilepsy he has reached the dizzy heights of champ, handicapped only by his handler! I have since found a wonderful breeder and have two dogs from her who both have lovely temperaments combined with a real work drive. Unfortunately one had to have surgery on his back at the age of 18 months and, although he loves agility, he only does very low jumps and tunnels. The last one is showing great potential at agility and is the sweetest little bitch.

I am very middle-aged, divorced with two grown up sons and work for the NHS. I wish I had found the world of agility years ago but I am making the most of it while I can!

1st - rescue from a Farm at about 8mths. Did Obedience (she hated it) did Flyball (loved it - but was no good), Agility (loved it).




Jasper - Sport bred -
Did agility/obedience/flyball/HtM - would do anything if asked



Siren - Show bred - I wanted a dog was 100% about temperament (after issues with Tassle) I wanted a Blue and White if possible, and I wanted the health tests. I had met several dogs from this breeder and really liked the looks and temperament of them all.
She has done Obedience, HtM, little bit of agility and some herding.

Loved BCs all my life, but for your years I honestly thought I'd never have one as a pet.

went looking for a rescue dog and came home with an old (probably about 8 years old) border collie lad. Best decision ever (even if it was my OH's idea as I still wasn't sure about them as pets)

I will always only rescue now - I couldn't justify getting a pup when there are so many lovely collies in need of a home.

Of my current two - Hoki loves agility - well she loves anything that means working together really - such a shame her previous owners ruined her healthwise - she's up for anything and has the intelligence to match.

Stumpy - well, she didn't like agility at all (though she loves jumping over/on things when we're out and about). I've done a little bit of sheepdog training with her but not sure how far we'll get - its finding the time to fit it in and I find it really difficult as half the time I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing! (but then that's a challenge too )

Half of me would like to do sheepdog trials (though I'd have a major way to go before being anywhere near ready even for the nurseries!)

But then I've decided that I never want to get into the position of getting a dog for a specific activity...I will always rescue and then we'll work out together what activities we enjoy.

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L-Rfar left my friends rescue Fen (Welsh Hill Farm bred)
Rook blue merle age 10yrs bought from a farmer friend in Co Durham mum ISDS (blue also) father Blk/ Wh not isds. bouht because I know all of the pups this farmer had bred have brilliant tempraments and very keen to work.
Sprig blk/ white 4yrs bitch Irish rescue born in ditch mother and pups rescued when pups were 8wks and I'm sure the lack of socialization is the reason behind some of her quirks.
Corrie 1yr (in this pic) Tri bitch mother ISDS but kept as pet father large blk/ wh dog accidetal mating(GF Dalziels whisp)
why did I buy her? because I thought she was a cracking little pup.
what do i do with my dogs, All have obed training, all track and do nosework Corrie I amtraing at the mo and will get back into Comp. obed, she has done some agility, hopefull i will also get back into W Trials.
We are both retired now (takes 2 of us to look after OH's father) living on the outskirts of a village.I train everday wether it just be a few minutes at home or a training day like yesterday of 6 hrs. I have trained often with Joanne Hill, starting next week with John Higgins, and am attending a course with Suzanne Jaffa(winner of dog ticket at Crufts las year), most of my trials training has been with John Rogerson who i bought my first collie pup from in !978.
why do i have collies..I love the challenges they give me.
hope this is what you want and I havnt rambled on
Jeanette

My boy was a present from a friend - she owned the stud dog and when I went with her to view the litter at 7 weeks, I fell in love with one pup and she took him instead of the fee ....
My parents wouldn't let me have him at home so she kept him for me until I got my own place.

Both his parents are ISDS and KC reg, but he is just registered on the working register as there was some issue with the bitches registration which I now can't remember ... and by the time it was sorted it was clear he was never going to be shown, only worked.

He has in the past competed in obedience, agility and flyball and worked sheep and ran as lead dog in a sled dog team.

He is now retired as he is 11 and can't be bothered any more!

Thank you me too re the agility, dabble into it with my PRT's but never got them ring ready! I'm in Grade 1 with Len say Hi if you're at the same shows!!

Hali, I would really love to rescue but when I initially looked into it I was met with allot of 'must go to a Collie experianced home' and one wouldn't even homecheck if I didn't have 6 ft fencing (still don't)
I've been very lucky with Len, the easiest dog I've owned to be truthful!

Thanks Haylay. Len is gorgeous. What attracted you to the border collie initially. Did you always fancy doing agility and/or obedience? Do you know what dogs are in Len's ISDS side of his pedigree?

