# Our new Border Collie Pup



## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

So we went to the feed store to get a few supplies for the goats since kidding should start later this week! And then there were 2 cute border collie/McNab puppies. I was playing fun mom (thinking my husband would play bad cop and say no) so the kids wanted one and I said I would love that but you have to convince your father, well 30 seconds later they did! He is so cute and smart! In three days he has come and sit almost mastered and we are 75% potty trained! Just wanted to share our fun new addition! Any suggestions on training these smart dogs, we have never had a dog catch on and learn this quickly! I know he needs a job for now that is obedience but any ideas how to keep him busy and being good?!?!?!


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

AWWW, how sweet is he? 

 We had a situation KIND of like that. My dad's dog was killed in December and my daughter found a puppy where she is at (in KS), she was coming here to CO and she was like "I think Grandpa needs a new dog". I told her she had to ask her dad because I knew if Grandpa wanted nothing to do with her it world of course be us. Dad said sure. :shocked:

 Ours is part Border collie also. Yes they are so smart, it is crazy. 

 By the way, she is ours; my dad wanted nothing to do with her. That's okay she is so sweet and loved like crazy.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Well , being owned by six Border Collies myself , I can tell you that they need a ton of exercise and mental stimulation. Most people thing that throwing the ball in the yard a few times is plenty of exercise but that is soooo wrong , not for these dogs. They need a "job" to do everyday. This may mean going with you to do barn chores or out to hang clothes or rake the garden.....they have a desire to be needed and to work. They are hard working dogs that can get quite destructive if not given enough work to do. They can start to dig tremendous new landscapes and uproot everything that you planted and maybe some things you didn't know were planted ( ewwww ) on your property.
You dont want these dogs to entertain themselves because I can guarantee you wont like the activity they choose. 
If possible , the kids may like to learn to do agility with your pup once his growth plates have closed and he learns basic obedience.
Its alot of fun and builds a great bond with both you and your dog.
And of course herding , lol Your dog will most likely have tremendous herding drive. This is something that is innate in these dogs and you cannot change or "train out" of them. Please understand the breed you have and dont hold it against them if they try to keep all your children tightly bundled somewhere. This is what they do. You need to teach boundaries but right now love your pup for what he is , a way too smart child of ten years old. These breeds also nip to get you where they want you or your cats or any other livestock you have .
Please research the breed , learn what they are all about first.
You have one of the smartest dogs in the world and the hardest working dog as well. Be careful what you teach them , you may regret it , lol
There are lots of agility places to learn the sport and just maybe to learn some teaching tactics to apply. One off the top of my head is Contact Point Border Collies . Im positive there are more because California is one of the biggest places to host agility.
Have fun with him , your going to either have a blast or pull your hair out or somewhere in between , lolol
Dont tell your hubby yet either , lolol
Sorry for the long post , they are my passion


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Oh , duhhh , BTW , your puppy is spectacular ! Gorgeous , gorgeous !


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Very cute!


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

Trickyroo said:


> Well , being owned by six Border Collies myself , I can tell you that they need a ton of exercise and mental stimulation. Most people thing that throwing the ball in the yard a few times is plenty of exercise but that is soooo wrong , not for these dogs. They need a "job" to do everyday. This may mean going with you to do barn chores or out to hang clothes or rake the garden.....they have a desire to be needed and to work. They are hard working dogs that can get quite destructive if not given enough work to do. They can start to dig tremendous new landscapes and uproot everything that you planted and maybe some things you didn't know were planted ( ewwww ) on your property.
> You dont want these dogs to entertain themselves because I can guarantee you wont like the activity they choose.
> If possible , the kids may like to learn to do agility with your pup once his growth plates have closed and he learns basic obedience.
> Its alot of fun and builds a great bond with both you and your dog.
> ...


Thank you for so much info! I have been researching the breed and I am borrowing 2 working dog books! He is amazing! We will have him involved in our lives daily! My family raises this breed in Colorado so I will be asking them lots of questions and my cousin trains in agility for mini aussies so I have lots of people to get help over the phone! And I am not afraid to say I need help or advice! The teen who was selling them at the feed store showed us the mom and the 2 pipe who were left had been helping mom with sheep! So herding is inate in him! 
Right now I really want him to get close with the kids and become social with the neighborhood kids as we always have extra kids running around or house, so he needs to be friendly! Are your border collies friendly? Most of my uncles aren't as they are for working cattle only.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Wow , you will have some great help when needed , and that is great 
Yes , my BCs are over the top friendly , lol
My one guy , Yogi , is well , lets say , the friendly BC mascot of the Agway we go to , lolol He LOVES everybody. 
The rest do as well but some are more work oriented then others but just as friendly. They will come by and say hello , then go back to herding whatever they were herding ,lol
I will make up some short videos when I can and post them here or on another thread ( dont want to take up your thread )
And you can see how much they play and herd at the same time ,lol
Once of my older BCs will herd children , alot , so I cannot let her unsupervised when kids are about. But thats the breed and I dont try to change her , its what she is 
I just love your BCs face , such a classic BC look  Beautiful !


