The Doglet

Border Collies as Companions

nicolecarterpro — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:48:40 +0000

Many breeders prefer that their puppies go to working homes. That is, homes that will give the dog the opportunity to herd livestock, etc. Many breeders also consider performance homes to be acceptable – homes that will provide agility/flyball training and competition. But many breeders don’t seem to have much appreciation for their puppies going to a home that will treat their dog as a lifelong companion/pet. This article addresses some of those sentiments and provides some rationale for the importance of encouraging border collies as pets/companions. In our case, if we wanted a lap dog, we wouldn’t be getting a border collie. Chris has had 16 years of experience with a border collie and knows exactly what to expect. I have very little experience with any dog, but know that a border collie will be a great challenge with the likelihood of being greatly rewarding. I have been educating myself through Chris’ experiences with Eeks, through resources available online and print resources available through family, friends and the library, not to mention the advice/antecdotes I’ve been receiving from experienced dog owners along the way. I am very excited about getting our border collie puppy and am ensuring that we are all trained appropriately so that we can have a long, healthy, happy, active life together!

For more on the topic of Border Collies as Companions, see this article written by Kay Pine in the 1993-1994 issue of the USBCC newsletter.

http://www.bordercollie.org/getalong.html

“Before You Get Your Puppy” – free book to download

nicolecarterpro — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:21:05 +0000

Apparently this is a must-read book for anyone considering buying a puppy. I have started reading it and although it is not specific to border collie puppies, it is quite helpful.

From http://www.carolark.com/classes-puppy.html, the website of Carolark’s “The Centre for Applied Canine Behaviour”:

“Our classes are based on Dr. Ian Dunbar’s puppy class protocols ( Dr. Dunbar’s must-read, very informative book “Before You Get Your Puppy” is available for free download at the following address - http://www.siriuspup.com/beforebook.html

Here is the link to download the full book. It’s a very large documment, however… over 100 pages, nearly 30MB.

http://www.siriuspup.com/pdfs/BEFOREphotos.pdf

Border Collie saying “Hello”

nicolecarterpro — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:58:45 +0000

This video is so funny – two owners are teaching their border collie how to say Hello. It’s cute to watch the dog trying so hard to do her best – tail wagging all the while!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRJO1RJTloU

Reserved – sale pending

nicolecarterpro — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:32:12 +0000

The page with the picture of Leah has been updated to say “Reserved – sale pending”.

That would be for us!

http://www.eweniquefarm.com/puppies.htm

The Ottawa Valley Border Collie Club

nicolecarterpro — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:04:48 +0000

Is a Border Collie Right For You?

http://www.ovbcc.com/

(See the link towards the bottom of the left navigation bar.)

Advises that owners should be slightly neurotic and not have a life. That sounds about right.

Also, “To find a trainer in your area go to www.cappdt.ca (The Canadian Association of Professional pet Dog Trainers) and www.apdt.com (Association of Pet Dog Trainers).” Very important advice!

Lots of cute/funny dog pictures in trees, on playground equipment and more!

Ewenique Leah

nicolecarterpro — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:47:00 +0000

Though she isn’t ours yet, there is a photo of the little girl doglet we went to see on Sunday on the website of Ewenique Farms.

http://www.eweniquefarm.com/puppies.htm

“They can also open doors…”

nicolecarterpro — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:44:15 +0000

A backyard fence isn’t enough to keep a border collie in. This breed can easily clear 6-foot fences, and if she can’t clear the fence, she will try to dig under it. They can also open doors.

Hmm… what am I getting into??

More information on “how to care for a border collie” can be found here.

http://www.ehow.com/how_9988_care-border-collie.html

If you come home,and your puppy destroyed something…

nicolecarterpro — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:38:00 +0000

If you come home,and your puppy destroyed something…

You have to love a sentence that begins that way. haha! This site suggests all sorts of tips for owners with a border collie puppy and I think they’re very helpful.

http://www.bordercolliekennel.nl/training_a_border_collie.htm

About Border Collies – Wikipedia

nicolecarterpro — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:00:05 +0000

So far, I’ve been doing quite a bit of research about border collies. I know all the evils of Wikipedia but am still posting it as the first online source of information.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Collie

It’s easy to read, gives a quick overview of the breed… whether or not it is true is another matter so just look at it as having entertainment value at the very least.

Searching for our Puppy

nicolecarterpro — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:46:12 +0000

Chris had a border collie, Eeks, for 16 years until she had to be put down last December. Now, he and I are ready to get a puppy and of course – it’s going to be a border collie! The challenge is to find the border collie that will fit best with us.

We happened upon a breeder living not too far away who had just announced a litter had been born. We emailed immediately!

On Sunday, Chris and I drove out to Ewenique Farms to visit “Ewenique Leah” for the first time. We got to meet the wiggly “Breez” (Leah’s mother), and the whole Ewenique Border Collie gang! What a pack of wild animals! Thanks to Nat, the woman who leads them all, for having us visit.

Leah was very cute but it is still a bit too early to tell if she will be the one for us. There will be some testing done in the next few days, and as her personality develops, we’ll see if she will be a good fit. My fingers are crossed that all works out well!