Border Collie

[Leela and PJ]

I made the mistake of spending more for a chocolate BC $1200 which I regret paying. However he is beautiful and love him to bits.

[Bordercollies7]

To all of you wonderful people I thank you for your assistance. You have opened my eyes and I will be sure to take everything on board.

[Sootysmum]

To all of you wonderful people I thank you for your assistance. You have opened my eyes and I will be sure to take everything on board.

I paid $770 for my pure bred pedigree black and white BC from a reputable breeder who breeds to maintain the BC breed. Five generation pedigree, scrupulous health testing, she is such an amazing dog temperament wise and to look at. As I said, this particular breeder breeds to maintain a pure and healthy line of BC's, hence why her prices are lower. I have some friends who have paid $1500 for merles and feel a bit "ripped off" but of course are deliriously happy with their pup anyway

[Willem]

I would like to ask some questions here, so I want to comply with the rules and answered the questions from the first post. However, as the first post also states ..."...Please only answer if you breed or own a pedigree example of this breed"...I'm a little bit unsure whether my answers are relevant as I don't intend to breed and because our BC has a smooth coat respectively is a short-haired BC and parents are short-haired working dogs, so no pedigree example of the breed ...

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc)

first time owner of a BC;

2. Where and why was the breed first developed?

answered before;

3. How common is it in Australia?

long hair / rough coat is very common, short haired / smooth coat not common or not recognized as pure BC;

4. What is the average lifespan?

12-14 years;

5. What is the general temperament/personality?

energetic, very strong herding instinct, very intelligent, but slow maturing, life time learner;

6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult?

depends on whether dogs can entertain themselves in a garden or paddock - IMO it is not an ideal dog for townhouses or flats and without having the option of burning energy in a fenced area this breed would need 2-3 longer walks per day;

7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with?

IMO no - needs training and I assume most BCs will develop nasty habits if not trained and entertained;

8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods?

yes if fenced areas with toys or other entertaining objects / other animals available - however, IMO it won't be ideal without supervision;

9. How much grooming is required?

as stated, ours is a short-haired BC - obviously much easier wrt grooming compared to long-haired / rough coated (makes searching for ticks also much easier);

10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)?

IMO yes - too boisterous!

11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of?

pretty healthy breed, if bought from a registered breeder the health risks should be minimal;

12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be)

beside the answers given in other posts I would be interested in vet history, incl. drugs and medications consumed by his dogs over the last years;

...if my answers are not relevant, I'm happy to edit or delete my post.... I will raise my own question(s) I have about this breed in a separate post...

Edited September 28, 2015 by Willem

[Willem]

...our BC (female) is now nearly 10 month old, and while she learns (we take her to the obedience trainings and agility) pretty easily it is very hart (impossible?) to get her focus when other dogs are around... then she just wants to play with the other dog(s). I know BCs mature very slowly (or never?), but I wonder whether this behavior will change (and if when?) while she gets older?

When walking her she behaves nearly perfect...till she sees another dog. I make her drop till the other owner / dog arrives or passes to keep some (limit) control. If the other dog is interested (and if the owner accepts it) I let her have a 'sniff' and let her play, and after a few minutes of playing most of the time she follows my '...let's go...' without too much resistance. During the obedience and agility training she is full of adrenalin and goes nuts (not aggressive, just playful) after 1/2 hour (the first 1/2 hour is pretty o.k. if I let her run with the other dogs before the training)...

...so will she grow out of this?...any tips and advice?

[Pretty Miss Emma]

...our BC (female) is now nearly 10 month old, and while she learns (we take her to the obedience trainings and agility) pretty easily it is very hart (impossible?) to get her focus when other dogs are around... then she just wants to play with the other dog(s). I know BCs mature very slowly (or never?), but I wonder whether this behavior will change (and if when?) while she gets older?

When walking her she behaves nearly perfect...till she sees another dog. I make her drop till the other owner / dog arrives or passes to keep some (limit) control. If the other dog is interested (and if the owner accepts it) I let her have a 'sniff' and let her play, and after a few minutes of playing most of the time she follows my '...let's go...' without too much resistance. During the obedience and agility training she is full of adrenalin and goes nuts (not aggressive, just playful) after 1/2 hour (the first 1/2 hour is pretty o.k. if I let her run with the other dogs before the training)...

...so will she grow out of this?...any tips and advice?

I'd put your questions either in the training sub forum or the Border Collie thread in the breeds sub forum in general - you'll probably get more response there as it's a bit more relevant and looked at!

[Willem]

Thanks ...will do...