Thank you for posting......made my day!
Our new border collie
- Thread starter Faulkner
- Start date
Thank you for posting......made my day!
oddshooter
Member
I worked with thousands of dogs as I traveled to animal shelters across the country. Border collies just stuck me as my kind of dog.
We adopted Token, who turned out to be quite famous in shelter circles, and she was a major figure in our lives. Smart was not a good enough word to describe her. She was a natural herder with zero training; and she could run all day. Our son grew up with her and she took great pains to protect him.
She was not a Pet; she was a Companion.
I had a sign above my desk for years that said,
"I wish I was half the man my dog thinks I am."
Prescut
The pain was far too great to even contemplate another dog. It took 15 years to get over her death before we could get another.
We adopted Token, who turned out to be quite famous in shelter circles, and she was a major figure in our lives. Smart was not a good enough word to describe her. She was a natural herder with zero training; and she could run all day. Our son grew up with her and she took great pains to protect him.
She was not a Pet; she was a Companion.
I had a sign above my desk for years that said,
"I wish I was half the man my dog thinks I am."
Prescut
The pain was far too great to even contemplate another dog. It took 15 years to get over her death before we could get another.
Ranger514
Member
That's a beautiful pup, Faulkner. Congratulations! My wife and I have four dogs. We've never had a Border Collie, but I worked with them on Search and Rescue missions, and we trained a very special Parson Jack Russell Terrier to become an air scent search dog back in the late 90s. His name was Mac, and it broke our hearts when he passed. We had a companion JRT for him named Annie who passed as well. Both were great dogs.
A few months ago, Mrs. Ranger said our farrier had a litter of JRTs, but I wasn't real keen about having another because of my memories of being so emotionally tied to our earlier Jacks. Sure enough, a couple of months later, the wife comes walking up our porch steps with a little tri-colored JRT in her arms. He has a face mask very similar to Daisy's, with rust colored eyebrow markings. Cute as all get out. Wife named him Cody. His antics with our other dogs and energy level make me laugh every day. He even gets some of our cats to play with him. Loves everybody, though it's just me and his mom right now. Enjoy your new girl in the family.
A few months ago, Mrs. Ranger said our farrier had a litter of JRTs, but I wasn't real keen about having another because of my memories of being so emotionally tied to our earlier Jacks. Sure enough, a couple of months later, the wife comes walking up our porch steps with a little tri-colored JRT in her arms. He has a face mask very similar to Daisy's, with rust colored eyebrow markings. Cute as all get out. Wife named him Cody. His antics with our other dogs and energy level make me laugh every day. He even gets some of our cats to play with him. Loves everybody, though it's just me and his mom right now. Enjoy your new girl in the family.
Anybody that can't love that face needs some intensive counseling. They need it badly and they need it soon.
OP
Faulkner
Member
The trip actually wasn't bad at all. My uncle is recently retired and during our phone conversation he told me he and my aunt have been isolated at home for three weeks trying to stay unexposed to COVID-19. They're Mississippi country folks, and like most country folks, they don't have to run to town to the store every two or three days to shop. I have been tested recently for COVID-19 and it came up negative and was just coming off of a 14 day self quarantine. My only concern was having to travel through Memphis, which I understand is a COVID-19 hotbed.
I drove my wife's car which gets good fuel mileage so as I passed through Little Rock on I-40 I topped off my fuel tank so I could hopefully go all the way to the Tennessee line and cross the Mississippi River at Memphis and then cut southeast into Mississippi without having to stop going or coming back for fuel.
I left around daylight and made it to my uncle's farm just before 11:00 am. My aunt pointed out the puppy we'd picked out from the pictures, but told me I could have the pick of the litter . . . or two. Every single one of the were pretty dad-gum cute, but I stuck with the one my wife picked out. Because of the 4+ hour drive back I stayed and visited for less than an hour and by noon I was back on the road again.
Because they knew the puppy would be traveling back with me they'd not feed her that morning and she'd had just a little water. While I was visiting with my aunt and uncle we'd let her run around with her siblings. I had a carrier strapped in on the front passenger seat and well lined with a pad and several towels, so when I got ready to leave I placed her in the carrier and she was ready for a nap.
