Janba

You should also join us in this thread http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=207697

PM Piper and ask her. She is a SA herding trialler and judge.

There was a harrier at an agility club I used to belong to who did very well, if a bit independent but she was from a working pack. Smaller than a foxhound but very similar. We also had a foxhound when I was a kid who we taught a lot of tricks to and was a wonderful dog though unfortunately he did like to hunt. The hounds that are bred to work in packs do tend to have good dog skills and get on well with other dogs.

What a low life. If mine ever get out I want someone to catch them and take them to a vets or the pound where they would be safe till I could collect them.

Yeah I have, but they don't really appeal to me, not sure why. I am thinking seriously about a couple of the gundog breeds I don't like the merles, but I don't relly like merles in any bred, but do like the other koolie colours but have met some awesome akoolies regardless of colour.

Any breed csn have high or lower drive dogs in it (says she looking at the worlds lowest drive, smallest brain BC). It is really on picking a pup from a breeder you trust and bloodlines you want. Working dogs and gun dogs are probably your best bet as they should have the desire to work with you bred in - the biddability. I have met only 1 large munsterlander being trained for performance (in the 90s) and she was a low drive dog but probably not typical of the breed. Have you thought about breeds like koolies or do you only want ANKC MR/LR registrered?

I agree with JulesP - you haven't met many good BCs. I do agree the poodles have the brains but BCs are only obsessive if you let them and BCs do want to please you, work with you and will really try for you even if they can be inventive at times. I have met some lovely drivey poodles of all sizes who do well at obedience and agility but you can't beat a good BC.

A Beardies coats are a lot more work than a border collies. They are lovely dogs and I love the ones I know but I couldn't cope with the grooming required. Other than that I have no breed recommendations as I would always have a BC.

Has Oscar had a lot of claims on his policy?

The CEA DNA test is over $200 per dog, the TNS is about $88 and the CL is $55. You can get the TNE and CL done athe Uni of NSW by sending the blood samples. A physical eye exam is well under $100 but I can't remember how much as I haven't had one done for years. If the pups had their under 8 weeks vaccinations and the 2nd vaccination with no side effects TNS is not a such a worry. Also TNS pups tend to be smaller and less thrifty. You can download the forms here http://www.bccnsw.com/dnatesting.html A lot of vets are not really up on TNS and CL. You might also be able to find an eye clinic being run by one of you states breed clubs and then testing is cheaper. Ring you states CC.

Is that at Taralga show in March?. I haven't heard anything.

I agree with the biddable bit but when you have a biddable breed that is slow on the uptake you wonder. My dallies haav a far greater problem solving ability than most of my BCs but a lower trainability. The BC who I think is smart I am basing that not just on what I purposely teach him but on what he does that isn't purposely taught. When I started trialling him B course he had never seen a star post as a start peg or trialled in an open paddock. The first trial we walked the 100 odd metres to the start peg and waited till the sheep were set. The second trial a few weeks later he took off as we atarted down the hill to the start post and sat by it and waited for me, watching where the sheep were being bought out. The taking off was bad but you would expect a sheepdog with a strong instinct to have taken off towards the sheep not in the opposite direction to a star post.

If you are taking the pups I would definitely DNA test for CL ($55) and have an eye test for CEA. CL is a devasting disease as the symptons don't show till about 14 months and then the dog slowly goes mad and are usually euthanised before 3. CEA in BCs is not usually s bad as in othe affected breeds but you could lead youself open to problems if you rehome the dogs and they are affected especially as the risk is more than normal because of the inbreeding. Would an eye test at 5months show the CEA anyway? I don't know about BCs but to pick it up in Aussies it generally is done much earlier. A DNA test for CEA would be better surely? I have an Aussie here who is DNA affected but it wasn't picked up on her puppy eye check. A DNA test would be better but I was thinking of the cost. A physical eye exam should pick up aany problems if it was a bad case that would affect the dogs life surely. ETA If it is a mild case then it wouldn't cause a lot of problems in a pet dog and I am assuming these pups will be desexed before rehoming.

I know a BC puppy who I saw from a new born who was PTS before 6 months because of learning disabilities - it was almost like he had a form of autism, he just wasn't right but the rest of the litter was fine. I do own a BC of very little brain and he does have a low dog IQ and takes time to learn. My other BC learns on a couple of repetitions and that is harder as it is so easy to teach him the wrong thing. I do think that you probably do get a range of intelligence within breeds just like you do people.

If you are taking the pups I would definitely DNA test for CL ($55) and have an eye test for CEA. CL is a devasting disease as the symptons don't show till about 14 months and then the dog slowly goes mad and are usually euthanised before 3. CEA in BCs is not usually s bad as in othe affected breeds but you could lead youself open to problems if you rehome the dogs and they are affected especially as the risk is more than normal because of the inbreeding.

You are looking at potential CL and CEA if the BC wasn't tested. TNS is probably not as big issue as there should have been some symptons by 5 months if the pup has recieved its puppy vaccinations but that isn't a guarantee as some affected dogs don't show symptons till a bit older. Both TNS and CL are fatal. http://www.bccnsw.com/hereditary.html

I hope everything will be alright Dova.

Most entire male dogs know when a bitch is ready to mate and often don't worry too much about in season bitches who aren't ready. I know I can run my entire boy with bitches in season who aren't standing (supervised) and once he has checked them out he and realised he doesn't try anything and he has been used. My desexed male does hump my bitch sometimes in play and always her head. Never tries it on the other male or any other dog. I think with him it is a social thing and definitely not dominance or sexual.

They had cattle at the Vic state titles last year - a first in Aus for ANKC herding I think. I haven't been game to try cattle. Knowing my luck Cole wouldn't duck a kick quickly enough and end up damaged.

In NSW we have very little duck trialling or training. Trialling is only at the trial levels not tests and when we do have training dogs are usually required to be a least PT level. This may change if we are ever allowed to trial and train ducks at EP but unfortunately we aren't allowed to at the moment. You would need to find private training or get your own ducks.

The answer to testable hereditary problems is for those results to be listed on the dogs rego papers as is now going to be done for border collies and there are guidelines as what matings are allowed.

He can cast further than EP open arena and the sheep are always delivered to me even is some what rushed and a bit out of control but we can work them in the square to get everything under control again. I had forgotten about Molong and was thinking about Rockley as his first 3 sheep trial and I have also trained on the grounds there. I will do the fun trial at Sofala if it isn't cancelled. ETA He may not be a good 3 sheep dog, few ISDS dogs are as the trialling they are bred for is very different.

That is what I am finding now. If I shut up and let him work until I need to command then we work a lot better. It is all down to trust in the dog. He was funny on the weekend when Colin worked him for the first time and you could almost see him relax say "thank Dog a handler who knows what they are doing" ETA Until now I haven't been confident to 3 sheep tial him as I haven't felt he was mature enough but the way he is working now I am looking forward to trying it.

Cole is fine particularly in the last few months as he has finally matured mentally and is now giving me some really good work. On the weekend we worked on the dogs working the entrance to the bridge with the exit blocked. Cole covered really well when the sheep were pushed back onto him and never let his sheep pass out of the entrance to the bridge. He is a very strong dog on sheep which also has its problems with light sheep but that is how he is. I am hoping that one day they will run some ISDS style trials in NSW as that is where I free he will come into his own.

I find that sometimes it is not the lead sheep you need to work but the sheep that is looking to go through the obstacle as an escape route. I am still learning. Cole has very good flanks and a straight walk up but for some reason has been resisting the walk back till now.