The photo of Allison was taken when she was about a year old and didn’t have her full coat of fur. It is a good shot I think because it shows her conformation. Allison may not be spectacular to everyone’s eyes but to me it shows her beautiful angles built for speed and agility, endurance, and long-term toughness.
To those of you that are new to my blog, you may not know that we are expecting puppies in just a week or so. Allison is 6 yrs. old and really I have be testing her physical and mental soundness her whole life because my idea is that the puppies should be our contribution to the betterment of the breed. That being, the Border Collie of working bloodlines–Divison A of the Canadian Border Collie Association. For that division, judging the dog is not supposed to be about the appearance of the dog other than their soundness. We have not done xray testing of Allison’s hips, because it is obvious that she has no defect. She has been working with me since she was 5 months old, not missing a day except when she totally ripped out a toenail. Her eyes are obviously fine also! Mentally, she has proven to me that she is willing to overcome things in her life. These are basically loud sounds–rifles, fireworks, and construction saws and compressed air nailers. Here in Westbank, British Columbia the town has exploded in size, along with all the loud sounds literally surrounding us.
What ‘we’ve’ done in creating the “Working Border Collie” is breed them for: their fine instincts in handling livestock, the intelligence to problem solve on the farm, the energy and soundness to be able to work everyday for great distances, the sensitivity to hear, discern and obey even 60 different commands. Then most of us: lock up the dog for long hours, provide small bits of exercise, provide little problem solving and rote routines instead, and blame the dog for being overly sensitive to all the loud sounds bombarding them.
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December 22, 2011 at 10:37 pm
Janis and Ken Visscher
We are not in a flea area being a semi-desert. . . but google natural methods of flea control and try a few more things besides the oils. Garlic and nutritional yeast in the diet are two of them that make the dog less appetizing to fleas. You can make a flea trap also with a light shining over a bowl of water near the dog’s bed a night. Concerning the raw diet: jump in, get some information, and then relax into it as it is not a rocket science. If you feed your family well, you can give your dog a varied diet also where all the nutrients are met. I will try to write a blog of my experience in the next week.
December 21, 2011 at 5:59 am
Rick Coteus
I’m new to this.
My border had a bad case of fleas this year, I was late in getting it cleared up. He’s 3 1/2 yrs. old. Currently he does not appear to have his winter coat. He eats very well and his stools are fine. His energy may be somewhat low. He retrieves Lacrosse balls at 80 yrd sprints, 3-4 times then requires a rest – is this normal? Should I suspect worms or something related to the fleas or something else?
December 21, 2011 at 11:07 pm
Janis and Ken Visscher
Hello Rick, It seems to take Border Collies some years to get their full coat. I would encourage you to look into a raw diet as I have the last 2 years. This ensures that they get plenty of protein and skin which gives plenty of fats which makes for a healthy coat. Raw meats(some on the bone), vegetables and fruits and tripe give them everything they need without all the ingredients the processed dog foods have that often cause skin conditions and other allergies. Too many vaccinations have also been linked to itchy skin conditions. Our Allison got a hot spot this summer perhaps from a wasp bite. We found that some a mud pack on it gave her the most relief besides Calendula lotion, tea tree oil, (yucky tasting so they stop licking) and aloe vera. Thanks for writing–maybe I should add to my blog. Oh–I think that your dog is wise to take a little breather. Some will run themselves to literal heat exhaustion and death. Perhaps I will write a blog on some mind games that we play with Allison. . .
December 22, 2011 at 7:02 pm
Rick Coteus
Thank you very much for this great information. A friend had also recommended raw food diet to me. Where does one jump in, should I get more information on this or is it basically intuitive? Your comment on taking a breather is also very helpful. I had treated his very bad flea condition with essential oils only – nearly succeeding, only to back off before it was complete – or maybe I need to know more about application of the oils before I can completely rid him of them. Thanks again.