Winning Over A Critic... - Page 2

I always call border collies the obsessive compulsives of the dog world.   I agree that in general border collies are whacked out!

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Red Sable...My husband isn't really into working dogs, but his last dog was a little border collie, lab mix named Brittany.  Although she was dumped at his business, he fell in love with her.  He never did work her, but I'd bet she was in a good a condition as any agility dog, because she had incredible ball drive, would fetch the ball as many times as you would throw, and even if you ignored her, would pick up the ball and throw it at your feet until you picked it up and threw.  Wore us out:-)  He had her for about four years when we met, me and my GSD, him and his highly jealous girl.  She who would bite him for hugging me, and attacked my Shepherd out of petty jealousy (ripped his throat open).  He wasn't the sort to fight back, thank God, but still, made for some tough times since we had to watch her pretty close.  Thank God for the dirty tennis balls; over the years they wore her canines down flat with her gums.  The sharp edges still cut, but they didn't penetrate much:-)  Anyway, there wasn't a great deal of difference between her temperament and Prince's, except that he was younger and had less self control.  Both dogs were good with people, although Prince jumped and the old lady didn't.

As far as why my husband likes the borders better...I think it has a lot to do with the fact that he grew up with them, as did his mother, who lives next door to us with her border/Aussie mix.  She lived on a dairy growing up, and the dogs were integral parts of their operation, getting the cows to the barn, etc.  Of course they're intense.  There's a reason that Borders aren't good housepets for people who live in town and don't do anything with them. They have tons of energy, and need to send it somewhere, which includes herding cats, people, or whatever.  My husband (and mother in law) both feel that the border collie is more mellow tempered, more calm and trustworthy with kids, and just in general a better dog.

We had a border pup that my husband rescued for a short while two Decembers past, and she was nothing if not aggressive.  She was very aggressive around food, quite aggressive with the children (my oldest daughter was only three at the time), and thought nothing of biting on her while she knocked her to the ground.  I had started her on long walks, and obedience, hoping that would straighten her out, but we only had the dog a little over a week, because one evening, one of our neighbors (a bit nuts himself, unfortunately), stole the dog.  We knew he did it, but couldn't prove it, and so have been without a dog for a while.  This dog, Pepper, was highly driven, and would have likely excelled at agility, obedience, or even  flyball.  She was very bright, but not my cup of tea...

susanandthek9s,  there is a herding trainer here close, but he breeds, raises, and trains Border Collies.  Here in Northern Idaho, it seems that if you're into herding, you either use Border Collies, or their smaller, much meaner cousins Blue or Red Heelers.  Of course, Heelers are more for cattle than sheep, but I've seen a lot of people use them.  Around here, there aren't many GSD breeders, and the closest obedience club that I know if is the North Idaho School of Dog Obedience, which is located 45 miles away.  They do some agility, flyball, and obedience.  Also, loved your suggestion about a longcoat and convincing him that she's a border collie mix, but I think he'd know better, especially if I had to pay much for her.

Rezkat5:  No, he didn't have a bad experience with them when he was younger.  He just knows a few people that have GSD's, and has been told by them that the dogs they have aren't that good.  One friend in particular, has three GSDs, that are supposedly trained SAR dogs.  I wonder, since I've never se

Sorry on that last one...Hit the wrong button.  Anyway, as I was saying, these GSDs aren't worked, that I know, and the owner says that they have quite a few health problems between the three of them.  Their color is quite light, for black and tan, and they are rather lightly built, for GSDs.  They don't look like good specimens of the breed, although I have no idea what their breeding might be.  They're came from somewhere in Montana.

I do know a dog trainer, who is also an Idaho State Patrol officer, and he has a 10 year old imported male that he says is the best dog he's ever had.  That speaks volumes to me.

Unfortunately, as AnjaBlue stated earlier, if there's any doubt, I'd sure hate to have him say that he knew something would happen, and unfortunately, I agree with Cesar Millan in that the energy a dog is approached with can affect its behavior.  If a person doesn't trust a dog, or is afraid of it, the dog can react accordingly.  My husband isn't afraid of the breed, but he definitely doesn't trust it...

Sadly, he's never been around a real German Shepherd.

One other thing he mentioned was how he thought that the stacked show pose makes GSD's look stupid.  I tried to explain that they don't always stand that way (THEY"RE POSED FOR THE PIC, I TOLD HIM) and that the reason they are posed that way is to display their conformation for judges at shows, or for buyers, but he didn't seem to get it.  He's the sort that's not interested in really doing anything with the dog, as far as showing or working trials, just more hanging out with the dog, going hiking, camping, etc.  I appreciate the show stack because I understand the reason behind it, and I wouldn't mind having a high-caliber dog.  I wouldn't even mind doing something beyond obedience.  I've always been drawn to Schutzhund, and would like to explore that.  And I don't think a Border can go that road with me.

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