Highly strung bundles of fur but lovely nonetheless :) (Border Collie)

Member Name: cuteygirl

Product:	Border Collie
Date:	02/08/02 (269 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gorgeous temperament, Great with kids, Very easy to train

Disadvantages: Very intelligent which can lead to boredom then destructiion of your house, He doesn't like to be alone

I've had my first ever puppy for 2 months now. He's now 4 months. He's a Border Collie which I bought from a pet shop sort of on a whim, without much guidance from the staff as to how much work they are. He was expensive too but I don't regret having him. To start with he has already shown he is a pretty special little dog. He loves playing with children, other dogs and he's so laidback, he loves you fussing over him and doesn't mind you cuddling or picking him up or anything. He's great with cats including our little missy. She teases him. Due to his BC herding instincts, he does chase traffic a lot. When he is old enough we can distract him from this by taking him to do flyball or agility. He is certainly clever enough and energetic enough to do it. It would a great way to stimulate him mentally and physically (more on the negative effects there are if you don't stimulate him, later on) He does tend to snap if he's tired, but apparently this is part of the BC temperament and nothing to worry about. You can train him out of this behaviour.

One thing that is so surprising is his intelligence and his willingness to do just about anything for a tasty morsel of something or other. He is very easy to train and he is sort of housetrained, amazingly he had learned to do his business outside within the first 3 days of getting him. I must stress he knows the right place to do his "stuff" but he still makes mistakes as he is very young. He seems to have loads of energy and sometimes I wish I had another dog to keep him company and for him to play with as he never tires out. One thing you should be aware of is that if you don't stimulate him mentally or physically enough
he can become destructive. He is so easily bored due to his high level of intelligence (rather like myself lmao) He has chewed through a wall and a stair, but largely because I went out and left him for a couple of hours and he is still very youn
g. If I am here with him he is good as gold. He whines at times, and he tends to be very naughty when left to his own devices. I foolishly locked him out in the garden once as I had an important phonecall to answer and he was too bouncy for me to cope with while on the phone, when I let him back in he had eaten all the flowers and dug holes everywhere the size of Wembley stadium. I didn't tell him off, it was my fault after all for leaving him. This is why you can't have a puppy unless you are at home full-time. You must be there to keep an eye on him and train him. He is learning all the time, and needs guidance from you as to what is acceptable social behaviour and what isn't. When he is older you can leave him home alone, but not for too long, and that won't be a problem, but as a puppy it is a big no-no. Tip: You have to praise, praise, praise and reward with treats/attention with all dogs but especially BC's as they are so sensitive and may get upset if you shout at them. Woohoo, his little razor teeth have fallen out and he now nearly has a full set of adult teeth. The chewing has stopped dramatically. Aww bless he is sleeping, if only he'd do that more often ;) Anyway, I digress... on with the op.

The only real drawback I have with having bought a pet shop puppy is I know nothing about his past history or whether he is susceptible to BC illnesses like hip dysplasia and BC eye anomaly (there are plenty more diseases to list here. A useful site you could look up which has plenty of information on the breed is: http://www.bordercollie.org/). I have pet insurance so if the worst comes to the worse and he should have any problems, he's covered. I am with Pinnacle Pet insurance (http://www.pinnacle-pet-health.co.uk/) I would like to stress that if you have a pureberd BC, the risks of your puppy having these diseases are lessened as breeders test their dogs before breeding them and so the defects are not past on down the line. Bu
t there is no guarantee that your pet is healthy or will not develop these problems or others in later life whether it's purebred or not. However, it certainly gives you peace of mind purchasing from a breeder, at least you know the pup's background, family history and so on. (However there are a few lazy breeders out there who don't care and sell you pups without being Kennel Club registered or tested. Just try to steer clear of them. A genuine breeder won't mind you asking questions). I have learnt a lot over the last couple of months but there is still lots more to know about. A dog is a lifelong responsibility, but as long as you are willing to put the time and effort in, you will most definitely be rewarded with a happy pet!!! (Oh and don't forget training classes, my puppy loves them, he causes a riot with the other dogs!)

Last word of warning, don't buy from a pet shop. Even though where I purchased my pup, the shop was clean and he was fully insured for 6 weeks (like all KC registered dogs are) I know nothing about him. He may or may not get ill now or in the future. I am playing russian roulette with his health, and it's very unpleasant. With a pet shop, you have no contact after the sale (unless he is drastically ill) and should anything go wrong, you are left holding the puppy (and the vet's bills). At least you can always speak to your breeder and ask for advice. In conclusion, wait for the right dog and don't rush in and buy one on a whim. They are hard work and they deserve a good life. They will love you forever, and it's their trust you have to gain, should you wish a happy relationship with them. I am getting there and hopefully I'll have many years with my cute little BC doggie :):)

Good luck!!!

CG :)

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