+and+Mum.jpg)
Oh, and because someone asked whatever happened to the Lemon look-alike....
SHE HAD BABIES!!
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| Mummy Dog (I guess she is double Lemon, in the 20-25 pound range) Kind of like Allie and Lemon together? |
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| All the little puppies. |
As for my own application, we will be doing a phone interview sometime this weekend. :) I'm excited even though my instructor who would become my herding instructor has given me a bit of pause in that dogs with cattle-herding lineage can be VERY hard on sheep, and at the same time they have a habit of becoming nasty with other dogs as they age. It makes sense, since cows are harder to move. Being from Sask I've also seen some cow dogs, and they are definitely more independent, harder, more forceful dogs and my instructor is right, those that I have known haven't been very good with other dogs.
I figure fate will play it's hand. Some thinking to do, but I think the phone interview and talking to her foster mum will allow me to learn what I need to learn. I would prefer to rescue.
For now, back to trying to reliably housetrain Momo. It's been weeks and not a lot of progress, but I think we're taking the edge off. Granted, I really don't like being out in the rain for an hour waiting for a dog to pee.
She might have beaten us. The first one to not be reliably housebroken here within a short amount of time. At least she's cute, cuddly and entertaining. It makes up for it :)
4 comments:
re: Herding dogs. They have become popular with a lot of people as pets given their intelligence rating.
After Stanely Cohen wrote his first book on "The intelligence of dogs" & ranked border collies highest (with poodles) for training.... I then noticed there seemed to be a lot more of them appearing as pets in city parks in Vancouver of all places. (living in condos?!)
Many high bred border collies seem very intense, single minded and obsessive about the task at hand .. bred to work,herd and go,go.. You already know this ! &Perhaps that's what you want.
Good luck in whatever is decided.
The dogs that wind up with you are among the lucky ones.
Wendy
p.s.
Do you think the lemon look alike (and the little dog with her) are in fact related to Lemon?
Wendy
Since it's the same Northern Area, my guess is that the Lemon look-alike is probably a relative. Maybe not directly, but the resemblance is too close, and also too close in the same general area to be a coincidence. I don't believe the two dogs in the picture are related though.
Border collies are one of the most versatile dog breeds for anyone who wants to do dog sports of any kind. I might not call them the most intelligent of all breeds, but they definitely are the most intelligent breed that is eager to please people. I find huskies extraordinally bright, but always to their own means, never to the requirements of their handlers. But it goes back to the basic 'what were they bred for'. BCs were bred to work with people, huskies to be very independent and strong-minded. Pulling a sled you don't need such a bond with a handler that is controlling dog and sheep from quite a distance leash or tether free.
After getting to know many dog breeds, I've chosen the BC (or a BC mix) as who will 95% sure become my next dog. They'll be a handful I'm sure, but I'm ready for the challenge. Besides, when it's just Beckett and Lemon I'm kind of bored. Beckett is mostly blind so there isn't a ton I can do with him, and Lemon is pretty much at the peak of what she can do obedience wise. She doesn't have the drive or want to do sports which is kind of sad because she would have the technical ability and speed. But there's no point getting her into a sport if she doesn't like it.
So, number 3 has got to be pretty lively! I find the BCs aren't a huge issue with the physical energy (when we got Beckett, he required 3 hours of physical exercise a day, and even a BC young dog wouldn't need that much). The need for them is in the mental challenging. To me, that's a lot more fun than running tons.
As with most dogs, I don't find it's the 'where' of their lives that should be the biggest factor, but of how much you do with them. A BC who lives in a condo but has 1 1/2 hours of physical activity a day, is doing a sport and is getting about 30 mins to an hour of training, or mental challenge would probably do just fine.
Of course, there are still some that should really be on a farm working. You get all kinds of temperments. Like Meghan/Maggie. Mostly BC in there, but she's totally lazy!
It comes down to the individual match :)
Well said Emily.
There are absolutely big variations within breeds and they all have their own personalities.
You have lots of experience with all of that & know your match.
I agree that the most important thing has less to do with whether one lives in a condo or on 10 acres. The most important thing is in how the dog is cared for.
Dogs are first and foremost loving companion animals after all... no matter the breed.
I look after dogs on and off in my home quite a bit.
I also have close to an acre which is fenced. The dogs are free to go outside or be in the house.
Guess what -99% are only interested in lying around the house until it is time for their daily walk.
(However, if they didn't get that daily walk... I assume they would be looking for something to do)
Bekka is mostly a herding breed..
She'd do great in trials etc.etc. if she had someone more agile than myself to handle her.
In the house ... she is quiet ..& lazy& content to be that way.
cheers,
Wendy
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