After about an hour and a half on the road I'd traveled back through Memphis, re-crossed the Mississippi River and was back on Arkansas dirt. The state run welcome center in West Memphis, Arkansas, was closed, but I was able to stop and let the puppy out for a bathroom break, some water, and a handful of puppy chow. Fifteen minutes later we're back on the road.
Due in part to having kinfolks, including my now deceased grandparents, living in north Mississippi and west Tennessee, I've traveled Interstate 40 between Little Rock and Memphis a zillion times. That section of Interstate highway is a main artery for commerce and cars for those going too and from Dallas or OKC to Memphis, Nashville, and St. Louis. It is always busy 24 hours a day, often times seemingly bumper to bumper at 70 MPH. Although Arkansas is not locked down due to COVID-19 at this time, I have to admit the traffic on Interstate 40 was at least 75% less than normal. It was satisfying to see so many folks are actually abiding by stay at home recommendations.
I stopped again 35 minutes later at the next rest area on top of Crowley's Ridge just outside of Forrest City to let her have a another quick potty break and run around a bit. Again, after 15 minutes we were back on the road and shortly thereafter she was down for another nap. I made one quick stop in Little Rock for fuel and was home in just over four hours from leaving my aunt and uncle's farm. It was a pretty painless trip and she traveled very well, but she was certainly hungry when got home.
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Justin T
Member
Those are nice dogs you have there. I have an English Shepherd, collie cousin, who is very loyal and smart for her own good. When my kids were younger she tried to herd em up in the little cul de sac we lived in. Fun stuff.
But today... we've added to our pack. A rescue who, I swear, is the canine version of Eeyore, and a brand new baby Bull Mastiff. They are all a hoot and a holler.
But today... we've added to our pack. A rescue who, I swear, is the canine version of Eeyore, and a brand new baby Bull Mastiff. They are all a hoot and a holler.
DeathGrip
US Veteran
My wife got me into herding breeds and I've never looked back.
Briard, More of a drover but one cool dog. Amazing tracker with out training.
Giant Schnauzer, Originally a drover but used mostly for police work. He was special. I've never seen a better Giant. You could trust him with your life or you could trust him with a baby he just met. Never started fight but always tried to get between trouble at the dog park.
Those two are gone. I'll bet there best friends in heaven.
Portuguese Sheepdog, We got her as a companion for the Giant and she's been on of the best dogs ever. Very comparable to a Border Collie but not as driven. I imagine she'd be a great sheep dog. She knows all of the moves. I wanted to train her for action sports but my wife wanted to train her for therapy, Neither happened. She'll be 15 in a couple of weeks. Slowing down.
Australian Cattle Dog, He's got as much energy as any Border but is truly a one man dog. If he wasn't raised with the Portuguese Sheepdog he'd have no friends. Some of you might recall I was worried about the neighbors kids teasing him and possibly getting his teeth on the little ones if they reached through the chain link fence. I moved a couple of years ago and he likes the new neighbors kid. He' about 4. His parents keep an eye on him. The old neighbor lost all four of her kids, her husband and is now incarcerated.
Edit. Faulkner, Congratulations on Daisy. That second picture is 100% quintessential Boarder Collie. Keep us posted on her. milestones.
Briard, More of a drover but one cool dog. Amazing tracker with out training.
Giant Schnauzer, Originally a drover but used mostly for police work. He was special. I've never seen a better Giant. You could trust him with your life or you could trust him with a baby he just met. Never started fight but always tried to get between trouble at the dog park.
Those two are gone. I'll bet there best friends in heaven.
Portuguese Sheepdog, We got her as a companion for the Giant and she's been on of the best dogs ever. Very comparable to a Border Collie but not as driven. I imagine she'd be a great sheep dog. She knows all of the moves. I wanted to train her for action sports but my wife wanted to train her for therapy, Neither happened. She'll be 15 in a couple of weeks. Slowing down.
Australian Cattle Dog, He's got as much energy as any Border but is truly a one man dog. If he wasn't raised with the Portuguese Sheepdog he'd have no friends. Some of you might recall I was worried about the neighbors kids teasing him and possibly getting his teeth on the little ones if they reached through the chain link fence. I moved a couple of years ago and he likes the new neighbors kid. He' about 4. His parents keep an eye on him. The old neighbor lost all four of her kids, her husband and is now incarcerated.