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I just caught the part about neighborhood kids . Please , please , please remember that this is a herding breed ( I know you know ) and sometimes they just cant help themselves with the nipping.
That can cause a huge issue with the kids parents . I totally understand that you want the dog to be kid friendly , but sometimes its too overwhelming for them. At this point , remove the dog from the situation . Whatever you do , dont scold the dog for doing this , its not going to connect at all. If you notice the dog herding and nipping to much , just take the dog away from the area , into another room or put him on a leash and when he goes to herd , say enough or no in a calm voice. Getting loud or harsh doesnt work with BC , never did , never will.


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

Trickyroo said:


> Wow , you will have some great help when needed , and that is great
> Yes , my BCs are over the top friendly , lol
> My one guy , Yogi , is well , lets say , the friendly BC mascot of the Agway we go to , lolol He LOVES everybody.
> The rest do as well but some are more work oriented then others but just as friendly. They will come by and say hello , then go back to herding whatever they were herding ,lol
> ...


Thank you so much! We think he is adorable! Please post the videos on this thread so I can find them easily and share with my husband and kids too! He loves to nap on the kids it is adorable! He sleeps in his crate for 7 hours until he whined to go out and go potty! I am just in shock at how smart and how quickly he has picked up on everything! Please any time you come up with anything feel free to share with me! I love learning from others!!!


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I took my pups everywhere ! Got them used to all noises , all kinds of environments. My rescue BCs where a big job since they werent exposed to any of these things , but they overcame tons of fear issues and have excelled in agility from being quivering lumps of jello to champs  Have fun with him , your in for quite a ride


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

Trickyroo said:


> I just caught the part about neighborhood kids . Please , please , please remember that this is a herding breed ( I know you know ) and sometimes they just cant help themselves with the nipping.
> That can cause a huge issue with the kids parents . I totally understand that you want the dog to be kid friendly , but sometimes its too overwhelming for them. At this point , remove the dog from the situation . Whatever you do , dont scold the dog for doing this , its not going to connect at all. If you notice the dog herding and nipping to much , just take the dog away from the area , into another room or put him on a leash and when he goes to herd , say enough or no in a calm voice. Getting loud or harsh doesnt work with BC , never did , never will.


Ok thank you! We will keep an eye on that! He has a very friendly personality so I don't want to scold him in a way that could change that personality!


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

Trickyroo said:


> I took my pups everywhere ! Got them used to all noises , all kinds of environments. My rescue BCs where a big job since they werent exposed to any of these things , but they overcame tons of fear issues and have excelled in agility from being quivering lumps of jello to champs  Have fun with him , your in for quite a ride


Okay! Thank you so much for sharing with me and realizing I am totally new to this! I have always had super friendly rottwielers and dopey labs! So this is a new breed to understand! But rottwielers aren't normally overly friendly but I super socialized them and they were great with everyone especially kids!


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

Another question... He is biting at everyone, so how do I tell if it is typical puppy biting or if it is his breed. I can tell when he is outside with our smaller dog his herding instinct but inside playing and biting/nipping how do I curb that???


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Well , what is the environment like when he is biting ?
Are the kids playing games with him , or are they sitting on the floor playing amongst them selves and he comes over and nips them ?

Some dogs , especially BCs are very easily stimulated by noises or movement. My girl Sally is extremely stimulated by my eye contact , noises and movement , to the point of you cannot specifically call her , get her attention and make swift movements because she will jump up at me and , when highly stimulated , nip. It's something I have to live with , her drive is off the wall. She will even jump at the TV when a animal chases something or does agility even. She has such attention to movement , she will actually watch TV , especially if I put a agility video on. I have a UTUBE video made with her watching TV.
I will try to remember to post it later.

