ScottishCollies of the Pacific Northwest

09/04/2024

Husband: Dogs aren't allowed on the furniture.

Also husband: She's so cute! 🥰

09/03/2024

Oh, Blue! What a handsome boy you are 💙

09/02/2024

Blue felt pretty special getting to go for a walk this morning with Uncle Shep.

08/27/2024

Five months ago today. Shortly after this, we rushed to the vet for an emergency C-section.

Check out Tracey Westbury’s video.

08/27/2024

For dog Day, how about some dog stickers?

Shop Custom pet portraits & original paintings by IvyFoxIllustrates located in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Speedy replies! Has a history of replying to messages quickly. Rave reviews! Average review rating is 4.8 or higher

08/26/2024

Happy National Dog Day!

08/26/2024

Ivy went to a horse show with me this past weekend where we met this fun loving poodle.

The poodle told Ivy he's heard of all kinds of doodles and suggested (rather boldly) that they do the same.

Ivy was offended, "No SIR!" she told him. No Cadoodle canoodling with her!

08/20/2024

Blue, Ted and Ivy. Popcorn, please?

08/16/2024

Condolences to all of the Lassie Family. :'(

Without Bob, I likely would not own collies today.

It is with terrible sadness this morning to announce the passing of my dear friend Bob, (Mr.B) Weatherwax. I'm lost for Words.....

08/15/2024

I recently purchased some pins off Red Bubble for Shep and Ivy to wear on their packs. I always try to pick one up at state or national parks when we visit, but they don't always have them.

Both dogs have been to Deception Pass and Mt Baker Snoqualmie Forest, so two of each of those. Shep has also visited Cape Disappointment, Snoqualmie Falls, and the Olympic National Forest.

08/11/2024

Shep and I are on the road, and we stopped at his favorite store along the way 💕

08/06/2024

One of the things we worked on at our first handling class was putting your feet on a mark. One of the marks I've been practicing with is this chunk of wood.

Blue has learned quite quickly that getting up here means a treat is coming, and last night on our little walk about he ran straight over, jumped onto it and waited patiently for his treat dispenser to catch up 😁

08/06/2024

I love this! Take the time it takes and it takes less time.

And also, not every dog bred for the sport will make it. Love them anyway. They simply have a different gift you've not tapped into yet. ❤️

Trainers sometimes get frustrated when they don’t see the progress in their dog they expect or desire.
They often respond by pressing harder, hyper focusing on the specific area in which their dog is not advancing….the exact opposite of what many dogs need.

They have a vision of how they want their dog to develop; a preconceived timeline of what a dog should be doing and when. If these expectations aren’t met they mistakenly convince themselves if they could improve “X”
(ie a wider outrun, squarer flank, better pace, stronger shedder etc)
all the pieces would come together.

But the key to helping dogs realize their full potential isn’t found by achieving the perceived next step,
improving a single aspect, employing a more sophisticated technique or trying a new gimmick.
Rather it’s found in the standard, understanding and totality of all the bits of training that comprise “the body of work”.
More specifically, it’s dependent upon the quality of the fundamentals, coupled with the right mindset.

Foundational skills are paramount and there is no embarrassment in going back to improve them; once mastered, they provide the springboard for future breakthroughs.
Focusing on these and staying in one place a bit longer gives your dog a mental break. Moreover, you reap the benefits found in the power of habits.
The repetition and routine inherent to core fundamentals develop confidence and cultivate mental fortitude.

It is a better and much less detrimental approach than pushing a young dog too hard to take the next step if he’s not ready.
While some dogs learn very quickly others need time to plateau, get a bit more experience, confidence and maturity before they’re ready for the next step.
Dogs that are slower to develop are very different from precocious dogs when they are young, however, if nurtured correctly, the two dogs can appear indistinguishable as trained dogs.

Instant results or training epiphanies are not common and the majority of the time, sudden improvement is actually a reflection of the cumulative body of work. The little nudge from a different approach that achieves quick and marked progress, probably wouldn’t have had a fraction of the effect without the supporting body of work.

One of the best gifts you can give your dog is letting go of the expectations of what you want him to become, and accept him for who he is—
As you help him through what he finds difficult, keep in mind
every dog learns at a different speed, requiring it to take the time it takes, for your dog to understand and enjoy a new concept.
Being patient in your training empowers learning, fosters partnership and strengthens your bond.

08/06/2024

Found a little hoop on marketplace. Decided to practice some basic agility (although I have zero experience or know how!) Blue picked up on what I was asking for super quick!

