What is the best performance border collie breeder?
This lady breeds wonderful agility and herding dogs. She is located in California and you can contact her through her website. You might have to wait for a puppy, check her web page though and see what litters she has planned. http://www.dogagility.net/ ADD: HERE IS A LINK TO THE BREEDING PAGE http://www.bordercollie.tv/ Here is a little bio about her breeding program from her webpage. Welcome to Contact Point Border Collies. At Contact Point Border Collies we strive to produce great performance Border Collies. Contact Point Border Collies are bred for excellent temperament, good health, drive, bidability, and natural working talent. Karen Moureaux is the breeder of Contact Point Border Collies and has owned Border Collies since 1989. Karen and her Border Collies have competed in a variety of dog sports including Agility, Herding, Flyball, Obedience, and Scent Hurdles. Karen and her first Border Collie, ADCH Dusty Dallas Rose MX, MXJ, CDX, FDCh, competed on 4 United States World Agility Teams traveling to Spain, Austria, Belgium, and Switzerland. Karen and Dallas have also won both the USDAA and AKC National Agility Championships, as well as placing in the finals in other years. Karen's other early Border Collies include ADCH April MX, AXJ, FM and ADCH MACH Ravin. Ravin came into Karen's life as a "re-home" in 1997 and has gone on to qualify for both the USDAA and AKC National Championships, making the finals in USDAA Grand Prix twice, where she placed 3rd in 1999 and AKC National Championships, where she placed 4th in 1998. More recently, Contact Point Border Collies have gone on to great success in Agility. They have gone to win the AKC Agility National Championships (Quick in 2006 & Driven in 2008), compete on the USDAA/IFCS World Agility Team (Quick and Luz, 2006, & Driven in 2008), and compete/place in the USDAA Grand Prix and/or Steeplechase National Championship Finals (Quick, Driven, Luz, Soda, Jammer, Cyclone, and Indy). Contact Point Border Collies are also excelling in Herding, Flyball, Frisbee, Dock Diving and other dog sports. Karen's understanding of competitive dog sports has helped to form her vision of the Border Collie that she believes will excel in dog sports and has also fired her desire to produce great performance Border Collies.
Which breed has the best interaction with kids: Which pet is easier to groom: Border Collie or an Australian Shepherd? Why?
I think the best dog for kids is a pet-quality German Shepherd Dog, especially a female. (The Sport or Protection type GSDs are bred to be high-drive. It is difficult for them to sit quietly in the backyard when the kids are on the swing, etc.)The GSD will immediately understand the job: be companions to the kids and watch over them. They will instinctively sleep in the doorway to the bedroom, for instance.As for Border Collie vs Australian Shepherd. The Aussie has a heavier coat and is somewhat bigger. But the Border Collie has a lot of trouble standing still for long! LOL
How well do Border Collies stay on their own?
From a different direction: what is it that attracts you to a border collie, that you haven't already learned their defining characteristic, which is workaholism? AS Robert noted above, BCs will drive you out of house and home with their ability to think. Chaser, the BC who knows 1000+ words, STUDIES 5 hours a day with her person. (You might want to read that book first.)I met someone who got a Great Pyr, and then was surprised that the dog wasn't very people-friendly. Never could figure out how you could know enough to want a GP, without knowing it cared about sheep more than people.Jon Katz has a number of books about BCs. You might find them enlightening, too. (His early books are about labs--make sure you know which ones you are selecting.)
How much does owning a Border Collie and owning a GSD differ?
They are very different breeds.The German Shepherd Dog was developed as a herding breed of the continental style - upright, loose-eyed, off the stock, tending. The Border Collie was developed as a herding breed in the UK style - crouched, strong-eyed, close to the stock, fetching.GSDs are physically larger and while they have a comparable need for exercise and training, less nervous or twitchy in my experience. The Border Collie is smaller and more, what’s the best way to describe it?, emotionally intense. A GSD can take a hard correction and might methodically chew something to bits if bored - they roll with the punches. A Border Collie is much more likely to either wilt under rough handling or become neurotic to the point of self-injury and aggression if under stimulated.Personally, I’m a Belgian Shepherd person - the explosive energy of the BC with the harder temperament of the GSD, plus plenty of extras that are unique to the Belgians!
Where are some Border Collie breeders in Northern California?
I live in Alamo CA and i was wondering if anyone new of any Border Collie breeders near here. We're getting our first dog so if you know or have heard of any trustable breeders please list. Thank you.
Should you own a Border Collie or an Australian Shepherd? Why?
We got our first Border Collie not knowing any better. Then we got into agility because of her. That lead to 3 more Border Collie’s over the last 20 years with our current one being 10 years old, owned 2 at time about half the time. My avatar is my second dog Cosmo going over a jump.At agility, Border Collies are very intense, crazy wanting to run, crazy wanting to watch the other dogs run (especially the fast ones). Other agility people are afraid to own a Border Collie. At home they are quite calm, once we learned not to play ball in the house. They can turn it on instantly, for a walk, for frisbee catching or whatever their obsessions are. Border Collies are about their obsessions and you cannot control most of them, a few - it is endearing or frustrating, your pick. The obsessions we have seen are agility (3), frisbee (4 for 4), ball in the house (first 2 then we learned), biting water, jumping on shadows, biting waves, watching ball being played (other dog, catch, tennis, soccer, whatever), laying on our bed all the time, watching cars go by when in the car, being in the car, watching toads jump. You must deal with obsessions, letting when happen in controlled situations when possible. You cannot get rid of an obsession.They can cause damage if left alone and bored.Border Collies learn easily. They have a large vocabulary (300 to 600 words). They have a tail which is beautiful and quite expressive, I always find the Aussie stump sad. Aussie have beautiful tail when they are kept, which becoming more popular. Border Collies are smaller boned than Aussies.I heard this story from agility competitor who had had Aussies for years, generally owning 4 or 5 all the time. He went to the dark side (as adding a Border Collies is know in agility) and got a Border Collie. His comment was, similar but Border Collie more obsessive though much calmer in the house. The Aussies play all the time, non-stop while the Border Collie turns off. A completely unexpected eye opener for him.You can tell my bias, but I am a Border Collie owner. I run an agility club, I teach agility, I am an Agility Association of Canada Masters Judge, I am my club’s trial coordinator (13 trials a year), I am developing volunteer signup software for a living - all because we got a Border Collie not know any better.