Our tour of human perversion continues. This week we contemplate the fact that there are people who don't think this world needs Border Collies. Probably, when they were young, someone dropped them on their heads.
Border Collies are among the most appealing dog breeds on Earth. There are people who aren't good owners for Border Collies, but that's the humans' fault, not the dogs.
The main reason why some people should not own Border Collies is that these dogs are full of energy that needs to be put to worthwhile use. At least an Australian Shepherd can be satisfied with a half-mile run every few hours. Border Collies thrive on at least two hours a day of serious exercise. Since they bond with their humans this usually means that the humans need to exercise too. If you don't have a herd of sheep you have to compensate with an interesting mix of racing, chasing, catching, fetching, climbing, and jumping. Many Border Collies get their exercise in dog athletic clubs, but even there, the humans have to stand up and move about with the dogs.
So, according to the British Bossyboots' Union, all humans are lazy slobs who won't go out and run with their dogs, and therefore no humans should ever be able to live with Border Collies.
Meh. My brother and I were able to burn off our crazy teenage energy without help from a Border Collie but, then, our parents let us spend days on the hills without them, "run out" to do errands two or three miles away, baby-sit hyperactive kids; they let my brother do construction work at age twelve. If teenagers don't have the opportunities to use their energy in those ways, and don't go out for school sports programs, they can probably benefit from owning athletic dogs.
Hip and eye defects run in some Border Collie bloodlines, kidney disorders can set in with age, and they need a fair bit of grooming and mental stimulation. Border Collies are working dogs. They're not happy if they don't feel that they have a job. If they don't have a better job they are likely to decide they can be useful by "herding" cars, or neighbors' pets or children, or even "herding" and "training" their humans. They typically want to spend their days with their human, working closely with their human. If you are not a sheep herder you may need to find something a very intelligent dog can herd and guard for you.
A show-quality Border Collie stands less than two feet high at the shoulder and weighs 27 to 45 pounds. "Rough-coated" individuals have long fluffy coats like Bearded Collies; "smooth-coated" ones have short smooth hair. Both types of coats shed in spring and need brushing a couple times a week. Black and white is the most typical color, but they can actually be any color, including "marle" and "tick" patterns like Australian Shepherds'. Breed fanciers have traditional, somewhat fanciful, names for the different shades of brown and gray these dogs can be.
"Purebred" collies are seldom found in shelters but dogs with Border Collie looks and personalities are often put up for adoption, typically because they were too much dog for a slacker-type human. Know yourself. If you are a slacker-type human, consider a small dog who can get its exercise jumping on and off the couch and yipping at you. If you are, or recently were, or live with a teenager who has no time for the school sports crowd but likes running, consider hiring a Border Collie as a trainer. Shelter staff may want to spend some time with you, looking for evidence that you are or can become the active, healthy, outdoor type who does best with this kind of dog.
Zipcode 10101: Delicata from South Carolina by way of NYC
Well would you look at that. Petfinder's cookies can tell that I'm in Virginia. Delicata is being listed as an "out-of-town pet" available for adoption through shelters around the country. Even in the small town about sixty miles from mine, called Pound. (A few different explanations of the town's name have been offered, some having to do with its history of mining and commerce.) There is an actual dog pound in Pound, though Delicata isn't living in it. Click on the link and see if the cookies automatically redirect to a shelter closer to you.
Anyway, she's not in "delicate" condition; rather, she and some buddies, placed in the shelter as a pack when their human gave up trying to care for them, were named after varieties of squash. Butternut and Spaghetti Squash also look as if they might be purebred Border Collies, though they're not. Delicata is between one and two years old, might grow a little bigger, and is more than ready to start receiving the kind of education she's not yet had: bring her leash when she wants a walk, go to her crate at night or when riding in the car, sit, stay, walk at heel, don't chase cars, jump up on objects only when they're part of an agility course...She's a beta dog, they say. Be her leader.
