imported_Kat

Kes is teething at the moment and trying to get her teeth around everything (inc. me :lol: ). Her wee ears are up and down as well so I know shes sore. I give her raw carrots straight from the fridge and frozen kongs as well as toys, but does anyone else have any other suggestions or particular toys to help? Thanks :D

he is such a valued member of your little family :D (speaking of which you need a new avatar with all 3 pupsters :wink:

it happened with an australian shephered at an agility show here as well. Personally I wouldn't trust that lightweight cage to hold a dog. I prefer the metal ones!

I'm covered in muck from my toes to my hair but I'm so blissfully happy :D . Kes and I are just back from a walk over the fields and she and I had a great time jumping from each ploughed lane and across wee streams. Each time she looked up into my eyes, I just couldn't help but feel a sense of proudness and happiness. Its very very windy today as well up to 90 mph gusts but shes a right wee trooper and even though she was being blown she kept up the pace and seeing her in the fields was like seeing her as a proper Border collie. Shes 10 weeks old today and I love her to bits :iloveyou: Only doggy people would understand these feelings :wink:

Thats super to hear! :D

yayy thats brilliant! :D

actually most allergies are related to dander from the natural process of the skin sloughing off and renewing as opposed to the dogs fur so you might want to bear that in mind. I was with a lady last week who had just got a rescue bichon from someone because they were under the illusion that their daughter wouldn't be allergic with a non casting dog. They were proved wrong but thankfully this lady has given the wee dog a good home.

Hi there, the first night can be the worst. I would advise you to keep her in a crate where she feels safe and secure and its also good for potty training. In her crate put in an old stuffed toy that she can snuggle up against and a rolled up pair of socks mimics the body of a litter mate and this can also be handy. Potty training would be the first form of training that you should undertake. Again this is where the crate is invaluable. Take her out at regular intervals (every 30 mins if you can) especially after she plays, eats or after she has slept. Give her a command as shes sniffing the grass (I use Hurry hurry with my pup) and repeat the command when she is actually toileting. Follow the command up with loads of praise! For formal training you would be best to enrol in a puppy class when she has had all her vaccinations and please do not take her out for walks until she has had all her vaccines. You can teach her sit just in the gardena nd house by holding a treat above her nose and telling her to sit then when she does the sit repeat the command reward her and break off for a play. Recall again can be taught and is essential for all dogs. Using the long line as someone else said is the best way and be sure to go over board on the praise when your pup comes to followed up by a treat.

pain and torment unnecessarily is my view on cropped ears. They serve no purpose at all and are just purely for aesthetic purposes. Thankfully some Kennel clubs have their heads screwed on.

hi there, I never mind people coming up and asking me questions at shows but I don't like them doing it or touching my dog before i go in the ring or immediately afterwards either. Those times are reserved solely for bonding time and time to cool down respectively. I would say to watch the movements of certain handlers and catch them when they are sitting down or when they aren't grooming their dogs. Have fun at the show :wink:

thats super! :D

Dose hoomans are weally horrid sumtimes.they sticked nother big needle in me tonight at the vets saying i hafta hav dese vacksination fingies. fink im a pin cushen or summat..weally now..does i wook wike a pin cushen grrr. the vet just sticked it in and i didnt howl at da time but after it hurts and i jus lay down on the table and looked all pafetic with my head down,looking like i was at deaths door . when my mummy gived me tweats tho i eated dose up ...i just eated dem of course so mummy wouldn't panik you understand. anyways now im all weady for the big bad world and me can go proper walkies cos i weally am a big dawg ya know. true i slept in mummys arms tonite after the vets but im a wuff n tumble border collie any otha time. wots of hugs to all the wee dawgies, luv fwum Kes

eww I hate the pale pale retrievers now that are almost white! A golden retriever should be a light golden in my eye but over the years I have seen the breed getting chunkier and lighter in colour and also the coat is nearly straight instead of wavy which is a distinguishing feature. Not that I'm biased or anything :wink: , but Zoe is a great example of what a retriever should look like and retriever judge critics have also commented she is of excellent standard too. Bearing in mind that Zoe will be 14 years old next month as well! [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v394/CollieKat/zoetree.jpg[/img] [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/Collie/Kes/DCP_0027.jpg[/img]

ooh you are so brave! I think it will maybe be a few months or possibly a few years :P before I have the guts to let Kes out of her crate full time hehe

Fostering is great to do and I know what you mean about being emotional when its time to let go. Just take a lot at the dog though now and look back to what he was like when you first set eyes on him... every picture tells a story and your hard work has now paid off in getting the dog a forever home. I know its hard for me too and a lot of others. The hardest ones are actually the orphan puppies that I get when they are just maybe a few hours old, helpless and very dependent on me. When I am able to hand that wriggly bouncy pup to his new home, I know that those 2 hourly feeds were worthwhile :wink:

The thing with Collies is that they are working dogs. No matter if they are smooth, Border or rough they will not make a good pet to just sit by the fireplace. They are extremely exuberant and must be worked to curb their energy and channel their energy into something useful otherwise destructive and aggressive behaviour will result. If I were you I wouldn't get a collie unless you can dedicate a lot of time and energy to that dog, and if you have a young child I would advise you against having any collie breed.

Chiropracters are great to adjust dogs. I wanted to get it done for Meg but then all the trouble started and I never got a chance. I know so many people though who have had their dogs spines realigned (usually agility dogs) and the benefits are apparent. The danger is that if there is a vertebrae misaligned or a trapped nerve then it can cause problems later on, so I always think that prevention is better than cure. We have chiropracters here called McTimoney chiropracters but I'm honestly not sure if they extend to the USA.

hehe Crufts is always held in the 2nd weekend of March :wink:

*knew the results back in March* :P

Court *hugs to you* I'm so sorry you are losing your Pushy Cat. You have doen wonders for him to have lived to 17 and a half! That truly shows how well you have looked after him. *hugs*

yikes i missed this post last night! Lots of positive thoughts going to you and Peanut :wink:

This morning I took Kes out into the garden as usual and normally she pees and poops very fast. This morning though she was acting up something shocking and kept dragging me to the bottom of the garden and whimpering. I thought she was just playing around wanting her own way so took her to the top of the garden again. She was being really persistent and I let her have her way. She took me to the summerhouse at the bottom of the garden and there was a young thrush trapped inside! The poor wee thing couldn't get out even though teh door was open but it kept banging into windows. We got it out and I praised Kes and told her she was a good girl :wink:

Mine starts tomorrow I think. Already getting cramps tonight :o

Actually the reason why they throw it up is because they can't digest the cellulose. They lack a cellulase or symbiotic (helping) bacteria to break down the grass therefore the gut says that its foreign and causes the stomach to contract and the dog to boke it up.

well explained K! :D