08/05/2024

Ivy would have an emotional breakdown 😆

SCARES DON'T GET MUCH BIGGER THAN THIS

08/05/2024

Today Ivy and I met up with a new to the area collie owner. And guess what? He's sired by Henry! Which makes him half brother to the puppies. And also, Ivy wonders, perhaps it makes her his step mom? 🤔☺️

08/03/2024

Now that we've strewn the toys across the entire room, it's time for a toddler collie nap 🤦

08/02/2024

Blue's ears have always laid back in a working position, so much that I was afraid they would never stand even remotely upright.

But this morning they were sitting in a forward position! He looks identical to his mother when she was a pup here, just with a slightly more masculine profile 💙

Can't wait to see him grow up into a strong, handsome man dog 😄

08/01/2024

Gotta love Brenda 😍

BRENDA’S TOUR DE FORCE! Having already wowed the Paris crowds with her prowess on the high beam and uneven bars, our Brenda wasn’t finished yet in her bid to win an Olympic gymnastics medal! She knew she had to go all out in her floor exercises to ever make that dream come true, and performed a routine of such technical skill and daring artistic flair that the judges GASPED! We can only wait now for the final scores, and hope that she has done enough.

08/01/2024

Blue went rat hunting today!

We drove to a lesson to begin setting a foundation for agility, and since the rats were out we took advantage. He definitely was interested and followed the trail, but the rats themselves didn't interest him so much. But we'll cut fun some slack since it was after the regular lesson and he was clearly getting tired by the third rat. I was happy that he at least picked up the scent. We've not practiced at all since the pups were a few weeks old.

08/01/2024

When you're sleepy, you sleep.

08/01/2024

Classic old look. I would imagine that Blue will have a similarly shaped head as he matures.

Deep in the Gazette photo archive is a battered old Kodak film box. It contains several rare —and extremely fragile—glass negatives taken by Rudolph Tauskey. They date to the early 1920s.

Using a sophisticated scanner, our creative production team has struck crisp digital images from the delicate glass plates. This ensures that these Tauskey treasures, most of which haven't been seen by Gazette readers for 80 or 90 years, will be part of our sport's historical record far into the future.

The image we share here is from a glass negative Tauskey made of Collie Int. Ch. Bellhaven Laund Logic, out of Florence B. Ilch's famous Bellhaven kennel at Red Bank, New Jersey. We date it circa 1922, the year Mrs. Ilch imported Laund Logic from England, where he was whelped in 1917. He would become an influential sire in the breed.

07/31/2024

Best article I've seen on copper storage yet!

Everything you need to know about Copper Storage Disease (CSD) or Copper-associated Hepatopathy. By the Dog Food Advisor.

07/27/2024

This. One hundred times, THIS!

Today our breed expert wonders what has happened to more considerate and responsible behaviour among dog owners

IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE! DOGS, PEOPLE AND THE DEATH OF MANNERS

Imagine you do everything you can to learn how to drive properly and be a good driver. Then find yourself out on roads where ever fewer people seem to do the same. Where everyone seems to think they can do what they like, when they like, with no concept of any greater consideration for others. Very soon, driving anywhere would become a pretty horrible experience.

But increasingly this is what it can feel like now to be a more responsible owner taking your dog out for a walk. Someone who does everything they can to properly train a dog and consider other people and dogs when you are out walking, only to find too few other owners seem to be doing the same.

So many people’s dogs today have not even had the most basic training. And are thus more like unguided missiles which, once off the lead, will not come back when called and instead go charging up to other people and their dogs to harass or bully them or otherwise become a completely unwelcome nuisance.

HEATED ENCOUNTERS
But apparently this totally uninvited assault into your dog’s personal space by another dog is all OK, their owner reckons, because “they only want to play”. When what they really mean is, I have a dog whose behaviour I cannot control. And as long as I am saying my dog is ‘only playing’ I haven’t actually got to admit that or do anything about it.

Altercations now between dog owners can also get very heated, when one owner will not take responsibility for the offence – or even injury – their dog has caused another. This is because too often people’s dogs become extensions of their own egos, and some people’s egos seem unable to confront any concept of criticism, fault or blame. People can be complicated. And then they transfer those character complications on to their dogs.

But what I would say is, if your dog’s behaviour has ever caused offence or damage to others, just apologise there and then. It really isn’t that hard. It usually takes a lot of the sting out of the situation. And it’s something we will all probably have to do sometime.

THE LOCKDOWN LEGACY
It’s often said that the more ‘badly behaved’ or ‘out of control’ dog problem today dates back to the pandemic Lockdown, because so many of the dogs bought in haste during this period are now heading to rescue shelters.

A lot of them, however, were also produced by the worse breeders, at the worst time, when other more responsible breeders refused to breed, purely to make money. Then sold to owners who may also have got them for the worst reasons and had to raise them in the most socially unfavourable circumstances. All of which hardly gave them the best chance of emerging as more well adjusted adults.