With all that said , you do need to let him know that nipping children , grabbing their clothing is unexceptable. It's the way you go about this that is important because some of these breed dogs are soft and don't take we'll to our verbal corrections. I would , at the moment of grabbing say your pants leg , stop moving , say no in a firm low voice and do not move until he walks away or looks away.
Their stare is their prerequisite to getting something , anything to move .
If that object doesn't move to its liking , the nip follows.
You need to take away their concentration first.
Redirect it with a kong or a bully stick , something that will keep his attention . Sometimes they will take on a favorite ball or toy and carry it around , put it down ,stare at it inscessantly , then do it again ,lol
If this doesn't work , you can hold his nose in your hand lightly and say no in a low firm voice. Another option is to quietly pick him up and put him in a crate , like a timeout. You can just say timeout while you do this , so later on , once he learns what exactly the word means and he will stop the unwanted behavior. Now if he is a hard driven BC , you may have a problem . Some are so over the top driven that a home environment with children is out of the question .
I don't know the causes of his nippiness , so take note of what's going on around him when he bites and let me know , it will help try to figure out the what's and whys of his actions. 
A good site for you to check out is GlenHighland Farms . There are some great tips offered to deal with certain issues of the BC.
Im NOT suggesting to rehome him mind you , lol
Glad to hear from you


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

I really think his bitting is more the puppy play cause I see his herding nip outside! Our lab who is a great dog steps in and gives James a little growl and James the puppy calms down!


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Ok, if James ( great name ) gets too carried away , sometimes calming things down a bit is the way to go. He learned biting inhibition from his litter mates , now he needs to learn it from his pack mates 
Being such a young thing , he will learn whats expected and whats
un exceptable in time. If the nipping doesnt stop , use a low firm voice to correct it. Sounds like you guys are really enjoying him otherwise 
Please post pictures as he grows , we would love to see them 
Gosh , BC puppies are so much fun , lolol


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

Thanks! My middle son wanted a bible name and my oldest picked the name! It was great! We are loving James! He is so much fun and so super smart!


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

You are in for such a great ride , enjoy the heck out him while he is a puppy , they all grow so fast , lol


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

Trickyroo said:


> You are in for such a great ride , enjoy the heck out him while he is a puppy , they all grow so fast , lol


Thank you so much for your insight, and inspiration! He had his free puppy check today and we paid for a fecal his stool is a little loose so we thought we would make sure! He is so amazing and we love him tons!


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

Just sharing a few pictures

My kids and James & Daisy!








My daughter having a squirt gun fight with the James!








My son playing with James!


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

What beautiful pictures !!!
Such a happy bunch , lolol
Great see them enjoying James 
Thanks for sharing the pictures !
James is growing , wow , lol. It's amazing how fast they grow .
The name James is just adorable too , lol


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

There really isn't anything sweeter then watching kids and baby animals.
Especially puppies


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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

On The squirt gun. We use a little sprayer to punish flash my 2 yearold border collie. We got him from a pund when he was 1 and had no manners so we look him to training and my trainer suggested a squirt gun. 
Now my nefiew always wants to squirt flash with a gun or the hose and flash thinks Hes doing something wrong.

So i just wanna say if gour using a water sprayer or ever do plan of using it for "punishment" i kinda wanna say dont let the kids squirt him with them now because then he regresters it as fun time not "bad". 

I just wanted to warn that. 

Other wish cute puppy!!! I hope he works great!


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

And , having the dog fear water is going to backfire on you when its time for a bath , or ruins swimming as a wonderful healthy activity for the dog . 
Just a FYI , from my experience , never use a flash light or pen lights to play with a dog. It can create a horrible obsession to chasing any tyope of light , from the sun shining through the windows to reflections off tire hubcaps. Some people find it fun to have the dog chase these lights but in the end you are hurting your dog in more ways then one. 

Stopping play and using the firm low voice should be enough to quell the unwanted behaviors . Once they learn the fun stops when they mis behave , it will happen less often


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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

He loves his baths and his swimming time.

He knows the difference from a pool and a spray gun  

Besides he knows when Hes doing something bad lol


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

My husband won't use water as a punishment he had a dog that was trained that way and caused problems with any water, however we did tell my daughter not to do that anymore he didn't like it and she asked is she hurt his feelings! So instead she started playing cops and robbers with him without water!


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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

Aww Thats would be a sight to see!!


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

goatgirl132 said:


> Aww Thats would be a sight to see!!


It has been funny all after noon! They Chase eachother then my daughter say, okay James your going to jail!


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

Here is a new picture! We love him so much!


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I love him !!!!
Your other dog is adorable too


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

Trickyroo said:


> I love him !!!!
> Your other dog is adorable too


Thanks me too! Our lab, yes he is a registered lab not a hound dog... Lol everyone thinks he is hound! He put James our border collie in his place but plays great with him! He is giving James some manners and I don't have to do it, gotta love free help!


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

He is too cute!


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