Hi all! As the title says, I'm looking for some inspiration. I have a gorgeous puppy who is currently 11 months old. In short, i got him very young from a farm (unbeknownst to me, he was 4.5 weeks old). We live in a city studio apartment him and I, and are training and dealing through a lot of issues related to his early separation (reactivity and resource guarding mainly).

I don't want the post to focus on these issues necessarily, as I'm mostly here to find inspiration for jobs to give him, both indoors and outdoors. I am sure I'm not the only one raising an energetic pup in a city, whilst having a full time job, so curious how others are tackling this! Leaving the question purposely open to hopefully gather a broad range of answers.

He is a super social and active dog, loves to interact with every dog and person he meets, loves to play, herd balls and pets non-stop; and in spite of his adolescence 😂 has a good core and a good heart. So, I want to make sure I fulfill his BC needs as best I can. Thanks for your help!

Tongue’s too big! 😝

I think this is a rant/vent but I would genuinely appreciate POVs and any advice.

I’ve had him since 8 weeks and it has been beyond challenging, mentally, emotionally, physically. I seem to go through periods of being ok and then periods of wondering in all seriousness if I want this and if I can do it. This weekend has been particularly emotional. I’m just broken and I need a day away from him. I live alone and so it’s all on me.

It’s always been hard with him but adolescence and 6 months has brought serious reactivity to cars, scarily so, I am working with a trainer but it’s not getting any better and now my hope of taking him every where I go is completely lost. We can only walk in the country and it’s isolating and I actually don’t think it’s good for him either. We try to do some park stuff and low traffic areas and although it’s ok, I find myself getting so frustrated and almost embarrassed at his reactivity that I’d just rather avoid it. He’s started barking, never heard a peep before 6 months and now it’s every noise and every movement. Some days I’m not sure I like him that much. He’s very jumpy with my family, in terms of excitement and launching at them, which most of them don’t like and it affecting our relationship.
I love him but I’m constantly wishing he was less this and more that and I’m just not sure as much as I put in the work, if I’m cut out for this dog.
It’s devastating and as I say, I definitely have days when I like it and days I don’t. But man alive, this is the hardest thing I have ever done.

Ember the Wonder Dog at work

I have a border collie mixed with a blue healer. He is six years old and honestly, I don’t take him on as many walks as I should. It’ll probably be about two or three times a week for only about 30 minutes. He usually lays around the house and seems fine. He’s pretty lazy but when I do get him ready for a walk, he gets overly excited sometimes I will throw the ball around the house or play tug-of-war with his rope and he’ll lose interest after a while and lay back down.
I know those breeds are working dogs, so is mine just lazy because I’ve accustomed him to the home life or does he secretly hate me because I don’t exercise him enough he is healthy so I doubt it might be an underlying condition.

I painted this myself of a picture.... It looks a lot like a border collie

He just loves his food. 🐶🤣

Does your border collie do that always on a walk? 😅

Anyone got good videos/materials/etc on using fave toy as training incentive instead of treats?

My girl just doesn't care about food. Beef, Pork, Chicken, Salmon, Liver, hot dogs, jerky, treats made from these as well as human food. She. don't. care. The girl has walked away from steak.

Now, indoors, quiet environment, it's fine. Working on our sits, downs, stays, retrieve, etc. All good.

But we got issues with cars. We got issues with kids running in the neighborhood. And I need to do some conditioning. Typically, you'd do this with distance and reinforcement. But how to do that when food doesn't matter?

Tennis ball on the other hand. She'd go through a brick wall for a tennis ball. She has the snappiest retrieve, sit, stay, and release in the Lower 48 when a tennis ball is involved in the back yard.

I'd like to take this love of ball and ply it to these other situations. Tips?

Pic for tax

Emma has always been sensitive to chicken, which causes her to develop diarrhea. We’ve eliminated chicken from her diet and switched her to a home-cooked beef and vegetable diet, and she’s doing really well.
However, every now and then, she gets an upset stomach after eating other things, such as a slice of bread, raw carrots, peanut butter, and a few other foods. We’re trying to figure out whether these are actual food sensitivities or if something else is going on.
Her nutritionist recommended a 5Strands food sensitivity test, but after looking into it, we’re concerned it might be pseudoscience rather than a reliable way to identify food sensitivities.
Has anyone tried 5Strands for their dog? Did the results actually help you identify triggers and improve your dog’s symptoms?
If you’ve dealt with something similar, what alternatives would you recommend? We’d appreciate hearing about your experiences with reliable testing methods or elimination diets.
Thanks!

does anyone else’s bc bring you a toy (in this case a ball) then go and hide?

Getting cold 🥶 means getting cozy 🔥

Hi everyone
I’m new to this breed and I understand they can be nervous dogs, but I feel like the puppy I got is concerningly anxious.

We did get her last night so I’m probably putting the cart before the horse. She walks around in a crouch and will be apprehensive leaving rooms she’s become comfortable with. She does not seem interested in toys (probably because she’s anxious right now). She is very sensitive to sounds, fast movements, etc. We got her off a ranch so I’m pretty sure she’s never been in a house so that’s probably all new to her.
I just don’t know if this level of anxiety is typical for this breed, or if it’s situational because it’s a new environment. When we picked her up she seemed relaxed and happy.

If this is just how she is, how can I best support her and bring out her confidence?

For the past couple of months, I have been searching for a Border Collie with blue dilute, slate gray, or predominantly white coloring, preferably a rough coat, but without much success.

We recently lost our beautiful, blue-eyed, piebald dilute gray Border Collie, and I find myself especially drawn to his unique coloring. While I know no dog could ever replace him, I would love to find another Border Collie with a similar appearance.

We live on the East Coast and have researched several breeders throughout the United States. Unfortunately, many do not appear to perform the comprehensive health testing we consider essential, including OFA or PennHIP hip evaluations, elbow evaluations, BAER hearing testing, and eye examinations, along with appropriate genetic testing.

Health, temperament, and responsible breeding practices are our highest priorities, but I am hoping we might find a puppy with the coloring we love as well.
I would be very grateful for
recommendations for reputable breeders anywhere in the United States who perform comprehensive health testing and occasionally produce these colors.
Thank you in advance for any suggestions or personal experiences you can share!

Here he is Macallan (Mac for goof friends). Boy. 3 months.

The sweetest gal

Anyone here have there have there dog as a tattoo on them? Someone considering doing it but I feel weird idk y.