Thanks for that Pam. So are your dogs registered? What lines do they go back to?

Lovely dogs Tassle. I especially love the last pic of Siren, she looks fab.

Neither of my collies are registered anywhere (well, Jessie could be but as she's a rescue i'll never know).

Jed was from the free ads paper, bred by a BYB, I have no idea of any family history but his character tells me any working instincts were bred out years ago as he has zilch. Why out of the paper? We knew no better but as he was originally my ex's dog, I left all the choosing to him.

Jessie was a rescue, originally from a farm in Ireland. She has working instincts and typical collie behaviour but it isnt so strong that she chases traffic or bikes or other moving objects like so many other collies with high drives. I would say her drive is medium...Not enough to work sheep but enough to make her want to do something! I dont think taking on a rescue needs any explaining!

She worries very easily and we gave agility a good try but she didnt like it. I think it's too late in the day to try any kind of specific training with her as she's 5 and I would need to start from scratch so she's my 'cover' girl and my main flusher (she's the one who tackles the undergrowth to flush out any game in there, a bit like a spaniel!) so thats her job.

Jed does obedience and agility but will never be brilliant at either because of his severe lack of drive (Steph has seen this herself and made a comment on his meandering ways!) but he does pick things up very quickly so I do like training him. The only time he moves at any speed is when he's on a scent so he's my tracking dog and will track running game in top gear.

If anybody hasnt guessed, my dogs get used like gundogs! I never actually wanted to own any collies, I grew up with them but wanted something different as an adult. My ex chose to have a BC so I started obedience and agility because collies are supposedly intelligent, high energy, highly strung dogs who need lots of stimulation. Nobody told my lot that though!

The kind of owner I am is a 30-something, active, childless singleton.

They are all lovely Jeanette, and I especially like Fen. Do you know his breeding?

Great that you keep all your collies (and yourself ;-) ) so busy. Could you imagine having a different breed?

When I was not much more than a baby, my parents took in a rescue BC boy. Glen was with us for 19 years, and he was my constant companion.

So, when I was able to have my own dog, I had no trouble choosing a breed! Thorgeir, my current boy, is, like Kali and Snorri before him, the product of farmyard shenanigans, and is registered only with the vet!

His job is to be my friend and companion, and he does it very well. Because of my disability, I can't get out with him as I want, to find out what he can do :-(

Snorri

Why did you never think you would have one as a pet Hali? Have they lived up to your expectations in all ways?

We dont know anything about fens history kirsty other than he was bought by a family when they where on holiday in wales so what person sells apup to cassyal callers and what sort of people by a pup on a whim, needless to say they couldnt cope and left him to entertain himself in the garden all day , needless to say he ended up in rescue at 8mths.
Could i own other breeds I do love GSDs have had 4, and we always have a small breed I now have a Papillion pup believe me she is like a collie in miniature with a fantastic work drive, yes I am going to work her As fo other breeds I dont know, i'm not a gundog person or a terrier person. I really dont know.................. but I think i will be sticking to my collies would perhaps like another shepherd.. we will just have to see

And where are the pics? You know how much I adore Rocks!

I started with a rescue gsd x bc who I got as a 17 year old as a pet/agility dog. Unfortunately she didn't enjoy it s I retired her after 2 years. At 21 I got another rescue,thus time a retriever x bc, he kinda did agility because I asked him. Then at 30 I got an agility bred wsd from a friend as I really wanted a dog I stood a good chance of working, she's now nearly 11 and still competing at grade 6. My latest dog is isds registered, bred by angus jardine. His dad is astra ghost owned by Laura cunningham at corriedhu. I wanted a dog with something a little bit special and boy did I get him. I'd become very disillusioned with the breeding in agility lines and the competition between handlers with dogs from the same litter so decided to look elsewhere. As I hoped for a dog to take me higher in the grades a strong working line seemed to be the way to go. I'd been following the corriedhu site for a while and liked what I saw, when I saw kyps picture on the puppy page I knew he was for me. He has been a star and is about to start competing at grade 7.
As for me, I'm 40, a self employed beauty therapist and I work from home.

I don't know how you ended up with collies and not gundogs! ;-) However, the collies are obviously doing a good job They are a very versatile breed ;-)

Thanks Snorri. Thorgeir is lovely - any new photos of him? I am glad he is there to be your friend and companion. Does he show any interest in work at all?