Edit. Faulkner, Congratulations on Daisy. That second picture is 100% quintessential Boarder Collie. Keep us posted on her. milestones.
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OP
Faulkner
Member
That is one content looking pup. She knows she's home!
Justin T
Member
Ivan the Butcher
Member
My best friend had a half Boarder Collie/ half German Shepard, that was a great dog! The last pup from the last litter, just wouldn't have anything to do with the people who looked at him. Then one day he was about 6 months old a family came by, he nothing to do with the wife or kids, but the dad was wheel chair bound. He looked at my friends mom, walked to the back door like he wanted out. they put a leash on him, he sat, so they dropped the leash. He picked it up in his mouth and walked to the dad, and laid the leash in his lap. He was saying, "It's time to go home!" He had been waiting for his new human to show up, and now he had to make up for lost time!
Some dogs are so much smarter than the average human!
Ivan
Some dogs are so much smarter than the average human!
Ivan
Ranger17
Member
Not a Border Collie but an Aussie, we rescued Ms Bailey 10 yrs ago; she's about 11.5 yrs old now. Her craziness and endless zoomies have mellowed out with age but she has always been one sweet dog. Incredibly smart, well when she wants to be lol.
Much like the other rescues we have had over our 3+ decades of marriage, when the day comes that Bailey is no longer with us she will be hard to replace.
Dogs are just awesome, especially in hard times like the world is seeing now
Much like the other rescues we have had over our 3+ decades of marriage, when the day comes that Bailey is no longer with us she will be hard to replace.
Dogs are just awesome, especially in hard times like the world is seeing now
Attachments
We, too miss our dogs that pass terribly.
Don't want to go through the pain of losing another one.
Then we realize the companionship we're losing out on and pretty soon go looking at rescues to fill that empty place that their passing created.
In about every case there is a little or a lot of our previous dogs personalities in the new arrival.
Maybe they do come back?
Don't want to go through the pain of losing another one.
Then we realize the companionship we're losing out on and pretty soon go looking at rescues to fill that empty place that their passing created.
In about every case there is a little or a lot of our previous dogs personalities in the new arrival.
Maybe they do come back?
I have had 6 collies ,They are all different in some ways ,yet all the same in some ways. Very affectionate , protective of family and all have been puppies up to the day they passed some ways .
Ranger17
Member
This is 100% spot on!
When Joe the Superdog died in May, 2018 we waited a few months - the pain of losing him was severe.
We just couldn't bring ourselves to look at other dogs. Then my daughter in Las Cruces sent us this picture of a waif puppy they had taken in.
We immediately decided that this was going to be our next dog. We didn't know her birthdate because she was a stray, so we just gave her a birthday - May 2 - the day Joe passed.
We picked her up in Benson, AZ, the halfway point between Las Cruces and Phoenix. She was a good traveler, and it was true love. She has become the most loyal and loving dog we could ever hope for. Smart, too! Joe had left her numerous toys, and she immediately figured them all out, and plays with them proudly. My wife named her "Corey," short for corazon, the Spanish word for "heart." Because she was such a cute little booger, we soon also nicknamed her "Booger."
She was a real trooper, and put up with being spayed very well.
Today, she's the light of our lives, and we thanked God for her loving support when our oldest daughter died in a private plane crash, and now, when we have to put up with the coronavirus mess. She entertains us and keeps our spirits up with her antics.
Don't ever miss the opportunity to find another deserving dog, even though you deeply mourn your last one. It will be worth it.
John
We have been in the Houston area for 46 years and have had a dog or three in the house for all but 2 weeks of that time.
Doug M.
Member
I don't know how anyone goes so long without a successor (there are no replacements). It takes about a month until I gotta look hard for the new pal. Each of our dogs has had a home because their predecessor left.
DeathGrip
US Veteran
Great pictures even if you consider yourselves as amateurs.
Given it helps to have a great subject.
Looking good!!!
Given it helps to have a great subject.
Looking good!!!