But I personally think the problem goes a lot deeper than that and has been brewing for much longer.

UNDERSTANDING DOGS
In an age, ironically, where there has never been more advice on this subject around – both online and elsewhere – people just still do not seem to understand the dogs they own. The animals they really are and the species they belong to. They see them, instead, as some sort of accessory they have bought, which should be able to programme itself to behave as required, with less effort on an owner’s part.

They also do not seem to understand even the most basic forms of canine communication. Such as when a dog is telling a stranger dog more politely - see illustration and more 'hunched' or 'frozen' body language - that they do not want to be approached or harassed. And neither is a dog who charges up barking and growling at another dog with its hackles up “only wanting to say hello”. It is being aggressive, full stop, and nobody wants or welcomes a “hello” like that.

If your dog charges up to another dog totally uninvited – and especially if the other dog is on a lead – and the consequences turn ugly, that is down to you. The polite and most sensible thing to do is always ask any owner first if your dog can approach theirs.

Dogs, also, do not have to say ‘hello’ to every new dog they see or pass on a walk. Anymore than you would want to engage in conversation with every single stranger who comes walking down your street. Some dogs are highly sociable with other dogs, others prefer their own personal space, or a more limited circle of other dog friends. It is just the way it is.

THE IMPACT ON OTHERS
If you are having problems with your dog’s behaviour when out, then there is really no shame in admitting this, then seeking the right help in improving their training. Sometimes just the most basic commands like instant ‘downs’ or ‘watch me’ or ‘leave’ and a vastly improved recall are all you need to have a far better behaved and more controllable dog, as well as one that is also far more of a pleasure to own.

It is the more constant sense of denial instead, on an owner’s part, that there is any need to better train or control their dog that does the most harm, and has the biggest impact on other people and their dogs. Because every day, as a behaviourist, I see the wider fall out caused by owners who did not keep their dogs under better control. Including allowing them to terrify or attack puppies or younger dogs, which can leave them with lasting psychological harm, or even major issues with other dogs later in life. And if only they would think just a bit more about that.

At the end of the day, what mostly seems to have got lost within the modern dog owning experience is just basic manners. The need to better consider others, if you want them to treat you with consideration in return. Things that just make our whole world a better place to live in. Meanwhile all aspect of training BCs appears in BOOK TWO of my BREED APART trilogy (red cover) – ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS & LEARNING.

All text © Carol Price 2024
Carol Price collie books: In the UK from: https://performancedog.co.uk/product-category/books-and-dvds/authors/carol-price/ In the USA from: https://www.dogwise.com/ # and https://www.cleanrun.com/product/border_collies_a_breed_apart_book_1_secrets_of_the_working_mind/index.cfm In Canada from https://4mymerles.com/collections/books In Australia from: https://gameondogs.com.au/ And in the Netherlands and Belgium from: https://mediaboek.nl/border-collies-a-breed-apart-book-1.html

07/27/2024

Put the agility tunnel in the garage overnight since the wind was blowing outside. Thistle had to play as soon as she woke up!

Formal training begins this next Thursday. She and Mike will begin talking lessons to set her up for agility success! She won't be old enough to compete for some time, but it's never too early to learn some basic skills 🥰

07/26/2024

Cute ☺️

07/26/2024

Earlier today I received a message from someone whose puppy just tested as carrying a copy of the copper toxicosis. gene. She was quite concerned, because she had planned on keeping this pup as a breeder, and was now worried about how to approach not only the breeding aspect, but ownership of a dog that could have copper issues.

I was able to relieve her fears in that so far the two veterinarians that I've spoken with didn't believe that this would be an issue. One copy of the gene means less of a chance of any buildup of copper toxins to begin with, but also our breed is not known for copper buildup. I don't know if it's because they just aren't susceptible, or there just aren't very many of them that carry the genetics. That is left to be seen.

In any case, I told her that my plan was to reduce the copper in the diet by cutting Ivy's regular dog food in half and including a copper-free dog food in her diet, and by eliminating any organ meat treats like she had originally been getting.

After our conversation this evening, she felt a little better equipped to move forward and not quite so worried about losing her dog and even the future of keeping her as a breeding female.

It is frightening to be one of the first diagnosed with this within your breed. We have no idea whether or not family members have it, parents or grandparents, or just how prevalent it is in the breed, or perhaps not? It does not help those of us who are now showing up with dogs carrying this when there are no success stories for us to point out to potential puppy buyers.

But such is life, eh? Welcome to the new frontier.

For those who are interested in testing their collies, UC Davis will do it for $55.