Speedy & Sinatra from NYC
Her (Speedy's) web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/speedy-47f5b27b-1663-48f2-8422-c9027d2a0597/ny/new-york/anjellicle-cats-rescue-ny488/details/
Typical kitten siblings. He may or may not always be "Old Blue Eyes," and she may even slow down after she's five years old.
Zipcode 20202: Kellie from Alabama by way of DC
Her web site: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/kellie-f00f1c4e-0562-4259-9e62-72404e882997/dc/washington/k-9-lifesavers-dc19/details/
This ten-month-old puppy is part retriever, a type prone to become fat and lazy, so she's a bit more mellow than a typical Border Collie. She might grow bigger and be less brilliant, too. She would obviously just love to follow you around the city, catching things that you might want to carry home and bringing them back to you. An old catcher's mitt is clearly a good choice to keep her from trying to bring you the neighbors' newspapers--or their dogs, or their children. She has a sister, Jessie, who is also looking for a home. They can be adopted together. Adoption fees include spaying and other veterinary care, so you'll be motivated to have it done once you've already paid for it.
Border Collies benefit from, and may even need, advanced training to do all kinds of show-off canine fun stuff. Retrievers can, with patience, learn to do a few other things besides retrieve, like sit and stay and walk at heel, but as a breed they're not so good at fancy stuff. They are special! They retrieve! What more could you want, they nonverbally say, with their tongues hanging out as they shower you with the dirtiest water in the Anacostia River or the coldest off ice-bound Labrador. Possibly some fresh muddy paw prints to decorate your coat? K-9 Lifesavers is an organization that just love to find out how much a dog can learn. They will encourage you to sign Kellie, and likewise Jessie, up for training courses, as far as the dogs can go.
Guiness or Pawley from DC
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/guiness-c6a56d8d-02b4-46d0-8502-0e45ff14e24f/dc/washington/lucky-dog-animal-rescue-dc20/details/
Just another spring kitten. Male. Some people love their tomcats, especially when the tomcats were neutered at an early age and don't make the house smell like a litter box.
Zipcode 30303: Bellz from Fayetteville
Her web page: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/bellz-e6a2c57b-c840-45a8-957b-7626a82ed40d/ga/fayetteville/fayette-humane-society-ga83/details/
Ten months old, obviously not fat, and she already weighs 45 pounds? Some larger-breed ancestry, but they're not guessing because they say she's such a classic Border Collie. Shy at first, but if and when she decides she likes you she wants to be working for you all...day...long. May stare into your eyes until you laugh out loud. Loves to fetch tennis balls. I think it's the long white gloves and pump shoes that make me feel that she needs a pearl necklace. Actually, they say, she's had some training but needs more.
Leah from Atlanta
About 16 months old, Leah is said to be a "tiny" Queen Cat. She can be adopted with her brother, or alone if you already have a half-grown cat. Lots of energy. Likes to snuggle, has polite ways of letting you know whether she wants to stay on her feet or rest on you.
Bonus: Petey from Rogersville, Tennessee
Petey's ancestors may include Australian Shepherds or even Australian Cattle Dogs as well as Border Collies but, at the Humane Society shelter, he's more conspicuous for shyness than for cleverness and loyalty. Can he be blamed? He needs to meet someone who will get to know him slowly and bring out whatever intelligence and athleticism he has.
Nova from Johnson City, Tennessee
Her web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/nova-7337fd65-0604-4783-a41b-95daec110d70/tn/johnson-city/precious-paws-tn1097/details/
So do you want a baby Queen Cat? How can you tell? By fostering, that's how. Nova is available as a foster pet. You can keep her at your house, free of charge, for as long as you're willing to let someone else pay the adoption fee and take her away. As a guess you'll end up keeping her. Maybe that's just me. I think baby Queen Cats are adorable. They know better than to try enforcing their rules by bullying. They do it mostly by being such, such sweethearts when you're doing what they want.
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